How great is it to have baseball back? Personally, I am beyond excited it’s back and to be contributing MLB DFS articles again. Hopefully, it’ll provide some good information that can help you set your lineups and win some money in the process. Make sure to check weather situations and starting lineups before locking them in. With that said, let’s jump right into it with some of my favorite picks for today’s early slate of games beginning at 1:05 ET.
Hurlers
Zach Davies ($7,900 DK, $8,200 FD)
Davies caught the brunt of many Cubs fans’ anger when the team traded away Yu Darvish and Victor Caratini for Davies and prospects. Davies doesn’t have a career 11.12 K/9 like Darvish, but he’s a solid pitcher in his own right. In 123 career starts, Davies owns a 3.79 ERA. Because of his pitch mix and style of pitching, he’s very similar to Kyle Hendricks.
The Pirates were able to get to Hendricks in game one, but Hendricks was uncharacteristically wild. Davies pitched well in the spring with a 1.08 ERA in 16.2 innings pitched. Look for him to pound the zone and potentially pick up a victory.
Tarik Skubal ($7,300 DK, $6,000 FD)
Skubal is a promising young left-handed prospect that made his debut last season with the Tigers. Understanding that spring training doesn’t mean much, it’s still a positive sign that Skubal looked good. In 17 innings pitched, he had a 1.59 ERA, struck out 18 batters, and held opponents to a .196 batting average against. Skubal struck out 27.6 percent of hitters in 2020 and developed a new split-finger in the offseason. I’m eager to see how it all comes together today.
Boppers
1B – Trey Mancini ($2,000 DK, $2,900 FD)
I do not really understand the price that’s been set the last couple of days on a few of these Orioles hitters. Mancini, at the bare minimum on DraftKings, is disrespectful. He hasn’t started the season blazing hot, but he hit 35 bombs in 2019 and had at least 24 HRs every year from 2017-19. Please take the free square and put him in your lineup.
OF – J.D. Martinez ($4,500 DK, $3,600 FD)
Can you feel it? Doesn’t it just seem like the 33-year-old is in store for a big bounce-back season? After having his career-worst year, Martinez admitted the pandemic and pause to the season last year caught him off guard, and he wasn’t prepared. He also said that he created some bad swing habits that he’s spent all offseason working to correct. So far, so good, he’s started 4-for-8 with a run knocked in. Against left-handed pitchers, he’s a career .309 hitter with a .405 wOBA. He’s facing one today.
OF – Cedric Mullins ($2,000 DK, $2,600 FD)
As I alluded to with Mancini, a few of these Orioles are underpriced. Mullins is one of them. He’s started the season off on a good note, going 4-for-8 with back-to-back multi-hit games. While he has yet to swipe a bag, he stole 34 bases between AA, AAA, and the majors in 2019, and he stole seven bags in only 48 games last year. Hitting atop the Orioles’ lineup puts him in a good position to steal and score runs.
*Home Run Call of the Day* – Jorge Soler ($3,100 DK, $3,400 FD)
Stacks
Kansas City Royals vs. Jordan Lyles
The Royals have come into the season underrated as far as their lineup goes. In their first two games to start the year against the Texas Rangers, they’ve put up 25 runs and hit five homers. Lyles struggled last year with a 7.02 ERA and 1.9 HR/9 rate. I don’t see the Royals slowing down just yet.
Boston Red Sox vs. Bruce Zimmerman
Zimmerman is a lefty with little major league experience facing a lineup filled with mashers playing at Fenway Park. The Bo-Sox have only mustered two runs total in the first two games of the year. I think they are more than hungry and ready to bust out today.
Baltimore Orioles vs. Garrett Richards
Richards is solid when healthy, but the price is right for many of these O’s hitters. That’s reasoning enough for me, given the fact that I’ll be able to load up with expensive players elsewhere.
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