Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: Best MLB DFS DraftKings Lineup for April 22

It is a day for having MLB aces up the sleeve such as Clayton Kershaw ($12,500) and David Price ($10,700) in daily fantasy baseball action at DraftKings. You don't need us to tell you they would fit nicely into the best lineup for Wednesday, April 22, but we go further to give you ways to actually be able to afford them, outlining the bargain buys.

Starting Pitchers

Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds ($9,500)

With two 10-strikeout games to his credit already, you would be hard-pressed to find a pitcher with more DraftKings juice—even on a night of aces taking the mound. Picking Cueto saves fantasy owners a few bucks for their hitters, too. The best news is his matchup? The Milwaukee Brewers have gotten off to an awful start and are 29th in runs scored thus far.

Archie Bradley, Arizona Diamondbacks ($6,800)

And for your bargain starter, we have to go back to the well with Bradley. While his past start wasn't as dominant as his first, he is a rare young pitcher who's been getting deep into games. Like the Brewers, the Texas Rangers are another team that is hardly tearing the cover off the ball, ranking 27th in slugging percentage and 29th in batting average.

Ranking the Elite

1. Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers ($12,500)
2. Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds ($9,500)
3. David Price, Detroit Tigers ($10,700)
4. Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies ($9,200)
5. Madison Bumgarner, San Francisco Giants ($9,800)

Best Bargains

1. Archie Bradley, Arizona Diamondbacks ($6,800)
2. Ubaldo Jimenez, Baltimore Orioles ($6,600)
3. Yovani Gallardo, Texas Rangers ($6,500)
4. Joe Kelly, Boston Red Sox ($6,400)
5. Jimmy Nelson, Milwaukee Brewers ($7,000)

Infielders

C Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins ($4,000)

Mauer tends to be an overrated daily fantasy sports commodity because he lacks homer power, but that just is not the case against Kansas City Royals starter Jeremie Guthrie. Mauer has three homers in 25 at-bats and is hitting .360 with six walks to just one strikeout against the right-hander. This is one of the best lefty-righty plays of the night.

1B Justin Morneau, Colorado Rockies ($4,300)

If you have to have a Rockies hitter at Coors Field in your lineup, let's start that conversation with Morneau, even if James Shields ($8,100) is a solid starter pitcher to be wary of. Morneau has four homers off him in 47 career at-bats (.319), including six doubles.

2B Martin Prado, Miami Marlins ($3,200)

Prado has better career numbers against left-handers, posting an on-base percentage that is 31 points higher and a slugging percentage that is 46 points higher, according to Baseball-Reference.com. It has been shown against Cole Hamels, too. Prado is hitting .295 (18-for-61) off the left-hander. Prado's price helps you slot one of the aces above.

3B Aramis Ramirez, Milwaukee Brewers ($3,200)

Not only is he a huge value right now because of his slow start to the season, but he is also a monster against the Reds' Cueto. He has slugged five homers off the right-hander and has hit .356 (16-for-45) with 11 RBI off him. To top things off, Ramirez had an RBI pinch-hit Tuesday night, snapping a four-game hitless string (0-for-15). He is ready to heat up here at a basement price.

SS Yunel Escobar, Washington Nationals ($3,200)

Not only is he off to a career-rejuvenating start this season, but he is still priced near the basement and has great numbers against the probable starting pitcher, John Lackey ($7,800). Assuming you cannot afford Troy Tulowitzki ($4,800) hitting in Coors, Escobar is the best bet as a bargain, having hit .375 (9-for-24) off Lackey.

Outfielders

Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins ($4,700)

His power has picked up of late, including a homer Tuesday night, so it is a good time to be riding this mountain of a man in DFS lineups. Stanton has three homers, two doubles and a triple off Hamels and is one of the sluggers you have to consider when he is facing a lefty (.289/.386/.590), per Baseball-Reference.com.

Jacoby Ellsbury, New York Yankees ($4,200)

He is rarely a name that pops up in anyone's top three outfielders for daily play, especially against an ace left-hander, but there might be some magic in this play, particularly at his price. Ellsbury has managed to hit Price at a .327 clip (16-for-49), including seven extra-base hits (four doubles, two triples and a homer). He also has five steals off Price, which can rack up DraftKings points for you.

Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies ($4,400)

The above lineup allows you to slow any hitter you want as your last outfielder, but you don't need us to tell you to get Mike Trout ($5,300) in your lineup. We are going to stick with slotting Rockies at Coors and hitters who have great career stats against the probable starter. CarGo is a stud on both accounts, and his slow start to the season makes him a relative bargain, too. CarGo has five hits in nine at-bats against Shields, including two homers and a double.

Note: All career numbers against the projected starting pitcher are sourced from DailyBaseballData.com.

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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.