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 and feature articles dedicated to the GPP.
We’ve got a full day of baseball with a ton of slates from which to choose on DraftKings. Games start at 12:35 p.m. Eastern and run as late as 10 p.m., so there’s no way you can’t find the time for some contests.
Top SP: Charlie Morton, TB ($8,800) vs. COL
Charlie Morton looked strong in his first outing of the year, striking out eight batters in five innings against a tough Houston Astros lineup. He should have an awesome start against the Colorado Rockies, who are evidently the same abysmal lineup that posted a .289 wOBA away from Coors last year. Blake Snell just tore them up for 13 strikeouts, and they’ve scored just one run over their past three games. Morton can rack up some strikeouts of his own, after posting a 28.9% strikeout rate in 2018, and he gets the advantage of his pitcher-friendly home park. There are a ton of great pitching options to choose from, but Morton is my favorite at this price.
Honorable mentions: Corey Kluber ($10,900) vs. CWS; Jacob deGrom ($12,700) at MIA.
Value SP: Kyle Gibson, MIN ($6,300) at KC
If you’re looking to go contrarian and save payroll on starting pitching, Kyle Gibson could fly under the radar. The popular offseason sleeper gets his first start of the year against a garbage Kansas City Royals offense, and all he needs is a decent performance to provide value at this price. Gibson is worth a look in GPP contests, where you can pair him with an expensive ace or load up your lineup with elite bats.
2B/SS Ozzie Albies, ATL ($4,300) vs. CHC (LHP Jon Lester)
The Braves haven’t faced a lefty yet, so it’s not clear where Ozzie Albies will bat in the order. Hopefully he’ll move up from his regular sixth spot, but he should mash regardless. Albies had a fantastic 141 wRC+ against southpaws last season and gets to face a declining Jon Lester, who is coming off of a 4.44 deserved run average in 2018. Albies has an attractive power/speed combo that can result in a high scoring night.
Honorable mentions: 2B/SS Jonathan Villar ($4,200) at TOR (RHP Matt Shoemaker); 1B/3B Yuli Gurriel ($4,300) at TEX (LHP Mike Minor).
OF Yasiel Puig, CIN ($4,200) vs. MIL (RHP Freddy Peralta)
Yasiel Puig has yet to show off his home run power this season, but he gets a great opportunity to do so here. Freddy Peralta is prone to implosions and finds himself in a tough spot in Cincinnati, an extreme hitter’s environment. The Reds should be all over the basepaths, so Puig will have lots of chances for runs and RBI on top of his potential to homer. Puig’s price will probably only rise from here, so buy in while you can.
Honorable mentions: OF Nicholas Castellanos ($4,200) at NYY (RHP Jonathan Loaisiga); OF Corey Dickerson ($4,300) vs. STL (RHP Miles Mikolas).
Value Bat: 2B/OF Ben Zobrist, CHC ($3,900) at ATL (RHP Julio Teheran)
Ben Zobrist may not be a sexy pick, but he’s got a lot of value as the Chicago Cubs‘ leadoff hitter against righties. Zobrist is still a good hitter despite his age, putting up a 125 wRC+ against right-handers last year with strong plate discipline. He will see a high number of plate appearances as the leadoff man, which maximizes his number of opportunities to produce and score runs. Julio Teheran is a good matchup to take advantage of Zobrist’s price.
Honorable mentions: SS Jorge Polanco ($4,100) at KC (Bailey); OF Lorenzo Cain ($4,100) at CIN (Castillo).
Lineup Stack: Phillies at Nationals (RHP Anibal Sanchez)
The Philadelphia Phillies lineup has been unstoppable through its first four games, and it should continue against Washington Nationals starter Anibal Sanchez. Sanchez is a clear regression candidate at 35 years old after outperforming his FIP by nearly a full run last season. Andrew McCutchen ($4,200) and Jean Segura ($4,200) are pretty much locks for production at the top of this lineup, and Maikel Franco ($4,000) is insanely hot right now.
Honorable mentions: Red Sox at Athletics (Estrada); Cubs at Braves (Teheran).
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is troyklauder) 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.