Kuzul

A lack of true aces on the board could make Tuesday a big day for the hitters in daily fantasy baseball. If you find the right value for pitchers and combine it with some big-time performers at the plate, you could be in for a nice showing on May 12.

Pitchers to Draft

Jake Arrieta, Chicago Cubs ($8,600)

Betting on a struggling pitcher represents a decent amount of risk, but it also is a chance to get great value for a small portion of your budget.

While Jake Arrieta has seen his ERA inflate from 2.03 to 3.41 in his past two starts, it seems like this has mostly been just bad luck. His fielding-independent pitching mark of 2.53 is directly in line with his ERA from last year (exactly 2.53), while his 13 strikeouts and two walks over the past two games remains encouraging.

With Arrieta‘s price being as low as it has been all year, this seems like a good chance to strike.

C.J. Wilson, Los Angeles Angels ($7,500)

With the exception of one poor start against the Kansas City Royals, C.J. Wilson has had a strong year to this point. He has allowed two runs or fewer in every other appearance for a total of six earned runs in 34.1 innings.

Against a Colorado Rockies lineup that has fallen apart lately, Wilson should be in line for another positive performance.

Pitchers to Avoid

Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox ($9,400)

The five-game suspension for his role in a brawl with the Royals won’t affect him too much, but his struggles in recent games are cause for concern. Chris Sale has allowed 13 earned runs in 8.1 innings over the last two starts while looking nothing like the ace pitcher he has been in the past.

On the plus side, there doesn’t appear to be any injury problems, as Scott Merkin of MLB.com learned:

Still, you might be better off waiting around for more success before spending this much money.

Mike Fiers, Milwaukee Brewers ($8,500)

Even though Mike Fiers is set to match up against the aforementioned Sale, you don’t want to bet on either pitcher to get a win or even a quality start in this one.

Only once this year has Fiers made it out of the sixth inning, which is the only start he earned more than 13 fantasy points on DraftKings. This represents way too much of a risk to bet on at this point.

Hitters to Draft

Bryce Harper, OF, Washington Nationals ($5,300)

The cost is high, but so is the potential for Bryce Harper during this incredible stretch. He is unsurprisingly coming off an NL Player of the Week award thanks to these impressive statistics:

There is little chance Rubby De La Rosa does anything to slow down the hottest hitter in baseball.

Adam Jones, OF, Baltimore Orioles ($4,300)

Although he has slowed down a bit from his incredible start, Adam Jones remains one of the top hitters in baseball and is always a threat to post a lot of RBI in a quality lineup. The chances are even greater against an opposing pitcher he has crushed in the past.

In 37 at-bats against Mark Buehrle, Jones has 16 hits (.432 batting average) with two home runs and only three strikeouts. This dominance against the southpaw should continue Tuesday night.

Hitters to Avoid

Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates ($5,300)

While Andrew McCutchen is obviously coming alive at the plate with a number of extra-base hits as of late, he still has a long way to go to reach his MVP level.

Even against questionable Phillies starter Sean O’Sullivan, he isn’t worth the lofty price tag.

Eric Hosmer, 1B, Kansas City Royals ($5,100)

Picking one of the more consistent hitters in the sport against a young pitcher seems like a safe bet, especially when you consider how well Eric Hosmer has fared against right-handers this year.

The problem is opposing pitcher Nick Martinez hasn’t quite been a pushover this season, amassing a 1.47 ERA in six starts. Considering he has actually fared better against lefties (.184 batting average against) than righties (.284 BAA), fantasy owners should find other options.

Team to Stack

Los Angeles Angels

Kyle Kendrick kicked off the year on a high note by shutting out the Brewers over seven innings on Opening Day. Unfortunately, the rest of the year hasn’t been as kind, as the former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher has built up an 8.73 ERA.

Over his last five appearances, he has an 11.08 ERA and isn’t getting much better.

Although the Los Angeles Angels have a lot of right-handers in the lineup, they should be just fine against the struggling starter.

Note: All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

DraftKings is hosting one-day MLB contests! Claim your free entry by clicking on the link and making a first-time deposit!

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for daily fantasy advice and nonstop sports.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

A new week, another batch of waiver-wire additions just the way you like ’em: hot and fresh out of the oven.

Some players mentioned last week—including Rusney Castillo, Trevor Plouffe, Alex Colome and Blake Swihart—are already owned in many leagues, but they remain quality pickups if they’re available.

In the interest of keeping the names new, though, let’s avoid any repeats. Here are the top 10 waiver-wire pickups for Week 6.

Begin Slideshow

Over a month into the 2015 season, sample sizes have become large enough for fantasy baseball owners to consider promising early starts.

For some young breakout stars, it’s already far too late. Everybody purchased stock on Joc Pederson, Devon Travis and Chris Archer long ago. Brand names such as Alex Rodriguez and Bartolo Colon warranted immediate attention, as both are well-known veterans playing in the Big Apple.

Nobody needs to be told about McDonald’s, but the new mom-and-pop burger shop in town often proves more delicious. Before word of mouth causes a line to form around the corner, patrons can enjoy the quaint restaurant and say they went there before everyone else did.

These players don’t have a marketing team boosting their fantasy ownership rates. They didn’t generate buzz in the minors or ever post gaudy numbers. Many go ignored playing in small markets and/or for mediocre clubs. Yet they can all contribute more than some brand-name counterparts.

With an exception of two pitching studs not getting their proper due, the list contains players available in more than half of Yahoo Sports‘ fantasy leagues. Not all are must-adds for standard mixed-league gamers, but at least keep them in mind. 

Begin Slideshow

With a handful of aces on the board who aren’t performing to their ability, daily fantasy baseball players might be better off spending their money elsewhere Saturday.

Big names like Madison Bumgarner, Clayton Kershaw and Johnny Cueto have all put together huge games and are always capable of more, but they have each been inconsistent this season. If you add some sleepers in your lineup instead of spending money on these stars, you could be better off with a deeper lineup.

Regardless of your strategy, here is a look at some quality options for your May 9 team.

Pitchers to Start

Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros ($8,600)

The start of the year has been as good as Dallas Keuchel possibly could have imagined. The 27-year-old pitcher currently has a 0.80 ERA in six games and hasn’t allowed more than one run in the past four starts.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports thinks he has been the best pitcher in the league to this point:

It’s obviously difficult to sustain this level of success, but he is showing no signs of slowing down, and fantasy owners should stay on the bandwagon as long as he’s performing well.

Jake Odorizzi, Tampa Bay Rays ($7,500)

All six of Jake Odorizzi‘s starts to this point have been against the American League East, and he has survived to the tune of a 2.21 ERA. Although the Texas Rangers have come alive lately, this lineup should still be easier to face than any the pitcher has seen to this point.

With his ability to keep opponents off the basepaths (0.89 WHIP), Odorizzi should be able to keep putting up zeroes. 

Pitcher to Avoid

Julio Teheran, Atlanta Braves ($9,000)

The Washington Nationals struggled in the early part of the season, but the lineup is coming alive as it continues to get healthy. This is bad news for any pitcher facing them, including Saturday’s starter Julio Teheran.

In six appearances, the Braves star only has three quality starts while struggling with his control. Until he gets more consistent, it might be best to avoid Teheran for the current price.

Hitters to Start

Yasmani Grandal, C, Los Angeles Dodgers ($4,200)

One game will make Yasmani Grandal‘s stats look much better as he finished Thursday with four hits, two home runs and eight RBI. However, it’s important to note the catcher has been performing well for a while with a consistent approach at the plate.

Competing in the hitter-friendly Coors Field will only give him a better chance of putting up some big numbers.

Dee Gordon, 2B, Miami Marlins ($4,200)

It’s important to see if he is starting as Dee Gordon who was held out of Friday’s game with a leg injury, but if he is in the Marlins lineup you need to have him in yours.

Gordon has been incredible this season with a .437 batting average and has been even better as of late, via Ace of Stats:

Although he doesn’t provide much power, his consistency and ability to steal bases makes him a great option at second base.

Hitter to Avoid

Edwin Encarnacion, 1B, Toronto Blue Jays ($5,200)

Boston Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly has struggled this season, which makes selecting Toronto Blue Jays hitters especially appealing Saturday. However, Edwin Encarnacion has the cost of one of the top hitters in the game without playing like it this season.

Even though he is back over the Mendoza Line, he hasn’t shown much power all year and would represent a big risk to break out in his next game.

Team to Stack

Boston Red Sox

Drew Hutchison has not fared well over his past few starts. After allowing six earned runs in each of the last two games, the Toronto Blue Jays pitcher has a 7.47 ERA with a 1.60 WHIP. He has now allowed at least four earned runs in four of his six appearances.

In a park that has historically been a good one to hit home runs, the Boston Red Sox should be able to put up some big numbers against the struggling Hutchinson. 

Note: All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

DraftKings is hosting one-day MLB contests! Claim your free entry by clicking on the link and making a first-time deposit!

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for daily fantasy advice and nonstop sports.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

What good is a fantasy owner who lacks a sense of timing?

Fantasy baseball—just like the real thing—is a game of skill, luck and timing. That last trait in particular comes in handy in regard to getting value in the trading game.

Knowing which player(s) to trade away and which to deal for—and knowing just the right time to do so—can make all the difference.

After all, it doesn’t get much better than making a move to unload a hot flavor-of-the-week type who’s about to cool off in exchange for a slumping stud who’s ready to take off.

Now, speaking of timing, let’s get to some players to sell high and buy low.

Begin Slideshow

After a long week of work, play or whatever you’ve been up to, Fantasy Friday should do the trick. With a full schedule for DraftKings owners to sort through, finding the best MLB position players can not only be difficult, but downright tedious on a Friday morning or afternoon.

Luckily, we’ve picked apart the rosters to pull out the best players to get the most out of your lineup. Here’s a look at just a handful of position player picks for May 8 with a breakdown of what makes them worthy of their salary.

Catcher: Evan Gattis, Houston Astros ($4,000)

A true hit-or-seriously-miss player, Evan Gattis has been lifting off this season with the Houston Astros. In his first season with the ‘Stros, the third-year player has already tallied six home runs and 18 RBI.

Sure, he’s hitting below .200, but when he makes contact it’s a fantasy owner’s dream. Going against a struggling Jered Weaver (0-4 and 6.29 ERA in six starts), Gattis should thrive on Friday night.

First Baseman: Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves ($4,300)

Who doesn’t love a hug? Freddie Freeman has been giving them out like candy again this season thanks to his powerful bat. Each time he registers a four-bagger—he already has five this year—Freeman embraces his teammates.

Even when he’s not smashing it over the wall, Freeman is still coming away with extra-base hits, as Kevin McAlpin of 680 The Fan noted:

Throughout his career against Gio Gonzalez, Freeman has gone .292/.321/.625 with two homers, two doubles and nine RBI. Don’t expect him to slow down any against the Washington Nationals on Friday.

Third Baseman: Matt Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals ($4,300)

Wednesday wasn’t Matt Carpenter’s best performance, but the Cardinals hot corner has been equally as hot at the plate. After getting a well-deserved day off, Carpenter is ready to continue his hot streak to start the season.

Averaging 10.7 fantasy points per game in 2015, Carpenter has been one of the most reliable third basemen at DraftKings. With two home runs on the road already this season, look for Carpenter to put up double-digit points again on Friday night.

Shortstop: Ian Desmond, Washington Nationals ($4,200)

It took a little longer than expected, but Ian Desmond is finally showing his potential this year. After going hitless over seven straight games, Desmond now has multiple hits in three of his last five starts with four extra-base hits over that stretch.

Coming off one of his worst months in April with a .217 average and only one homer, Desmond has increased to a .318 average and added another homer already in May. Facing left-handed pitcher Eric Stults, who has been awful this season, expect big things from Desmond.

Outfielder: Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles ($4,700)

Does there need to be any explanation for why you should choose Adam Jones? Yes? OK, well, here goes nothing.

The Baltimore Orioles outfielder has been explosive at the plate all season with five homers and 21 RBI already to this point. He’s done that with a bat that can reach nearly any point of the plate, as Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com notes:

He went hitless on Thursday night against the New York Yankees, but Jones has three hits in six career at-bats against Yankees right-hander Adam Warren. At $900 less than Mike Trout, Jones is a value for a No. 1 outfielder and one that would make a perfect fit in any lineup.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Tuesday night features the fullest slate of daily fantasy baseball, which makes it one of our favorite nights of the week to play. Forget Cinco de Mayo, there should be a lot of “fish” in the sea at DraftKings, too. We help you rake with our best MLB pitcher picks for May 5.

Premium Ace Plays

Zack Greinke, Los Angeles Dodgers ($9,800)

The Milwaukee Brewers might have won in Craig Counsell’s managerial debut, but the warts that got the previous manager fired remain. Greinke (4-0, 1.93 ERA) figures to post another quality-start victory here. The Brewers rank 30th in on-base percentage and 27th in batting average and runs scored. Oh, and Greinke just happens to be pretty good, too.

Shelby Miller, Atlanta Braves ($8,200)

He is not quite in the ace category, but we feel Miller is going to eventually rise to that distinction. He has posted three consecutive quality starts and is coming off nine strikeouts against the Cincinnati Reds. The Philadelphia Phillies are 29th in runs scored and dead last in slugging percentage and OPS. This one looks tasty.

Ranking the Aces

1. Zack Greinke, Dodgers ($9,800)
2. Shelby Miller, Braves ($8,200)
3. Andrew Cashner, San Diego Padres ($9,000)
4. Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals ($10,200)
5. Garrett Richards, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim ($9,500)

Mid-Range Best Picks

Michael Pineda, New York Yankees ($7,600)

He will be facing the No. 1 offensive team in baseball in the Toronto Blue Jays, but Pineda is one of the pitchers we will be considering a DFS ace by season’s end. Pineda handled the Jays in his first start of the season, and we expect he will be quality with a strikeout per inning here. His price is still in a buy position.

• Bartolo Colon, New York Mets ($7,500)

Bargain Options

James Paxton, Seattle Mariners ($7,000)

After a bad spring training and a rough stretch in mid-April, Paxton has righted himself. He’s struck out 14 batters in his past two starts and is facing an Angels lineup that is struggling at the plate, save for Mike Trout, of course. The Angels rank 29th in average and OPS. Paxton is coming to us at a nice price still.

Jesse Chavez, Oakland Athletics ($6,300)

He is $1,300 cheaper than his past start, which wasn’t a good one. The plus side is he is stretched out as a starter and should settle in with some consistent production as a DFS bargain in the short-term. The Minnesota Twins offense isn’t performing badly, but it shouldn’t scare you either. We like Chavez as a bargain working in the pitcher’s park, too.

• Rick Porcello, Boston Red Sox ($6,600)
• Jeff Locke, Pittsburgh Pirates ($6,100)

DraftKings is hosting one-day MLB contests! Claim your free entry by clicking on the link and making a first-time deposit!

Follow @EricMackFantasy

Eric Mack, one of the giants among fantasy writers, is the Fantasy Football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, where you can ask him endless questions about your team, rip him for his content and even challenge him to a head-to-head fantasy game.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

While looking for upside is important for your daily fantasy baseball team, you want to pick players you can trust.

Although the first month is littered with fluke stats and small sample size results, we are now getting to see which players are for real. Whether they have had good numbers or not, you need to be able to predict the ones who will succeed in the future.

Based on what we have seen to this point, these are players to pick and avoid in Tuesday’s contests.

Pitchers to Draft

Danny Salazar, Cleveland Indians ($8,600)

A pitcher who can rack up strikeouts makes a bad start tolerable and turns a good game into a great one. Danny Salazar has helped fantasy owners in this way so far with 28 strikeouts in 19 innings over three starts.

Considering the youngster finished last season with 9.82 strikeouts per nine innings, you can trust this to keep up as he helps out your team.

Michael Pineda, New York Yankees ($7,600)

While Michael Pineda hasn’t exactly had huge games so far this year, he has been better than his 3.73 ERA would indicate. Thanks to a 32-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio, he has an FIP of 2.20 to rank among the best in the majors.

He has been a bit unlucky this year, but this is a chance to get great value for a talented pitcher before his price starts going up.

Pitchers to Avoid

Jeff Samardzija, Chicago White Sox ($8,700)

The last start was certainly a strange one. The Chicago White Sox were forced to play in an empty stadium against the Baltimore Orioles due to rioting within the city. This resulted in a miserable game for Jeff Samardzija where he allowed seven earned runs.

After explaining his disappointment from a competitive side, the pitcher told Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune his thoughts on pushing it out of his mind:

The other side of me looks at it for what it was from afar – a unique game and unique situation. For me, it was about that routine and being off for over a week, and that’s why it’s easy to turn the page and move on to the next one. … You want to get back in that rhythm and get in that five-, six-day routine.

Even if he can bounce back mentally, Samardzija hasn’t been great all year, allowing a lot of hits and striking few people out. Going against a solid Detroit Tigers lineup, you might as well avoid the risk.

Chad Billingsley, Philadelphia Phillies ($7,300)

Tuesday will be Chad Billingsley‘s first start of the season and his first appearance in the majors since April of 2013. Even if he pitches well, it’s unlikely the staff will allow him to throw too many pitches after such a long break.

There are way too many other safer picks available at similar prices to go with this much of a risk.

Hitters to Draft

Lucas Duda, New York Mets ($4,000)

Although he only has two home runs this year, Lucas Duda is becoming a better all-around hitter. His batting average is up to .304 from .253 last season. It’s only a matter of time before he starts knocking balls out of the park.

Against Bud Norris and his 12.18 ERA, Duda could be in for big things.

Stephen Vogt, C, Oakland Athletics ($3,900)

Trevor May has been a solid pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, but his 4.43 ERA is nothing spectacular. This means he shouldn’t be able to slow down Stephen Vogt, one of the top hitters in baseball so far this season.

The left-handed hitter has been crushing righties this year and should be ready for another huge day at a premium position.

Hitters to Avoid

Ryan Braun, OF, Milwaukee Brewers ($4,500)

Although Ryan Braun has been coming alive at the plate a bit lately with his power stroke, he is still struggling with his consistency. That isn’t likely to change against Zack Greinke, who has held Braun to one hit in seven at-bats against him.

Mark Trumbo, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks ($5,200)

Every at-bat for Mark Trumbo represents a chance for a long home run. However, the current cost puts him among the best hitters in baseball, and he simply hasn’t been that this season.

If you’re going to take a long-shot bet on your team, make it a cheaper one.

Team to Stack

Houston Astros

This has been one of the hottest teams in baseball with Jose Altuve, Jake Marisnick and George Springer putting up huge numbers. The players aren’t just getting hits, they are also stealing bases and getting runs.

There is no reason for this to stop Tuesday at home against former Astros pitcher Wandy Rodriguez.

Note: All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

DraftKings is hosting one-day MLB contests! Claim your free entry by clicking on the link and making a first-time deposit!

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for daily fantasy advice and nonstop sports.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Begin Slideshow

It is a daily fantasy baseball night for MLB aces with Felix Hernandez ($12,200) and Clayton Kershaw ($12,000) potentially sucking up your DraftKings budgets. You have to be judicious with the rest of your roster, so we outline the studs to slot and duds to not for Monday, May 4.

Pitchers

Studs You Don’t Need Analysis to Play

1. Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers ($12,000)
2. Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants ($10,400)
3. Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners ($12,200)

Mid-Level Studs

Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros ($8,000)

He doesn’t rack up a lot of strikeouts, but he is pitching like an ace now that he is smack dab in his prime at age 27. The price is still low because of the modest strikeout totals and the fact that he is working in a pitcher’s park. The good news is the Texas Rangers are dead last in baseball in hits and average, 29th in slugging percentage and 26th in runs.

Jordan Zimmermann, Washington Nationals ($8,800)

His contract year is off to an inauspicious start, but he showed signs last time out, fanning a season-high seven. Despite the modest numbers to date, Zimmermann has pitched four out of five quality starts. His price is not quite in a true bargain position, but he is someone who is going to get hot and be much tougher to slot down the road.

• Jake Odorizzi, Tampa Bay Rays ($7,100)
• Ross Detwiler, Texas Rangers ($4,200)
• Chase Whitley, New York Yankees ($4,000)

Pitching Dud

Tyson Ross, San Diego Padres ($9,100)

His strikeout rate is certainly intriguing in DFS and his matchup against the Giants is tempting, but until he manages his walk total and pitch counts to get deep into games, you’re putting good money at risk. You would be spending money on strikeouts, pitcher’s park and matchup here. You should prefer to spend it on a victory.

Hitting Studs

OF Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals ($4,400)

He has cooled off of late, but now is a great time to buy for a market correction. He is 0-for-May after a hot start in April, but facing the Chicago Cubs’ Travis Wood ($7,200) should re-ignite Holliday. The Cardinals outfielder is hitting .375 (15-for-40) with four homers and four doubles off Wood.

1B Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles Dodgers ($4,200)

You shouldn’t need a reason to start a hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers’ Kyle Lohse ($6,900). The fact that it is “A-Gone” at a decent price should make this an easy play. Gonzalez has just 14 at-bats off Lohse, but he hasn’t needed many chances to rack up seven hits, three doubles and two homers off him (.500).

C Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals ($3,400)

Yet another slumping Cardinals veteran who has great career numbers off Wood. Molina has hit .395 (15-for-38) with three homers and four doubles off the Cub. You have to love Molina’s near-basement price because of his slump, too.

OF Justin Upton, San Diego Padres ($3,800)

It is rare you can get a slugger the caliber of Upton at this price, but it is caused by his opposing starter, Bumgarner, working in a pitcher’s park (San Francisco). We like Upton against lefties (.919 career OPS, per Baseball-Reference.com), and it is partially the reason he has hit an ace like Bumgarner to a .407 clip (11-for-27).

Hitting Duds

1B Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim ($3,800)

The price might be tempting, but he is not off to a good start, and he is even worse against King Felix, hitting just .205 (8-for-39) in his career off the ace. Pujols has a mini six-game hitting streak going, but it is going to end here.

C Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins ($4,500)

He is a much cooler play when his price is under $4,000. He doesn’t hit for the power that DFS players need. There are too many more intriguing names and prices on the board.

SS Jimmy Rollins, Los Angeles Dodgers ($3,500)

Stick a fork in him; he’s done. Rollins took an 0-for-5 Sunday and is hitting .145 in his past 10 games and just .176 on the season. We don’t care how low the price is right now. Rollins is a waste of money. Even Lohse gets him out with ease (.194, 7-for-36). Ouch.

SS Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers ($4,000)

We don’t understand this price. Andrus is performing like an all-glove, no-hit shortstop (.224). You don’t need to see the numbers against Astros ace Keuchel either. We will give them to you anyway: .194, 6-for-31 with no extra-base hits.

DraftKings is hosting one-day MLB contests! Claim your free entry by clicking on the link and making a first-time deposit!

Follow @EricMackFantasy

Eric Mack, one of the giants among fantasy writers, is the Fantasy Football Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, where you can ask him endless questions about your team, rip him for his content and even challenge him to a head-to-head fantasy game.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com