Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: Best MLB Pitcher Stats, Picks for May 7
The MLB season keeps rolling along with a Throwback Thursday featuring some veteran pitchers who are looking to continue solid starts to the season. Along with the vets, there are also a few pleasant surprises that will toe the rubber again on Thursday night.
With only six games on the slate, it's difficult to figure out which pitchers to target. Before the games get started, here's a look at five hurlers worth slotting in DraftKings lineups.
Chris Archer, Tampa Bay Rays ($9,400)
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It's not just the stripes on his socks. Chris Archer is really this good, and he's proving it this season for the Rays.
Despite a somewhat shaky start during his last time on the mound, Archer is still a great pitcher to start on Thursday. Prior to giving up four runs against the Baltimore Orioles, the Rays starter had a scoreless streak of 26.2 innings.
The increase in his productivity might have to do with the effectiveness of his fastball, as FanGraphs points out:
With only 12 pitchers to choose from, Archer is certainly worth the lofty price of $9,400. Pitching at home against the lowly Texas Rangers, he will more than bounce back to prove he's still worthy of ace status in the Rays rotation.
A.J. Burnett, Pittsburgh Pirates ($8,600)
The Pittsburgh Pirates haven't gotten off to the start they expected, but A.J. Burnett has proved he's still a wily veteran on the mound. Even with nearly flawless stuff over his five starts, Burnett is missing one thing—a win.
Averaging over 18 fantasy points per game, Burnett is sporting a 1.45 ERA, 27 strikeouts and .232 batting average against. Going against the Cincinnati Reds, a team that he allowed just one earned run against in his first start, look for Burnett to finally return to the win column this season.
Collin McHugh, Houston Astros ($8,100)
Another pitcher, another shaky last start. Collin McHugh already has four wins on the season, but allowed four earned runs in his last outing. Suffice to say, no one has benefited more from the Astros' strong offensive start than McHugh.
The one downfall of picking McHugh, however, might be the offense he's facing. The Los Angeles Angels feature a patient lineup that has pop with Mike Trout and Albert Pujols. But with his five straight games with over 13 fantasy points, McHugh is still a decent start for the price.
Anthony DeSclafani, Cincinnati Reds ($6,800)
Wait, if Burnett is going to return to the win column, why should I target his opposition? Because similar to Burnett, Anthony DeSclafani's team has also struggled to get him wins on a regular basis. Even with his offense sputtering when he's on the mound, DeSclafani has still put together solid numbers, as Fox 19 Cincinnati's Jeremy Rauch noted:
One bad outing on May 1 moved his ERA above 2.00, but he's still having a breakout season in Cincinnati. Allowing two or fewer earned runs in three of his five starts this season, DeSclafani is still a good value pick—even if he doesn't earn a win.
Tim Hudson, San Francisco Giants ($6,700)
Unlike some of the previous names on this list, Tim Hudson is actually coming off his best outing of the year. The 39-year-old starter doesn't have the stuff he once did, but he's given up just three earned runs over his last two starts.
With Hudson settling in during his last home start, he appears to be turning a corner for the San Francisco Giants. Going against a young Miami Marlins offense, Hudson should be able to piece together a solid outing for fantasy owners at a low salary.
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