Pitcher List is proud to partner with DraftKings for the 2019 season. We’ll be featuring our top picks for every daily slate through the season and feature articles dedicated to the GPP.
Top Play SP: Justin Verlander, HOU ($12,600) vs. OAK
Normally, I would prefer not to use the most expensive starting pitcher of the day, but given the other top options have a combination of bad matchups and iffy talent, it’s most optimal to just take your guaranteed points from Justin Verlander. Verlander has been dominant all season long, but he’s been on a different level recently. In his past five starts, Verlander has a 1.21 ERA with an astronomical 37% strikeout rate.
Honorable Mentions: Patrick Corbin, WAS ($10,500) vs. MIN; Brendan McKay, TB ($7,900) @ TEX.
Value SP: Tyler Mahle, CIN ($6,200) vs. SEA
As one of the cheaper starting pitchers on today’s slate, Tyler Mahle has very clear upside at such a cheap price point. Since the July 31 trade deadline, the Seattle Mariners rank second in baseball in strikeout rate at 27.0%, while also having the second-lowest wOBA at .295 and the fifth-lowest wRC+ at a mark of 85. Mahle has shown clear upside this season when facing good matchups, as he has a 23.3% strikeout rate and a 2.70 ERA in five starts against teams that rank in the bottom five of wOBA or wRC+ for the season.
Honorable Mention: Kolby Allard, TEX ($7,200) vs. TB
Top Play: OF Bryce Harper, PHI ($4,600) Vs. ATL
It is extremely rare for me to put any stock whatsoever in to pitcher vs. hitter results, but Bryce Harper vs. Julio Teheran is one of those cases. In 50 career plate appearances against Teheran, Harper is hitting .419 with eight home runs and a jaw-dropping 1.592 OPS. Harper has also been red-hot at the plate, hitting for a 1.058 OPS over his last 109 plate appearances.
Honorable Mention: Michael Brantley, HOU ($4,300) vs. OAK
Top Play: 1B Matt Beaty, LAD ($4,300) at BAL
After sitting the first two games of this series against left-handed pitching, Matt Beaty will finally get a chance to beat up on Orioles pitching, as he is expected to be in the lineup against right-handed pitcher Dylan Bundy. This season against righties, Beaty has dominated hitting .314 with all nine of his home runs in 206 plate appearances.
Honorable Mention: Trey Mancini, BAL ($4,000) vs. LAD
Value: 1B C.J. Cron, MIN ($3,500) vs. WAS
The matchup against Patrick Corbin is without a doubt an extremely tough one, but C.J. Cron has absolutely dominated left-handed pitching this season. In 134 plate appearances against lefties, Cron is hitting .325 with 11 home runs and a .658 slugging percentage. The upside is clearly there for the power hitting first baseman.
Honorable Mention: Renato Nunez, BAL ($3,700) vs. LAD
Top Stack: Dodgers at Orioles (Dylan Bundy)
Despite not showing up last night, the Dodgers bats make for a great stack tonight, facing a struggling Bundy. Over his last 63 ⅓ innings, Bundy has allowed 11 home runs and has a 5.65 ERA. His strikeout rate has dipped in that time period as well, with just 7.9 strikeouts per nine innings in that span. Some Dodgers bats are priced up tonight, but Cody Bellinger ($5,400), Corey Seager ($4,500) A.J. Pollock ($4,400), Matt Beaty ($4,300), and Gavin Lux ($3,600) will all be in my lineups tonight.
Honorable Mention: Astros vs. Athletics (Bailey)
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is jtkohout) 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.