MLB DFS PICKS FOR DRAFTKINGS 8/1/2020

It's a new month and it'll be the first full month of the 2020 MLB season (fingers crossed). As long as there's still baseball. then there's still money to be made. Tonight features a full 12 game slate with very little weather concerns. As of now, we are keeping an eye on Wrigley Field and Oriole Park but it looks like they will both be good to go. Let's dive right into it!

*The STL @ MIL game has already been PPD due to more positive COVID cases.*

Pitcher

Zack Greinke $10.8k - A really rough start for Zack his first time out against a weak Seattle lineup. He ended up not even making it through the third inning while also giving up 3 ER on 4 hits and 2 walks. Luckily for him, he gets a chance to bounce back here against a pretty below average Angels lineup. The Angels will be without Trout tonight and that should really relieve some stress from Greinke. So it's all lining up to be a great opportunity for him to go out there and redeem himself. I'm also expecting him to come in a little lower owned than he should be due to his last start and the fear of spending up for him. All he needs is to locate his pitches, pick up a few early K's and he'll start rolling.

Tyler Glasnow $9.3k - Here's our chalky option of the night. Glasnow is really talented and was able to only give up a single run against a top tier offense in the Atlanta Braves. He picked up 23.2 DK points on only 72 pitches! He only went 4 innings due to his pitch count limit but we should see that increase here in his second start. His 9 K's vs the Braves was very impressive and he just looked outstanding. He was getting guys to swing and miss at a high rate and I don't see that being any different tonight vs the Orioles. I'm finding myself go away from the left handers against this Orioles lineup but give me all of the righties. He's going to come in with a lot of ownership but that's not going to stop me from rostering him.

Kenta Maeda - $9k - This is a bit of a price to pay for Maeda against a pretty good Indians lineup but he was really cruising in his first start against the White Sox. The thing I like about Maeda is his consistency and now that he's off of Dave Robert's team, we should see him start going a little deeper into games. This shortened season will have teams making pretty desperate moves early on and that includes riding a hot starting pitcher into the late innings. I'm going to label this as GPP only due to the price tag and the Indians carrying some threatening bats.

Tyler Chatwood $8.2k - It's hard for me to write his name in here because as a Cubs fan myself, I have seen his ugly days and boy are they UGLY. I've also seen days like his first start where he was absolutely dominate. That's exactly what I expected after he came over here from Colorado and it's really fun to watch. He was able to pick up 8 Ks against a tough Brewers lineup. If you need to know how nasty his stuff looked, three of those strikeouts came against Yelich. Chatwood really has the stuff to be a great pitcher and now he gets to showcase it against a bad Pirates lineup. I'd say this is a pretty fair price for him in this spot and the combination of his high strikeout potential along with the Pirates inability to put the bat on the ball is very appealing. It wouldn't surprise me to see a good amount of ownership here. Also, keep an eye on the weather in this game.

Jordan Lyles $7.9k - Yet again, I find myself writing about a pitcher going against the Giants. Lyles actually hasn't had a start yet due to the Rangers skipping him because of a few weird off days. However, they did have him go in and throw two scoreless innings against the D-Backs and while it's a small sample size, he did look great. He allowed no hits and just one walk while striking out two batters in 27 pitches. The Giants continue to run out a AAA lineup so I don't see why we wouldn't attack them night in and night out. So if you're stuck between him and Chatwood, I think this is where I would go as it is not only cheaper, but also a lot safer.

Catcher

Mike Zunino $3.7k - We're going to need to find some value in order to fit the Coors bats so I wouldn't go much higher than this at catcher. Zunino has a lot of pop in his bat and that's really what you're looking for when rostering him. I am pretty sold on the Rays tonight so look for Zunino to produce with his home run power.

Carson Kelly $3.3k - Here's something I thought was cool. Carson Kelly has a career .310 average vs lefties! He isn't necessarily a long ball threat but if he can find a gap then that's more than enough for me to be happy. He actually does have a home run against Urias in his career as well so it's definitely possible. Solid punt play here.

Austin Nola $2.9k - Nola is another cheap option at catcher and is in the 2 hole for the Mariners in a matchup against Mike Fiers. By no means do I think Fiers is bad but he's certainly capable of giving up the long ball. On top of that, he has reverse splits so righties are what gives him more trouble. Nola is a pretty decent hitter and I think he has a bright future in the show. Between him and Kelly, two great punts at this position.

First Base

Wil Myers $4.8k - Here we go with the Coors bats. This is just one of many that I "wil" be listing on here. I especially like the Padres here as they get the matchup vs Freeland who gives up a lot if home runs. Myers will be batting leadoff tonight ahead of what should be quite a slug fest. Also available in outfield.

Jose Martinez $4.7k - If you don't feel like stacking too many Coors bats or you just can't get the extra $100 for Myers then Martinez is also a great play. Like I said before, I do like the Rays bats as well and with all of the attention on coors, Martinez won't draw as much ownership as he usually would in this spot vs a bad lefty.

Matt Adams 3.9K - Scroll down a little bit to find the big lefty, Matt Adams. Wacha isn't bad but he's got his work cut out for him vs a tough Braves squad. Adams is always capable of hitting a long ball or two and I think this is a good spot to save for your Coors bats.

Second Base

Jurickson Profar $4.9k - I find it interesting that the Padres keep putting him up in the order but that's good news for DFS. The switch hitter comes with some pop in his bat and is hitting clean up in this high scoring affair. As I said before, I'm pretty heavy on the Padres tonight.

Ty France $3.8k - I think he's underpriced for the spot that he's in. He will most likely make my lineup and is also available at first base if needed. I think he will be pretty high owned as well.

Robinson Cano $3.5k - He's showing that he can still really handle the bat. I do like the Mets tonight and think they'll be very low owned with everything else that's going on. Good matchup as well.

Third Base

Nolan Arenado $5.5k - If you're a lefty heading to Coors field it usually means you're in trouble. Nolan is one of the more obvious plays of the night and this is a good spot for his first dong of the year.

Manny Machado $5.2k - It'll be tough to choose between him and Nolan. They're both in great spots but I think I like Manny's just a little more. He'll save you $300 and Lucchesi is a better pitcher than Freeland. I know that whoever I pick, the other will go off so DM me and I'll let you know who I pick.

Jeff McNeil $4.7k - This is clearly the position to spend up on and McNeil is a great pivot to those two guys I just talked about. Mets lefties are in play here and the Braves also have a troublesome bullpen. We saw a slugfest there last night and it wouldn't surprise me to see another.

Yandy Diaz $4.2k - If you need some salary relief here then Yandy would be a solid option. He hasn't gotten going yet but this is going to be his best chance to do so. Leading off for a lineup with a high implied total. Solid play.

Shortstop

Fernando Tatis Jr. $6.1k - Wow, that's a hefty price. It's the right price however given the situation and his hot start to the year. Even at this price, he's a great play. If the Padres score runs like they are supposed to then there is absolutely no way he doesn't get double digit DK points here.

Trevor Story $5.9k - This is another obvious play. Story against a lefty in Coors has been pretty automatic for the past few years. He will be high owned and I'll try not to miss out on it.

Willy Adames $4k - I've already listed him a few times in my picks as I really like his game. Another great spot here at a good price.

Outfield

Tommy Pham $5.1k - He will be the highest owned player on the slate. Just such an obvious smash spot.

Hunter Renfroe $4.4k - Dong threat and I've been rostering him vs lefties for years. Can't go wrong with him here.

Garrett Hampson $4.1k - This is a very affordable Coors bat and he's capable of swiping bags and scoring runs for you.

Matt Kemp $3.4k - Locking him in here at this price at Coors vs a lefty. I'm sure he will be very chalky as well.