We’re back to a full slate of 15 ballgames and Clayton Kershaw $15000 towers above the other pitchers in DFS contests at DraftKings. The big lefty is back in Cy Young form with five superb starts in his last six. Particularly awesome at home, he’s pitched only once in Oakland, a July 2012 loss. If you don’t use him, he might score 40 points. If you do, there isn’t much salary left for hitting.
There are other solid SP plays. Jacob DeGrom $11600 might be the best of the Mets’ three outstanding young righties. He too is slightly better at home, and the Orioles just swept four from the A’s by a cumulative score of 34-13.
Francisco Liriano $10300 has not been dominant in his last three but this is a big game for the Buccos after dropping the opener. Obviously, Hisashi Iwakuma $9300 won’t throw another no-hitter. He’s still a good bet to outpitch Chi Chi Gonzalez $4500 at a reasonable salary.
Our sample lineup and Short List covers the entire schedule, at 7:05 Eastern. There are three other start times for daily play: Turbo (8:05; 5 games), Late (8:40; 4 games) and Later contests (10:05; 3 games) are offered.
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 7:05; you can make lineup changes until each player’s game begins.
R.A. Dickey $7000 handled the Phillies with relative ease in Toronto July 29 (two unearned runs in 8 IP) and the Jays’ hitters make him excellent value against rookie Aaron Nola $6900. Last night the Rays clubbed Scott Kazmir for six runs in a 9-2 rout. Tonight Scott Feldman $5900 will try to cool off those bats; he can match or beat Jake Odorizzi $8300 at a low price.
Travis d’Arnaud $4100 homered on Sunday and has no platoon split; he can stay hot against Kevin Gausman $5100. Among lower-cost C, Salvador Perez $3400 and John Jaso $3200 are worth a look.
1B/3B Miguel Cabrera $5200 smacked a double and homer in his third game back from a calf injury. There are some other high-priced, elite options like Joey Votto $4900 and Anthony Rizzo $4900, plus a tempting potential bargain in C.J. Cron $2900, who hits in the 5-hole vs. LHP.
Robinson Cano $4600 in a good hitting park against an erratic rookie RH, or Brian Dozier $4400 vs. C.C. Sabathia $6000? It’s hard to go wrong. Amid trade rumors, Chase Utley $3100 is on a roll — 13 hits in seven games since returning from an ankle injury.
We were bullish on Miguel Sano $4300 last night (3-for-5, HR, 2 RBI) and see no reason to change. Aramis Ramirez $3900 had a very good weekend vs. the Mets, and for bargain-hunters, 3B/SS Mike Aviles $2600 has started four straight games and enjoys hitting southpaws.
As self-appointed president of the Carlos Correa $4800 fan club, I always consider him the best SS, though not necessarily the best value. Troy Tulowitzki $4000 is certainly worth the money and OF/SS Kike Hernandez $2800 has been profitable to own since becoming the 2-hitter.
In the outfield, Bryce Harper $6400 is too expensive, even at Coors Field. Nelson Cruz $5800 and Mike Trout $5600 also have intimidating salaries. There’s OF talent in every price range — Ryan Braun $4800 and Jacoby Ellsbury $4400 stayed hot for us last night, Matt Kemp $4100 is rolling, and 2B/OF Ben Zobrist $4100 has a .535 OBP over 10 games. Yasiel Puig $3400 has a good matchup and Ryan Raburn $2500 is always a longshot possibility vs. a lefty.
| Pos | Premium | Bargain |
| SP1 | Clayton Kershaw $15000 | Hisashi Iwakuma $9300 |
| SP2 | Jacob DeGrom $11600 | R.A. Dickey $7000 |
| C | Travis d’Arnaud $4100 | Salvador Perez $3400 |
| 1B | Miguel Cabrera $5200 | C.J. Cron $2900 |
| 2B | Robinson Cano $4600 | Chase Utley $3100 |
| 3B | Miguel Sano $4300 | Aramis Ramirez $3900 |
| SS | Carlos Correa $4800 | Kiké Hernandez $2800 |
| OF1 | Nelson Cruz $5800 | Matt Kemp $4100 |
| OF2 | Ryan Braun $4800 | Ben Zobrist $4100 |
| OF3 | Jacoby Ellsbury $4400 | Yasiel Puig $3400 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Until basketball returns, we’re offering baseball tips on weekdays. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.