DraftKings picks: Kiermaier, Jones, Santana
With a scant number of aces on today's schedule, DraftKings participants can choose to either employ a hitting stack against a back-end starter or spread out their lineup with the top options from several games. Selecting pitchers will be difficult, but this article offers some suggestions for low-cost hurlers who could log quality frames in addition to hitters positioned for success.
Kevin Kiermaier (Rays): Kiermaier has produced a lifetime .284/.341/.515 slash line against right-handers, which indicates that he could find success against Orioles righty Chris Tillman. The outfielder has compiled 11 of his 12 career homers and all five of his career steals against righties, and Tillman has posted a lifetime 1.3 HR/9 rate and a 4.59 FIP.
Adam Jones (Orioles): With a career .799 OPS against right-handers that exceeds his .757 mark vs. lefties, the outfielder could reach base multiple times or rip a round-tripper against Rays righty Alex Colome. The 26-year-old hurler will be making his first 2015 start after posting a career 4.36 FIP and a 1.31 WHIP.
:: Fred Zinkie's Daily Picks ::Carlos Santana (Indians): The first baseman with multi-position DraftKings eligibility could improve on his impressive lifetime .852 OPS against left-handers (.787 vs. righties) when he faces Blue Jays lefty Mark Buehrle (career 1.29 WHIP).
Dee Gordon (Marlins): Gordon -- who has compiled a lifetime .701 OPS against righties (.604 vs. left-handers) -- could reach base often and swipe a bag when he faces Phillies righty Jerome Williams (career 1.36 WHIP).
Ike Davis (A's): Davis could excel against Rangers righty Colby Lewis at hitter-friendly Globe Life Park in Arlington. The left-handed-hitting first baseman has compiled a career .815 OPS against righties (.579 vs. southpaws), and Lewis has allowed left-handed batters to accumulate a collective lifetime .830 OPS.
Stephen Vogt (A's): Vogt is another left-handed hitter who could thrive against Lewis. The catcher is hitting .348 with four homers and 15 RBIs this season, and he owns a lifetime .757 OPS against right-handers (.628 vs. lefties).
Josh Reddick (A's): The outfielder could be part of an A's stack, as his career .763 OPS against right-handers (.691 vs. lefties) suggests that he could flash his power at a hitter-friendly venue against Lewis (career 4.81 ERA, 1.39 WHIP).
Andre Ethier (Dodgers): Multiple outfield injuries have opened up a starting role for Ethier, and with a lifetime .890 OPS against right-handers (.641 vs. lefties), he could be positioned for a strong performance against D-backs righty Rubby De La Rosa (career 4.38 ERA, 1.44 WHIP).
Adrian Gonzalez (Dodgers): The first baseman will look to carry a red-hot April (eight homers, 19 RBIs, .383 batting average) into May when he brings his lifetime .914 OPS against right-handers (.771 vs. lefties) into a matchup with De La Rosa.
Xander Bogaerts (Red Sox): The shortstop could excel at his hitter-friendly home park when he brings his lifetime .769 OPS vs. lefties (.624 against right-handers) into a matchup with Yankees southpaw CC Sabathia. The lefty hurler has compiled a 4.97 ERA since the outset of the 2013 season.
Hanley Ramirez (Red Sox): Ramirez has dazzled in a Boston uniform, recording 10 homers, 22 RBIs and a .293 batting average in 21 games. He has produced a career .925 OPS vs. lefties (.859 against right-handers), and he could smack a homer against Sabathia, who has surrendered 64 long balls across his past 72 starts dating back to 2012.
Buster Posey (Giants): Posey is one of the best hitters in baseball against lefties, with a career .966 OPS in comparison to an .812 mark vs. right-handers. He could provide DraftKings participants with plentiful production from the catcher position when he faces Angels lefty C.J. Wilson.
Carlos Carrasco (Indians): Carrasco could rack up the strikeouts when he opposes a Blue Jays lineup that possesses several sluggers who do their best work against southpaws. The right-hander has displayed tremendous swing-and-miss stuff, fanning 23 batters across 15 2/3 innings this season after racking up 140 whiffs in 134 frames a year ago.
Matt Harvey (Mets): With few aces on the docket, Harvey should attract plenty of attention from DraftKings participants, and for good reason. The right-hander has compiled a 2.45 ERA and a 0.98 WHIP as a big leaguer, and he will pitch at home against a Nationals lineup that is tied for third in the Majors with 185 strikeouts.
Tom Koehler (Marlins): The right-hander could improve on a lifetime 4.14 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP when he faces a Phillies lineup that ranks last in the Majors in runs scored (60) and OPS (.605). Koehler will also benefit from working at his pitcher-friendly home park, and he will likely carry a reasonable DraftKings price tag.
Scott Kazmir (A's): The left-hander has compiled a 0.99 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP this season, which represents an improvement on a respectable 3.55 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 2014. Kazmir could thrive when he faces a Rangers lineup that ranks last in the American League with a .611 OPS. And with Lewis on the bump for the opposition, Kazmir could finish off a quality outing with a win.
Chris Heston (Giants): Heston struggled at homer-happy Coors Field his last time out, but he has allowed two earned runs across 14 2/3 innings at his pitcher-friendly home park since joining the team's rotation this season. The 27-year-old could be a cost-effective option for DraftKings participants when he pitches at home against an Angels lineup that will work without a designated hitter. The right-hander could be a late bloomer, as he produced a 3.38 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP in the hitter-friendly PCL last season.
All statistics are accurate through the completion of Wednesday's games.