Pitcher List is proud to partner with DraftKings for the 2019 season. We’ll be featuring our top picks for every daily slate throughout the season.
We’ve got a great day of baseball ahead with multiple slates from which to choose on DraftKings. Games start at 1:10 p.m. eastern and run as late as 10:10 p.m., so there’s no way you can’t find the time for some contests.
Top SP: Trevor Bauer, ($10,800) vs. BAL
Surprise, surprise. If you know me, you know I would probably suggest Bauer against any team in the MLB, let alone the Baltimore Orioles. The most expensive pitcher on the board for a reason, Bauer bounced back in his most recent start against the Athletics with a line of 7 IP, 0 ER, 2H and 10 Ks. If you do choose to roster Bauer, get your popcorn ready, sit back, and enjoy the show.
Honorable Mention: Zach Wheeler ($10,000) at WAS.
Value SP: Spencer Turnbull, ($8,000) vs. OAK
Sporting a pretty good three-pitch mix (four-seamer, sinker, slider, changeup), the young right-hander has put together a very good season to this point. With O-swing%, FStrike% and swinging-strike rate all a tick above league average, Turnbull has racked up 44 strikeouts in 44.2 innings while having a 2.42 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. Oakland is near the bottom half of the league in almost every offensive category against right-handed pitchers, which makes this a matchup worth that you shouldn’t avoid.
Honorable Mention: Zach Davies ($7,000) at PHI.
OF: Marcell Ozuna, ($5,000) at ATL (RHP Julio Teheran)
I’m sure Ozuna will be on a lot of rosters tonight, but he has too much success against Teheran in the past to overlook today (17-45, 5 XBH, 9 RBI). This matchup is a disaster for Teheran, who throws a four-seam fastball 43.7% of the time with an average vFA of 90.3 and a pVAL of -1.1. On the season, Ozuna has a .340 BAA the pitch, while racking up 17 hits. The smart money is that Teheran makes a mistake and Ozuna makes him pay for it.
Honorable Mention: OF: Hunter Pence ($5,500) at KC (RHP Homer Bailey).
OF: Alex Gordon, ($4,900) vs. TEX (RHP Lance Lynn)
Another hitter with a ton of success against his opponent, Gordon has 10 hits in just 19 at-bats against Lance Lynn. Also, it doesn’t hurt that he is currently experiencing some sort of career revival this season. In addition to hitting .295 with eight home runs and 33 RBI this season, Gordon ranks in the 81st percentile of xwOBA and 75th percentile in xSLG. Plug him in your lineup today.
Honorable Mention: OF: Ronald Acuna Jr. ($4,500) vs. STL (RHP Adam Wainwright).
Value Bat: Nicky Lopez, ($3,300) vs. TEX (RHP Lance Lynn)
New to the scene (and still very cheap), Lopez has shown promise in his first two big league games this season. A very good contact hitter, Lopez can hold value with not just the bat but also his legs. With a 55-grade speed tool, look for Lopez to capitalize against a bad pitcher in Lynn if he gets on the base paths and return a ton of value for his price point. Also, Lynn doesn’t get hitters to chase much, which is good for Lopez as his patience at the plate has always been a strength.
Honorable Mention: 2B/3B: Jeff McNeil ($4,200) at WAS (RHP Anibal Sanchez).
Lineup Stack: Kansas City Royals vs. TEX (RHP Lance Lynn)
I’m going to stick with today’s article and stack as many Royals as I can. While Lynn does have a decent pitch mix and does throw hard, he has very little deception and doesn’t induce enough swings and misses to succeed. The Royals have a very underrated lineup and should be able to get to him early and often. Not to mention, this game has the highest over/under today according to Vegas at 10 runs. It even opened at 10.5 runs.
Honorable Mention: Cleveland Indians vs. BAL (RHP Dan Straily).
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is miketherotocop) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games on which I offer advice. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings, and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any nonpublic information.