Kuzul

It’s a full slate today. Judging by the average pitcher cost on draftkings.com, there should be a fair amount of runs scored today. Between the daytime and nighttime slates, I counted six pitchers that are priced below $5,000.

You could theoretically throw out several different starting lineups where the average position player costs more than the average pitcher. I’m not suggesting this, I’m just saying it’s a possibility.

Because of the high number of inexpensive pitchers, I broke this article down into three categories: pricey but effective, mid-level hurlers and cheap gambles.

Enjoy!

Pricey but Effective

Clayton Kershaw ($12,300) at Miami

According to ESPN.com’s batter vs. pitching data, the Marlins have reached base just 25 percent of the time against the reigning Cy Young Award winner. He’s also struck out 23 men in just 103 plate appearances.

Despite his lofty 3.33 ERA and brutal 5-5 record, Kershaw is still in the conversation for best pitcher in the world. Per draftkings.com, Kershaw hasn’t dropped below 23 fantasy points per game in his past six starts.

Tonight, the league leader in strikeouts takes his talents to South Beach. Thus far this season, per ESPN’s “park factor” data, Marlins Park is the seventh-most pitcher-friendly park in the league.

With so many inexpensive options, I’ll be filling out one pitcher spot with the most reliable ace from the past five seasons.

Mid-Level Hurlers

Chris Young ($5,300) at Oakland

Young is really cheap for someone with, per DraftKings, a 2.83 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. It might have something to do with his disastrous last start (4.2 innings pitched, seven earned runs.) 

Part of the reason Young’s season ERA is so low is that he’s backed by a speedy Kansas City defense. They should travel well to O.co Coliseum in Oakland. It’s a big, relatively pitcher-friendly yard with a ton of foul territory.

Cheap Gambles

Speed round!

Adam Morgan ($4,600) vs. Washington

Morgan dazzled in his first start. The kid tossed 5.2 innings of one-run ball. He struck out six and scored 22 fantasy points.

Matt Andriese ($4,400) vs. Boston

Andriese has never pitched against the BoSox. Hopefully it takes them at least one time through the order to adapt to his stuff.

Chris Rusin ($4,300) at San Francisco

Until the past few games, the Giants had been struggling mightily to put up runs at home. They’re without Hunter Pence and Nori Aoki. Rusin is dirt-cheap and is moving from the worst pitcher’s park to the best. If you’re ever going to gamble on a Colorado starter, this is the time.

Kyle Ryan ($4,100) vs. Chicago White Sox

The White Sox can’t hit, and the Tigers can. If Ryan lasts five innings, he should be a lock for that four-point win bonus.

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Daily fantasy baseball can sometimes feel like a crapshoot. But there are always spots where dedicated fantasy players find advantages. Here are five pitchers I feel will more than likely outscore their projection.

1. Dallas Keuchel ($9,900) at Mariners

According to DraftKings, Dallas Keuchel enters Saturday’s ballgame in Seattle with eight wins, two losses and an ERA just north of two. His WHIP checks in at 0.95.

Though he hasn’t lit the league on fire since his complete-game, 11-strikeout, 48.9-fantasy point shutout on May 30, he’s pitched well enough to be trusted. Keuchel also provides his owners a high floor—totaling at least 14 fantasy points in each of his last six starts.

Seattle has been bad offensively. Early-season MVP front-runner Nelson Cruz has come back down to earth, and Robinson Cano is having a tough year. Per FanGraphs, the Mariners have scored only 81 runs over the past 30 days, the second-lowest mark in the league.

2. John Lackey ($7,900) at Phillies

John Lackey hasn’t been a sexy pitching name since he left Anaheim in 2010.

But despite the moans of millions of Red Sox fans, he’s been pretty good over the last couple of seasons. The weighty righty is in the middle of his third straight year with an ERA under 4.00. This season’s 3.59 ERA is the result of some stellar outings—and some poor starts.

Lackey should pitch well on June 20. He’ll take the mound against the Philadelphia Phillies, who’ve crossed the plate a meager 210 times this season. The Phillies are more than 16 runs back of the 29th-best offensive team, and they also take walks at the second-worst rate in the league and hit the fewest homers.

3. Nick Martinez ($5,900) at White Sox

Nick Martinez is the fourth-least expensive pitcher going in the early slate on June 20, even though he’s sporting a minuscule 2.76 ERA on the season.

Aside from his last start against the (gulp) Chicago White Sox, Martinez has provided a nice foundation for a cheap spot starter. According to Rotogrinders, he’s scored at least 11 fantasy points in six of his past seven starts.

According to Baseball-Reference.com, Martinez is walking two batters per start, but he’s also pegged nine guys this season—tops in the bigs. If he can control his pitches and not start any riots, he should bounce back from his last outing against these White Sox, who currently rank last in the league in slugging percentage.

4. Jesse Hahn ($6,200) vs. Angels

Starting any A’s pitcher comes with a serious risk. The bullpen in Oakland is terrible. Relievers gave up seven runs on June 19, and they’re knocking on the door of an ERA over five, according to FanGraphs. ESPN’s Baseball Tonight noted the poor June 19 showing, and a Royals fan added to the misery: 

Because of this issue, many A’s starting pitchers have been cheated out of potential wins. Hopefully the bullpen can keep the Angels offense to a dull roar on Saturday.

Hahn, who prices in at just $6,200, provides his owners a ton of upside. He’s cracked 20 fantasy points in three of his past six outings and dropped 36.3 in a complete-game shutout over the Tigers earlier this season. He also gets to throw in a pitcher’s park with acres of foul territory against an Angels roster that has largely underachieved offensively this season.

5. Carlos Rodon ($5,500) vs. Rangers

Carlos Rodon will take on Joey Gallo and the Rangers at home on Saturday. Rodon is coming off his worst outing of the year. He allowed nine hits and seven runs in 3.2 innings in Pittsburgh on Monday. That’ll probably scare off most daily fantasy players.

But one major advantage of that poor outing is his immense drop in price. Rodon is $1,000 cheaper than he was a week ago. And before that outing in Western Pennsylvania, Rodon had posted back-to-back sound starts. If you’re looking to save on a pitcher, Rodon‘s value might never be higher.

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