Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: MLB DraftKings Pitcher Studs and Duds for July 5

What Sunday's daily slate lacks in superstar power, it more than makes up for with depth.

Playing around at starting pitcher typically isn't the wisest course of action. Open the check book, pay for top arms and worry about offense later. That's usually the sound strategy, particularly in cash contests.

While gamers can still build around an ace, there are plenty of mid-level options for Sunday's second spot. After selecting a stud, take a stroll down the clearance aisle for a cost-cutting complement.

Studs 

Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies ($10,600) at Atlanta

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Cole Hamels and Shelby Miller will both receive easy assignments, but they're also squaring off against one another. While the Atlanta Braves hurler presents the cheaper choice, the Philadelphia Phillies ace gets the upper hand due to strikeouts.

Miller has generated a 2.20 ERA despite an unspectacular 7.04 strikeouts per nine innings. While he's priced fairly ($8,600) against a middling Philadelphia offense, the fear of regression against a lineup showing vital signs remains imminent.

Hamels, on the other hand, has racked up 113 strikeouts through 106.1 innings. The slumping Atlanta Braves rank No. 27 in weighted runs created (wRC+) against lefties, so count on the ace doing his thing and hope his supporting cast cooperates enough to generate a win.

Lance McCullers, Houston Astros ($7,200) at Boston

DraftKings surprisingly hasn't hiked up Lance McCullers' price tag despite his 2.19 ERA, 2.63 fielding independent pitching (FIP) and 9.79 K/9 rate. As long as the Houston Astros rookie keeps providing tremendous value, why turn away?

GS	IP	ERA	WHIP	BAA	K	BB
9	53.1	2.19	1.01	.186	58	18

One reason could be the Boston Red Sox registering 26 runs over the past three games. Still, McCullers has earned some trust after combating the Los Angeles Angels and Kansas City Royals in consecutive starts. The 21-year-old righty has averaged 21.5 DraftKings points per start, more than Hamels (20.8), Miller (18.9) Lance Lynn (18.2) and Danny Salazar (20.6).

Mike Bolsinger, Los Angeles Dodgers ($6,800) vs. NY Mets

Norm Hall/Getty Images

An inanimate carbon rod could shut down the New York Mets, who have scored 28 runs over the past 16 games. Opposing pitcher Steven Matz is probably the most dangerous hitter they have at the moment.

Meanwhile, Mike Bolsinger has a 2.76 ERA, 2.92 FIP and 8.56 K/9 rate. Plus he only costs $6,800 after exiting his last start early with food poisoning. As long as he stays away from seafood, he'll be fine against a lineup allergic to hitting baseballs.

Rubby De La Rosa, Arizona Diamondbacks ($6,900) vs. Colorado

Over his last four starts, Rubby De La Rosa has issued a 1.30 ERA and 23 strikeouts. He now has a 3.25 expected FIP (xFIP), which normalizes home runs in relations to fly balls surrendered. Armed with an 8.32 K/9, 2.30 BB/9 and 49.7 ground-ball percentage, the hard-throwing 26-year-old is beginning to blossom.

Date	OPP	IP	H	ER	K	BB
6/14	@ SF	8.0	8	0	6	2
6/19	SD	7.0	5	1	6	3
6/25	@ COL	7.0	5	1	4	1
6/30	LAD	5.2	6	2	7	1

Nine days after allowing one run through seven innings at Coors Field, De La Rosa gets a rematch against the Colorado Rockies at home. While Chase Field is hardly a pitcher's park, stripping the Rockies of Coors makes them a playable matchup for a cheap No. 2 starter.

Kyle Hendricks, Chicago Cubs ($6,500) vs. Miami

Nate Shron/Getty Images

The Miami Marlins are collectively nothing special with Giancarlo Stanton. Take away their power cyborg, and they're especially useless. They've scored 23 runs in seven games without him, dropping to No. 25 in wRC+ as of Saturday night. 

Using Kyle Hendricks could end terribly. The soft-tossing righty has yielded four or more runs six times this season, giving him a 4.15 ERA. Yet he sports a solid 3.54 FIP with a 7.33 K/9 and 16 walks through 15 starts. Employ him as a cheap tournament play against the Stanton-less Marlins.

Duds

Jordan Zimmermann, Washington Nationals ($9,200) vs. San Francisco

Mitchell Layton/Getty Images

Jordan Zimmermann has twirled two consecutive scoreless outings—both against Atlanta—lowering his ERA to 3.16 and FIP to 3.01. He's a comforting option for risk-adverse players, but his 6.23 K/9 rate doesn't fit the bill of a top-line ace.

Not helping his cause, the San Francisco Giants hold baseball's second-best wRC+ against righties behind the Los Angeles Dodgers. They're also difficult to strike out, making Zimmermann a heavy fade despite his recent success.

Steven Matz, New York Mets ($8,300) at L.A. Dodgers

Matz is far from a terrible play coming off a resounding MLB debut. World-beaters against righties, the Dodgers are rather average against southpaws, giving the 24-year-old rookie a chance for a strong second showing.

Still, he's priced quite high after one start, and it's possible the bandwagon exceeds capacity. Also, he's going to have a tough time earning a victory unless he drives in another four runs himself. Remember that part from the Bolsinger section about how horrible New York's offense is? Here's a reminder: really horrible.

Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers ($7,500) vs. Toronto

Leon Halip/Getty Images

Justin Verlander used to be very, very good. Now he is no longer good. He has looked downright awful in three starts, allowing 11 runs through 17.2 innings with seven strikeouts and eight walks. 

Against the Toronto Blue Jays' thunderous lineup, the former ace wouldn't warrant any consideration at $5,700. Anyone who uses him for $7,500 is handing DraftKings his or her money.

Note: All advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs.

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