Boston's Chris Sale is the obvious pitcher to add to any MLB DraftKings team. Sale's on his way to another Cy Young with his 15 and 6 record, 2.77 ERA, and .91 WHIP. The man's struck out 264 batters in only 185.1 innings pitched.
If any DFS MLB fans want to add Sale, they should do it. But, if they do add Sale, that makes adding one of the pitchers below even more important. All 3 of the listed starter under my Pitcher to Add section should offer value for their salary cost.
I'm staying away from the 3 starters under my Pitchers to Avoid list.
Pitchers to Add
1. Luke Weaver, St. Louis Cardinals
The 24-year-old from Florida State might be St. Louis' next big time pitcher. Weaver's done nothing wrong in 7 games played, and 4 games started. His overall stats are impressive: 2.48 ERA, 3-1 record, and a 1.17 WHIP. Weaver's faced Giant batters only 7 times. SF has 3 hits from the 7 at-bats.
I'm not worried. The batting average at AT&T Park is .253. Only 94 home runs have been hit out of AT&T Park. I think Weaver has a shot to come up roses on Sunday.
2. Zach Godley, Arizona Diamondbacks
It's hard to lockdown batters at Coors Field. The D'Backs have a key 3-game series against Colorado this weekend in Colorado. Coors Field almost always favors hitters. Godley's got a nice 3.29 ERA, though. He's also pitched well against the Rockies in the past.
Although it's always tough to find the pitcher to pair with the ace, Godley deserves a look. He not only throws against a team in his division, but he also has a decent 3.11 road ERA.
3. Lucas Giolitto, Chicago White Sox
In 2 games started and 13 innings pitched, 23-year-old Lucas Giolitto has a 2.77 ERA and a .92 WHIP. Tampa Bay Ray batters have never faced Giolitto. I believe that gives Giolitto the edge. I'd consider giving him a shot. That's especially true if I do plunge salary cap dollars on Sale.
Pitchers to Avoid
1. Luis Severino, New York Yankees
The Boston Red Sox nailed Severino the last time he faced them. He only lasted 4.1 innings. The Red Sox pounded him with 8 hits. 2 of the 8 hits went for home runs. Severino allowed a horrible 8 earned runs. He only struck out 4.
Sev could have a great bounce back game against the rival Red Sox on Sept. 3. Or, he could bomb uncontrollably.
2. Ervin Santana, Minnesota Twins
Santana has had a nice season. He faces the KC Royals in a key match up on Sunday. I don't necessarily have a problem with Santana versus the Royals. The big reason I must avoid using him is because if the strategy is to add Sale, I can't possibly add Santana. 2 aces on my MLB DraftKings team is going to cost way too much salary.
If you decide to leave Sale on the bench, then, by all means, look to add Ervin Santana. He was blazing in August.
3. Alex Wood, L.A. Dodgers
Wood comes off the DL on Sunday to start against the San Diego Padres. Dodgers' manager Dave Roberts put Clayton Kershaw on a 75 pitch count on Friday, Sept. 1. Why wouldn't he put Wood on a pitch count as well? I'm just not sure Wood's going to be worth the salary cap cost considering he might only get 4 to 5 innings of work.
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