Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: MLB DraftKings Studs and Duds for April 27 – Bleacher Report

Monday starts a massive week in the world of sports, but MLB fantasy players know it can also be the start of another lucrative week. A full slate of 14 games will be played on Monday night, so owners looking to craft the perfect lineup need to know who to target and leave on the bench.

Before setting a complete roster, take a look at these studs and duds to get the right dudes to win any style of game in DraftKings.

Studs

Pitcher: James Shields, San Diego Padres ($9,600)

The Houston Astros have been a much improved team this season, but James Shields has a little something for that lineup. In four starts this season, Shields has been nearly flawless and struck out batters at a high clip.

Just one of the San Diego Padres’ huge offseason additions, Shields will get to face a swing-and-miss Astros lineup at spacious Petco Park. With batters like George Springer (26), Chris Carter (23) and Evan Gattis (22) all in the top 15 in strikeouts, Shields will thrive for fantasy owners.

First Baseman: Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds ($4,700)

Every single night, Joey Votto is behind names like Paul Goldschmidt and Jose Abreu on DraftKings. Among everyday position players, no hitter averages as many fantasy points per game as Votto‘s 12.3.

Joey Votto is showing his pre-2014 form this season

Reds at Cardinals, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN and WatchESPN pic.twitter.com/SuhvBtc4fd

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 19, 2015

Jimmy Nelson, Milwaukee’s projected starter for Monday night, has been great this season. However, he’ll get another taste of Votto that likely won’t be as favorable as the first matchup where Votto recorded just an RBI single. Yes, that’s a mediocre night for Votto.

Don’t shell out $1,000 more for Goldschmidt when the best first baseman in the game right now can be had for this price.

Outfielder: Nelson Cruz, Seattle Mariners ($5,100)

No one needs a great matchup to slot Nelson Cruz into a lineup. But on Monday night, that’s exactly what fantasy owners get with Cruz against Yovani Gallardo.

During his career, Cruz has faced Gallardo just six times. Cruz has reached in every single plate appearance with five hits and one walk. He’s also tattooed two pitches for solo home runs.

On April 17, Cruz went 3-for-3 against Gallardo but didn’t get a home run. With both of his four-baggers coming in previous matchups, Cruz will look to add a third for DraftKings owners Monday.

Duds

Pitcher: Tommy Milone, Minnesota Twins ($5,900)

Tommy Milone showed the Minnesota Twins exactly what he’s capable of when healthy during his first start of the season. Since then, well, he’s been touched up in two outings and only recorded a total of four strikeouts.

That’s not what fantasy owners want to hear.

Going up against a Detroit Tigers lineup with a wealth of powerful right-handed batters like Miguel Cabrera, Victor Martinez and Yoenis Cespedes, don’t gamble with Milone as a second pitcher. He might still have a solid season, but this won’t be Milone‘s best performance.

Second Baseman: Daniel Murphy, New York Mets ($4,000)

Look at Daniel Murphy’s season statistics and join me in a collective, “Ew.” The numbers aren’t pretty, and they’ve actually gotten worse recently. Outside of a random 18-point outing last Thursday, Murphy hasn’t put up more than seven fantasy points in his last 10 games.

Rather than paying for Murphy at this price point, Howie Kendrick might be the better option. He has been on fire this season and got some rest on Sunday. Murphy’s production simply doesn’t warrant putting him on any roster.

Outfielder: Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates ($5,200)

One of the faces of the MLB has been anything but this season. Andrew McCutchen is mired in a slump to start the year that he simply hasn’t been able to shake. The 2013 National League MVP spoke about his mini-slump, via Tom Singer of MLB.com.

“That’s baseball … it’s a game of adjustments. I’ll get there, it’s a matter of time,” McCutchen said. “I’m not focused on the outcome, just on the feeling. And I’m feeling good, so the outcome will be there. Long as I feel good, I’ll get good results.”

Just because he’s on this list as a dud, there’s a great chance McCutchen will make me eat my words. But with his average of just 4.5 fantasy points per game in DraftKings over the last 10 games, don’t pay this high price to make him your top outfielder.