DraftKings MLB Picks July 13: Can we trust Bumgarner?

For the second time this week, we have a completely full slate! That’s good news for those of us still chasing the homers from all 30 teams. I still need the Orioles, A’s and Marlins. Have the Marlins even hit a homer since July 3rd? This thing is rigged! With Paxton off the slate, we now have only two pitchers priced in five figures, but the middle tier is stacked tonight. We could fade the top all together, especially if you don’t trust Thor against the Nationals in his return.

More from DFS

A delayed start in Atlanta is almost a certainty tonight, but it should get going about an hour later than originally scheduled. We have the customary wind in San Francisco, and the wind is also blowing out to left in Citi Field. Other than that, most locales are quiet tonight weather wise.

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

NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 15: Nathan Eovaldi #24 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches in the first inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 15, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Madison Bumgarner ($11,400): See, our top tier whittled away quickly, didn’t it? The A’s are only hitting .220 with two homers, three runs, and 11 strikeouts in 59 at bats. MadBum looked like he was completely back, then he gets knocked around some by the Cardinals. At home! His safe haven! Bumgarner’s career numbers at home are much better, so I’m writing off the Cards game as an outlier, and rolling him out there against the A’s.

Tanner Roark ($8,700): I don’t enjoy the markup on Roark, especially since the Mets held their own against Scherzer last night. However, The Mets are hitting just .213 with two homers and only three runs against Roark in 61 at bats with a strong 17 strikeouts. There is decent potential here since Roark is facing the Mets, but the price looks a touch high. With other really good option in this tier, I’m inclined to fade, but Roark and the solid stats are there if you want them.

Nathan Eovaldi ($8,500): Eovaldi’s career numbers against the Twins aren’t great, but he hasn’t faced the Twins this year. Eovaldi is having his best season across the board, and that should continue here. There are enough lefties in the Twins lineup to make this interesting, but they are striking out at an alarming rate this year. Eovaldi’s ability to throw really hard is going to come up big tonight.

Middle Tier:

Carlos Martinez ($8,100): I’m going to ignore his past stats against the Reds since they aren’t very good. Martinez has taken the mound three times against the Reds this year and racked up 61.8 DraftKings points. That’s a good return at this rice. On top of that, Martinez has won his last three starts, and has a 2.38 ERA in eight home starts. The Reds are cooling down some, but there is still some risk here.

Nick Kingham ($7,900): Kingham picked up 17.8 DraftKings points against Milwaukee the first time he faced them despite giving up four runs. The fact that Kingham has a 2.55 ERA in four home starts has me leaning towards him over Guerra if you want a pitcher in this game. Guerra looks a little overpriced, whereas Kingham provides solid value and decent strikeout upside for much less.

Domingo German ($7,400): If you rolled with Severino last night, you know that you are playing with fire, as in hot bats, when using a pitcher against Cleveland. However, the Tribe mustered just one hit against German in six dominant innings by the rookie earlier this year. German racked up 30.3 DraftKings points in that one. I’m not naïve enough to think that history will repeat itself, but that performance earlier in the year certainly shows that German can handle himself against this team. He makes an intriguing GPP play.

Felix Pena ($6,800): Pena put up 21.6 DraftKings points against the Dodgers in Anaheim earlier this year, but I don’t know that I count on him duplicating that feat. The Dodgers are rolling right now, and Pena has not enjoyed much success on the road so far in his brief career. But I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t provide all the facts.

Bargain Pitchers:

Brad Keller ($6,400): I’m not exactly sure what to do with Brad Keller, which usually means that I avoid the situation completely. Something keeps pulling me in here though. Keller held his own against the Red Sox in Boston (kind of…..four runs in 4.2 innings is nothing to write home about) and against the Astros in starts this year. The lack of strikeouts hurts his overall value, but the White Sox are free swingers. Add in the prolonged slump of Jose Abreu, and this could be a time to attack the Sox. There is ample risk involved though.

Tyler Chatwood ($6,200): There isn’t much for strikeout upside here, but just how much can we put into Tyler Chatwood’s past stats, especially against NL West teams since a lot of those games were in Coors Field? DraftKings doesn’t like him with his price just $6,200, and it’s because the Padres have destroyed him with six homers and 17 runs in only 83 at bats. However, Chatwood has a 3.41 ERA in six road starts and a 2.84 ERA in seven starts at Petco Park. He looks like a great bargain tonight even if you do only get five strikeouts out of him.

Clayton Richard ($5,600): The Cubs are hitting just .189 against Richard in 37 at bats with one homer and three runs. He also has a solid 3.86 ERA at home. There is decent potential for Richard here, but the lack of strikeouts is going to lose you points if the Cubs get him tonight.

Wei-Yin Chen ($4,800): I’m not stacking against Chen tonight, and here’s why. In six home starts, Chen has allowed just seven earned runs. In eight road starts, Chen has allowed 38 runs. I may use a Phillie or two, but from where I’m sitting, there is no way that Chen should be the cheapest pitcher on a full slate. That alone makes him worth a GPP dart.

ARLINGTON, TX – JUNE 30: (L-R) Rougned Odor #12 of the Texas Rangers, Jurickson Profar #19 of the Texas Rangers, and Nomar Mazara #30 of the Texas Rangers celebrate after scoring on a double by Robinson Chirinos in the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox at Globe Life Park in Arlington on June 30, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images) /

Texas Rangers vs. Alex Cobb:

The Rangers are mostly healthy, and are starting to get going offensively. And Cobb’s ERA is more than evil at 6.67. The Rangers are tough to trust, but Choo, Mazara, Gallo, and Odor all hold the platoon advantage against a bad pitcher in a decent hitting environment. This is a solid Coors supplement since, come on, there is no substitute for Coors with a bad pitcher on the mound. I also like Elvis Andrus batting leadoff here.

Boston Red Sox vs. Ryan Borucki:

If this were in Toronto, I would play Borucki, but Boston hits lefties just fine in Fenway. Most of the time. There are exceptions. More often than not you get what you had with Happ last night, which was Mookie hitting a grand slam off of him. I expect plenty of guys in red on the bases again tonight. J.D. Martinez, Xander, and Steve Pearce are in play if Pearce is able to return tonight. If not, this stack may be a guy short. I’ll roll Benintendi out there against a lefty, but I’m not sure I trust Bradley or Devers enough to do the same.

New York Yankees vs. Shane Bieber:

The wheels are loosening on Bieber here. The rookie has allowed four runs in six innings in each of his last two starts. The bad news is that those were against Oakland and Kansas City. The Yankees are an entirely different problem. Judge and Stanton are in play here, as it the power of Gregrious and the hot Brett Gardner from the left side. To top it off, a guy like Tyler Wade or Greg Bird could be a nice way to save some cash.

Houston Astros vs. Mike Fiers:

I have used Fiers a few times at home this year, but he has not been good on the road. All signs point to him struggling in Houston, so Altuve, Springer, Bregman, and Gattis all look good. So does Yuli Gurriel and Josh Reddick, but all of them are expensive.

Colorado Rockies vs. Mariners bullpen:

The Mariners have yet to announce a starter, but about all they have to throw out there is Roenis Elias, who threw two innings on Monday, or they can move Leblanc up a day. Either way, it’s Coors chalk night for the Rockies. With Paxton leaving the game in the first inning last night, the Mariers are going to have to call up a starter. Christian Bregman, the former Rockie, looks like the obvious choice. That still doesn’t change my plans for this game. Just put a tee out there. Blackmon, LeMahieu, Arenado, Story, and CarGo are the top five, but I don’t think anyone in the lineup is a bad play here.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Felix Pena:

The Dodgers have blasted righties at home, and even though Pena looked good against them earlier this year, I think he gets roughed up here. Muncy and Bellinger are the elite picks, but those going full stack should be interested in Chris Taylor, Matt Kemp, and Grandal of Justin Turner as well.

PITTSBURGH, PA – JUNE 19: Starling Marte #6 of the Pittsburgh Pirates reacts after hitting a home run in the eighth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on June 19, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

On the surface Junior Guerra looks safe. Dig a little deeper, and we find that his worst start of the season was against this Pirates team when he surrendered five runs in five innings. Starling Marte, Corey Dickerson, Cervelli, and Josh Bell all have homers off of Guerra. I’m not advocating a stack here, but I’m certainly interested in what Marte’s bat has to say. Austin Meadows is a decent pick as well.

If you don’t trust Domingo German, you wont be alone. However, I’m not sure how much exposure I want here. It will probably be just like last night against Severino. Lindor and Jose Ramirez are worth a look, and that’s about it.

The Cubs don’t have a ton of right handed power, but they have enough. Willson Contreras is the only Cub to homer off of Richards so far, but Javier Baez is probably the best play. Kris Bryant is worth a look as well since he is still on DL pricing.

Zack Godley was pushed back to avoid a Coors start, but SunTrust isn’t much better. Especially when the team that calls that place home is hitting .345 off of him. Freddie Freeman has the homer, and Ender Inciarte has scored four runs off of Godley in just seven at bats. There is value to be had in Braves bats tonight.

Seattle’s offense is good, but Antonio Senzatela has a 3.52 ERA at home this year. I still want some exposure, so Cruz and Kyle Seager look good, but I’m not will to go with a full on stack. Segura and Gordon seem overpriced since they have virtually no power. I would rather use guys with power potential.

An adjustment is coming for Anibal Sanchez and his 4.44 xFip. It could come with a hot hitting Diamondbacks squad coming to SunTrust. Goldy is in play here, but my eyes are on Peralta and Jake Lamb because of the way this ballpark favors lefties.

How much of the Padres’ past history against Chatwood is Coors power? Probably a lot of it, but you can’t ignore that Wil Myers is 8-22(.364) with three homers and six RBI. I like Myers regardless.

For me, Walker Buehler is too expensive because he is likely on a pitch limit, and hey, the Angels are still pretty good. Calhoun may have broken out of his slump, so he is good salary relief. Trout is always in play, but I’m not sure I’m going much deeper. Maybe Upton, but that’s all. The Dodgers bullpen is strong as well.

If I had any faith in the Toronto offense I would stack on Porcello, but I don’t. However, Smoak has four homers and 11 RBI against Porcello. Throw him in there. None of the rest look good enough to take a chance on, though I will admit that Lourdes Gurriel is becoming one of my favorite punts.

More from FanSided

Middle Tier:

I’m getting my Orioles homer tonight. Mark Trumbo is 7-20 with three homers and four RBI in his career against Cole Hamels. I just might make certain and use Adam Jones, Schoop, and Valencia as well. All of them have homered against Hamels.

James Shields has not pitched well against his former team, but the Royals offense has been quiet lately. Still, I want some exposure, and Lucas Duda is 4-12 with two homers and five RBI against Shields. Moose is worth a look as well. He is 6-13 with a homer.

If you are still looking for that Mets homer, as in you didn’t play Bautista last night, both Asdrubal Cabrera and Brandon Nimmo have taken Tanner Roark deep.

Recurring theme alert: I don’t trust [insert player name here]. This time it’s the Giants offense. Edwin Jackson has been something better than terrible in Oakland, but the Giants have clubbed him. However, most of that damage was done by McCutchen. He is 15-39(.385) with three homers and nine RBI off of Jackson. The only other homer is by Panda, and both are affordable.

I like what Matt Harvey has done with the Reds. I always thought he has something left. However, I just can’t use him against the Cardinals. This is a team that Harvey never quite figured out. Jose Martinez has homered off of Harvey twice in four at bats. DeJong and Marcell Ozuna are worth a look too, but I don’t really feel a stack here.

Carlos Martinez has allowed homers to Duvall, Schebler, Scooter Gennett, Joey Votto, and……Billy Hamilton? Yep! The red hot Hamilton has taken Martinez deep before. It’s nice to see Billy get going, but at $4,000 I think I can do better than using him against Martinez at home.

I don’t trust a lot of Twins, but Max Kepler is worth a play. Kepler is 2-4 against Eovaldi so far and both hits are home runs. Dozier is 5-11 with a homer off of Eovaldi as well.

Odorizzi has been good enough over his last three starts to leave him alone, and the Rays have been good enough offensively to consider using them. Call it a wash and avoid unless you want to use C.J. Cron here.

You may be surprised to hear this, but Thor’s numbers against the Nationals aren’t very good. The Nats are hitting .250 with 11 runs in 76 at bats. The 22 strikeouts are nice, but I’m not paying $11,000 for a guy coming off the DL will less than elite stats. Rendon had a huge night last night, and he is the only one to take Thor deep for the Nats so far. I’ll enjoy the low price on Rendon here.

Bargain Shoppers:

Jake Arrieta has started twice against the Marlins this year, and it didn’t go well either time. Miguel Rojas hit a two run homer off of him, and is just $3,200. Castro and Dietrich are worth a look as well if you are willing to spend a little more. Arrieta has a 9.39 ERA in two starts vs. the Fish this year.

You don’t need to stack against Wei-Yin Chen anyway. The Phillies have four homers and 12 RBI off of him. Two players inflicted all that damage. Both Trevor Plouffe and Maikel Franco have two homers and six RBI against Chen.

If you are looking to throw a couple of cheap A’s at MadBum just in case he implosed

The Tigers have hit Dallas Keuchel hard, but as usual, I can’t bring myself to stack Tigers. However, I do want James McCann. McCann is 3-6 with a homer and four RBI against Keuchel. Castellanos and Victor Martinez have homered off of him as well, but I don’t trust VMart and don’t want to pay up for Castellanos.

Next: DFS MLB Game by Game Breakdowns

We promised some big news 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!