DraftKings Early MLB Picks July 12: Freeland is the real ace

DENVER – MAY 6: Exterior general view before the Colorado Rockies game against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field on May 6, 1995 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

DraftKings Early MLB Picks July 12: Freeland is the real ace

We are down to two afternoon games on Thursday. Unlike most short slates though, we have one sure thing at pitcher, and a game at Coors Field. What could possibly go wrong?

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The only afternoon outdoor game is at Coors (I’m assuming Houston will be closed with a 98 degree reading at first pitch). There is no rain nor wind to worry about here. Play ball!

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

HOUSTON, TX – JULY 07: Charlie Morton #50 of the Houston Astros pitches in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Park on July 7, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Charlie Morton ($11,900): Morton is the unquestioned ace on this slate, but he is also twice as much as every other pitcher. Is he really worth that much? The A’s are only hitting .235 against Morton, but they do have two homers and seven runs to just six strikeouts in 51 at bats. However, Morton is 8-1 with a 2.66 ERA in 11 home starts with 91 strikeouts in just 67.2 innings. It’s really hard to ignore that!

Middle Tier:

Kyle Freeland ($6,000): I present to you today’s ace. At just $6,000, Freeland is a steal. The Diamondbacks are hitting .243 with a homer and five runs with 10 strikeouts in 37 at bats. Those numbers are about as good as Morton’s for half the price. On top of that, Freeland has a 2.89 ERA in seven home starts. That’s right…..his ERA is better at home than on the road. Lock in Freeland and decide if you want to pay for Morton or not.

Bargain Pitchers:

Robbie Ray ($5,800): Ray has been destroyed by the Rockies, and not just at Coors. The Rockies are hitting .358 with 11 homers and 31 runs to just 30 strikeouts in only 134 at bats. The strikeout upside hasn’t even been there! That said, Ray did get enough strikeouts to muster 13.3 DraftKings points in his start at Coors this year despite giving up seven runs in five innings. For the price, the strikeout upside is legit. Just keep in mind that Ray isn’t going to give up less than three or four runs.

Trevor Cahill ($5,500): There are only four pitchers on the slate, so if I don’t cover them all, I’m not doing any of us any favors. However, Cahill is coming off the DL and making a start against the Astros. As if this weren’t a bad enough combination, the Astros are hitting .263 with three homers and six runs in just 38 at bats. The silver lining is that Cahill does have eight strikeouts. So our choice is to use at least one Coors pitcher, or use Cahill against the Astros. Ouch!

Next: Other notes for 7-11

SEATTLE, WA – JULY 06: Charlie Blackmon #19 of the Colorado Rockies hits a home run off of Felix Hernandez #34 of the Seattle Mariners in the first inning at Safeco Field on July 6, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

I don’t see a reason not to play Alex Bregman. He will cool off at some point, but maybe not until the weather does.

Charlie Blackmon is 15-30 with four homers and 11 RBI off of Robbie Ray. So much for platoon disadvantage! Trevor Story has homered twice in only 13 at bats. Arenado has homered as well. I know. Big surprise.

Neither Pollock nor Goldschmidt have homered off of Freeland, but they are a combined 5-13 with three RBI. Still, their price makes it tough.

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Middle Tier:

I’m not that high on Arizona bats, especially with the price of Colorado bats. Ketel Marte has the only homer off of Freeland, but $4,200 seems high for him when you can have Springer at the same price.

Well how about that! All three of the Astros that have homered off of Cahill are all in this tier. George Springer is just $4,200. Gurriel and Gattis are the others to take Cahill deep.

Khris Davis has both homers against Charlie Morton, and he is only $4,000. You can load up on A’s to try and leverage those that use Morton if you’re fading, but that’s an all or nothing GPP strategy.

Ian Desmond had a huge night last night, and is 3-5 with a homer against Ray. Raimel Tapia homered against Ray in his only game against him, so if he is in there, go for it. CarGo is 7-17(.412) with a homer and five RBI, and seems like a bargain at $3,900.

Bargain Shoppers:

Marwin Gonzalez is about the only guy in this tier that I would consider today. He is 2-6 with two runs and a RBI against Cahill. That’s as good as you are going to find at this price with three elite offenses in action.

Next: DFS MLB Game by Game Breakdowns

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