We’re still very early into the MLB season, but certain trends for DFS are already becoming apparent. Baseball is easily one of the most challenging sports to predict, but history and statistics can point us in the right direction. Below you will find information on two pitchers and two hitters that look great for tonight’s seven game slate.
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Shane Bieber - P $9,600 DK
There’s plenty of good pitchers at the top of the board today, but Shane Bieber catches my eye. Bieber is undoubtedly the ace for Cleveland, and he’ll be facing an Angels team that strikes out a lot. The LA Angels are not a bad team, but they’ve generated a majority of their offense against bad teams. Below are some key points for this matchup.
- The Angels have the 8th most strikeouts in the league through 17 games.
- Shane Bieber averages 7.7 strikeouts per game against the Angels.
- Bieber has only given up one walk in his three recent appearances vs. the Angels.
- The Angels are batting .210 against Bieber with a .14 ISO past 3 games.
Looking at the statistics and matchup history, this is a good fit for Shane Bieber. He already has a decent K/9 rate, and when you pair this with LA’s high strikeout rate, it’s a match made in heaven. The Cleveland Guardians have also lost 3 games in a row, and they likely want to bounce back. I will be over the field on Shane Bieber tonight.
Max Scherzer - P $9,300 DK
If you follow baseball, you know what Max Scherzer is capable of. He’s one of the best starting pitchers of the current generation, posting four seasons with 250+ strikeouts. I definitely have some interest in him for DFS purposes, especially considering he’s not the top priced pitcher on the slate. Below is some key information regarding this matchup.
- Scherzer is 3-0 to start the season, averaging 7.6 strikeouts per game.
- In his career, Scherzer averages 8.3 strikeouts per game vs. the Cardinals.
- The Cardinals have a career .223 batting average against Max Scherzer.
- Scherzer has only allowed 5 homeruns in 13 career starts vs. the Cardinals.
- Max Scherzer is averaging 6 IP to start the season.
This is a situation where Scherzer has the upper hand. If all goes well, I’m expecting him to pitch a little over 6 innings and record his usual number of strikeouts. Vegas has the total for this game set at 6.5 which is the lowest on the slate, so offense will likely be at a minimum.
Mookie Betts - OF $4,900 DK
This is perhaps one of the best matchups Mookie Betts could ever have, and for some reason Draftkings priced him down. The Dodgers face the Diamondbacks tonight, and Merrill Kelly is the opposing starter. For me, this is all I need to know considering Betts has smashed Kelly throughout his career. Let’s have a look at some key pieces of information.
- Mookie Betts is 4-12 in his career vs. Merrill Kelly with 2 homeruns.
- Betts has a career 0.58 ISO against Kelly. Yes, you read that correctly.
- The Dodgers as a team have a .17 ISO vs. Kelly.
- Mookie Betts has only struck-out once in 12 plate appearances vs. Merrill Kelly.
There’s several reasons why I like this matchup. First, Mookie Betts is a lot cheaper than he normally is due to all the star power on tonight’s slate. Second, statistics imply that a ball in play is the most likely outcome in this matchup. Lastly, the Dodgers tend to do well against Merrill Kelly, thus opening the door for more scoring opportunities.
Matt Chapman - 3B $3,900 DK
Pitchers will take up a lot of salary tonight, so it’s imperative to look for savings under the positional players. Matt Chapman is a borderline mid-range option for tonight that offers some potential. Chapman is one of those guys that hardly ever puts up a goose egg, and he usually bounces back when he does. Tonight, the Blue Jays face Nathan Eovaldi and the Red Sox in what should be a favorable matchup.
- Nathan Eovaldi has a 4.33 career ERA against the Blue Jays.
- Matt Chapman has at least one hit in 7 of his last 8 games.
- Chapman averages a homerun every 6 games. If this holds true, he’s due tonight.
- Eovaldi has allowed 2+ HRs in two of his first three starts this season.
- Chapman has a .30 ISO at home this season.
- Chapman is batting .385 in 3 games vs. the Red Sox this season.
Conclusion
Thank you for reading this article on the best MLB DFS picks for 4/25/2022. This article is only the tip of the iceberg, so make sure you do your own research before drafting lineups. Best of luck, and stay tuned for more DFS content on a regular basis.
