Now that the NHL and NBA seasons are nearly finished, it's the perfect time to start playing MLB DFS, if you haven't already.
DraftKings has contests going on each night where you can win real cash prizes. And with a nice slate tonight in baseball, it's the perfect chance to join and play. After all, new users at DraftKings get a free entry into a league with up to $100,000 in prizes.
Not sure who to select? Don't worry, we've got you covered with tonight's optimal lineup.
Be sure to check out our optimal lineups prior to games starting to ensure each player is in his team's lineup.
| Player | Opp | Salary | FP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Harvey (SP, NYM) | MIA | $10,600 | 22.14 |
| Tim Hudson (SP, SF) | ATL | $6,200 | 14.47 |
| Miguel Cabrera (1B/3B, DET) | @LAA | $4,900 | 10.63 |
| Mike Trout (OF, LAA) | DET | $4,800 | 10.19 |
| Hanley Ramirez (OF/SS, BOS) | @TEX | $4,700 | 10.14 |
| Denard Span (OF, WSH) | @CIN | $4,500 | 10.01 |
| Ryan Howard (1B, PHI) | COL | $4,100 | 10.25 |
| Rajai Davis (OF, DET) | @LAA | $3,800 | 9.77 |
| Justin Turner (2B/3B, LAD) | @STL | $3,300 | 9.06 |
| Wilin Rosario (1B/C, COL) | @PHI | $3,100 | 8 |
There's a good mix of top-notch pitchers and inexperienced ones on the mound for tonight's slate, making for what should be a good night of DFS. Our algorithm is into Matt Harvey, and for good reason. So far this year, Harvey has a 3.07 FIP with a 9.20 strikeout per nine rate, and that includes an outing last weekend that saw him go four innings and give up seven earned runs. He gets a Marlins lineup that ranks 25th in baseball in wOBA against right-handers, and they're below average in terms of K rate in the split, too. It should be a good bounce-back game for Harvey.
The second pitcher in the lineup is far less obvious, as the algorithm went with Tim Hudson. The Giants are at home tonight against the Braves, a fairly average team versus right-handed pitching (17th in wOBA). We shouldn't expect a whole lot from Hudson aside from hopefully getting a quality start and winning the ball game though -- the Braves have a good K rate against righties so far this season, and Hudson has, well, Hudson's been pretty bad. But the game is in San Francisco, a pitcher's park, and Vegas has the over/under set at a measly seven runs. He's not a top option, but per the algorithm, he's not a bad value.
From a hitter's perspective, you've got some obvious plays thanks to Hudson's lower cap. Let's talk about the guys under $4,000 though. The first is Rajai Davis, who will more than likely bat leadoff tonight given Hector Santiago, a lefty, will be on the mound against Detroit. Santiago has a 4.04 FIP in 54-plus innings of work this year, and while that's not awful, righty bats are hitting far better than lefties (.310 wOBA versus .237 wOBA). Davis is pretty extreme with his splits, too -- over his career, he has a .354 wOBA against left-handers, up from a .286 wOBA against righties. It makes sense to look his way (and same with Miguel Cabrera, who's also in the lineup).
The other two, Justin Turner and Wilin Rosario, are cost plays. Turner will more than likely hit fifth in the Dodgers lineup against St. Louis tonight, but the matchup isn't necessarily ideal against John Lackey. You should check and see if Rosario is in the lineup (as you should do with all of these guys) before slotting him in tonight, but if he gets the nod, he's a good play. Though the Rockies face Cole Hamels, Rosario has historically mashed southpaws, to the tune of a .431 wOBA.