We celebrate wins and shrug off the losses in DFS. Tuesday did not go according to plan at all — the great Max Scherzer was badly beaten and the Blue Jays didn’t score those dozen runs I’d envisioned. Unlike a ruined week in head-to-head or a season-killer in Roto, that’s OK. One disappointing night at DraftKings is ancient history and it’s 0-0 for all of us as a new “season” begins on Wednesday.
Early contests at 1:10 Eastern span four games, with Jacob deGrom $10700 the standout SP and no pitcher cheaper than Tommy Milone $6800. Runs could be difficult to come by this afternoon; maybe the Tigers will get to J.A. Happ $7200 early or the Orioles will bash Milone.
There’s also Late action (8:05; 5 games) where you can double up on some of the evening stars. Our sample lineup and Short List covers pools that close at 7:05 with 11 games to pick from. Clayton Kershaw $13300 might be motivated by his All-Star snub, but the Cy Young winner has been good-not-great all year.
DK matches your first deposit 100% (up to $600) with bonus funds that convert to cash. You also get a FREE entry into the Early $45K Moonshot, with 3,525 guaranteed prizes — $3,000 for first — and a maximum of 17,240 teams. It closes at 1:10, so don’t get shut out.
Using two of Chris Archer $10600, Michael Wacha $9400 and Scott Kazmir $9000 seems better than overpaying for Kershaw and looking for a bargain to pair with him. Expect a lot more scoring this evening, led by the red-hot Angels, who pounded out four homers and ten runs last night in Colorado. It’s hard to recommend any cheap SP; maybe Trevor Bauer $7900 or Matt Shoemaker $6000 will come up big.
I guessed 100% wrong on the Toronto bats, as they edged Jose Quintana 2-1. Stacking several of them against John Danks $5900 — the third White Sox lefty in a row — does make sense.
We’re saving money at C. Russell Martin $4300 has caught four straight days and gone 1-for-15, so Dioner Navarro $3500 might get a start. John Jaso $3500 made a welcome return as the Rays’ DH after a wrist injury, with a single in the opener plus a double and homer in the nightcap. Still hitting just .193, Chris Iannetta $3500 went deep last night.
Paul Goldschmidt $5900 and the rejuvenated Albert Pujols $5600 are great at 1B if you can afford them. David Ortiz $4400 faces another RHP at Fenway and maybe James Loney $3600 will surprise.
Dee Gordon $4700 has two straight o-fers, so he’s “due” against a struggling righty. Neil Walker $4100 and the Pirates are a decent play at home against the disappointing Andrew Cashner $8100 and 2B/3B D.J. LeMahieu $3500 is a nice price.
Josh Donaldson $4900 smashed homer # 21 on Tuesday and “owns” Danks (6-for-11 with 2 HR). Teammate 3B/OF Danny Valencia $3200 is 8-for-25 vs. the veteran. Yasmani Tomas $4400 and the Diamondbacks could chase Matt Harrison $5000 early; it’s his first start off the DL and he didn’t exactly dominate in rehab outings.
Troy Tulowitzki $5300 let us down last night but remains the #1 SS. Xander Bogaerts $3700 is an excellent value and we’re still on Alexei Ramirez $3300 who seems to be heating up.
Although Mike Trout $6600 and Kole Calhoun $5400 cost a small fortune, they were worth it last night. Jose Bautista $5100 and Chris Colabello $3700 are playable again for Toronto and A.J. Pollock $4700 also has a great matchup. Michael Brantley $4500 went 3-for-4 with a dinger last night— there are “too many” solid choices at every offensive position, including OF. Melky Cabrera $3800 and Brock Holt $3300 remain in our sights as possible bargains.
| Pos | Premium | Bargain |
| SP1 | Chris Archer $10600 | Trevor Bauer $7900 |
| SP2 | Scott Kazmir $9000 | Matt Shoemaker $6000 |
| C | John Jaso $3500 | Chris Iannetta $3500 |
| 1B | Albert Pujols $5600 | James Loney $3600 |
| 2B | Dee Gordon $4700 | D.J. LeMahieu $3500 |
| 3B | Josh Donaldson $4900 | Danny Valencia $3200 |
| SS | Troy Tulowitzki $4800 | Xander Bogaerts $3700 |
| OF1 | Jose Bautista $5100 | A.J. Pollock $4700 |
| OF2 | Mike Trout $6600 | Michael Brantley $4500 |
| OF3 | Kole Calhoun $5400 | Chris Colabello $3700 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season and we’re turning out attention to baseball for the summer. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.