Daily Fantasy 4/5/16: Who Should be in your DraftKings Lineup?

There are nine games on tonight’s slate, so there are plenty of options out there. Let’s take a look at who you should pay up for and who are today’s sleepers on Draft Kings.

SP:

1. Johnny Cueto ($9,600): Look, I know he fell off last season when he was traded to the Royals. But, I am partially putting blame on the switch to the AL. Yes, there is a real difference between pitching in the AL and NL. And Brewers players are hitting .204 against Cueto in 98 career ABs. If I am paying up for any pitcher on tonight’s slate, it is Cueto.
2. Hisashi Iwakuma ($8,200): If you are not looking to spend big on pitching tonight, Iwakuma looks to be the most reliable among the mid-tier pitchers. Yeah, he probably will not get you a ton of K’s, but he is incredibly consistent and the Rangers roster is hitting .223 against him in 184 career ABs. Iwakuma is a decent pivot if you’re looking to save money.
3. Aaron Sanchez ($6,400): I think a lot of people actually like Sanchez a lot more than I do tonight, but his contract is cheap enough to take the risk. He will not strike out a ton of players and lefties kill him, which makes him a risky play despite his price. But, again, if you are trying to save money tonight on pitching and load up on hitters, Sanchez is the pitcher to take a risk on.

C:

1. Buster Posey ($4,600): Buster Posey is the best offensive catcher in baseball and, frankly, it probably is not that close. He hit a HR in his first game yesterday and gets to face Jimmy Nelson tonight. He is the only catcher I am considering paying up for tonight. Note: He also has 1B eligibility on DK. I would consider him there too if you decide to go cheap at catcher.
2. Willington Castillo ($3,100): He is the only other catcher I am even considering tonight besides Posey. He has a plus match-up against Chad Bettis and he hit fourth yesterday, behind Paul Goldschmidt. At his current price, he is definitely worth the risk if you choose to not slot Posey into your lineup.

1B:

1. Paul Goldschmidt ($5,200): I get it, he is expensive. But it is for good reason. Chad Bettis is far from dominant and Goldschmidt is 3 for 7 off of him in his career. If you are saving money at SP tonight, Goldschmidt is someone I would pay up for and build around.
2. Brandon Belt ($4,600): Belt belted a HR in his first game yesterday, and like Posey, gets to face Jimmy Nelson tonight. The combination of his price, facing Nelson, and Miller Park makes him an ideal play tonight.

2B:

1. Dee Gordon ($4,600): Gordon has not faced Verlander often, but I like him tonight at this price because of his ability to cause havoc on the base paths. Gordon is the best of the elite options at 2B tonight.
2. Joe Panik ($4,000): If you are trying to save some money at 2B, look no farther than Joe Panik. He hit a HR yesterday and, like the other Giants mentioned, he gets to face Jimmy Nelson tonight. Panik is probably a better option than Gordon just based on the price differential.

3B:

1. Corey Seager ($3,800): The dude can flat out rake and he showed that yesterday. He is still too cheap on Draft Kings to leave him out of your lineup. James Shields can be hit and Seager has the platoon advantage here. He can also be played at SS tonight if you so please to go elsewhere at 3B tonight.
2. Jake Lamb ($3,400): Lamb went yard yesterday and has the platoon advantage against Chad Bettis, who is not very good. His price is very reasonable and he has a plus match-up tonight.

SS:

1. Corey Seager ($3,800): See Above.
2. Ketel Marte ($3,900): I had Marte on this list yesterday and he did not have a great game. But he is a threat on the base paths and hit 2nd yesterday in the Mariners lineup. If you choose to go with Seager at 3B, Marte is a good option at SS tonight.

OF:

1. Carlos Gonzalez ($4,400): Carlos Gonzalez started his season off yesterday with a HR against Zack Greinke. Not a bad way to open your season. He gets Shelby Miller tonight and, despite the Diamondbacks giving up a lot of to get Miller, he is hittable. Cargo is not too expensive and I expect him to reach his value tonight.
2. J.D. Martinez ($4,200): I get that the Marlins park is incredibly spacious, which makes it difficult to hit one out. But Martinez has incredible power and is coming off a great Spring Training. He also gets to face a lefty tonight in Wei-Yin Chen, who he has only faced twice in his career, but his one hit off of him was a home run.
3. David Peralta ($3,700): I love Peralta tonight. He gets to face Chad Bettis, who he is 4 for 5 off of in his career. He also has the splits on his side as he hit .325 against RHP last season and had a .336 average at home in 2015. I am building around Peralta in my outfield tonight.
4. Corey Dickerson ($3,500): I get that he lost some value when he was traded from the Rockies to the Rays, but his salary is still too low for me. He already has a HR this season and he faces Aaron Sanchez who has a career .282 BAA in 170 ABs versus LHH (compared to .163 BAA versus RHH in 160 ABs).

Players to avoid:

1. Jon Lester ($10,700), Shelby Miller ($7,500), Kyler Schwarber ($3,900), Robinson Cano ($4,600), Ian Desmond ($3,800), Ryan Braun ($4,300)

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