In a day with a lot of high-priced talent for both hitters and pitchers, it’s important to find value across the board as well.
Daily fantasy baseball competitors will remain in good shape drafting guys like Felix Hernandez, Clayton Kershaw, Paul Goldschmidt and Mike Trout, but here is a look at cheaper options who could give you some value on May 4.
Pitchers
Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros ($8,000)
The Houston Astros are the hottest team in baseball with 10 wins in a row, a streak that could continue against the Texas Rangers and one of the worst records in the league. They certainly will be in good shape with Dallas Keuchel on the mound, who has been incredibly consistent lately, according to Richard Justice of MLB.com:
Although he isn’t likely to keep up his 0.73 ERA for the entire season, the value is there to keep betting on the red-hot player and team for as long as this lasts.
Carlos Martinez, St. Louis Cardinals ($7,600)
It seems Carlos Martinez is going to be sticking around in the Cardinals rotation. In four starts, the former reliever has gone at least six innings while giving up two or fewer runs each time out.
The 23-year-old pitcher clearly has a lot of talent, and St. Louis is going to keep taking advantage of it. Look for Martinez to try to lower his current 1.73 ERA while going for his fourth victory in a row.
Hitters
Alex Rodriguez, 3B, New York Yankees ($3,800)
You might not like him, but that has nothing to do with making money in daily fantasy. The fact remains that Alex Rodriguez has done a good job getting big hits this year and can be extremely productive with a home run or two.
Monday will represent a good opportunity for the veteran hitter, as he faces R.A. Dickey, a struggling pitcher who has allowed Rodriguez to go 8-for-24 against him in his career. Even the knuckleball shouldn’t prevent a big game from the talented veteran.
Dee Gordon, 2B, Miami Marlins ($4,500)
Second base is usually a spot to save some money, especially with players like Devon Travis and D.J. LeMahieu available. However, Dee Gordon has been simply unstoppable this year and even better over the past week.
In his last eight games, Gordon has gone an incredible 20-for-31 (.645 batting average) with four stolen bases. With Jordan Zimmermann not quite pitching to his ability yet this season, Gordon can keep up his ridiculous run.
Joc Pederson, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers ($4,300)
Not only has Joc Pederson been absolutely crushing the ball lately, but he will now get more chances to contribute at the top of the order for the Dodgers. Just as importantly, he is focused on keeping up his recent success.
“I still need to put together quality at-bats,” Pederson told Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times. “It’s a long season. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”
With his recent power surge and a favorable matchup against Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Kyle Lohse, this could be a good chance for another big day.
Team to Stack: Toronto Blue Jays
New York Yankees pitcher Chase Whitley was solid in his first start of the year, holding the Tampa Bay Rays to just one run in five innings. However, his 5.23 ERA from last season shows he is unlikely to keep it up.
This could be big for the Toronto Blue Jays, who have had arguably the best offense in baseball. With power-hitting threats like Jose Bautista ($5,500), Josh Donaldson ($5,100), Russell Martin ($4,700), Devon Travis ($4,000) and others, you could end up getting a lot of points if these players go deep.
Note: All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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