Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: MLB DraftKings Ideal Lineup Picks for April 30
Welcome to the Thursday edition of DraftKings daily fantasy advice. Though there are only eight games on tap, that doesn't mean that there's not ample room for mistakes when trying to set a lineup.
That's what we're here for, to make sure that your entire roster is filled with players who will produce at a massive clip on Thursday. Before the MLB season resumes with eight matchups, here's a look at the best players to target.
Pitcher: Shelby Miller, Atlanta Braves ($7,400)
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There are a handful of pitchers at higher prices than Shelby Miller, but only one who has a better matchup. But Chris Sale costs a whopping $11,300, so filling out a balanced lineup would be a nearly impossible task.
In the last week and a half, the Cincinnati Reds have feasted on the lowly Milwaukee Brewers. But with Shelby Miller toeing the rubber, the former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher can neutralize the Reds lineup like he has every other team this season.
Still coming at a reasonable price, Miller can be tabbed as a No. 1 starter. He'll also leave plenty of salary to spend on position players to thrive in any game.
First Baseman: Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals ($4,300)
He hasn't been hitting for power often this season, but Eric Hosmer is still smacking the ball at a high clip. On Wednesday night, he showed he can do both by cracking his second home run of the year against the Cleveland Indians.
Hosmer will look to replicate that success at the plate against Alfredo Simon and the Detroit Tigers. Simon has stymied much of the Royals lineup, but Hosmer has two doubles with an RBI in four at-bats. Given his prosperity against Simon in the past, make sure to grab Hosmer at this low price while you still can.
Second Baseman: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros ($4,800)
Earlier this week, I told daily fantasy players to put Altuve in every lineup for Tuesday night. In six at-bats, Altuve finished with two singles, two doubles, two runs, an RBI and a stolen base. That equated to 27 fantasy points for DraftKings owners.
After another double and single on Wednesday, Altuve now has seven straight games with multiple hits. His 2014 season was absurd, but Brian McTaggart of MLB.com points out he's off to a hotter start this year:
Suffice to say, Altuve hasn't cooled down at all since the previous advice. Don't steer away from the Astros slugger against James Paxton, who we'll talk about later.
Third Baseman: Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays ($5,700)
Speaking of hot hitters, they don't come much more torching than Josh Donaldson. The third baseman went hitless against the Red Sox on Wednesday night, but he'll get back on track with a prime matchup against the Indians.
Left-handed pitcher T.J. House is struggling this season with a 12.60 ERA in 10 innings over his first three starts. Going up against Donaldson, a right-handed slugger, will not be favorable for House. He may come at a high salary, but Donaldson will be worth it on Thursday night.
Outfielder: George Springer, Houston Astros ($5,200)
Two Astros hitters? What is this world? Yes, Houston is killing it this year thanks to an explosive offense. As a result of the consistent hitting around him, George Springer has been crushing pitchers' dreams lately.
Now Springer faces the aforementioned Paxton, who holds an 8.56 ERA over his last three starts with just 14 strikeouts in that stretch. Springer is a boom-or-bust player who can strike out just as easily as hit a homer, but he'll keep flourishing at the plate against Paxton.
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