DraftKings MLB Late Lineup for April 16: Don’t pay for pitching
By Bill Pivetz
With 10 games in the late slate, you should not have to pay for pitching when making your DraftKings lineup.
The DraftKings late slate of games features 10 matchups to pick players from. Barring any rain or snowouts, you should have a full pool of players to make your lineup. Most of the star hitters are available but you can still be competitive without breaking the bank. However, with these games, you should not have to spend on pitching.
The 10 games are STL/CHC, COL/PIT, KC/TOR, TEX/TB, WAS/NYM, PHI/ATL, CIN/MIL, CWS/OAK, HOU/SEA and LAD/SD. With it being the start of the week for most teams, those team’s respective aces will take the mound. That comes with a high price, though. Jacob deGrom and Aaron Nola are the only two priced over $10,000.
If you wanted to spend that much on a pitcher, you can build a cheap offense. There’s just more potential by spending more on your hitters. That doesn’t mean the pitchers you select are complete busts either. Because of how DraftKings scores each player, even the cheaper pitchers can score 20 points in a game.
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P: Reynaldo Lopez ($8,300)
P: Jaime Garcia ($7,100)
Lopez has been consistent in his first two starts, scoring 21.1 and 21.6 points in those games respectively. He gave up too many walks in his last outing but was able to get out of any trouble as he lasted seven innings with just two hits allowed. Lopez and the White Sox face the Oakland A’s. They have some power hitters and are currently hitting .261 but also have 144 strikeouts, ninth in the league.
Garcia had a good first outing against the White Sox but suffered a setback against the Rangers. He strikes out enough batters to earn a few extra points but the Rangers were able to score three runs on just five hits. He pitches against the Royals. The team is hitting .231 so far. I think his off-speed stuff will keep the Royals off the scoreboard.
Honorable Mention: Aaron Nola ($10,400), Luis Castillo ($7,300)
C: Francisco Cervelli ($3,100)
1B: Yuli Gurriel ($4,100)
2B: Ozzie Albies ($4,000)
3B: Kris Bryant ($5500)
SS: Aledmys Diaz ($3,100)
I splurged for Bryant and was able to do so because I didn’t spend for a catcher and shortstop. Without Rizzo, Bryant is the top hitter in the Cubs lineup. He’ll be hitting against Adam Wainwright, someone who hasn’t looked like himself so far.
Cervelli has eight RBIs in his last five games. Surprisingly, the Pirates are playing well and the catcher is a part of the success. Hitting against German Marquez will help the Cervelli and the rest of the Pirates.
Diaz is starting to heat up. He has four home runs and eight RBIs this season. While his average is low, he will rack up a few hits against Eric Skoglund.
Gurriel will be playing in his fourth game of the season. He and the Astros almost got no-hit against Bartolo Colon on Sunday so I expect the offense to come out firing.
Albies has been on fire both offensively and defensively. He has four straight games of at least 12 points and in five of his last six. Hitting .315 with five home runs and 11 RBIs will do that. He faces Nola, who is doing very well but I think Albies will score another 12 points.
Honorable Mention: Yadier Molina ($3,800), DJ LeMahieu ($4,300), Scott Kingery ($3,900)
OF: Tommy Pham ($3,600)
OF: Starling Marte ($4,300)
OF: Charlie Blackmon ($5,100)
Because of my lack of spending at every position, I was able to spend big on another star hitter. This time, it’s Blackmon. Pittsburgh will send out Steven Brault for this game. It’s safe to say Blackmon will be able to hit a home run in his third straight game. He’s worth the price.
Marte, like I said with Cervelli, has a good matchup. While isn’t a power hitter, just three home runs, he can hit the ball well and drive in a few runs.
Pham is hitting .322 with five steals. Those stolen bases add a few extra points to your score. Pham and the Cardinals will hit against Tyler Chatwood, a pitcher who gives up a lot of hits per start. At the price he’s listed at, that’s a great value pick.
Honorable Mention: Jose Pirela ($3,500), Teoscar Hernandez ($2,900), Michael Conforto ($4,600)
Next: Joey Lucchesi: Waiver add?
The number of injuries so far this season removed a lot of good players from the selection pool. The rainouts are also forcing owners to make last-minute decisions. Hopefully, neither of those things happen today and for the rest of the season. I had $1,800 left over, which may seem like a lot, and I could upgrade Pham to Harper or another position he faces deGrom. I like the team and it’s potential and that’s all that matters.