DraftKings MLB Picks May 21: Has Caleb Smith become an ace?

(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images) /

DraftKings MLB Picks May 21: Has Caleb Smith become an ace?

I am back after 11 days away on a cruise ship and in states that don’t allow DraftKings MLB entries, or any others. Unfortunately for you, I was unable to work on vacation. Now I’m back to reality, and more of these picks. I’m going to grind away with you for most, if not all, of the summer!

We have a big 14 game slate for our DraftKings MLB tournaments tonight. The A’s and Indians are starting an hour earlier than everyone else, so they are only available in showdown formats. The other 28 teams are fair game though, and there are some good matchups out there!

DraftKings MLB Pitcher Plays:

Top Tier:

Justin Verlander ($11,300): The great challenge tonight is going to be how to get at least one stud pitcher with Yankees or Astros. It’s difficult, but it can be done. Verlander is in firm consideration for ace of the night. The White Sox are only hitting .224 against him in 98 at bats. They do have five homers, but only seven runs and a strong 32 strikeouts. In most cases, I don’t see paying up for Verlander. If the roof is open, I wont. However, if the park is closed, there is a lot to like here.

Caleb Smith ($10,400): For those of you turned away by the price thinking that Smith is not an ace, think again. Sure, there are bigger names and safer options than Smith on this slate, but with his strikeout potential (64 in 48 innings) against a team that whiffs A LOT, Smith is my favorite pitcher on the slate. Smith has not allowed more than three runs in any of his nine starts this year. That sounds like an ace to me!

Domingo German ($9,900): German has been the best Yankees pitcher this year, and it’s not close. German has dominated the Orioles twice this year, racking up 46.6 DraftKings points in two winning starts against the O’s. The Orioles have just one run and 11 strikeouts in 44 at bats. Go back to the well here again. German is one of the safest plays of the night.

Middle Tier:

German Marquez ($9,200): Marquez is going through a rough patch, but a trip to Pittsburgh could be just what he needs. Marquez is 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA in his career against the Pirates, and ups that to 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA in two PNC Park starts. The Pittsburgh offense is starting to come around and there are some big names on this slate. That’s all the more reason to play Marquez at a bit of a discount. He could fly under the radar and has good strikeout upside and win potential.

Chris Archer ($8,000): A good case can be made for Archer on the cheap. The Rockies are only hitting .239 with one homer in 46 at bats with a nice 16 strikeouts. On top of that, Archer has a strong 3.38 ERA in three home starts this year. It’s been a rough go for Archer, but he is a safe play at home against the free swinging and road-awful Rockies. I expect a strong game from Archer at an affordable price.

Bargain Pitchers:

Spencer Turnbull ($7,800): Turnbull has 50 strikeouts in 48.2 innings and a 2.40 ERA in nine starts. How is he not priced higher, especially against a team like the Marlins? The key to building a winning lineup on a slate like this is to identify the players that look underpriced. Turnbull really stands out here, as do a couple of others. I’m not using any hitters from this game, so I have no issues with using both pitchers here either in a pitcher’s park. That opens up a lot for your offense!

Jalen Beeks ($7,600): Many will tell you not to chase Tampa’s long relief on a slate like this, but I really like Beeks against the Dodgers and their lefty heavy lineup in Tampa. Beeks last pitched on May 15th, and Yarbrough was sent to AAA Durham, so this is lining up to be a Beeks day. The price is right, and the Dodgers aren’t as dangerous as they are priced to be, especially with a lefty on the mound. This is a big leverage play in GPP formats, especially if you don’t trust Stroman against the Sox.

Gio Gonzalez ($7,400): The Brewers dredged up Gio, and it has worked out very well for them so far. Gio has a 1.69 ERA in four starts this year. The Reds have hit him pretty well in his career, but I don’t trust that this offense is going to put up big numbers on a regular basis, especially away from home. He’s not going to rack up the K’s, but Gonzalez has done a good job limiting runs and base runners. That makes him worthy of a GPP dart.

Marcus Stroman ($7,300): Do you trust Stroman’s breakout year or his past stats against Boston? Do you trust Stroman’s 2.60 home ERA, or do you trust Boston’s recent hot streak? The strikeouts are up and the walks are down for Stroman, and it has made a huge difference for him. This is going to be Stroman’s toughest test of the year. I don’t make it a point to throw pitchers at Boston, but this looks like a huge bargain for someone with Stroman’s numbers. He’s worth the risk in GPP formats for your SP2 at this price.

My picks: Verlander, Gio; German, Turnbull; Smith, Gio

NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 01: Gleyber Torres #25 of the New York Yankees hits a 3 run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium on August 1, 2018 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

DraftKings MLB stack options

New York Yankees vs. David Hess:

The Yankees have slugged ten homers against Hess in just 60 at bats! I don’t care that they only have 11 runs or a rather average .283 average. It’s all about the homers in DFS. Gleyber Torres is 3-7 against Hess. All three hits are homers. Gary Sanchez has two in seven at bats. Aaron Hicks, Cameron Maybin, Clint Frazier, Luke Voit, and Kendrys Morales have all homered against Hess as well. A Yankees stack is a bit on the expensive side, but it should be well worth it.

Washington Nationals vs. Zack Wheeler:

The Nats have lit up Wheeler for 17 runs in 15.2 innings in three starts this year. That’s a whopping 9.77 ERA for those of you scoring at home. The Nationals are also hitting a robust .377 in 138 at bats against Wheeler with 28 runs to just 20 strikeouts. Wheeler has been really good this year when he hasn’t played the Nationals, but this team has had his number. Parra and Trea Turner have the only homers against Wheeler, but Kurt Suzuki and Anthony Rendon are both hitting over .320 with at least three RBI. Adam Eaton is 10-19 with five runs scored. I don’t see a bad play besides Juan Soto, who is only 2-13 against Wheeler.

Texas Rangers vs. Tommy Milone:

Milone has had some success, but he has always allowed more than his fair share of homers. Rougned Odor has homered off of him in the past. So have Logan Forsythe and Hunter Pence. Righties seem to be the way to attack Milone, so Asdrubal Cabrera and Danny Santana are firmly in play here as well. About the only lefty I’m after is Odor, though Milone’s penchant for giving up homers makes Joey Gallo very tempting.

Houston Astros vs. Dylan Covey:

Covey has given up three homers in his last two starts. This is not a good place for him with the hard hitting Astros. Bregman, Correa, and Springer are givens, but where do you go after that? Tyler White hit his first homer of the season last night. Josh Reddick and Michael Brantley are especially dangerous here. There are a lot of good options here, but most of them are expensive.

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Homer Bailey:

The end of this game is in question, but not the beginning. The Cardinals have pounded Bailey throughout his career with a .368 average in 204 at bats. That’s no fluke. They have ten homers and 35 runs to only 30 strikeouts. This is the place to go after Bailey, and the Cardinals aren’t overly expensive. Paul DeJong is, but he is 6-14 with two homers and five RBI against Bailey already. Yadi Molina is 20-50 with three homers and seven RBI. Harrison Bader, Jose Martinez, Dexter Fowler, Ozuna, and Matt Carpenter have all homered against Bailey before. There is no wrong option in a Cardinals uniform tonight.

Atlanta Braves vs. Shaun Anderson:

Anderson was solid enough in his debut, but the Blue Jays are a long ways from the Braves. Freeman and Acuna are expensive and I think there are likely better options for that price. However, I do like the price on Albies and Josh Donaldson. Austin Riley is still reasonably priced as well considering his hot streak upon being called up. There is a lot to like at reasonable prices with the Braves tonight.

Minnesota Twins vs. Trevor Cahill:

Cahill has been a wreck this year, and facing this offense isn’t going to help. Miguel Sano has hit the ground running, so lock him in there. Rosario, Jorge Polanco, and Kepler are all in play as well. If you need so save some coin, Luis Arraez is becoming a favorite. There is no reason for him to be at $3,200. You can build a lot with these Twins salaries, and it’s C.J. Cron revenge after he was out of the lineup last night!

ATLANTA, GA – JUNE 15: Right fielder Hunter Renfroe #10 of the San Diego Padres hits a 2-run single in the seventh inning during the game against the Atlanta Braves at SunTrust Park on June 15, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images) /

DraftKings MLB daily notes:

I’m not going to stack against Zach Eflin, but it’s only because there is a strong wind blowing in. The Cubs have hit him hard. If Kyle Schwarber is still leading off, he’s a great play because he does have the power to cut through that wind.

I kind of feel the same way about Quintana as Eflin on the other side. I wouldn’t use him because the Phillies have hit Quintana hard, but Rhys Hoskins is really the only guy I have interest in here. There isn’t a lot to like with the wind blowing in. There are better places to attack tonight.

The dirty little secret here is that Zack Greinke has struggled on the road and he has given up four homers to the Padres in two games against them this year. I wouldn’t go full stack on Zack, but Hunter Renfroe is a must. Renfroe is 6-18 with three homers and six RBI against Greinke. Manuel Margot has homered off of him twice and is 7-13 overall. If you are going to do after Greinke, those are the places to do so.

More from FanSided

I know you want to play Josh Bell. Believe me, I’m considering it. However, he is just 1-11 lifetime against Marquez. Yes, it’s a homer, but the odds aren’t in your favor. If you want to take a shot on the other side of this game, David Dahl or Ryan McMahon are probably the only ones cheap enough to take a shot on. I see this as a low scoring game.

I could think of a dozen reasons not to use Eduardo Rodriguez, even against the Jays. First and foremost is that ugly 6.98 road ERA. The Jays have some right handed power if you want to go after him. Vlad Jr. and Randal Grichuk are the two that stand out to me.

It’s hard to ignore what Marcus Stroman has done this year, but the Red Sox are hitting almost everyone right now. I love the discount on Stroman in his home park, but the Red Sox scare me. Xander Bogaerts is 11-31(.355) with two homers, seven runs, and three RBI against Stroman. Steve Pearce is 4-9 with a homer if he can break his slump.

Could Clayton Kershaw drop 20 in Tampa tonight? Sure, but he is not as dominant as the Kershaw that routinely broke slates for three years. The homers are up, and the Rays hit well, especially at home. With all of the good arms on the slate, I would rather throw Yandy Diaz, Avi Garcia, or Tommy Pham out there and hope they get into one. Just use one of the three per lineup though. They are all more likely to get goose eggs than to tag Kershaw.

I’m not passing on Kike Hernandez for just $3,300 with a lefty likely being the long reliever for the Rays tonight. Beyond that, only Justin Turner really piques my interest in Dodger blue.

The Mets just thumped Erick Fedde last week after he took over for Anibal Sanchez, but the Mets went cold after that until last night. I can see the merits for playing Fedde, but don’t really see a reason to take the risk. I would rather use a couple of inexpensive pieces with upside such as Robinson Cano or Conforto.

I get it. I would like to go after Sonny Gray too, especially in Milwaukee. The problem is that he is not a fly ball pitcher. In order for a stack to touch the Yankees, you are going to need multiple homers. I’m not sure that’s going to happen for the Brew Crew tonight. I don’t have an issue with taking a shot with Yelich or Moose though.

Joey Votto has smacked three homers against Gio Gonzalez in his career. Eugenio Suarez is 5-14 with a homer off of Gio. My Reds interest doesn’t go much beyond that unless you think Phillip Ervin can get on track. He is 3-4 with a homer off of Gio.

Jay Bruce has destroyed Lance Lynn. Bruce is 15-39(.385) with three homers and 11 RBI against Lynn. I can see using Vogelbach or Dee Gordon leading off, but Lynn has been solid enough to keep me from really going after him.

I can’t get my head around trying to use Michael Wacha, but I’m not really going to attack him either. I just don’t trust the Royals. However, Jorge Soler is 4-10 with two homers and four RBI against Wacha. I like him a lot as a one off.

Same thing with Teheran. I can’t get my head around using him, but I’m not really going after him either. Brandon Belt and Buster Posey have homered off of him twice though.

If Michael Pineda is going to put together a good start, this is a great place for it. If he doesn’t, Mike Trout and Kole Calhoun are going to have big nights. Which side of this are you on?

Arizona hits lefties hard, so I really like Adam Jones and Eduardo Escobar against Matt Strahm here. They are a combined 6-14 with two homers and six RBI against Strahm.

Next. MLB picks and pivots May 21. dark

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