X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (4/5/18): MLB DFS Lineups

We've got a big afternoon slate of games on Thursday and a smaller evening slate. While there are several different contests being offered across DraftKings, the following picks have been made for contests running all day.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 4/5/18. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @TroyKlauder.

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 10% off using code BALLER! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

DraftKings Starting Pitchers

David Price - P, vs TB ($12,100)

In his first start of the year, Price dominated the same Rays lineup that he will be facing again on Thursday. Price threw seven scoreless innings with five strikeouts, no walks, and just four hits allowed. The lowly Rays lineup had just a .303 wOBA against left-handed pitching last year, ranking them 26th in all of baseball, and their offense only got worse over the offseason. Price is a great play in cash games, where his high floor will pay off.

Nick Pivetta - P, vs MIA ($7,300)

Contrary to Price, Pivetta is a high-upside, low-floor play to consider in GPP contests. While Pivetta's 6.75 ERA from 2017 looks horrific, his 4.26 xFIP is more representative of the kind of pitcher he is. That's still not ideal, but his 24.0% K-rate gives him lots of value. He's facing a rebuilding Marlins squad that's projected to have one of the worst lineups in the league this year, so there's legitimate upside here for Pivetta. Pivetta is a big gamble, but he could pay off nicely for such a low price.

 

DraftKings Infielders

Wilson Ramos - C, at BOS ($2,800)

If you don't roll with Price as one of your pitchers, Ramos is worth a look at catcher. Ramos crushes lefties, as he's got a career 115 wRC+ against them. There aren't many worthwhile catching options on Thursday, but Ramos is cheap and in a great hitting environment in Boston.

Josh Bell - 1B, vs CIN ($4,300)

Somehow Reds starting pitcher Homer Bailey is still pitching in the majors. He had an absurd 6.43 ERA last season, and might be the worst pitcher on the entire slate. After popping 26 homers last year, 25-year-old Josh Bell is off to a red-hot start this year, putting up a .400/.435/.600 line. An entire Pirates stack would be a smart move against Bailey, but even if you don't go that route, Bell is a fantastic standalone play.

Brian Dozier - 2B, vs SEA ($4,400)

Dozier absolutely destroyed lefties in 2017, posting a 1.057 OPS against them. While James Paxton is no weak opponent, he got lit up by Cleveland in his first start of the year, giving up six earned runs on four walks. If Paxton is still facing some early-season hiccups, Dozier will take advantage and put up a huge day. For a player who had 34 homers and 16 steals last season, Dozier is priced way too low, as he can score for you in a variety of ways. Buy him at this price while you still can, because it probably won't last for long.

Maikel Franco - 3B, vs MIA ($3,000)

While Franco isn't a top-tier play, he's a cheap power flier that you can use to get some more expensive players into your lineup. Even in a poor 2017, he hit 24 homers, and he could have a strong day against inexperienced lefty Caleb Smith, who is making just his third Major League start at age 26. Franco is someone to consider in GPP formats for his upside.

Elvis Andrus - SS, at OAK ($3,900)

Andrus was a fantasy catalyst in 2017, hitting 20 homers with 25 steals and a .297 average. He's brought this success with him into 2018, as so far he is batting .364. As the Rangers three-hole hitter, he is in a position for lots of runs and RBI against A's starter Daniel Mengden, who gave up five earned runs in his first start of the season. Andrus is severely undervalued at this price.

 

DraftKings Outfielders

Nick Castellanos - OF, at CHW ($4,900)

A popular breakout candidate entering 2018, Castellanos has raked in his first four games, batting .333 with a .988 OPS. Don't be surprised if Castellanos knocks his first home run of the season on Thursday, as he's facing James Shields, who had an insanely bad 2.08 HR/9 last season. Guaranteed Rate Field is a hitter-friendly park where Casty should find success.

Lorenzo Cain - OF, vs CHC ($4,500)

Cain is off to a monster start in Milwaukee, as he already has three steals and a homer while batting .409. Miller Park is one of the best hitter's parks in all of baseball, and Cain is batting third in a loaded Brewers lineup. He's facing off against Jon Lester, who looked awful in his first start, where he only lasted 3 1/3 innings.

Albert Almora - OF, at MIL ($3,000)

On the flip side of this matchup, Albert Almora is a cheap platoon bat who's worth grabbing on Thursday. He should lead off for the Cubs as they face left-hander Brent Suter. Almora will have plenty of run-scoring opportunities atop the Cubs lineup, and gets the same fantastic ballpark that Cain does.

 

MLB DFS News and Injury Alerts


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tari Eason8 mins ago

Not Expected To Face The Hawks
Nikola Jokic1 hour ago

Will Play On Friday Night
Jeff Hoffman2 hours ago

Inks Three-Year Deal With Toronto
Alexandre Sarr3 hours ago

Ready To Face Bulls
Paul George3 hours ago

Will Play Against Pelicans
Khris Middleton3 hours ago

Available For Friday's Matchup With Orlando
Trayce Jackson-Davis3 hours ago

Good To Go Versus Pacers
Giannis Antetokounmpo4 hours ago

Active On Friday
Moses Moody4 hours ago

Returns To Warriors Lineup Friday
Tyrese Haliburton4 hours ago

Upgraded To Available
Damian Lillard4 hours ago

Available For Friday
Dejounte Murray4 hours ago

Active On Friday
Evander Kane4 hours ago

Recovering From Knee Surgery
Myles Turner4 hours ago

Upgraded To Available
Dylan Samberg4 hours ago

Returns To Jets Lineup Friday
Kyle Lowry4 hours ago

Remains Out On Friday
Alex Lyon4 hours ago

Unavailable Friday
Thatcher Demko4 hours ago

Expected To Return To Action Friday
Zion Williamson4 hours ago

Suspended For One Game
Fabian Zetterlund5 hours ago

Active On Friday
Dylan Guenther5 hours ago

Ruled Out Indefinitely
Paolo Banchero5 hours ago

Set To Return Against Milwaukee
Elias Pettersson5 hours ago

Activated From Injured Reserve
Aaron Gordon5 hours ago

Doubtful On Friday
Quentin Johnston5 hours ago

"Good To Go" For Saturday
Jordan Love5 hours ago

Malik Willis Off The Injury Report
Myles Turner5 hours ago

Questionable Friday With Illness
Draymond Green5 hours ago

Ruled Out Against Pacers
De'Aaron Fox5 hours ago

Remains Out On Friday
Karl-Anthony Towns5 hours ago

Tagged As Questionable Friday
Paul George6 hours ago

Considered Probable Friday Against Pelicans
Jayden Daniels6 hours ago

Off The Injury Report, Set For First Playoff Start
DeVonta Smith6 hours ago

Off The Injury Report
A.J. Brown6 hours ago

Off The Injury Report Prior To Wild-Card Weekend
Amanda Ribas7 hours ago

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Mackenzie Dern7 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 101
Zac Gallen7 hours ago

Diamondbacks Avoid Arbitration With Zac Gallen
Josh Jung8 hours ago

Will Be Full-Go For Spring Training
Santiago Ponzinibbio8 hours ago

Set For Co-Main Event
Tampa Bay Buccaneers8 hours ago

Antoine Winfield Jr. Will Play On Sunday
Carlston Harris8 hours ago

Set For Welterweight Matchup
Pete Alonso8 hours ago

No Deal Close Between Pete Alonso And The Mets
Abdul Razak Alhassan8 hours ago

Returns To Action At UFC Vegas 101
Cesar Almeida8 hours ago

Looks For His Third UFC Win
DeVonta Smith9 hours ago

Missing Practice, Still Expected To Play
Isiah Pacheco9 hours ago

Returns To Practice On Friday
Jalen Hurts10 hours ago

Clears Concussion Protocol, Ready To Go For Sunday
Deshaun Watson10 hours ago

Ruptures His Achilles Again, Could Miss All Of 2025
Michael Pittman Jr.10 hours ago

Doesn't Need Surgery On His Back
Anthony Richardson10 hours ago

Colts To Add Competition For Anthony Richardson
Uros Medic10 hours ago

Opens Up UFC Vegas 101 Main Card
Punahele Soriano10 hours ago

Remains At Welterweight At UFC Vegas 101
Christian Rodriguez10 hours ago

Looks To Start Off 2025 On Right Note At UFC Vegas 101
Austin Bashi10 hours ago

Makes UFC Debut At UFC Vegas 101
Roman Kopylov10 hours ago

Looks to Extend Winning Streak At UFC Vegas 101
Chris Curtis10 hours ago

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 101
Josh Naylor13 hours ago

Diamondbacks Avoid Arbitration
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.13 hours ago

Blue Jays Avoid Arbitration
Andrew Kittredge14 hours ago

Inks One-Year Deal With Baltimore
Robert Thomas14 hours ago

Nets Two Goals On Thursday
Ilya Sorokin14 hours ago

Posts 30-Save Shutout On Thursday
Mikko Rantanen15 hours ago

Tallies Point No. 60 On Thursday
Zach Werenski15 hours ago

Tallies Two Points In Victory
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen15 hours ago

Shuts The Door On Thursday
Sidney Crosby15 hours ago

Tallies Three Points On Thursday
NFL1 day ago

Vikings, Rams Wild-Card Game Moved To Arizona
Framber Valdez1 day ago

Astros Avoid Arbitration
Randy Arozarena1 day ago

Mariners Avoid Arbitration
Mason Marchment1 day ago

Recovering From Surgery
Jalen Hurts1 day ago

Practices In Full, On Pace To Play On Sunday
Samuel Ersson1 day ago

Returns To Action Against Stars
Sean Monahan1 day ago

Placed On Injured Reserve
Evgeni Malkin1 day ago

A Game-Time Call Thursday
Filip Chytil1 day ago

Will Not Play Thursday
Igor Shesterkin1 day ago

Returns To Rangers Crease Thursday
Brock Faber1 day ago

Out On Thursday
John Metchie III1 day ago

Listed As Questionable For Wild-Card Weekend
Cade Otton1 day ago

Upgrades To Full Participation On Thursday
Quentin Johnston1 day ago

Questionable For Wild-Card Weekend
J.K. Dobbins1 day ago

Questionable For Wild-Card Weekend
Jake Knapp1 day ago

Withdraws From Sony Open
Joshua Palmer1 day ago

Ruled Out For Wild-Card Weekend
Michael Thorbjornsen1 day ago

Withdraws From Sony Open
Luis Arraez1 day ago

Padres Settle On $14 Million Deal
A.J. Brown1 day ago

Being Rested On Thursday
Tarik Skubal1 day ago

Tigers Avoid Arbitration
Dylan Cease1 day ago

And Padres Avoid Arbitration
Logan Gilbert1 day ago

Mariners Avoid Arbitration
Tyreek Hill1 day ago

"Committed" To Dolphins
Garrett Crochet2 days ago

Boston Discussing Long-Term Deal
Matthew Tkachuk2 days ago

Tallies Two Helpers In Victory
Davis Thompson2 days ago

Starts 2025 Season Well
PGA2 days ago

J.T. Poston Disappoints At The Sentry
Chris Kirk2 days ago

Sputters At The Sentry
Billy Horschel2 days ago

Looks Forward To Sony Open
Brian Harman2 days ago

Gets 2025 Started With A Rough Start
PGA2 days ago

Cameron Davis Finishes Strong At The Sentry
Keegan Bradley2 days ago

Starts 2025 Season Well
Braxton Garrett2 days ago

To Miss 2025 Season Following Elbow Surgery
Taylor Pendrith2 days ago

Is A Dark-Horse Pick For Sony Open
Eric Cole2 days ago

Looking For Bounce-Back Performance At Sony Open
Sahith Theegala2 days ago

A Big Name To Stay Away From At Sony Open
Nick Dunlap2 days ago

Looks To Bounce Back At Sony Open
Tom Kim2 days ago

Making Season Debut At Sony Open
Hideki Matsuyama3 days ago

Looks To Make History At Waialae
Tanner Scott3 days ago

Mets Meet With Tanner Scott
Justin Verlander3 days ago

Signs One-Year Contract With San Francisco
Brandon Woodruff3 days ago

Hopes To Be Ready By Opening Day
Luke Clanton3 days ago

A Player To Watch At Sony Open
Thomas Detry3 days ago

In Solid Form Ahead Of Sony Open
Russell Henley3 days ago

A Course Horse At Sony Open
Stephan Jaeger3 days ago

A Risky Option At Sony Open
Kurt Kitayama3 days ago

Makes 2025 Debut At Sony Open
Maverick McNealy3 days ago

Looks To Stay Hot In Hawaii
Brent Rooker4 days ago

Signs Five-Year Extension
Nolan Arenado4 days ago

Red Sox Emerge As Strong Candidate To Land Nolan Arenado
Michael Lorenzen4 days ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Kansas City

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP