DraftKings MLB Picks July 5: Verlander and the 15 dwarfs

DETROIT, MI – OCTOBER 12: A view of the scoreboard during a rain delay prior to Game Four of the American League Championship Series between the Texas Rangers and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on October 12, 2011 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

DraftKings MLB Picks July 5: Verlander and the 15 dwarfs

We have an unusual summer Thursday with all eight games falling into the main DraftKings tournament threshold. However, that doesn’t mean that there are a ton of good pitching options. Far from it. In fact, this is one of the worst pitching slates we have had in some time. At least we don’t have to worry about trying to fit a Coors stack along with this!

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They are going to have a tough time getting the game in in Detroit tonight. Thunderstorms are likely starting from 5pm to midnight, so I won’t even preview this one. I highly doubt it gets played.

The wind is blowing out to right at 12 mph in Washington, however the rain risk is not all that high.

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. We have plenty of writers on here who give you relevant information no matter which site you play on!

For you first time players, if you would like $20 in free 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. – MAY 28: Max Fried #54 of the Atlanta Braves throws a first inning pitch during game one of a doubleheader against the New York Mets at SunTrust Field on May 28, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. MLB players across the league are wearing special uniforms to commemorate Memorial Day. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Justin Verlander ($13,400): It’s Verlander and the 15 dwarfs tonight. He is easily the best option, and it’s not even close. The White Sox are hitting a decent .241 off of Verlander, and they do have five homers, but only eight runs in 116 at bats. The 36 strikeouts is a tad low compared to what we usually see from Verlander. Verlander has a 2.12 ERA, and that is after allowing nine earned runs in his last two starts. If you believe that his struggles are real, you can use White Sox players. Just be prepared for a major letdown.

Johnny Cueto ($11,800): Cueto was absolutely dominant in April, but this price is absurd coming back from an elbow injury. If Cueto is limited at all, which he likely will be, there is no way he can get you the value you need at this price. This is a great situation for Cueto, but a horrible, and unfair, price in his first start off the DL.

Middle Tier:

Jeremy Hellickson ($7,700): The Marlins are hitting just .211 in 95 at bats with only two homers and six runs. The knock on Hellickson has always been his lack of strikeouts, and that isn’t changing here. He only has rung up 13 of those 95 Marlins. Hellickson doesn’t have much for upside, but he should pick up a solid start in the mid teens here.

Max Fried ($7,500): Fried has a 2.55 ERA in six appearances (two starts) this year. He has been equally good at home and on the road. On top of that, Fried has only allowed one earned run in 11.2 innings over his two starts against the Mets and Cardinals. The Brewers probably have more firepower than both of those teams put together, but their main hitters are left handed. There is a lot of potential for Fried here, and the price is definitely right.

Bargain Pitchers:

Pablo Lopez ($7,000): Lopez seems pretty reasonably priced considering what he did in his debut. Lopez picked up 19.3 DraftKings points, but that was against the Mets. The Nationals in Washington are an entirely different animal. That said, there is some potential here considering that the Nationals are mired in quite a slump right now. There is a lot of left handed power in this lineup, but their unfamiliarity with Lopez could give him a slight advantage.

Aaron Slegers ($5,600): Slegers pitched a solid game back in May against the Royals, and the Twins were kind enough to bring him up at another opportune time for him. The Orioles are stacked with average right handed hitters. Don’t expect Slegers to go deep into the game, but he does have a 3.55 ERA in 14 starts at AAA Rochester. He should reach the mid teens for DraftKings points, which could make Slegers are solid value.

Andrew Cashner ($4,600): I can see a case for stacking against Cashner. I will in at least one lineup due to the Twins thrashing him earlier this year. However, Cashner has eight strikeouts in only 28 at bats against the current Twins. He has also posted back to back quality starts. My point is that Cashner is nowhere near the worst pitcher on the slate, so he is a bargain priced like it.

NEW YORK, NY – JULY 03: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with Freddie Freeman #5 after Albies’ solo home run in the fifth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on July 3, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

Detroit Tigers vs. Yovani Gallardo:

The Rangers are obviously desperate if they are turning to Gallardo again. Gallardo has given up 12 runs in 18 innings over three starts this year. The issue here is the weather. You can try to stack hitters if this game looks like it’s going to be played regardless of how Texas uses their pitchers. Castellanos and Goodrum are the two best hitters on the team right now. Candelario should break out of his slump at some point. Iglesias and JaCoby Jones provide great salary relief.

Atlanta Braves vs. Jhoulys Chacin:

The Braves are hitting .381 with two homers and nine runs in just 42 at bats against Chacin. That should come as no surprise. Chacin has always struggled against lefties, and the Atlanta lefties can really mash. Freddie Freeman is 5-11 with two solo homers and four runs against Chacin. Nick Markakis and Ozzie Albies both sport ISOs over .250 against right handed pitching. Ender Inciarte is worth a look as well, and so is Acuna, even against a righty.

Minnesota Twins vs. Andrew Cashner:

The Twins are hitting .321 with a homer and five runs against Cashner in only 28 at bats. Kepler has the homer, but guys like Eddie Rosario, Logan Morrison, and Eduardo Escobar are in play as well. Robbie Grossman is a good way to save some cash as well.

Houston Astros vs. Carlos Rodon:

I have long been a Rodon fan, but he is struggling against righties and struggling on the road in his return this year. That is the worst possible combination when planning a trip to Houston. Alex Bregman remains an elite play. George Springer, Altuve, and Evan Gattis are worth a look as well. So is Gurriel, and Jake Marisnick is a strong pick if he starts with a lefty on the hill.

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Eric Lauer:

Lauer has been strong lately, but there is a good chance that ends here. Arizona is at home, and has a lot of right handed power. Pollock and Goldschmidt are elite plays. We can even save some money with Nick Ahmed, John Ryan Murphy, and Chris Owings. All of them have good power potential.

CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 14: Jose Abreu #79 of the Chicago White Sox hits a two run home run in the 1st inning against the Cleveland Indians at Guaranteed Rate Field on June 14, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Bryce Harper is probably too expensive here. He can go off at any moment, but the .215 average on the season is very offputting. I would rather pay for Juan Soto here and save a grand. We’ll need it with the pitching out there. Adam Eaton is a solid pick as well.

Mitch Haniger homered twice against Jaime Barria in his first start against the Mariners. Nelson Cruz and Jean Segura are worth a look as well if you can afford a right handed Mariners stack.

Marco Gonzales has a 3.06 ERA in eight home starts, but he has struggled against the Angels. There is a lot of right handed power in this lineup with Trout and Upton leading the way. Trout is too expensive for my taste here, but if you want some exposure, Ian Kinsler and Andrelton Simmons are reasonably priced alternatives.

Luke Weaver has continued to struggle this year, and he was not good against the Giants last year. The problem that we face here is that the Giants are still suffering from inflated prices after destroying baseballs for three days in Denver. Still, Belt and Crawford are worth a look. So is McCutchen. My go-to pick to save salary is Alen Hanson.

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Middle Tier:

I am in no hurry to throw anyone out there against Cueto, but with him likely going five innings or less, Matt Carpenter is worth a look for two at bats against the Giants bullpen.

Shelby Miller has elite numbers against the Padres, but he has allowed 11 runs in two starts back from major surgery. Miller isn’t right yet, so Eric Hosmer is an elite play tonight. I also like the power potential of Wil Myers and Renfroe here. You could even turn this into a cheap stack. I don’t trust Miller at all right now.

Robinson Chirinos has two homers and three RBI in only seven at bats against Matthew Boyd. Most Rangers righties are in play if this game is played.

You can use Ryan Braun against Max Fried if you want, but I’m not really rushing to play Milwaukee players here.

We do have a BvP monster tonight. Jose Abreu is 15-38(.395) with five walks, two doubles, five homers, nine runs, a steal, and six RBI off of Justin Verlander. The rest of the team is 13-78 with just one run and two RBI.

Bargain Shoppers:

I can honestly say that I’m not crazy about most Orioles, but Chris Davis is worth a look against a rookie at an absurdly cheap price. Colby Rasmus is worth a cheap punt as well.

Next: DFS MLB Game by Game Breakdowns

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