Today we Southern Californians get to be treated to Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. Los Angeles Dodgers baseball. Thanks to the national broadcasts, the rest of the country will be seeing the Angels and Dodgers battle it out under the Hollywood Sign and hitting long balls over the ferris wheel at the Santa Monica Pier. But we know better than to think that the Angels are just a hop, skip, and a jump away. The drive north on Interstate 5 from Angels Stadium to Dodgers Stadium is 41 miles, and anyone who knows Interstate 5 knows that you can’t travel a mile per minute. The Angels will make the long gruesome trip to the next county while passing downtown Los Angeles. There’s a lot of players I like in this game. I wouldn’t even be worried about starting both pitchers in the same entry. The strikeouts will be there for both lefty pitchers. Blog on and check out some of my other DraftKings picks for today, and remember to have a Dodger Dog while at Chavez Ravine.
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Clayton Kershaw, SP: $14,500 – Kershaw was slated to start yesterday but was a late afternoon scratch. Supposedly he’s pitching today. If you’re in an ‘All Day’ DraftKings entry you could be playing with fire, but if you like the heat, this could make for a very interesting pick, as DFS players like me will not take the risk of starting a hurt/potentially hurt player. The game starts at 1pm PDT, so keep an eye out. He’s worth the price of course, but consider the possibility that he could be scratched again, and hopefully you’ll have a back up plan.
Andrew Heaney, SP: $8,600 – And here is your backup plan. Heaney and Kershaw face each other, so if Kershaw doesn’t start, Heaney could be your substitute. Heaney is 5-0 since being called up. The overall stats look great, but he isn’t striking out a lot of batters. However, I like the matchup, on the road, the 41 mile road.
Jacob deGrom, SP: $11,800 – deGrom continues to be superior to the competition. Today he faces the Nationals at home. This is a very good price for a top Cy Young contender, and I no longer need to worry about who the competitor is.
Cole Hamels, SP: $9,800 – Hamels makes his debut with the Rangers today. He faces a National League team, the San Francisco Giants. The Rangers are at home today, but obviously there is no home field advantage for him, but you have to be confident in a proven vet that just threw a no-hitter in his last start.
Joe Ross, SP: $7,500 – The last time the rookie faced the Mets was just last week. He went 6 innings with 2 earned runs and 4 strikeouts. He looks like the real deal, following in the footsteps of his brother, Tyson Ross.
Matt Wisler, SP: $7,200 – Interesting price for a pitcher that hasn’t made any noise. But he’s quietly been pretty good so far. He was once a top prospect in the Padres’ organization. The Braves seem to have confidence in him and he’s proven to be be solid. I like Wisler today for two reasons: Somewhat inexpensive, and on the road against the Phillies.
Aaron Nola, SP: $5,700 – Aaron Nola has proven to be very good at every level, including college. His first two major league starts have fared well. He’s had 12 strikeouts in 13.1 innings in those two starts.
Russell Martin, C: $3,900 – I like the matchup today against Yordano Ventura. Martin has been hitting well lately, at least compared to other Catchers. The Blue Jays’ lineup is now loaded due to the recent trade for Troy Tulowitzki, so there is a good chance I’ll be stacking Blue Jays.
Chris Casali, C: $3,800 – Casali has slugged a handful over the fence of late, but I like him today mostly because the Rays are at Fenway Park against Joe Kelly.
Anthony Rizzo, 1B: $4,900 – Rizzo is the fourth priciest first baseman today. He’s homered in three straight games and I like the matchup against a so-so Matt Garza.
Prince Fielder, 1B: $4,500 – Prince has cooled off but I like the price for a player that could put up big DFS numbers.
DJ LeMahieu, 2B: $3,800 – This is a great price for my second baseman today. LeMahieu keeps hitting. He’s not hitting it out of the ballpark, but he’s scoring and driving in runs.
Kolten Wong, 2B: $3,800 – I’m still a big fan, but keep an eye out to see if he’s in the lineup against left Jorge De La Rosa.
Anthony Rendon, 2B/3B: $2,900 – Rendon has been a tempting DFS play since returning from injury. Every day I am waiting for him to bust out like he did last season. The opposing pitcher is deGrom, but if you’re not starting him, consider plugging in Rendon as your final player.
Chase Headley, 3B: $3,900 – Headley has been hitting very well lately, and the Yankees are putting up big offense. I expect that to continue today on the road against John Danks.
Francisco Lindor, SS: $3,900 – I’m trying to convince myself that Lindor will be a great fantasy/DFS player for years to come. He’s hitting well in his short stint so far, but I’m afraid he’ll be a better real life player. Regardless, for today I like him at this price.
Xander Bogaerts, SS3B: $3,500 – Bogaerts is still hitting well, but there isn’t much power. He’s had 5 RBI’s in his last 12 games, with no home runs. But luckily in DFS you can rack up the points with a player that scores runs. He’s scored 8 runs in his last 6 games.
Michael Brantley, OF: $4,800 – Brantley looks like the player of 2014 of late. He can put numbers up in any category. The Indians are on the road in Oakland against SP Aaron Brooks.
Adam Eaton, OF: $4,200 – He’s putting up numbers in every hitting category over the past few weeks. The Yankees could be starting a rookie pitcher today. I like the price and potential matchup and would make Eaton my first OF.
Aaron Hicks, OF: $4,100 – This is the Byron Buxton we expected this season. But Hicks is no knock-off. He was a top ranked prospect in the Twins’ organization for many recent years. Now that he is a bit older and getting regular playing time, he’s made the most of it.
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
Chance of thunderstorms late in the evening in Minnesota, but the Mariners/Twins game should be finished before the possibility. Nothing else to worry about across the country.
Doing Lines In Vegas
Going with the Unders this time: Under 6.5 in the Nationals/Mets game, under 8.5 in the Tigers/Twins, and under 6.5 in the LAA/LA games.
