On a somewhat quiet Thursday in MLB, DraftKings features Early (5 games) and All-Day contests at 12:35 Eastern, with evening (7:05; 5 games) and Late offerings (8:05; 2 games.)
There’s better pitching in the afternoon. Zack Greinke $13500 is by far the top gun, priced accordingly. Michael Wacha $10400 threw 7 IP of shutout ball last Friday to snap out of a mini-slump. Yet to have a poor start, Joe Ross $8700 is no longer a DFS bargain, just a consistent producer. There aren’t any cheap standout arms in Early pools; Yordano Ventura $7600 and maybe Odrisamer Despaigne $5000 could be coupled with Greinke.
At night, expect more runs to be scored. Jason Hammel $10300 faces Chris Heston $9800 at Wrigley in the top-rated pitching matchup. Rookie Eduardo Rodriguez $9100 has a chance against the Yankees, and Aaron Brooks $5600 was surprisingly effective in his first start for Oakland after being acquired in the Ben Zobrist deal.
We’re going to enter a few teams in All-Day events, but the largest GPPs (Guaranteed Prize Pools) are tonight, so that’s the focus of our sample lineup and Short List.
Plays of the Day
New to DK? Your first deposit earns a FREE entry into the Early $60K Moonshot — the winner gets $4,000 and 4,625 teams out of a maximum 22,988 earn cash. All prize money is guaranteed even if it doesn’t fill. It’s normally a $3 buy-in, and multiple teams are allowed. Enter by 12:35; you can make lineup changes until each player’s game begins.
DK is also offering the largest fantasy football contest of all time. The NFL $10M Millionaire Maker has a $2 million top prize, $1 million to second place and $7 million more in guaranteed payouts. 125,700 teams will earn cash from a maximum of 572,500 entries.
Within a salary cap of $50,000, select 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 1 Flex, 1 DST and you can make unlimited lineup changes until 1:00 Eastern on Sunday, September 13. It’s a $20 buy-in for two chances at a million bucks.
C.C. Sabathia $7300 has struggled all year (5.54 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) and was hospitalized with dehydration after his latest defeat. The Red Sox will be in attack mode.
At C, Kyle Schwarber $3700 hit his first bomb off a lefty last night; that’s 5 HR in all and a 1.030 OPS through 76 AB. If he starts in the OF, the 22-year-old slugger is our pick. Ryan Hanigan $2800 and Blake Swihart $2700 share catching duties for Boston; whoever starts is a potential bargain.
For those who can’t afford Anthony Rizzo $5700 or Mark Teixeira $5400 at 1B, Mike Napoli $3600 could be waking up from a dull season and has always fared well against Sabathia.
2B/3B Matt Duffy $4100 came through for us on Wednesday with two more hits and 2 RBI. We also liked 2B/SS Ryan Goins $2300 (now an everyday player in the potent Jays lineup) and are quite content with 9 FPTS at that low cost.
3B Josh Donaldson $6200 just keeps hitting; he’s homered in three straight but that’s a very steep price. Rookie Miguel Sano $4300 blasted a 447-foot bomb last night. For the budget-conscious, 3B/SS Marcus Semien $3100 may have emerged from a long slump.
When Carlos Correa $5300 isn’t mashing, he’s making highlight-reel defensive plays or stealing bases. Troy Tulowitzki $5000 is another excellent SS play in almost any situation. You can also try 3B/SS Xander Bogaerts $4100 or SS/OF Hanley Ramirez $4000 if you’re stacking BoSox.
Our pick Jose Bautista $5200 more than paid his way last night by belting a grand slam. Though it’s a lefty-lefty matchup, Jacoby Ellsbury $4600 is 2-for-3 with a HR off Rodriguez. Teammate Chris Young $3300 generally starts vs. southpaws, and quite often delivers. Torii Hunter $4100 and the Twins know Mark Buerhle $8900 well and are desperate to salvage one win in this pivotal 4-game set. Although our Wednesday hunch on Colby Rasmus $3400 didn’t pay off, Gregor Blanco $3100 had two more hits and has scored five runs in two games. Ultra-cheap 3B/OF Adonis Garcia $2000 is a regular, batting fifth, for that rock-bottom price.
| Pos | Premium | Bargain |
| SP1 | Jason Hammel $10300 | Mark Buehrle $8900 |
| SP2 | Eduardo Rodriguez $9100 | Aaron Brooks $5600 |
| C | Kyle Schwarber $3700 | Ryan Hanigan $2800 |
| 1B | Anthony Rizzo $5700 | Mike Napoli $3600 |
| 2B | Matt Duffy $4100 | Ryan Goins $2300 |
| 3B | Josh Donaldson $6200 | Miguel Sano $4300 |
| SS | Carlos Correa $5300 | Troy Tulowitzki $5000 |
| OF1 | Jose Bautista $5200 | Adonis Garcia $2000 |
| OF2 | Jacoby Ellsbury $4600 | Gregor Blanco $3100 |
| OF3 | Torii Hunter $4100 | Chris Young $3300 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season and we’re turning our attention to baseball for the summer. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.