Daily Fantasy MLB Pitchers for FanDuel and DraftKings - 5/8/17

Here's where you can find some recommendations for tournament pitchers target for FanDuel and DraftKings. Find our main set of cash game picks here.

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Pitchers

Nathan Karns FD 7000 DK 7200
Opponent - TB (Snell) Park - @TB
FD - 28.57 DK - 19.02

Holy cow, there is some crap on this slate. It's not that all the pitchers are bad, it's just that most of the decent ones are in pretty tough spots. In fact, outside of the three guys we recommended with the cash game picks, it might be a stretch to find anybody else you feel great about rostering tonight. That said, there is a case to be made for Karns, given the fact that his low cost is going to make Coors and/or those sexy Yankees bats much easier to fit into you lineup. It starts with Ks. The Rays are second in baseball with a 25.9 K% vs. RHP, and Karns averages over 9 Ks/9 in his career. That number is down a bit this season, (8.09 per 9 IP), but the swinging strike rate is in line with last year's, when he had 9.64/9 IP, so the potential for a nice night is there. The ballpark, which suppresses homers, also helps, because Karns needs all the help he can get keeping the ball in yard. Of course, the Rays have been pretty solid vs. RHP this season, with a 103 wRC+ in the split, and Karns is the epitome of hit-or-miss -- three good starts, three really bad ones this year -- so you're not exactly getting a steal here. But given the dearth of palatable SP choices tonight, we think Karns' risk is acceptable.

Trevor Bauer FD 8800 DK 7900
Opponent - TOR (Stroman) Park - @TOR
FD - 29.03 DK - 19.34

Ok. Karns wasn't so bad. You really only need to squint to see how he might be a feasible GPP play. For Bauer, on the other hand, I'm not sure the Hubble telescope would do the trick. But since we must, here's the pitch: the Blue Jays have been awful this year. That's really 90 percent of the story here. They're 26th in wRC+ vs. RHP, 27th in wOBA, and 23rd in ISO. Real bad. On the other hand, they've been showing signs of life lately, the Rogers Centre is a great place to hit and Bauer has been the cure for the ailing offense this season. He's probably due for some positive regression, because he seems to be running bad on BABIP, strand rate and HR:FB ratio -- but some of that is on him, because he's giving up way too much hard contact (41%). So, obviously, the risk here is substantial and probably more than I'm willing to take on at these prices. But if you're looking for low ownership, I think the guy with the 7+ ERA will probably provide it, and if you're looking for reasons to be optimistic, focus on his 10.33 Ks/9 and try to forget the fact that it's not supported by a surge in swinging strike rate.

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