DraftKings MLB Daily Fantasy Helper: Friday 6/5/15
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 | Position | Projected FP | Cost | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Odorizzi | SP | 1000 | 8600.00 | 1.84 |
| Edinson Volquez | SP | 1000 | 7800.00 | 2 |
| Dee Gordon | 2B | 12.3 | 5300.00 | 2.32 |
| Hunter Pence | OF | 10.09 | 4700.00 | 2.15 |
| Charlie Blackmon | OF | 10.41 | 4700.00 | 2.21 |
| Carlos Santana | 1B/3B | 9.7 | 4400.00 | 2.2 |
| Buster Posey | 1B/C | 9.46 | 4300.00 | 2.2 |
| Billy Burns | OF | 10.33 | 3700.00 | 2.79 |
| Justin Bour | 1B | 9.73 | 3500.00 | 2.78 |
| Ruben Tejada | 3B/SS | 8.17 | 2900.00 | 2.82 |
Tonight's slate gives us next to nothing at pitcher, which is why you see Jake Odorizzi and Edinson Volquez in the optimal lineup. Odorizzi is the better option of the two, facing a Mariners lineup that ranks 26th in wOBA against right-handed pitchers, striking out at a 23.5% rate, which is third worst in baseball. Odorizzi's strikeout rate has been a bit lower this season, but it's still strong, as he's striking out 7.34 batters per nine innings. And his FIP is 3.05. The biggest downside here is that the Rays aren't favorites, but fortunately wins don't mean as much to pitchers on DraftKings as they do other sites.
Volquez is another guy who should have a decent floor relative to other pitchers in tonight's slate. So far this year, he has a more than respectable 3.36 FIP, and is striking out about seven batters per nine innings. The Rangers, his opponent, are 13th in wOBA against righties, and are striking out at a pretty average rate. But they've also been fielding a bad lineup of late, which could mean those numbers are better than they probably should be. Volquez has a fair price, and he's a decent option.
Digging into the lineup, you may notice that we have a pair of Giants in Hunter Pence and Buster Posey. That's because San Francisco is getting a huge park shift bump as they travel to Philadelphia to face subpar righty Jerome Williams. The Giants, so far this year, have been one of the best teams in baseball against right-handed pitching -- as it stands, they have a .322 wOBA and 109 wRC+. Williams has a FIP of 5.06 this year, and a home run per fly ball rate that's over 14 percent. You do the math.
I suppose the other players I should mention are Charlie Blackmon and Justin Bour. Blackmon is an expensive bat who can always produce, especially at Coors with a platoon advantage. Bour is a cost-effective first baseman who can hit for power -- he has a .250 ISO this season, which goes up to .273 against right-handed pitching. The Coors Field game has an 11 run over/under, meaning runs will be scored. Getting exposure to both lineups is important.
