Pitching Picks for 5/21 – Marlins and Tigers, Really?

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Justin Verlander vs. Chicago White Sox – $11,300 DraftKings, $12,00 FanDuel

At home this season Verlander has been nothing short of phenomenal. He has a 1.71 ERA with a .162 batting average against. Although his 9.43 K/9 at home is nothing spectacular, we all know the immense upside Verlander possesses when he is on his game. The White Sox have strikeouts up and down their lineup and the only hitter I’m ever really scared of is Yoan Moncada, but with Verlander I feel safe. Lock him in as your chalk SP1.

Caleb Smith @ Detroit Tigers – $10,400 DraftKings, $10,100 FanDuel

Caleb Smith has been nothing short of a phenomenal surprise. He has been completely dominant in all aspects of the game. On the road this season he holds a 2.89 ERA and a .185 batting average against. The number I want to see when facing the Tigers is how the pitcher does against right handed bats. On the road this season against right handed bats, Smith has a 13.15 K/9 and a .229 batting average against. I’ll take that all day. If you can’t jam him in as your SP2 then he is a very nice tournament pivot off Verlander.

Clayton Kershaw @ Tampa Bay Rays – $9,800 DraftKings, $9,800 FanDuel

Once the most dominant pitcher in baseball, Kershaw is slowly finding his stride. I loved what I saw from him in his last start against the Padres. He was very efficient and racked up five strikeouts. Minus the two homers, he had given up, he threw a gem. Going to a pitcher friendly ballpark I love Kershaw here as we get a slight discount on the massive upside we have with him. I don’t usually pick on the Rays, but I’m going to here.

Spencer Turnbull vs. Miami Marlins – $7,800 DraftKings, $8,600 FanDuel

Another surprise name here that I never thought I’d mention in 2019, Spencer Turnbull. Now let me make this point, I HATE playing non aces against the Marlins because of how pesky and annoying they are. We saw just this past weekend how deGrom and Syndergaard did not meet expectations vs. Miami. That’s why there’s a solid chance we will get lower than usual ownership on Turnbull, so I love him even more for GPP than cash. At home this season Turnbull holds a 2.33 ERA and a .252 batting average against. He is especially dominant against righties. He holds a .176 batting average against and a sparkling 11.16 K/9. Turnbull is a full go in all formats. If his ownership is lower than usual then I will go full steam ahead and lock him into all GPPs.