A’s starter Scott Kazmir makes for a solid play Wednesday night vs. the Rangers. (Getty)
Finding the right fantasy lineup early in the baseball season is tough to do.
Weather plays a huge part and players only have a few games under their belts, so it’s a crapshoot often this soon into the year.
Don’t fret the season is a long one. And there are always bargains to be had on DraftKings.
So keep reading to find out who you should insert into your daily lineup for April 8.
DraftKings uses the following parameters: You get a $50,000 cap to spend on 10 players – 2 pitchers, 1 catcher, 1 first baseman, 1 second baseman, 1 shortstop, 1 third baseman and 3 outfielders.
Hitters Scoring:
Single = +3 points
Double = +5 points
Triple = +8 points
Home Run = +10 points
Run Batted In = +2 points
Run = +2 points
Base on Balls = +2 points
Hit By Pitch = +2 points
Stolen Base = +5 points
Caught Stealing = -2 points
Pitchers Scoring:
Inning Pitched = +2.25 points
Strike Out = +2 points
Win = +4 points
Earned Run Allowed = -2 points
Hit Against = -0.6 points
Base on Balls Against = -0.6 points
Hit Batsman = -0.6 points
Complete Game = +2.5 points
Complete Game Shut Out = +2.5 points
No Hitter = +5 points
*NOTE: Hitting statistics for Pitchers will not be counted, and Pitching statistics for Hitters will not be counted.
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Click here to sign up for DraftKings.
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Here are the best lineup picks for April 8:
Pitchers
Andrew Cashner, Padres, $7,900, at Dodgers
If Cashner could stay healthy he’d be a stud. Well, it’s the first game of the season, so he’s got to be healthy, right? Let’s hope. Cashner gets the Dodgers, a team he held to a 1.89 ERA in 3 starts in 2014. The right-hander should help you cash in Wednesday.
Scott Kazmir, Athletics, $7,400, vs. Rangers
Once a top prospect, then a slow pitch hitting machine, now back to fantasy relevance. Kazmir has had quite the ride. Roll with him against Texas at home, where Kaz rocked an 8-4 record a season ago.
Catcher
Buster Posey, Giants, $4,400, at Diamondbacks
Not surprisingly, Posey is off to a fast start. Expect that to continue Wednesday vs. the Diamondbacks, a team he has .307 with 9 homers and 42 RBIs against the past 3 seasons.
First Base
David Ortiz, Red Sox, $4,500, at Phillies
A matchup between Ortiz and Phillies starter Aaron Harang will turn the heads … if it was 2007. Now, Harang is on his last legs, though Big Papi doesn’t seem like he’s quite ready to hang them up. Advantage: Ortiz.
Second Base
Jose Altuve, Astros, $4,500, vs. Indians
The reigning AL batting champ is a no-brainer Wednesday vs. the Indians, a team he hits .309 against. At $4,500 he will be in most DraftKings lineups.
Shortstop
Hanley Ramirez, Red Sox, $4,800, at Phillies
Han-Ram has terrorized the Phillies staff over his career, including starter Harang. The new BoSox left fielder (but he keeps SS eligibility) is 10-for-29 with 5 HRs vs. the aging right-hander. This choice is easy.
Third Base
Josh Harrison, Pirates, $4,300, at Reds
Harrison will be at 3B and in the OF this year, but the important thing is that he led off on Opening Day. Batting ahead of Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte, Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez will yield a lot of runs. And that price is right for this potential breakout candidate. And at $3,900, Alex Rodriguez (yes, him) makes a solid play Wednesday.
Outfield
Michael Brantley, Indians, $4,600, at Astros
Can Brantley pick up where he left off in 2014? In daily fantasy baseball, we shouldn’t be too concerned about that. Our only concern is today. And today the Astros are sending Scott Feldman with his career 4.48 ERA to the mound.
Garrett Jones, Yankees, $3,700, vs. Blue Jays
This is a bit of a wild-card as there is no guarantee Jones will be in the lineup. But I bet he will because he’s had some success vs. Jays knuckleballer R.A. Dickey, while most other Yankees haven’t.
Adam Eaton, White Sox, $3,900, at Royals
Eaton is locked-in as the White Sox leadoff hitter. Not the best leadoff spot in the majors, but it’s secure. And he’s also proved to be a solid hitter vs. the Royals – Eaton hits .388 against them which includes a .317 mark in Kansas City in 2014, site of Wednesday’s game.
Total Lineup Salary: $50,000
Each day, we’ll give you the rundown of who to pick for a winning lineup, so stay with us the entire season.
Interested in playing daily fantasy baseball?
Click here to sign up for DraftKings.
Click here to sign up for FanDuel.
is a sportswriter for Heavy.com. He formerly worked in the college football hot bed of Alabama for The Birmingham News. There he wore many hats, including columnist, editor and resident stat and research guy. You can reach him at craig.bennett@heavy.com. Follow him on his new Twitter account @craig_speak
April 8, 2015 11:23 am
