DraftKings Early MLB Picks August 16: Will Tanaka rebound in the Bronx?

NEW YORK – OCTOBER 29: A general view of the exterior of Yankee Stadium prior to Game Two of the 2009 MLB World Series between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies at Yankee Stadium on October 29, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images) /

DraftKings Early MLB Picks August 16: Will Tanaka rebound in the Bronx?

There are only nine games in MLB today. Only two of them make up the early DraftKings tournament. That means pickings are slim, and it’s going to be hard to separate ourselves from the pack. Let’s take a look at how to do that!

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There is no rain threat today in the early games, so enjoy the nice afternoon weather!

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!

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SAN DIEGO, CA – AUGUST 10: Zach Eflin #56 of the Philadelphia Phillies pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park on August 10, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Blake Snell ($9,000): All four pitchers are going to get print time today. That’s just the way it goes. At least the Rays don’t have a bullpen day where we have to guess who is taking over after the opener is done! Something has clicked for Snell this year, but he has still been destroyed by the Yankees. The Yankees have made Blake Snell look like Ian Snell. Snell has allowed nine runs to the Yankees in 8.1 innings this year, which is remarkable given his 2.18 ERA on the year. His 6.67 ERA in four career starts at Yankee Stadium doesn’t instill confidence either. The Yankees don’t have Judge, but the healthy Yankees are still hitting .206 with three homers and nine runs in 63 at bats. There isn’t a lot to choose from today, but of all the options, Snell has the highest ceiling and possibly the lowest floor.

Middle Tier:

Zach Eflin ($8,200): Eflin will start one of the two games of this twin bill, but which one is possibly still up for debate. DraftKings has him as the starter for Game 1, so I’m going with that. Eflin was average against the Mets earlier this year, but he has done his best work at home where he is 5-1 with a 3.21 ERA in seven starts. Many will be off of this because the Mets destroyed Dylan Bundy and any pitcher that came after him last night. Still, travelling from NYC to Philly for a game with less than 12 hours in between could make the Mets a little tired for this one. If Nola goes the afternoon game, he is a must play. If it’s Eflin, he is still a strong play.

Masahiro Tanaka ($8,000): Here we have quite an enigma. The Rays are hitting .270 against Tanaka in 63 at bats, but they only have one homer and three RBI. Tanaka also has a staggering 22 strikeouts in that span. The elevated strikeout rate coupled with how well Tanaka has been pitching lately (aside from against the Rangers last week) have him as the top pick this afternoon. I’m glad he’s just $8,000, but getting hammered by the Rangers has a lot do with that.

Bargain Pitchers:

Steven Matz ($5,100): If you go strictly by past stats, Matz would almost be in a must play situation here. The Phillies are only hitting .222 against Matz in 45 at bats with one homer, three runs, and six strikeouts. Those are good numbers for the price, but Matz is making his first start of August after landing on the DL after a miserable start against the Nationals. There is a lot of risk here, but with this being the first game of a twin bill, there is a chance that the Philly offense is a little watered down here. I’m not crazy about this play, but I understand it since the price seems pretty low for what Matz is capable of.

BALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 15: Brandon Nimmo #9 of the New York Mets hits a lead-off single against the Baltimore Orioles in the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on August 15, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Stanton, Aaron Hicks, and Gleyber Torres have all homered off of Blake Snell before. This ballpark is conducive to power, and the fact that Snell hasn’t pitched well against the Yankees or at Yankee Stadium has me willing to pick on him a little. That has to rattle Snell’s confidence a little at least.

Brandon Nimmo recorded five hits last night, so you may want to play him until someone can get him out. I’m not too excited about any of the other Mets, but Conforto is worth a look here as well.

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Middle Tier:

Tanaka’s less than stellar track record at home makes it worth taking a look at a couple of Rays here. Bauers and Cron have the most power potential, but you can’t ignore Mallex Smith right now. He is expensive, but he might just be worth it.

Odubel Herrera is the only Phillie to homer off of Matz so far. However, I am interested in Hoskins and Cesar Hernandez here as well. Asdrubal Cabrera is a solid play as well if we think that Matz isn’t going to make a triumphant return.

Bargain Shoppers:

Brandon Lowe had a couple of hits last night, so he is worth a look again this afternoon, especially since he is still just $2,900. Kevin Kiermaier has the only homer against Tanaka, and he will only set you back $3,500.

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