Fantasy Baseball: DraftKings Picks For April 9th
This Sunday brings another full slate of exciting MLB action, so we’re here with of DraftKings picks for April 9th. I’m definitely more intrigued with the pitching options in the slate than with the hitting options. The staple of lineups this week will be Carlos Martinez, who is coming off a dominant performance against the Cubs. What’s fascinating is that Martinez is just the fifth best ace on the slate according to price. There are some other great middle of the pack options in Julio Teheran, Matt Shoemaker, Ervin Santana, and Nathan Karns. When it comes to batters, there’s a lot of strong options except in the outfield. After doing research, a lot of the big name outfielders just didn’t have great matchups in the slate. Below are my DraftKings picks for April 9th.
Pitchers
Carlos Martinez STL vs CIN ($10,000)
After watching Carlos Martinez dominate the best lineup in baseball in Chicago, he’s a great start against Cincinnati. This game is in the pitcher-friendly home of St. Louis, against a subpar Cincinnati lineup. The best hitter in their lineup, Joey Votto, is only hitting .167 against Martinez, putting the Cardinals in a good position. Martinez is the easy pick without being too expensive at the pitcher position.
Julio Teheran ATL @ PIT ($8,700)
Julio Teheran is an intriguing pick because even though his stuff is great, he might not get great run support. The Braves’ ace was dealing against the Mets last week, and now gets another good matchup against Pittsburgh. The Pirates trio of great-hitting outfielders have come out the gate struggling at the plate. Pittsburgh is also a pitcher-friendly park, which should be easier than the Braves’ new stadium to pitch in. Look for Tehran to return good value for this price.
Other Pitchers I Like
Noah Syndergaard NYM vs MIA ($11,800)
Johnny Cueto SF @ SD ($11,600)
Stephen Strasburg WAS @ PHI ($10,600)
Jake Arrieta CHC @ MIL ($9,600)
Matt Shoemaker LAA vs SEA ($8,300)
Ervin Santana MIN @ CWS ($7,500)
Catchers
Wilson Contreras CHC @ MIL ($3,900)
Both of the Cubs catchers in Kyle Schwarber and Wilson Contreras have been hitting well to start the season. I like Contreras though because he’s priced cheaper, and has a better track record against opposing pitcher Zach Davies. I personally don’t like spending too much on a catcher, as $4,700 for Schwarber is too much.
Yadier Molina STL vs CIN ($3,300)
Molina has been off to a hot start to the season, and looks to continue it against a struggling Reds’ rotation. Feldman started the season opener against Philly, and got destroyed at home. Even though Busch Stadium isn’t as hitter-friendly as the Great American Ballpark, Molina is a solid and cheap option for the catcher position.
Other Catchers I Like
Buster Posey SF @ SD ($4,000)
Steven Vogt OAK @ TEX ($3,400)
First Basemen
Carlos Santana CLE @ ARI ($4,300)
Carlos Santana and the Indians’ lineup is off to a hot start this season, and should continue that in Arizona. The Diamondbacks boast the second best hitting ball park in the league after Coors Field in Colorado. Santana will be hitting atop this dynamic lineup against Patrick Corbin, who has a 4.50 ERA. Santana will be my start of the day this Sunday.
Brandon Belt SF @ SD ($3,800)
Brandon Belt has been off to a hot start after Bruce Bochy moved him from the fifth to the second spot in the batting order. He’s averaging over sixteen fantasy points per game on DraftKings right now, which is hard to avoid. Even though he doesn’t have a lot of experience against Clayton Richard, for this price, Belt is a solid pick.
Other First Basemen I Like
Paul Goldschmidt ARI vs CLE ($4,600)
Edwin Encarnacion CLE @ ARI ($4,500)
Mark Reynolds COL vs LA ($4,400)
Ryon Healy OAK @ TEX ($3,700)
Second Basemen
Daniel Murphy WAS @ PHI ($4,500)
Daniel Murphy has continued his outstanding 2016 campaign, as he is averaging twelve fantasy points per game on DraftKings. Murphy has a good history against Hellickson, hitting .333 against him over twelve at-bats. This lineup has looked really strong to start the season, with Murphy right in the middle of it. He’s a lock for my lineups this Sunday.
Jean Segura SEA @ LAA ($3,800)
Segura has been the lone bright spot in the Mariners lineup. He has been getting on base and stealing bases as well. Even though he doesn’t have experience against Shoemaker, Segura is a great cheap option at second base this Sunday.
Other Second Basemen I Like:
Ian Kinsler DET vs BOS ($3,900)
Dustin Pedroia BOS @ DET ($3,600)
Joe Panik SF @ SD ($3,400)
Third Basemen
Justin Turner LAD @ COL ($4,600)
The Dodgers’ third baseman is off to a start as fiery as his hair this season. Turner is averaging thirteen fantasy points per game on DraftKings this season, which should be maintained as the Dodgers play in Colorado. Turner is 6 of 9 against Tyler Anderson throughout his career, so this all makes him a great play this Sunday.
Kris Bryant CHC @ MIL ($5,000)
Even though Bryant isn’t off to the hottest start this season, I like his odds to explode this Sunday against Milwaukee. Against opposing pitcher Zach Davies, Bryant is hitting .364 for his career. Even though I like Davies to keep improving this year, I don’t expect that to come against the World Champs on Sunday.
Other Third Basemen I Like
Matt Carpenter STL vs CIN ($4,100)
Eduardo Nunez SF @ SF ($3,600)
Shortstops
Francisco Lindor CLE @ ARI ($4,200)
As I mentioned before with Santana, the Indians lineup has been feasting to start the season. Lindor has been no exception to that, averaging over sixteen Fantasy points per game on DraftKings. With Corbin and all his struggles last season, Lindor is a must start for me this Sunday.
Aledmys Diaz STL vs CIN ($3,900)
Diaz is another Cardinal worth starting after seeing Feldman get blown up by a subpar Philly lineup. Even though Diaz doesn’t have much experience facing Feldman, look for Diaz to be a solid, cheaper option at shortstop this Sunday.
Other Shortstops I Like:
Corey Seager LAD @ COL ($5,100)
Elvis Andrus TEX vs OAK ($3,700)
Marcus Semien OAK @ TEX ($3,700)
Brandon Crawford SF @ SD ($3,500)
Outfielders
Adam Jones BAL vs NYY ($4,200)
Feeding off a big World Classic performance, Jones is off to a hot start this season. The Orioles Center Fielder is averaging 11 fantasy points per game, and has a good history against C.C. Sabathia. Against Sabathia, Jones is hitting .300 over 70 at-bats, with 15 RBIs. For not too high of a price, Jones is a great pick for this Sunday.
Corey Dickerson TB vs TOR ($3,100)
For a cheap option in the outfield this Sunday, look for Corey Dickerson. Dickerson will cost just $3,100, and will bat high in the lineup against Estrada. Throughout his career, Dickerson has hit .500 over eight at-bats against Estrada. If you’re spending up at other positions and need a cheap outfielder, Dickerson is a good bet.
Other Outfielders I Like
Bryce Harper WAS @ PHI ($4,900)
Khris Davis OAK @ TEX ($4,200)
Yoenis Cespedes NYM vs MIA ($4,100)
Jose Ramirez CLE @ ARI ($3,900)
You can tell from all the players covered above that there are a lot of options for DFS today. Hopefully all these recommendations will help you all navigate through the slate and win some money! Focus your spending at pitcher and corner infielder, and fill in your roster from there. I wish you all the best of luck, and I’ll be back with another DFS article on Wednesday!
