Paul Blackburn has yet to give up a run this season in 19.1 innings. He only has 11 strikeouts, and he’s never been a huge strikeout pitcher. He’s got the stuff to get outs, and he will continue to show that Wednesday afternoon against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cards have big names on the offensive side, but they rank in the bottom third of the league in most offensive categories. It is rather difficult to write this in support of an A’s player, but Paul Blackburn has earned our respect, and he only costs $7,600. If he burns us, we will fade him every chance we get for the remainder of the season. We have a few more picks for you for the Afternoon slate on DraftKings. The games start at 3:07pm EST.
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Andrew Abbott, SP: $8,200 – Abbott will be in control most of the game against the Mariners. The Mariners offense has yet to break out, and there’s a chance they put out their B lineup on a getaway day. If you agree with the notion that the Cards offense is bad, then wait until you hear about the Mariners. They rank in the bottom third in every offensive category too, well, except walks. However, the Mariners are usually seen in the bottom 5. Andrew Abbott isn’t the most strikeout reliant pitcher either, but the Mariners have the 6th most strikeouts of any team. Expect him to give 6 strong IP and be worth his price point.
Freddie Freeman, 1B: $5,900 – One piece of the three-headed monster in LA, and maybe we can fit one more with some of the savings we’ll have. Freddie Freeman is as reliable as they come. His price point is a little high for his 7.6 FPPG, but he’s quite capable of busting out a 25 point performance with ease. Only 1 homerun on the year. We can hope he gets us one of them, but even if he doesn’t, he can produce with doubles, runs, rbi, and maybe even a steal.
Masyn Winn, SS: $2,800 – Yes, this whole lineup is centered around Paul Blackburn and Masyn is facing him. His value at $2,800 is too much to ignore. He doesn’t have a homerun this season, so do not expect much power. He is hitting .370 though and has 17, 13, and 10 points in his last 3 games (not counting Tuesday night). 1-2 hits, and maybe we get lucky with a run scored after Paul Blackburn comes out of the game.
Cody Bellinger, OF: $4,700 – Here’s the deal. You either love Cody Bellinger or you hate him. I get that his .180 average with 2 homeruns and 10 rbi aren’t really turning any heads right now. If you haven’t noticed this about me, it’s that I love fading pitchers. I try to find a matchup to exploit. Brandon Pfaadt is simply not built for the regular season. He did turn it on in the playoffs last year, but he’s given up 5 and 6 runs in his last two starts. Maybe Cody can get the bat going in AZ in a solid matchup for him. That’s what we’re banking on.
Shohei Ohtani, OF: $6,200 – What more do we have to say here? It really is a no-brainer. He’s hitting .400 with 3 homeruns and 6 rbi in his last 10 games. He can even sneak in a steal or two. The Dodgers are lined up to face Cole Irvin. There is no hesitation in having Shohei in this lineup. Most times, we have difficulty getting large salaries into lineups, but this one is just too good to pass up.
Andy Pages, OF: $2,500 – Pages was promoted on Tuesday afternoon and is getting the start and batting 7th against the Nationals. I’d like to think that he’d start on Wednesday too, and any hitter in the Dodgers lineup for $2,500 is well worth the risk, especially against Cole Irvin and the Nats. He has some power in that bat, as he had 5 homeruns and 15 RBI during his time in AAA this season.
I’m Only Happy When It Rains
No weather-related issues foreseen as of Tuesday evening. Keep an eye out here. I am going to use this section to say you may need a contingency if Winn or Pages don’t start. A Cavan Biggio or Ernie Clement could help save some money if you need to swap out Winn or Pages.
Doing Lines In Vegas
Both the Reds/Mariners and A’s/Cardinals have an over/under of 8. At first glance, these seem headed for solid pitching matchups. The Cubs/Dbacks has an over of 9.5, so sneaking a few Cubs or Dbacks into the lineup probably won’t hurt.
