We got the hitting part right on Monday — stacking Diamondbacks was indeed the way to go — but struck out badly on pitching selections. Johnny Cueto (who I touted but did not use) was magnificent in a complete-game shutout. Today is a whole new “season” in DFS and DraftKings will again pay out well over $1 million in guaranteed cash prizes.
The $400K Tuesday Special ($20 buy-in, $100K for first) and the $250K Perfect Game are the richest events, spanning all 15 ballgames and closing at 7:07 Eastern. Other contests with smaller player pools but lucrative payouts are designated in the MLB Lobby as Turbo (8:05; 5 games), Late (9:40; 5 games) or Later (10:10; 4 games.)
There’s superb pitching in those west coast tilts. Zack Greinke $12000 vs. Joe Ross $8800 is the marquee duel, just ahead of Madison Bumgarner $11100 vs. Scott Kazmir $10200. Slightly more affordable are Taijuan Walker $8400 and Chris Tillman $6500, who square off in Seattle.
More runs should be scored in the early evening, where Matt Harvey $10900 is the standout arm. For a low-cost, high-upside #2 SP, Luis Severino $5500 struck out seven Red Sox in 5 IP on Wednesday and makes his second big-league start in Cleveland. Carlos Carrasco $10100 has been all but untouchable in his last two, but the rookie can trade zeroes with him at a fraction of the cost.
Plays of the Day
New to DK? Your first deposit earns a FREE entry into the $160K Moonshot — the winner gets $12,000 and 12,800 teams out of a maximum 61,331 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 7:07; you can make lineup changes until each player’s game begins.
The soaring Blue Jays hammered Kendall Graveman $5300 on July 21 in Oakland — before the deadline moves that turned them into a serious contender. In the Dome, open or closed, stacking the maximum six Toronto hitters is far from the worst strategy.
Russell Martin $4200 costs less than Kyle Schwarber $4700 in a C pool packed with live bats. Travis d’Arnaud $4200 went deep last night and Welington Castillo $3700 is the hottest of all.
Using the D-Backs, who plated 13 runs last night, makes sense again. Paul Goldschmidt $5500 is capable of monster games. Kendrys Morales $3900 is affordable, and Justin Smoak $2600 smacked a decisive grand slam in the Bronx on Saturday.
If Dee Gordon $4300 reaches against knuckleballer Steven Wright, he may run wild. 2B/SS Addison Russell $3200 is heating up at the plate, hinting at more power. 2B/SS Ryan Goins $2500 has no power but frequently scores when he gets on base.
Josh Donaldson $5600 might be the AL MVP, combining plus defense at 3B with a consistent power bat to all fields. We liked Jake Lamb $3600 on Monday (17 PTS) and teammate 3B/OF Yasmany Tomas $3700 was even better (21 PTS.)
At SS, Troy Tulowitzki $4300 can start a couple of rallies in a possible blowout. Much-improved Ian Desmond $3100 homered twice last night, and won’t be this cheap again.
Mike Trout $5300 against wild rookie lefty Carlos Rodon $5400? I’m imagining walks and bombs. A.J. Pollock $4700 and David Peralta $4200 led yesterday’s Snake stack and both can stay hot. Jose Bautista $5200 homered the last time he faced Graveman. Ben Revere $3600 can score a lot of runs from the 9-hole and Shane Victorino $2700 tripled off a much tougher southpaw as the leadoff man last night. Noted glove man Jackie Bradley Jr. $2200 homered, tripled and walked last night but may be the fourth OF, as Mookie Betts $4300 is back from the 7-day concussion DL.
| Pos | Premium | Bargain |
| SP1 | Zack Greinke $12000 | Luis Severino $5500 |
| SP2 | Matt Harvey $10900 | Joe Ross $8800 |
| C | Russell Martin $4200 | Welington Castillo $3700 |
| 1B | Paul Goldschmidt $5600 | Justin Smoak $2600 |
| 2B | Dee Gordon $4300 | Addison Russell $3200 |
| 3B | Josh Donaldson $5600 | Yasmany Tomas $3700 |
| SS | Troy Tulowitzki $4300 | Ian Desmond $3100 |
| OF1 | Mike Trout $5300 | David Peralta $4200 |
| OF2 | A.J. Pollock $4700 | Ben Revere $3600 |
| OF3 | Jose Bautista $5200 | Shane Victorino $2700 |
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.