Monday 6.22

What an awesome day for DraftKings! So many great picks to choose from. Where do we begin?

Top Pitchers

Clayton Kershaw - $12,700

Although he is the most expensive pitcher available by far, Kershaw is an absolute strikeout machine with 122 on the season. He is only behind Max Scherzer (123) who, let's face it, is pitching like he's from another planet. Kershaw has gotten some serious FPPG in his last handful of starts and is sure to continue his success against the Cubs. However, keep in mind that the Cubs are a hot team and Wrigley Field is a hitter's park -- Kershaw can pitch well, but there's not much room for error.

Felix Hernandez - $10,900

Hernandez is a must-have in Monday's lineup. Although he is a pricey pickup, Hernandez leads the American League in wins (10) and is playing in Seattle, a pitcher's park. At home, Hernandez has a 2.59 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and sports an impressive 25.5 FPPG average. However, keep in mind that the Royals have the second-best team road batting average in baseball (.272). Lefties Eric Hosmer and Kendrys Morales may give Hernandez some trouble.

Michael Pineda - $9,300

It may seem like a copout for picking the top three players on DraftKings, but there really aren't any shortcuts in todays pitching match-ups. These three pitchers are elite and are sure to give you a quality outing.  Although Pineda has had some serious ups and downs this season, he may be a risk worth taking. Facing the struggling Phillies at home, Pineda has some serious potential to get a lot of strikeouts and go deep into the game. However, like with Kershaw, Pineda is pitching in a HITTER'S park. Take that into consideration when drafting -- especially coming off a game where the Phillies outscored the Cardinals (the best team in baseball) 9-2.

Top Hitters

The New York Yankees

I know this isn't very specific, but you honestly can't go wrong. Yankee Stadium. Crappy opposing team. Crappy opposing pitcher. Get ready for a home run derby folks. Brett Gardner, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Brian McCann are solid picks to name a few.

Chris Colabello - $3,400

For some reason, this kid is always on the cheap and I can never figure out why. Colabello has done nothing but rake for the Blue Jays this season. Hitting .344, Colabello leads the entire Blue Jays team in batting average. That says something. He normally hits comfortably behind Jose Bautista in the number five spot and is a must-have OF.

Joey Butler - $3,800

Butler, like Colabello, is a super cheap pickup for what he does. Hitting .336 with 6 home runs, he also leads his respective team in batting average. Butler has floated around the lineup all season, but has recently found himself in the number two spot. I know it seems counterintuitive to pick two players that will be playing against each other, but both starting pitchers are so bad that we might be in for a high-scoring game.

Tip: Something I've learned through my experience at DraftKings is to look at the weather. If it's supposed to rain, stay away if you can. Not only is there a chance that the game will be postponed, but pitchers do not pitch well in wet weather.