No, I don’t mean save your actual money – that should be used for DraftKings purposes. If you’re new to the game, don’t be scurred. Use our promo link to get the ball rolling, and you’ll get a free contest ticket that could ultimately land you $100K – that’s a lot of cheddar. I’m talking about saving your Monopoly money and avoiding the pricier SP options like Stephen Strasburg ($11,400) and Garrett Richards ($10,200). The home/away splits for Stras have been downright scary for over a year (no stats – just trust me), and Richards was nuked the last time he faced the A’s just over a week ago (5 ER in 0.2 IP).
So, with that being said, let’s take a look at some guys that should stuff the stat sheet tonight. By all means, if you don’t like what you see, there are always Razzball’s kick-ass DFS tools like Hitter-Tron, Stream-o-Nator, and DFSBot to help aid in the decision process. Side note: You won’t see me referencing wOBA as much as other writers. I’ve got nothing against it, but I feel SLG% correlates better with DK’s scoring structure. Therefore, I remain an OPS guy – my two cents.
Charlie Morton, SP: $7,900 – I was shocked to discover Morton hit .162 for the Toledo Blue Stockings in 1884, but then I realized I was viewing the wrong player page on FanGraphs … oops. The correct Charlie is probably my favorite SP play of the night because he’s surrendered no more than two ER in six of his last seven starts. He also faces the lowly Cubs, who rank 27th in OPS on the road (.643) and have the sixth-most strikeouts in all of baseball (Blue Stockings not included).
Chris Davis, 1B: $4,400 – This is a gut call more than anything, but I like Crash’s chances of singing the dong song to Jake Peavy, who holds an abysmal 1.21 HR/9. Weather permitting (small chance of rain), Baltimore is probably one of my favorite stack options tonight considering they shelled Peavy on 4/20 (10 H and 5 ER in 5 IP). Snoochie Boochies.
Tommy La Stella, 2B: $3,400 – Stellaaaaaa! Man, Marlon Brando was boss before he went all Island of Dr. Moreau, but we all go a little mad sometimes. Wait, that’s Anthony Perkins in Psycho. Why am I talking about black and white movies? Anyways, La Stella has been la hella good since getting the call to the show, registering multiple hits in four of the last six games. He’s climbing the Braves’ batting order and lines up nicely against Colorado’s Christian Bergman (RHP), who is making his MLB debut. Oh yeah, this game’s at Coors.
Juan Francisco, 3B: $4,100 – My spidey-sense gets a tinglin’ every time Francisco is facing a righty at home because he holds a 1.044 OPS in that scenario. Ricky Nolasco takes the bump for Minnesota, and he’s been chased on the road this year with a 7.51 ERA and .366 BAA.
Danny Santana, OF/SS: $3,300 – I’m a Twins fan, and I’d love for Santana to change his number to 57 so I can dust off my old Johan jersey. I’ll start the petition later, but for now, I love the price tag on the surging Santana, who is averaging nearly 15 DK points over the last four games. He’s also batting leadoff now, which is better than eighth or ninth – scientific fact.
Andrew McCutchen, OF: $5,300 – His ESPN commercial is cute, but the 1.334 OPS (in 23 AB) versus Edwin Jackson is damn sexy. You can’t always trust BVP, but in this case, I’d let it watch my dog. I also expect McCutchen to run on E-Jax, who has already allowed seven SB this season.
Oswaldo Arcia, OF: $4,400 – Twins come in twos, Oswaldon’t chaknow? Thankfully, Arcia will get the start after surviving a scary ankle roll on Thursday, and I’m not talking about weird sushi. Minnesota will see R.A. Dickey on the mound, and he’s been giving the good wood to lefties this year. Get your head out of the gutter, I’m talking about the 25.7 LD%.
Corey Dickerson, OF: $4,000 – If Dickerson was on pace for a full season’s worth of AB, we’d be looking at something like 35 HR. What’s more shocking is that he’s hit five of his seven dongs outside of Coors Field. Regardless, Denver is still the preferred place for power hitters (and potheads), and Dickerson is raking against RHP with a 1.028 OPS and .434 wOBA.
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
The bones of the elderly will be aching in TEX (vs CLE) and KC (vs NYY) as both have significant chances of rain. As always, watch that weather closely and drink a glass of milk every day.
Doing Lines in Vegas (4-6 overall)
Considering a bookie in Providence has two of my fingers, I’m not the best guy to get advice for betting on the actual games. I’m just kidding. What I’m not kidding about is liking the overs in BOS/BAL (9) and MIN/TOR (9.5).
Feel free to give me a follow on Twitter (@btxj)
