Marlins outfielder Christian Yelich is one of the better bargains for your DraftKings lineup Tuesday. (Getty)
Fantasy baseball is all about the matchups. Sometimes you get caught up filling your lineup with the biggest names because, well, they’re supposed to be the best. But it should not be that way all the time.
I understand it is tough – and time consuming – to sit down and do all the research. But, hey, that’s why I’m here.
You don’t always need to use all the cap space your DraftKings daily lineup is allotted. Sometimes less is more. I think Tuesday is one of those days.
So let’s keep it moving and see who you need to play on April 7. But first, here’s how DraftKings works:
DraftKings uses the following parameters: You get a $50,000 cap to spend on 10 players – 2 pitchers, 1 catcher, 1 first baseman, 1 second baseman, 1 shortstop, 1 third baseman and 3 outfielders.
Hitters Scoring:
Single = +3 points
Double = +5 points
Triple = +8 points
Home Run = +10 points
Run Batted In = +2 points
Run = +2 points
Base on Balls = +2 points
Hit By Pitch = +2 points
Stolen Base = +5 points
Caught Stealing = -2 points
Pitchers Scoring:
Inning Pitched = +2.25 points
Strike Out = +2 points
Win = +4 points
Earned Run Allowed = -2 points
Hit Against = -0.6 points
Base on Balls Against = -0.6 points
Hit Batsman = -0.6 points
Complete Game = +2.5 points
Complete Game Shut Out = +2.5 points
No Hitter = +5 points
*NOTE: Hitting statistics for Pitchers will not be counted, and Pitching statistics for Hitters will not be counted.
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Here are the best lineup picks for April 7:
Pitchers
Dodgers Tuesday starter Zack Greinke. (Getty)
Zack Greinke, Dodgers, $8,800, vs. Padres
The Padres had some success vs. Greinke’s teammate, the all-world lefty Clayton Kershaw, on Opening Day. But they’re the Padres so I’m not ready to anoint them the 1927 Yankees just yet. But it’s tough to beat Greinke’s price or his 10-2 home record in 2014.
Jesse Hahn, Athletics, $6,000, vs. Rangers
Hahn is a little bit of wild-card, but with San Diego last season he put a 7-4 record with a 3.07 ERA. He had a solid spring and he’ll be tossing in that big, spacious ballpark in Oakland. There are only 2 pitchers with a lower salary for the day and using Hahn will help free up some money for some boppers in your lineup. We told you to start Hahn’s teammate Sonny Gray in your April 6 lineup vs. Texas, and that turned out to be a big winner.
Catcher
A’s catcher Stephen Vogt homered on Opening Day. (Getty)
Steven Vogt, Athletics, $3,500, vs. Rangers
Vogt hasn’t had much success against Texas starter Colby Lewis. Well, by “much” I mean zero; Vogt is 0-for-6 vs. the right-hander. But Vogt came out swinging on Opening Day, picking up a homer among his two hits. And he puts the ball in play, so he could finally pay some dividends vs. Lewis
First Base
Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams projects to be an unlikely source of production Tuesday. (Getty)
Matt Adams, Cardinals, $4,200, at Cubs
Adams went hitless on Opening Day, but hits Cubs’ Day 2 starter Jake Arrieta very well. Adams is 5-for-11 with 3 RBIs vs. the righty. That’s a good price for a player who should have a productive day.
Second Base
Aaron Hill, Diamondbacks, $3,800, vs. Giants
Hill kills the entire Giants pitching staff, especially Tuesday starter Ryan Vogelsong – 14-for-30 (.467 with 2 homers and 2 doubles). Sure you can get Robinson Cano at $4,200, but it’s not always about the best player, it’s the matchup. So in that case, you start Hill, who also happened to go 2-for-4 on Opening Day.
Shortstop
Starlin Castro is a .333 hitter vs. Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn. (Getty)
Starlin Castro, Cubs, $3,800, vs. Cardinals
Not many of the Cubbies fare well vs. Cards starter Lance Lynn, but Castro is one of them. Castro hits the big, beefy righty at a .333 clip (10-for-30). No homers, but we know Castro puts the ball in play, so insert him at that price.
Third Base
Evan Longoria, Rays, $4,300, vs. Orioles
Longoria is one of the few Rays who has some experience vs. O’s starter Wei-Yin Chen. And he’s hit the lefty well (7-for-24, .292.). You might be tempted to start Adrian Beltre (a reasonable $4,600 salary) of Texas since you might have the cap to do so, but it’s his birthday, and he hates playing well on his birthday. Since 2011, the 36-year-old is 1-for-11 on days he gets presents and cake.
Outfield
Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford comes at a bargain price on Tuesday. (Getty)
Christian Yelich, Marlins, $4,000, vs. Braves
Yelich is a bargain at this price – well at least against Braves starter Alex Wood. Yelich is hitting a scorching .421 (8-for-19) vs. Wood. When you find positives like that, you go for it.
Carl Crawford, Dodgers, $3,900, vs. Padres
Like Yelich, Crawford is another player you wouldn’t expect to be gung ho about for Tuesday. Yet upon further inspection you see the Dodgers’ aging outfielder has 7 hits in his 13 at-bats vs. Padres starter Tyson Ross. Take advantage.
Carlos Gomez, Brewers, $5,400, vs. Rockies
Like the rest of his teammates, Gomez had a rough Opening Day (0-for-4 with 2 Ks) against a mediocre-at-best hurler (Kyle Kendrick). And on Day 2, the Brewers are looking at a similar pitcher in Jordan Lyles, who has a career 5.09 ERA. Surely the Milwaukee bats won’t be silent again, right? Plus, Gomez has hit Lyles well (5-for-11).
Total Lineup Salary: $47,700
Each day, we’ll give you the rundown of who to pick for a winning lineup, so stay with us the entire season.
Interested in playing daily fantasy baseball?
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