DraftKings MLB Picks July 24: Which pitcher to pay for?

BALTIMORE, MD – JULY 15: The grounds crew puts the tarp on the field for a rain delay in the fourth inning of the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Texas Rangers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 15, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) /

DraftKings MLB Picks July 24: Which pitcher to pay for?

The Braves and Marlins play early in Miami today, but the other 14 games make up the main DraftKings tournament. As you may expect with such a large player pool, there are some pretty good options out there even if we do miss out on Chen at home. Paxton, Guerra, Pomeranz, Buchholz, and Homer Bailey all return tonight. Are any of them worth using? Let’s check it out!

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They are going to have a tough time getting the game in Baltimore in. It looks like it will be raining more or less all day. If it does play though, there are 12 mph winds out to left, so some Baltimore hitters could get some good value. Rain is possible in Philly, with the chances increasing as the game goes on. It should play though. There is a 12 mph wind out to left there as well.

There is a stiff 14 mph wind blowing out to left in CitiField. That could provide a boost to the already big power of the Padres righties.

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!

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WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 17: Aaron Nola #27 of the Philadelphia Phillies and the National League pitches in the fifth inning against the American League during the 89th MLB All-Star Game, presented by Mastercard at Nationals Park on July 17, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Aaron Nola ($12,000): I will be the first to admit that it’s hard to use a pitcher against the Dodgers, but Nola has absolutely owned them so far. The Dodgers are just 3-42(.071) against Nola with one homer, two runs, and 12 strikeouts. Nola racked up 30 DraftKings points on the Dodgers earlier this year, and he has a 1.71 ERA at home. There is plenty of reason to trust Nola here, even at this big of a price.

Gerrit Cole ($10,900): Cole gets the proverbial Coors Field discount here, but he has pitched at Coors once before while with the Pirates. Cole gave up two runs in six innings. That’s a pretty good start. We have plenty of reasons to think that Cole can duplicate that performance. The Rockies are hitting just .220 off of Cole in 59 at bats with three homers and four runs with seven strikeouts. Let’s not forget that Cole is easily having the best season of his career.

James Paxton ($10,200): Paxton will only have missed 12 days, so it’s not like a lot of pitchers who rehab from long outages. There likely will be no pitch limit, so Paxton may be worth the price. The Giants aren’t that great of an offense, especially away from home. There is potential here, but when it comes down to it, I would much rather use Berrios at $200 less.

Jose Berrios ($10,000): The current Jays are just 1-16 against Berrios, but that hit was a three run homer by Kendrys Morales. I’ll take my chances that Berrios can get him out here. We saw Mejia shut down Toronto last night, Berrios is a much better pitcher. I really like him at this price tonight.

Middle Tier:

Jordan Zimmerman ($8,800): Zimmerman’s price gets a big boost from playing the Royals, but it is justified. The Royals are hitting a solid .254 in 118 at bats, but they have just one homer and four runs to go with 19 strikeouts. Now, I have a serious problem paying this much for a pitcher that doesn’t rack up a lot of strikeouts. However, Zimmerman put up 22.3 DraftKings points in his first start against the Royals this year. I can live with that output for this price.

Zach Wheeler ($7,700): The Padres didn’t do much against Wheeler earlier this year. The biggest thing to take away from that is that Wheeler racked up 24.5 DraftKings points in just five innings because of the nine strikeouts. There is good potential here for Wheeler. I am a bit concerned by the wind blowing out to left though.

Andrew Suarez ($7,500): Suarez has a 2.98 ERA over his last ten games, so his stock is trending upwards. His numbers are better at home, but Seattle is still a pretty good pitcher’s park. We may have to worry about the extra hitter for the Mariners, but I’ll trust the track record here. I see a solid outing from Suarez, but this Seattle offense is no pushover. Don’t expect great numbers.

Ryan Borucki ($7,400): Borucki has a 1.93 ERA in two home starts so far, and this is a pretty good situation against a Twins team that largely lacks power and strikes out quite a bit. If you are thinking about Twins’ bats, don’t. Borucki has yet to allow a homer in 23 innings. It probably wont come from here either. There is decent potential here for the price.

Kyle Hendricks ($7,200): Arizona is only hitting .184 in 38 at bats against Hendricks with just one run and eight strikeouts. Hendricks has been markedly better at home this year, posting a 3.38 ERA in ten home starts. I wouldn’t trust Hendricks on the road, but with these kind of home stats and what he has done against Arizona overall, Hendricks is worth a look for this price.

Bargain Pitchers:

Frankie Montas ($7,000): Montas has pitched pretty well this year despite a higher WHIP. The thing that has me leaning towards Montas here is his 2.66 ERA in four road starts. Texas’s offense isn’t all that great, and Montas has shown the ability to shut some teams down. He wont rack up the strikeouts, but at this price, we don’t expect him to be dominant. Montas picked up 31.9 DraftKings points against Cleveland and Houston in his last two starts heading into the break. There is good potential here.

Jeremy Hellickson ($6,100): Hellickson has been much better away from home with a 2.53 ERA in nine road starts. Milwaukee is mostly a hitter’s park, but with Thames still out, most of the power is from the right side. The Brewers are only hitting .246 with two homers and seven run in 69 at bats, but Hellickson only has ten strikeouts. That shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Hellickson has never been a strikeout guy, but that does keep his price down.

Felix Pena ($5,500): The knock on Pena is that he doesn’t go deep into games. That seriously limits his upside. However, Pena has at least five strikeouts in each of his last six games. Pena hasn’t gone deeper that 5.1 innings in any of them. The White Sox provide big strikeout upside here with a mostly stagnant offense. Even though Pena has been much better on the road, he should improve his home numbers here.

Eric Lauer ($4,000): Lauer was beaten up by the Cubs just before the break, but if you remember, he allowed just two runs combined to the Dodgers and Diamondbacks in the games before that. Lauer has turned in some very good and very bad outings. However, with his price this low, Lauer is the best sleeper candidate on the slate. I mean, he is cheaper than Homer Bailey! There is no way Lauer is as bad as his price indicates.

ST. LOUIS, MO – JULY 15: Matt Carpenter #13 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates after hitting a home run against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Busch Stadium on July 15, 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Masahiro Tanaka:

Hear me out! I know the Rays aren’t a great offense, but Tanaka has a 5.96 ERA in five career starts at the Trop. On top of that, the current Rays are hitting .409 with a homer and eight runs against him in just 44 at bats. Tanaka will get some solid strikeout numbers, but I don’t expect him to salvage much from here. Robertson continues to hit. Kiermaier has a homer and five runs against Tanaka already. Carlos Gomez is 3-10 with two steals and a RBI. Cron, Matt Duffy, and Mallex Smith are also decent options if you decide to go ahead with this.

New York Yankees vs. Tampa bullpen:

We will likely see Matt Andriese in relief of the opener, and he has struggled against the Yankees. Judge, Stanton, and Gregorius are my favorite targets, but a cheaper Greg Bird and Brett Gardner are also worth considering. Neil Walker could be worth a look as well. Tampa’s pen in going to be short since the Rays were planning on using Snell here. the Yankees could get a crack at a few of the options tonight.

St Louis Cardinals vs. Homer Bailey:

Bailey wasn’t all that great before landing on the DL. Now he comes off against a team that is hitting .391 off of him in 151 at bats. That is no fluke, folks. The Cards also have eight homers and 27 runs. Yadier Molina has three of the homers and a .409 average in 44 at bats, so you want him. Harrison Bader, Paul DeJong, and Jose Martinez are all hitting .400 or better against Bailey and have homered off of him. The other homers are by Fowler and Ozuna, but their averages are below .300 against Homer. Matt Carpenter is 19-39(.487) with six RBI, so he is definitely in play too.

Oakland Athletics vs. Mike Minor:

The A’s hammered Texas last night, and Minor has been kicked around by the current A’s roster. Lucroy and Khris Davis both have homers off of him. I also like Piscotty, Jed Lowrie, and Chad Pinder here as well. Marcus Semien is also a very good play. So is Matt Chapman. Any righty with a bat in their hand in an A’s uniform should be on your radar.

Chicago Cubs vs. Clay Buchholz:

Buchholz is coming off the DL here, so I’m not too confident in anything he has to offer. The Cubs have limited exposure to him, but Ben Zobrist did well against him in the A.L. I’m mostly on the lefty power in Rizzo, Schwarber, and Heyward, but Kris Bryant is worth a look as well. The price on Addison Russell is tempting as well.

Los Angeles Angels vs. Carlos Rodon:

If you’ve read this before, you know I’m pretty high on Rodon, but facts are facts. Rodon has a 5.16 ERA on the road this year, and the Angels have hit him hard. The Angels are only hitting .231, but they have three homers and nine runs in just 39 at bats. Kinsler, Pujols, and Justin Upton have the homers and seven of the RBI. Interestingly enough, Mike Trout is 0-5 again Rodon so far. Simmons and Kole Calhoun look tempting as well since Calhoun hits lefties pretty well.

PHOENIX, AZ – JULY 21: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies warms up on deck during the first inning of the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on July 21, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

We saw a rookie pitch well in Cincy last night, and Austin Gomber will attempt to do the same tonight. However, he will have a rougher go as a lefty with the power of Eugenio Suarez and Adam Duvall holding the platoon advantage. Tucker Barnhart is worth a look as well, but judging by how well Poncedeleon did last night, I’m holding off on a full stack. I still want some exposure to Cincinnati righties though.

Nolan Arenado comes at a bit of a discount facing an ace in Gerrit Cole, but he shouldn’t. Arenado is 5-11 with two homers and three RBI off of Cole. Ian Desmond has homered off of Cole as well.

Jesus Aguilar hits everyone well enough to throw him out there against Hellickson. Unlike most pitchers that I think could do well, I think the way to attack Hellickson is with the expensive pieces in Aguilar, Travis Shaw, and Braun looking for that power boost.

I really like Tyler Anderson, and he has put up some really good numbers, especially when you consider that he calls Coors home. That said, this Houston offense can be devastating at sea level. They are expensive, but it’s hard to say that Bregman or Altuve isn’t worth a look. That said, I think I want to go with Gurriel or Marwin Gonzalez since Anderson could have a really good game.

Yefry Ramirez has pitched well so far, but I still don’t trust him against the maulers in Boston. Betts, Benintendi, and Martinez are all worth playing. He is a rookie, after all. That said, I’m against a stack, and may drop down more to use Moreland and Bradley instead of paying up just in case he has another strong outing. There are more sure things for that much cash.

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Middle Tier:

First off, there is no way that I’m paying that much for Maeda against the Phillies. Second, The Phillies have hit him pretty well. Nick Williams has two homers in three at bats against Maeda. Cesar Hernandez is 4-9 with a homer as well.

No Arizona players have really hit Hendricks hard, but Jake Lamb and David Peralta are worth a look from the left side.

I like Nelson Cruz and Ryon Healy against Suarez tonight. Mitch Haniger is worth a look as well.

Jose Abreu finally hit a home run last night. Abreu is hitting just .139 over his last ten games still. Did he bust out of his slump? Last night was Abreu’s first multi RBI game since June 1st. We know that Abreu is a second half player, so I think the potential here is good enough to use him. Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada may be worth a look as well.

Matt Adams, Ryan Zimmerman, and Mark Reynolds have all homered off of Junior Guerra. Guerra may have a good game, but I don’t trust him against this offense fresh off the DL.

I’m a sucker for Joey Gallo‘s power. What can I say? Him an Odor are about the only Rangers that I’m interested in tonight. Montas is capable of having a very good game, so it’s a way of minimizing risk.

I kind of like Andrew McCutchen here against James Paxton. If you want to go cheaper, Gorkys Hernandez is a solid pick as well.

If Yoenis Cespedes plays, I’ll put his chances at hitting a homer at a shade better than 50/50 against a lefty with the wind blowing out to left.

Yasmani Grandal has the Dodgers homer against Aaron Nola. However, that is his only hit in five at bats against him. It’s probably best to leave this one alone.

Lucas Duda has the only homer for the Royals against Jordan Zimmerman. Whit Merrifield is 4-11 against him. I think that’s as far as I would go with Royals though.

The Tigers offense is so miserable that I wont even stack them against Burch Smith. You know, the guy with a 5.98 ERA. I like Candelario here, but beyond that, I’m not sure I like anyone. Leonys Martin looks like a solid pick. You can chase the power of Mahtook or the fleeting inconsistency of V-Mart too if you want, but I can’t really say that I’m crazy about any of them.

Bargain Shoppers:

How is Yan Gomes only $3,300? In the game that he played against Joe Musgrove, he doubled, homered, and drove in four runs. Just about any Indians lefties are in play along with Ramirez and Edwin, but Gomes provides cheap exposure to this, and a good past record.

The Pirates have scored 31 runs in just four games since the All Star Break, including seven last night against Kluber, even though only three were earned. At any rate, the Pirates offense is looking pretty good right now, and Shane Bieber has pitched pretty well, but I don’t know that I trust him against a hot offense that just beat up on the ace. Josh Harrison and Elias Diaz are cheap and good options. Marte, Dickerson, and Polanco are worth a look as well, but I think I’m going for cheap exposure here just in case Bieber pitches very well.

There are a couple of reasons that I’m considering an Orioles stack. First off, they can send nine righties to the plate against lefty Drew Pomeranz coming off the DL. Second, they are all super cheap. Trumbo, Valencia, Trey Mancini, Tim Beckham, and Joey Rickard are all $3,500 or less. If you want to spend more, Nunez and Schoop are just above this range. You can save a lot of money here, but it is the Orioles. Be prepared for nothing. Or be prepared for a rainout. There is a lot that can go wrong here.

Freddy Galvis drove in both Padre runs against Wheeler earlier this year, and he will set you back just $2,900.

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