Jake Arrieta ($8,000) takes on the Mets and their 90 wRC+ against right-handed pitching today. That mark ranks New York 26th in baseball while Arrieta continues to surprise in 2014. The Cub righty has posted a 9.22 K/9, a 2.37 BB/9, and a miniscule 0.33 HR/9 this season. That includes his recent clunker in Colorado. The 28-year-old has always had “stuff” but he’s been able to put it all together this year with his new team in Chicago. The stories of J.D. Martinez and Arrieta are a reminder that players can make adjustments to be successful in the majors when given the opportunity. This start is valued at $12.5 and ranks sixth on the Stream-o-Nator today. At $8K, he makes for an affordable number one starter while players like Jon Lester will cost you quite a bit more. On the topic of Lester, it may be wise to avoid him today. Not only will he cost almost $12K, but outside of Jason Heyward, the Braves have hit lefties well. Their 106 wRC+ against southpaws ranks 8th in baseball.
If you are new to DraftKings, use our promo link to get started. New players that click on that link will get a free contest ticket with a first time deposit (only new users eligible). The winner of the contest gets entry into our $500k Showcase with a $100k top prize. Once you’ve signed up, give our Razzball 20 Teamer a go. It’s full of Razzball writers and readers. Also, if you haven’t tried the DFSBot via Rudy, check it out: it compares projected values to actual DFS prices for the day. Here are some other picks for DraftKings contests on 8/17/2014…
Rafael Montero, SP: $5,700 – Montero toes the rubber against today’s lede. This is strictly a value play as it doesn’t get much cheaper than under $6K. The match-up favors the young Mets’ hurler however. The Cubs have the third highest strikeout percentage against right-handers in the major leagues (22.5%). Their 81 wRC+ against righties ranks dead last in baseball.
Kole Calhoun, OF: $4,500 – Calhoun has warmed up again lately. Whether it’s with his bat or his legs, the Angels’ leadoff hitter is in a prime position to put up good numbers every time he’s in the lineup. Today he’ll have the platoon advantage against right-hander Nick Tepesch and ranks third overall in the Hitter-Tron daily rankings. This game has a 9 1/2 run total so stacking hitters in both this game as well as Colorado is not a bad idea.
Adrian Beltre, 3B: $4,400 – Another hitter from the LAA@TEX matchup. Hector Santiago has pitched well recently, but the Rangers are just outside the top ten in baseball with a 102 wRC+ against southpaws. Beltre doesn’t like to have his head touched, but he sure does love to hit lefties in Texas. The Rangers’ third baseman has posted a whopping 196 wRC+ against left-handed pitching at home. At this price he’s a no-brainer.
Devin Mesoraco, C: $4,900 – Mesoraco had a night off Friday, so it’s fair to expect him in the lineup today in Colorado. This game is tied with the Texas game for the highest run total at 9 1/2. The Reds’ backstop has the power to go yard at Coors and the platoon advantage against left-hander Yohan Flande.
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
30-40% chance of storms for SD@STL, KC@MIN, and PIT@WAS…100% chance of toilet issues for CIN@COL.
Doing Lines In Vegas (14-13)
I’m hoping to carry a winning record into the offseason. I’ll back up my DFS picks by taking the under for CHC@NYM (7).
