Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks: Lineup advice for July 5, 2018


(Photo credit: Keith Allison)

Thursday is a travel day, which means the schedule is pretty light, however there is an eight-game evening contest on DraftKings that holds enough promise to be interesting. With the Astros, Diamondbacks, Angels, and Nationals playing there is plenty to sink your teeth into. So who should be in your lineup?

Justin Verlander Vs. Chicago White Sox ($13,400)

Verlander is the ace of the day, by far. The Astros man is $1,600 more than anyone else, but with only Johnny Cueto over the $10,000 barrier too you can see how thin quality pitching is today.

Verlander hasn't quite been as hot as usual in his recent starts. His last two outings have resulted in just 10.7 and 13.6 points, but a game against the White Sox should get him back on track. They are just 24th in the Majors in runs scored, and first in strikeouts. A nice combination for a man sporting a 2.12 ERA and 10.9 K/9.

Luke Weaver @ San Francisco Giants ($7,900)

Weaver is coming off something of an awful June. In six starts he posted a 6.75 ERA, allowed six homers, and struck out 29 hitters in 30.2 innings. It wasn't all bad though, mixed in with the poor play were some strong performances. He had a 26.6-point game against the Brewers, and solid 14.9 one against the Pirates. Weaver is a risk, but San Francisco's lineup isn't great and they play in a pitcher-friendly park. This is a nice spot to us Weaver.

Marco Gonzales Vs. Los Angeles Angels ($7,300)

Another nice option is Marco Gonzales, who gets the ball today against the Angels. The young lefty is posting career bests in ERA (3.77) and WHIP (1.27), while also limiting home runs and walks this year. He comes into today off the back of a brilliant 34.6-point outing against the Royals in which he struck out seven while going the distance and allowing just one run. He had a two rough starts before that, but that was against the Yankees and Red Sox. Against more normal levels of opposition Gonzales has been very reliable this season.

Alex Bregman Vs. Chicago White Sox ($5,500)

You're probably getting bored of me recommending Bregman, but the dude keeps hitting. He's on a nine-game hit streak now, picking up an RBI single and a walk last night. It's been three games since his last homer, and Carlos Rodon has allowed six in his five starts this year. That's a nice combo.

Rougned Odor @ Detroit Tigers ($4,000)

Odor is hitting a purple patch just now. He has 11 hits in his last 10 games, along with 10 runs, two homers, and four steals. All of that has given him a strong 10.9 points per game in his last 10. He may only be a .236 hitter on the year, but right now he is a solid option at second base.

John Hicks Vs. Texas Rangers ($3,300)

He's far from a household name, but Hicks has been seeing good time at first base recently for the Tigers, and has rewarded them with 10 hits in his last 10 games, including two homers and two doubles. He's averaging 7.2 points in that time span and is also eligible at catcher, which is a very nice bonus.

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