X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

MLB DFS Lineup Picks & Sleepers - DraftKings Advice for 8/12/15

Check out the box scores from Tuesday night. In the interesting fact department, every single home team won. It’s the first time in the history of Major League Baseball that every single home team won on one night. As for Wednesday, we are going to delve into only the late games since there are a limited number of early games. Below are my DraftKings picks for Wednesday, August 5th, 2015.  As always, remember to check your players to make sure they are in their MLB starting lineups before lineups lock.

Editor's Note: If you play on DraftKings, you should check out our Partner FanDuel - they're hosting a one-day Fantasy Baseball league tonight. It's just $5 to enter and pays out $75,000 in cash prizes, including 7.5K to 1st place!

If you Sign up Now, we'll give you free access to RotoBaller's Premium NFL Preseason + Full Season Pass (Includes DFS Lineup Picks), a $99.99 value. You'll also get a 100% bonus on your first deposit with DraftKings. After you deposit with a new account, email us for your RotoBaller Premium Pass.

 

Game Notes

  • The weather looks great for the evening games. There may be a slight delay in New York for the Mets-Rockies game, but it is a long shot that happens. Chances are the game goes off without a hitch.
  • If you noticed the pitchers that are due to take the mound on Wednesday night, the only reaction you can give is ‘wow.’ Just, wow.
  • John Danks is on the mound for the White Sox. That means that you should think about stacking hitters on the opposing team- the Angels.
  • Three games have opened with Vegas projected over/under odds at seven runs. That is absurd. The Rockies/Mets, Pirates/Cardinals, and Nationals/Dodgers are all games and teams you should probably avoid with positional players. Especially in cash games and double ups.

 

DFS Pitchers to Consider for DraftKings

Clayton Kershaw, LAD - $14,200

He is a pitching God. His price is insanely high, but you get what you pay for.

Jacob deGrom, NYM - $11,000

Somehow, deGrom and his 26.4% K rate have slipped slightly under the radar mainly because the entire Mets rotations is so good. The Rockies are bad on the road especially against solid pitchers. The only thing that scares me is that the Mets are eventually due for a loss given the law of averages. Fingers crossed that the loss happens on Thursday and not Wednesday night.

Danny Salazar, CLE - $10,500

I know it’s a lot of fake cash to dish out on two pitchers, but I absolutely love the deGrom/Salazar combination. Salazar is really hitting his stride and faces a Yankees lineup that has really struggled over the last week and a half. The power righty has 35 strikeouts in his last 35.1 innings pitched and the Yankees have struck out 34 times in their last 34 innings at the dish. Coincidence? I think not.

Jason Hammel, CHC - $8,500

Hammel is a phenomenal second option on a loaded slate of games for Wednesday night. The Brewers have been atrocious over the last couple weeks, as they have decided to play for the future. Much like deGrom, the only worrying factor is the law of averages that stacks immensely against the Cubs.

 

DFS Catchers to Consider for DraftKings

Salvador Perez, KC - $3,300

The Royals are a DFS force. Most of the players do not strike out often and they typically are cheap in value. Perez is one of the few Royals that has a platoon advantage over a left-handed pitcher. Though I may be infatuated with Tigers’ starter Daniel Norris in keeper leagues, I will surely exploit his not yet polished game.

 

DFS Infielders to Consider for DraftKings

FIRST BASE

Albert Pujols, LAA - $4,200

Pujols has been sub-par against southpaws this season, at least in terms of Pujols standards. However John Danks changes everything. Danks’s hard contact rate is extremely hard to ignore, and it plays into Pujols’ solid medium-to-hard contact rate against LHPs. The only problem is budgeting him into your lineup.

James Loney, TB - $3,000

If you spend for the pitching on Wednesday night, prepare to look for some value at the other positions. Enter James Loney. Though I am not in love with the Loney pick, he does have a nice matchup against fringe pitcher Matt Wisler. Loney is mostly a punt option and tournament pick. Actually the more I wrote about Loney, the more I want to scream. I’ll give his odds at 0.00001% that he gets rostered in any of my lineups.

Justin Smoak, TOR - $2,500

If Edwin Encarnacion sits again, then I love the Smoak pick. He has typically done well against right-handed pitchers for his career, and his gap power plays nicely in the Rogers Centre. Like Loney, Smoak makes for a great option if you are strapped for fake cash.

 

SECOND BASE

Johnny Giavotella, LAA - $3,100

When in doubt, stack against Danks. The second base position is looking really thin on Wednesday night and if you do not pay up for Brian Dozier or Ben Zobrist, which you should not, then you need to find cheap value. Giavotella tops the list against Danks.

Anthony Rendon, WAS - $2,700

It’s sac-religious and blasphemous to roster a player facing Kershaw. However Rendon is much, much better than his price tag. If you need any type of assurance, Rendon has three hits in 10 at-bats against the pitching God.

 

SHORTSTOP

Asdrubal Cabrera, TB - $3,400

It would be prudent to punt at the shortstop position on Wednesday night, as there are really no great matchups. Cabrera is the best of a bad situation. He owns a .526/.550/.694 slash line over the last week, which is pretty surprising. Cabrera is worth a flier in most leagues.

Erick Aybar, LAA - $3,100

When in doubt, throw out a right-handed bat against Danks in Chicago.

 

THIRD BASE

Matt Carpenter, STL - $4,600

Let me be clear when I say that I have a man-crush on Gerrit Cole. I truly do. I love the way he looks in his face when he is in the middle of his game. It’s like he has the eye of a tiger that is on steroids. That being said, Carpenter is straight fire right now. He owns a wRC+ of 250 and .532 wOBA over the last week and has two career home runs in 13 at bats against Cole.

Danny Valencia, OAK - $3,400

This all depends on how R.A. Dickey’s knuckleball is dancing. Unfortunately, that means Valencia is a tournament pick at best. Valencia’s home splits are solid this year. He owns a.351 AVG and 187 wRC+ at home this year. Although he is now in an Oakland uniform, most of that sample size was when he was with the Blue Jays terrorizing opposing pitchers in the Rogers Centre.

 

DFS Outfielders to Consider for DraftKings

Mike Trout, LAA - $5,500

If Mike Trout ever gets it together, he may be a really good major league player.

Lorenzo Cain, KC - $4,800

Cain is a cheaper play than Trout and offers nearly similar upside to boot. He owns a slash line of .357/.424/.605 against southpaws on the season and will get to tee off against a pitcher that lives in a van down by the river that struggles with control.

Gregory Polanco, PIT - $3,800

Michael Wacha is no slouch, but individual Pirates possess solid splits against the righty. Polanco has been on a tear over the last couple weeks and has seemingly found his groove hitting at the top of the lineup. His 262 wRC+ is third among all qualified outfielders over the last week.

Nick Markakis, TB - $3,500

For those of you that visit this article routinely, you will most likely notice that I put in Nick Markakis quite a bit. Well, it just so happens that he has good matchups on Wednesdays. The veteran left-handed bat has hit .429 in 14 career at-bats against Jake Odorizzi with a homerun. Markakis also owns a .417 wOBA over the last week with a career .293/.366/.447 slash line against right-handed pitchers.

 

DFS Q&A with Max Petrie @ 6 PM on 8/12

Leave your question here and then come back at 6 PM when Max answers everything. For our regular MLB & Fantasy Baseball Chat, click here.

[iflychat_embed id="c-57" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Daniel Jones

Named as Colts Starting Quarterback
Jalen McMillan

Will Not Be Ready for Season Opener
Collin Sexton

Hornets Have High Hopes for Collin Sexton
Rui Hachimura

Likely to Start Season Without Contract Extension
Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Hopes to Bounce Back in 2025-26
Stephen Curry

Ready to Go for New Season
Orlando Magic

Lester Quinones Agrees to Deal With Magic
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Cleared to Play on Tuesday Night
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Pulled With Hamstring Tightness
MLB

Game 2 of Brewers-Cubs on Monday Postponed
Bryce Miller

to be Activated on Tuesday
Kyle Tucker

to Get Multiple Days Off
Shane Bieber

to Make Season Debut on Friday
Joe Mixon

Could Start Season on NFI List
Zack Wheeler

has Surgery to Remove Blood Clot
De'Von Achane

Unlikely to Practice This Week
Justin Jefferson

Returning to Practice
Chris Godwin

Bucs Chris Godwin Likely to Start Season on PUP List
Joe Flacco

Browns Name Joe Flacco as Their Week 1 Starter
Jalen McDaniels

Inks Deal With New Orleans
N'Faly Dante

Signs Deal With Hawks
Matthew Stafford

Practicing on Monday
Dru Smith

Agrees to Deal With Heat
Austin Dillon

Scores an Upset Victory at Richmond
William Byron

Clinches the Regular Season Championship Title at Richmond
Denny Hamlin

Pit-Road Struggles Impede Denny Hamlin's Chances of a Top Finish at Richmond
Joey Logano

Earns A Fourth-Place Finish at Richmond
Kyle Larson

Rallies to A Top-10 Finish at Richmond
Malik Nabers

Dealing With Back Injury
Khamzat Chimaev

Is The New UFC Middleweight Champion
Dricus Du Plessis

Gets Dominated At UFC 319
Aaron Pico

Suffers Knockout Loss In His UFC Debut
Lerone Murphy

Scores Stunning First-Round Knockout
Leodalis De Vries

Earns Promotion to Double-A
Nathaniel Lowe

Finalizing Deal with Boston
Geoff Neal

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Ketel Marte

Arizona Could Trade Ketel Marte in the Offseason
Carlos Prates

Gets Back In The Win Column
Michael Page

Dominates At UFC 319
Jared Cannonier

Gets Outclassed
Tim Elliott

Gets Submission Win
Kai Asakura

Still Winless In The UFC
Austin Cindric

has Arguably his Best Run of the Season at Richmond
Ryan Blaney

Contends for First Richmond Win but Comes Up Short
Alex Bowman

Finishes Second but Loses Ground in Playoffs
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Sets Personal Laps-Led Record at Richmond
Chris Buescher

Falls Out of Playoffs After Miserable Richmond Run
Coby White

Bulls Not Interested in Trading Coby White
Dereck Lively II

Expected to be Ready for Camp
Brian Robinson Jr.

Commanders "Shopping" Brian Robinson Jr.
John Metchie III

Texans Trade John Metchie III to Eagles
Victor Scott II

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Trey Hendrickson

Bengals Listening to Trade Offers for Trey Hendrickson
Marcelo Mayer

to Have Season-Ending Wrist Surgery
Samuel Basallo

Called Up From Triple-A Norfolk
J.K. Dobbins

Expected to Win Starting RB Job?
Quentin Johnston

Suffers Concussion in Preseason Loss
Jaxson Dart

Plays Well on Saturday Night
Marcus Semien

Avoids Serious Injury
Kyle Stowers

Heads to Injured List With Left-Side Strain
Zack Wheeler

Placed on Injured List With Blood Clot in Shoulder
Terry McLaurin

Commanders Optimistic Terry McLaurin Deal Can Get Done Soon
De'Von Achane

De’Von Achane Dealing With Lower-Body Injury
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Likely Avoids Serious Injury
Josh Hader

Unlikely to Return During Regular Season
Denny Hamlin

the Heavy Favorite to Win at Richmond
Christopher Bell

Has Been Great at Richmond
Kyle Stowers

Out Saturday With Left-Side Tightness
Tyrese Haliburton

No Longer Using a Scooter, Crutches
Ryan Blaney

Can Ryan Blaney Finally Break Through at Richmond?
Joey Logano

Will Start Last at Richmond After Practice Trouble
Chase Elliott

Lack of Top-Line Speed Hurts his DFS Potential
Kyle Larson

Recent String of Crashes Make Him a Big Risk at Richmond
William Byron

Probably Slightly Too Inconsistent at Richmond to Start for DFS
Ryan Preece

on Pole at Richmond as Playoff Deadline Looms Closer
Brad Keselowski

Probably the Best RFK Racing DFS Option at Richmond
Chase Briscoe

Still Figuring Out Richmond
Chris Buescher

a Solid Choice for DFS Play, but Teammates Look Faster
Jhoan Duran

Feels "100%"
Marcus Semien

Out on Saturday, Going for X-Rays on his Wrist
George Springer

Activated and Starting on Saturday
Dylan Beavers

Called Up by Orioles
Terry McLaurin

Commanders Activate Terry McLaurin From PUP List
Rashee Rice

NFL Could Reach Settlement Before Hearing
Joe Mixon

Not a Lock to be Ready For Week 1
Rashee Rice

Receives Clearance to Travel to Brazil for Week 1
Haywood Highsmith

Dealt to Brooklyn on Friday
Amir Coffey

Signs One-Year Deal With Bucks
Khamzat Chimaev

A Favorite At UFC 319
Dricus Du Plessis

Set For His Third Title Defense
Aaron Pico

Set For UFC Debut
Lerone Murphy

Looks To Remain Undefeated
Geoff Neal

Looks For His Second Win In A Row
Michael Page

Set For His Second Middleweight Bout
Jared Cannonier

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kai Asakura

Looks For His First UFC Win
Tim Elliott

Set To Open Up UFC 309 Main Card
CBJ

Mikael Pyyhtia Re-Signs With Blue Jackets for One Year
UTA

Caleb Desnoyers Expected to Miss 12 Weeks After Wrist Procedure
Tyson Foerster

on Track to Be Healthy for Season Opener
NHL

Olivier Rodrigue Signs KHL Deal
NHL

Emil Bemstrom to Join Swiss Team
Payton Pritchard

Reportedly Moving Into Starting Lineup
Kevin Durant

Rockets Not Interested in Keeping Kevin Durant with Max Extension
NBA

Isaiah Mobley Joins Turkish Team
NBA

Cole Swider Links Up with EuroLeague Powerhouse
Ethan Thompson

Joins Heat for Training Camp
Los Angeles Clippers

Clippers Add Jason Preston for Training Camp