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DraftKings MLB picks July 20: Build around pitching on all slates

By Mike Marteny

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 28: Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers delivers the pitch during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game Five of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 28: Clayton Kershaw #22 of the Los Angeles Dodgers delivers the pitch during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game Five of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 28, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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DraftKings MLB
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 28: Masahiro Tanaka #19 of the New York Yankees pitches during the first inning against the San Diego Padres at Yankee Stadium on May 28, 2019 in New York City. The Padres defeated the Yankees 5-4. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

DraftKings MLB Early Plays:

With only three games on the early slate, it’s a fairly difficult build. With all of those big bats in small Yankee Stadium with great hitting weather, we have to get creative. Pitching to me looks disastrous, so why spend on it?

The exception here would be Masahiro Tanaka. Tanaka has a 2.86 ERA in 11 home starts this year. The Rockies are notoriously worse on the road, but the hitting weather does have me nervous. That said, Tanaka for $8,800 looks like a strong play regardless.

Quintana at Wrigley? No thanks. The Mets are hitting .431 against Jeff Samardzija in 65 at bats with seven homers and 13 RBI. Pass on that one too. I like Joey Lucchesi, but for the price at Wrigley, that seems far too risky. That leaves Walter Lockett and Antonio Senzatela. Yuck.

Senzatela has been better on the road, but I have no desire to use him at Yankee Stadium. So that leaves Lockett. What do we really know about the guy, anyway? We know he’s playing the Giants in one of the few games that isn’t ungodly hot, so that’s a great start.

Lockett pitched in two games in June in the majors, one at Wrigley and one in Philly. He gave up ten runs in 7.2 innings. However, AT&T Park is a pitcher’s park and the Giants are a pitcher’s team. With the lack of other great options that I feel like I must have, I’m fine pairing Lockett with Tanaka and trying to win with bats. That pairing leaves us with $4,437 left per position for hitters. Not too shabby!

Wilson Ramos has three career homers against Shark, but I doubt he starts the day game. This makes a good opportunity to punt catcher. I’m going to go with either Austin Hedges or Francisco Mejia. They are both the same price, so we are good no matter who starts. Both have good power potential against Quintana in Wrigley. Then we can afford just about anything we want.

Javy Baez is too cheap against Lucchesi. He also homered off of him earlier this year. I’m also prioritizing DJ LeMahieu against his former team again. I think I would rather use Pete Alonso against Shark than middling New York power in Edwin and Voit. Besides, he’s cheaper than both of them.

That leaves us $4,725 to fill 3B and the outfield. I want to take a couple of more Padre shots, so using Manny Machado at 3B allows us to still use Kris Bryant in the outfield, so that’s the route I’m going. Then I took Aaron Judge and still have enough left over for either Hunter Renfroe or Franimal. I’m content with this lineup!