DraftKings Early MLB Picks June 25: Pay up for Skaggs

KANSAS CITY, MO – JUNE 02: Jason Adam #50 of the Kansas City Royals takes a selfie with some young fans before the game against the Oakland Athletics at Kauffman Stadium on June 2, 2018 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Brian Davidson/Getty Images) /

DraftKings Early MLB Picks June 25: Pay up for Skaggs

We have a tiny two game slate to kick off this week. With only four pitchers to choose from, the pickings are predictably slim. I much prefer the possible hitter stacks today, which means that we are only looking for pitchers that will hurt us the least? Who are those?

More from DFS

Rain is possible in Kansas City with a 12 mph wind blowing out to right center. I generally think this one plays, but there could be delays, which makes a shoddy pitcher slate that much more risky.

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

ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 20: Edwin Jackson #40 of the Washington Nationals looks on during the eighth inning against the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park on September 20, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Tyler Skaggs ($10,700): Skaggs almost looks cheap against the Royals. The Royals are hitting just .214 against Skaggs in 28 at bats with only one run and eight strikeouts. The good news for Skaggs is that none of those stats have come this year, where the Royals offense has been even worse. Skaggs is a must own this afternoon. Get your separation elsewhere.

Middle Tier:

Jordan Zimmerman ($6,800): Surprisingly, Zimmerman has never faced the A’s. Zimmerman is actually in a decent spot here since he has a respectable 3.93 ERA in three home starts this year. He even has 20 strikeouts in 18.1 home starts! The strikeout upside is solid enough to give Zimmerman a go, but the A’s haven’t been held under three runs in the last dozen games. This offense is going along pretty well right now.

Bargain Pitchers:

Edwin Jackson ($4,800): Remember him? Jackson has resurfaced in Oakland, and when he takes the hill in Detroit today, Jackson will tie the major league record by playing for his 13th major league team. That ties the record of Octavio Dotel, who also pitched for Oakland at one point. This could be a separation point today. Jackson has a solid 3.53 ERA in 13 AAA starts this year. However, Jackson offers little to no upside since he doesn’t pick up a lot of strikeouts anymore. The thing that gives Jackson the upside is facing a struggling Detroit offense in a monstrous park. Jackson has a career 11-4 mark with a 4.09 ERA in 21 career starts at Comerica Park. Only four players of the Tigers old guard have faced Jackson before. They are only hitting .152 in 33 at bats with one run and seven strikeouts.

Next: Other notes for 6-25

ANAHEIM, CA – MAY 11: Mike Trout #27 shakes hands with Justin Upton #8 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim as he crosses the plate after a two run home run in the third inning of the game against the Minnesota Twins at Angel Stadium on May 11, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

I should like Tigers hitters, but I don’t. Not really. I would rather attack the Tigers, but more on that later. Still, Edwin Jackson could be in line for a blowup. Nick Castellanos and Jeimer Candelario are the top options here, but I’m not sure they are really worth paying for.

I am a big fan of Khris Davis today since he doesn’t have striking splits. He has a lot of power. Enough to get it out of Comerica Park. Jed Lowrie is a decent option as well.

I didn’t even mention Brad Keller above because the Angels took some BP off of him in his first start against them. Justin Upton had two hits in that game. Mike Trout is likely worth the lofty price as well.

More from FanSided

Middle Tier:

Jose Iglesias is one of the few Tigers hitters that is doing pretty well right now. Iglesias has little upside, but his is hitting .333 over the last ten games.

Matt Olson has huge power potential as well. Marcus Semien is worth a slot if you are stacking on Zimmerman.

Bargain Shoppers:

Matt Joyce has a terrible average this year, but his OBP is not terrible. That makes him a solid pick for any DFS format. Jonathan Lucroy is worth a look as well if he starts.

I don’t trust any Royals hitters against Skaggs, but Alcides Escobar is 3-5 off of him with a $2,700 price tag.

Kole Calhoun is a favorite again at just $3,000. Luis Valbuena is a solid pick for cheap power as well.

Next: DFS MLB Game by Game Breakdowns

We promised some big news in June for Fantasy CPR, right? Well here it is! We are now looking for PAID writers to join our team to write about fantasy sports. Seasonal or DFS, any sport you want – get your voice heard and get paid for talking fantasy sports. Apply today HERE!