Major League Baseball

DraftKings Early MLB Picks For September 3

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Sep 12, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; A general view of the DraftKings sign board during the match with FC Dallas playing against New York City FC at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

DraftKings Early MLB Picks For September 3

There are four afternoon games today. Half of the pitchers cost $8,000 or more. Should we try for two of them since DraftKings has two pitcher slots, or should we find bargains and pay for hitters? Should we use two from the middle tier? Let’s check the past stats for some help.

NOTE: these picks are based solely on statistics. Some players have never faced their opponents, or have very little experience against them. I am not saying that none of those are good picks. The highest scorer of the day could be someone with no experience against his opponent. This is based on statistical analysis only. If you have a gut feeling, then by all means, follow that. This is not an exact science. The best lineups usually have a mix of proven stats and hot players. Check out this post from Matt McGarvey for great tips about whether to use a hot player in DFS or not.

For you first time players, if you would like $20 worth of free entry tickets, use this link for the referral bonus! Then continue reading for tips on how to turn that $20 into more!

Aug 29, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta (49) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports

Best Bet:

Jake Arrieta ($9,200): Arrieta has struggled recently, giving up five runs or more in two of his last three outings. Still, his past numbers against the Giants are elite. The Giants are only hitting .208 against Arrieta in 96 at bats with just one extra base hit (a Denard Span double), five runs scored, and 22 strikeouts. You wont find better numbers than that, especially on a short slate. He has a tough mound opponent, but he has dominated the Giants in his career so far.

Madison Bumgarner ($10,200): Arrieta’s past numbers are better, but MadBum has been far more consistent. It’s not like his numbers against the Cubs are bad. The North Siders are only hitting .213 against Bumgarner in 150 at bats with two homers, only ten runs, and 40 strikeouts. He has a higher ceiling than Arrieta, so I can’t blame you if you pay the extra $1,000.

Honorable Mention:

Dan Straily ($8,100): The current Cardinals have really struggled against Straily in his career. They are just 5-31(.161) with a homer (by Matt Holliday, who is on the DL), two runs, and seven strikeouts. It’s a small sample size, but Straily is certainly worth a look on a short slate.

Dark Horses:

Joe Musgrove ($6,300): Musgrove was really good against the Rangers on August 7th in his second major league start. He gave up just one run on five hits in seven innings with six strikeouts. The caveat? Since then he has given up 15 runs in 21.2 innings over four starts.

Aug 19, 2016; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto hits a three-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: David Kohl-USA TODAY Sports

Don’t forget to check out the DFS Lineup Optimizer over at FantasyPros. You can also pick your favorite players or favorite stack, and it will optimize the lineup around that! It really is an invaluable tool for you DFS players!

There is an Astros stack to be had against Derek Holland. Jose Altuve ($5,300) is 7-24(.292) with two walks, two doubles, a triple, a homer, and three RBI against Holland. Jason Castro ($3,200) has four hits in nine at bats, one of which is a solo homer. Carlos Correa ($4,200) has violated Holland. Correa is 5-8 with a walk, a double, two homers, and three RBI off of him already. Evan Gattis ($5,000) has three hits in eight tries with a double and two RBI. Even Colby Rasmus ($2,900), who struggles against left handers, has got in on the action. Rasmus is 3-12 with a walk, a double, and a solo homer.

Are you looking for another reason to use Dan Straily? How about the fact that the Reds have clobbered Jaime Garcia. Tucker Barnhardt ($3,200) is 4-9 with a walk, a double, and a solo homer against Garcia. Zack Cozart ($3,800) only has seven hits in 30 at bats(.233), but he has a walk, a homer, and three RBI. Brandon Phillips ($3,400) is 15-51(.294) with a walk, four doubles, two homers, and 11 RBI against Garcia. Eugenio Suarez ($3,900) has a solo homer and two singles in 13 at bats. Joey Votto ($4,700) is 16-42(.381) with seven walks, five doubles, a homer, and seven RBI against Garcia.

Sep 2, 2016; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays designator hitter Logan Morrison (7) reacts after his two run home run during the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Surprisingly, Jason Heyward ($2,800) has one of the home runs against Madison Bumgarner. He is only 3-15 overall, but he does have five RBI against MadBum. Ben Zobrist ($3,700) is 6-9 against Bumgarner with a walk, a double, a triple, and a RBI.

Jonathan Lucroy ($3,700) was the only Ranger to drive in a run against Joe Musgrove the first time around. He had a RBI double in three plate appearances.

Logan Forsythe ($3,500) is 5-11(.455) with a double and a solo homer against Marco Estrada. Logan Morrison ($3,000) is 3-9 with a triple, a homer, and four RBI. Bobby Wilson ($2,500) only has one hit in five at bats, but it is a homer and he has driven in four.

Troy Tulowitzki ($3,600) chased Blake Snell from his only start against the Blue Jays with a grand slam in the second inning. Devon Travis ($3,400) was 2-2 with the other RBI against Snell.

Be sure to check out the FanDuel picks from out experts in that area! Brian Tulloch provides the picks, and alternative plays if you don’t want to follow the herd. Don’t play FanDuel before checking it out!

Good luck out there, and check out our picks for FanDuel baseball!