DraftKings Early MLB Picks May 19: Keuchel or Kluber?

CINCINNATI, OH – APRIL 05: Fans sit in the stands during a rain delay of game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on April 5, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

DraftKings Early MLB Picks May 19: Keuchel or Kluber?

There are 16 games today with a scheduled doubleheader between the Reds and Cubs in Cincy. Ironically, this is the only day game that is threatened by rain. The other four seem to be in in clear. Most of the action is in the evening with 11 of the 16 games there, but we still have some strong options in the afternoon, even if you decide to avoid the potential for rain in Cincinnati.

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There will be a crosswind in Cincinnati and a fairly strong wind blowing out in Houston if the roof is open. However, that park is so huge in center that it wont matter.

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 $10 showdown ticket for MLB or the NBA, 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

BOSTON, MA – MAY 14: Sean Manaea #55 of the Oakland Athletics pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at Fenway Park on May 14, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Dallas Keuchel ($9,500): The Indians are only hitting .245 against Keuchel with just one homer and six runs in 110 at bats. The 17 strikeouts are frighteningly low, but Keuchel has allowed fewer than half the runs of Kluber in two more at bats. I will elect to save the $2,400 and go with Keuchel over Kluber.

Sean Manaea ($9,000): Manaea is off to a brilliant start this season. His career numbers against Toronto are good. The Jays are hitting .244 with two homers and five runs in 45 at bats with 13 strikeouts. That is right about where you want the strikeout rate. Nothing here jumps off the page, but Manaea no-hit one of the best offenses in baseball, and held his own against them in Fenway is his last start. Manaea probably has the highest floor of the day, and there is good potential here as well.

Middle Tier:

Kyle Hendricks ($8,300): The Reds are hitting a solid .268 against Hendricks, but they only have three homers and eight runs in 127 at bats. The 30 strikeouts does leave something to be desired though. This is a risk, and not just because of the rain chance in the Queen City. Hendricks has a career 5.70 ERA at Great American Ballpark. Find a way to free up the $700 to use Manaea.

Jon Gray ($7,600): Gray owns a solid 3.42 ERA in four road starts this season, and the current Giants are hitting just .200 off of him in 30 at bats with only one run and seven strikeouts. On top of that, Gray has a sparkling 2.35 ERA in three career starts at AT&T Park. Gray is a very nice play in this price range.

Bargain Pitchers:

Zach Eflin ($7,200): Eflin has been outstanding in his first two starts of the season, picking up 50.5 DraftKings points in his first two starts of the season. The Cardinals will be the toughest team that he has faced so far, which is part of the reason for the skewed numbers. That said, The Cardinals are not an elite offense, so there is solid potential here.

Luis Castillo ($7,000): Well, it has been an up and down season for Castillo, so this could just as easily not work out in our favor. However, the Cubs did not manage to hit Castillo well last year. He didn’t allow a run in five innings and struck out four. Those aren’t great numbers, but that is why Castillo is reasonably priced.

BALTIMORE, MD – MAY 16: Cesar Hernandez #16 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates after scoring during the seventh inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on May 16, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

Oakland Athletics vs. Sam Gaviglio:

Gaviglio has pitched pretty well in relief so far this year, but starting could be a different story. Gaviglio will be cheap enough to use as a punt starter, but I prefer to stack an Oakland lineup that is showing signs of life. I like Semien batting leadoff, and Khris Davis is always worth a look. After that, Jed Lowrie , Matt Olson, and Matt Joyce all look like good options to round out this cheap stack.

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Jon Gant:

Gant didn’t pitch all that well against the Twins in his only start of the season so far. There is a good chance that this Phillies offense is better than the Twins one that put up four runs in 5.1 innings. Odubel Herrera and Cesar Hernandez are very good plays here. Rhys Hoskins and Carlos Santana are worth playing for their power potential alone.

Colorado Rockies vs. Chris Stratton:

The Rockies are hitting .368 in only 19 at bats on Stratton. Charlie Blackmon is the only one to hit a homer against Stratton for the Rockies so far. I do like Gerardo Parra and Carlos Gonzalez as cheaper picks. Paying up for Story and Arenado is not a bad idea if you have the money to do so.

Next: Other Notes for 5-16

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – APRIL 29: Joey Votto #19 of the Cincinnati Reds advances in the third inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field on April 29, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Joey Votto is 7-14 with nine walks and two solo homers against Kyle Hendricks. He is a must-play if this game is played. Adam Duvall is 5-14 with a solo homer in his career against Hendricks.

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Middle Tier:

Both Josh Donaldson and Kendrys Morales have hit home runs off of Sean Manaea, and they have driven three of the five runs. Those are the only Blue Jays that I would really consider this afternoon.

Bargain Shoppers:

Andrew McCutchen is 4-7 with a double, two walks, two steals, and two runs in his career against Jon Gray.

It’s kind of hard for me to fade Corey Kluber, but his career stats against the Astros suggest that he may be overpriced. The Astros are hitting .259 against Kluber in 108 at bats with only three homers, but 15 runs and only 32 strikeouts. I want more for that price, especially with stack options available this afternoon. I’m not stacking on Kluber, but a couple of standalone plays look good. Marwin Gonzalez is 7-14 with two walks, a double, two homers, and six RBI in his career against Kluber. Brian McCann is 3-98 with a solo homer off of Kluber.

Next: DraftKings Main Slate MLB Picks

Good luck out there, and check out our picks for FanDuel baseball, along with our PGA picks. We will also have picks for the EuroLeague Final Four as well!