Thursdays often feature small slates of games, and this time is no exception. There are only four games in the nightly slate, and that is what I will focus on here. In case you’ve never seen a Marlin, it’s a very big fish… We will have a bunch of those featuring in our lineups today as we look to end Kenta Maeda’s hot streak on the hill. I don’t have much to say about marlins other than that you should look one up; they are pretty fascinating creatures… I’ll even feed you one fun fact now! The blue marlin can reach 16.4 feet in length; four of those would get us to homeplate from the mound! Without further ado, here are your DraftKings picks for the day.
New to DraftKings? Scared of feeling like a small fish in a big pond? Well try out this 10 teamer of Razzball writers and friends to wet your DK whistle. Just remember to sign up through us before you do. It’s how we know you care! If you still feel helpless and lonely, be sure to subscribe to the DFSBot for your daily baseball plays.
Rubby De La Rosa, SP: $6,500 – This is somewhat of a punt play in a small slate of games… However, the Cardinals offense has been playing a bit over their head and has guys that are strikeout prone. Rubby will probably be one of the lower played starters in this slate and can pile up the K’s in bunches; he’s worth the risk.
Jose Fernandez, SP: $11,400 – Jose will probably be highly owned, but that is no excuse for not owning him yourself. One of the best pitchers in the game is a necessity when it comes to putting together a winning lineup, and tonight is no different; don’t be against this ace.
J.T. Realmuto, C: $2,700 – J.T. somehow finds himself lower than a bunch of other catchers in price, yet he should have no problem making contact and making things happen against Kenta Maeda. Maeda has been dealing, but the Marlins have been hitting and should figure him out. Also, in case you weren’t aware, the J.T. stands for Japanese Translator, and Mr. Realmuto will certainly be translating Maeda’s pitches into hits.
Hanley Ramirez, 1B: $4,300 – Jhoulys Chacin is the opposite number who will be trying to retire Hanley on Thursday… Let’s just say that he probably will not have a whole lot of success. Hanley does have a homer in his career against Chacin, and has been squaring a lot of balls up providing lineup protection to Big Papi. Han-Ram has this one in the bag, and preserves a bit of money from other more expensive first basemen.
Dee Gordon, 2B: $4,100 – Another play against Maeda here, and a lot of it comes down to Dee’s wheels. Even weak contact can result in hits for Dee, and hitting at the top of a lineup that will blow up against Maeda should provide plenty of runs as well.
Jake Lamb, 3B: $3,300 – I went to Cactus League this year, and while attending a DBacks game I saw Lamb from afar and was astonished at his physique. Seriously, this guy is like Achilles. Good thing his Achilles’ heal has nothing to do with hitting the baseball, and that means he definitely needs to find his way into your lineup.
Xander Bogaerts, SS: $4,300 – Gotta love a guy named Xander… He obviously has the advantage over a guy named Jhoulys, and he and Mr. Han-Ram from above should provide plenty of numbers on the scoreboard against Atlanta on Thursday.
Giancarlo Stanton, OF: $5,000 – While we add another Marlin to the lineup, it might as well be the guy that made Clayton Kershaw very upset the other night; in case you missed it, this slugger hit the ball a veryyyyyyy long way into the night. Giancarlo does not go softly into that good night.
David Peralta, OF: $3,600 – David Peralta was an undrafted signee as a pitcher. He didn’t last, he went to independent ball, and he’s back; he doesn’t pitch anymore. Rather, he hits rockets in the form of line drives. He also puts some sick lime green tape on his bats usually, so that’s always a plus as well.
Mark Trumbo, OF: $4,500 – John Danks has hung around a long time, and he has never been very good at getting right handed sluggers out. Mark Trumbo fits that description, and he is also on fire. Not literally, that would not be good; however, the fire he is on is very good for your DraftKings lineup. Don’t leave him out, and feel free to bring a few of his right handed Orioles friends with him. And yes, I know that birds do not have hands.
I’m Only Happy When it Rains
Only one game in the 4-game-slate at 7:05 is showing risk of rain: WhiteSox-Orioles at Camden Yards. Keep an eye out there, as in a small slate you won’t want to be missing a bunch of guys because they got rained out. I would stay away from both mediocre pitchers in that game, as a delay would make them moot anyways. Baltimore does seem fond of delaying and resuming rather than just postponing, so while you should be somewhat cautious on the hitter front, I wouldn’t be as worried there.
Doing Lines in Vegas
Two games find themselves having an over-under of 9: WhiteSox-Orioles in Baltimore, and Cardinals-DBacks in Arizona. Both are good bets for hitters, but that second game also pits Wacha and Rubby against each other; both could prove vital to a winning lineup if you select correctly, and I for one am going with Rubby.
That is all folks. Wishing the best of luck to your lineups; hoping that they have the opposite amount of luck as Jordan Spieth on 12 at Augusta.
