DraftKings Late MLB Picks April 8: Kershaw or bust!

DENVER, CO – APRIL 16: Snow adorns the sign on the stadium as the New York Mets and the Colorado Rockies prepare for a double header at Coors Field on April 16, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. All uniformed team members are wearing jersey number 42 in honor of Jackie Robinson Day. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

DraftKings Late MLB Picks April 8: Kershaw or bust!

We have yet another split slate early in the MLB season. The larger slate was earlier. There are only four late afternoon games on the slate. The night drubbing of the Mets will take place in its own showdown, so it’s not on this slate.

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There were no rainouts yesterday, and everything looks like a go for today as well. It may be cold in Colorado though!

We will provide you with several options to build your lineup here. Want to spend all your money on pitchers and play bargain bats? We will highlight who is worth the money. Want to punt arms and pay up for the big boppers? We can help you with that as well, and everything in between!

These tips are based mostly on past performance. This is a nice tool for building a lineup, but should not be the only pieces of information you use. Stacking against a bad pitcher is always a good idea!

For you first time players, if you would like a free $20 in DraftKings dollars, use this link for the referral bonus with your first deposit of $5 or more! Then continue reading for tips on how to turn those DraftKings dollars into more!

Next: DraftKings Pitcher Plays

ANAHEIM, CA – APRIL 04: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim looks on from the dugout during the second inning of a game against the Cleveland Indians at Angel Stadium on April 4, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Clayton Kershaw ($12,800): Kershaw is pretty much an auto play, but I’ll give you the stats anyway. The Giants are hitting .204 against Kershaw in 539 at bats with seven homers and 33 runs. That isn’t as dominant as usual, but the 136 strikeouts Kershaw has in those 539 at bats put him squarely in play. Blach pitched very well against Kershaw on Opening Day, but I like Kershaw in the rematch.

Shohei Ohtani ($9,300): Ohtani put up 21.1 DraftKings points in his first MLB start against the A’s. This same team gets another crack at him. I don’t think it will make much of a difference. The win potential is there against Graveman, and we know he can rack up some strikeouts. The only blemish was a three run homer.

Middle Tier:

Cole Hamels ($8,300): The current Blue Jays are hitting a solid .274 off of Hamels, but they only have two homers and five RBI to go with 14 strikeouts in 62 at bats. Hamels has done a great job of limiting damage and still racking up points via strikeout. He also has a good shot at a win against Jaime Garcia as well.

Bargain Pitchers:

Ty Blach ($5,800): Blach outdueled Kershaw in the opener. The current Dodgers are hitting .212 in 104 at bats with one homer and eight runs to go with 13 strikeouts. There is solid potential here with Blach. If you’re using Kershaw, you may have to use Blach to offset the price.

DENVER, CO – APRIL 06: Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies receives the Rawlings Gold Glove and Platinum Glove Award before the Rockies home opener against the Atlanta Braves at Coors Field on April 6, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Nolan Arenado is 3-6 with a double and a solo homer in his career against Sean Newcomb. All righties are in play against Newcomb today.

Middle Tier:

If Russell Martin is in the lineup, he is worth a look. Martin is 5-18(.278) with a walk, a homer, a steal, and two RBI in his career against Cole Hamels. Kendrys Morales could be a great way to save money. Morales is 3-9 with a double and a solo homer against Hamels.

Yasmani Grandal is 3-8 with five walks and a run scored in his career against Ty Blach. Cody Bellinger is 3-12 with a run scored and two RBI against Blach.

Matt Chapman hit a three run homer against Shohei Ohtani, but that was all Ohtani gave up in his first major league start.

Bargain Shoppers:

Wow, Albert Pujols is cheap. He is also 14-33(.424) with two walks, a double, four homers, seven runs scored, and 11 RBI in his career against Kendall Graveman. Luis Valbuena is 6-20 with four walks, a double, a triple, a homer, four runs scored, and two RBI off of Graveman.

The Giants all get a pretty big discount here facing Kershaw. Buster Posey is still worth a look. Posey is 25-105(.238) with six walks, three doubles, three homers, five runs scored, and 10 RBI in his career against Kershaw. Pablo Sandoval has seven RBI against Kershaw in 61 at bats despite the ugly average.

Robinson Chirinos sat yesterday, so he should be in the lineup against lefty Jaime Garcia.

ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 30: Dansby Swanson #7 of the Atlanta Braves hits an RBI single during the fourth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at SunTrust Park on March 30, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

DJ LeMahieu is 2-6 with a solo homer in his career against Sean Newcomb. Trevor Story is 2-5 iwth a walk, a double, a homer, and three RBI off of Newcomb.

Dansby Swanson is off to a fast start this year. He is also a perfect 4-4 with a walk, a double, a run scored, and three RBI in his career against Kyle Freeland. Ozzie Albies is in play too. Albies is 2-6 with a triple, a double, a homer and a RBI against Freeland.

Zach Cozart is 2-6 with a solo homer in his career against Kendall Graveman. Andrelton Simmons is 5-17(.294) with two runs scored and a RBI if you are going to ride the hot hand.

Middle Tier:

Chris Taylor is 4-13 with a walk, a double, a homer, and two runs scored in his career against Ty Blach. Corey Seager is 4-16 with a walk, two doubles, three runs scored, and two RBI against Blach. Enrique Hernandez is usually the guy that beats lefties like tied up goats, but not Ty Blach. Hernandez is just 2-13 against Blach.

Elvis Andrus is in play here against Jaime Garcia. Leading off against a weaker lefty gives Andrus really good potential here.

Bargain Shoppers:

This isn’t much, but Joe Panik is off to a good start, and he is 9-32(.281) against Clayton Kershaw. He also has a solo homer off of Kershaw.

Next: Top Outfield Plays

ANAHEIM, CA – SEPTEMBER 29: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is congratulated by teammate Kole Calhoun #56 at the dugout entrance after Trout hit a solo homerun during the first inning of the MLB game against the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 29, 2017 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Mike Trout is 10-30 with two walks, a double, a triple, two homers, three steals, nine runs scored, and four RBI in his career against Kendall Graveman. Kole Calhoun is 8-33(.242) with a walk, a double, a triple, two solo homers, and four RBI in his career against Graveman.

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Middle Tier:

Believe it or not, Curtis Granderson is 5-15 with two walks, a run scored and a RBI in his career against Cole Hamels.

Yasiel Puig is just 3-15 in his career against Ty Blach, but if you are chasing homers, Puig has one off of him.

Nick Markakis is 3-6 with a solo homer off of Kyle Freeland.

Bargain Shoppers:

Andrew McCutchen is cheap, and could be worth a look against Kershaw. McCutchen is 10-30 with two walks, three doubles, a homer, five runs scored, and four RBI in his career against Kershaw.

Ryan Rua is really cheap, and usually hits lefties pretty well. The Texas lineup is loaded with left handed hitters. Use any righty in the starting lineup against Garcia.

Next: MLB DFS Picks and Pivots

Good luck out there, and check out our picks for FanDuel baseball, along with our PGA picks. We also have the NBA still winding out the season, but DFS is still going strong!