DraftKings Lineup Help: August 5 Early Games

August 1, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout (27) on deck before hitting in the seventh inning against Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

There are only four games to choose from in the early slate of games on DraftKings. As a result, the player pool becomes smaller and your decisions become harder. Here are the players to pick for the best lineup on DraftKings this afternoon.

P – Hector Santiago, LAA, $9,400

With the hitters being very cheap, I chose Santiago as my building block for these games. After what his teammate Matt Shoemaker did to the Cleveland Indians last night, Santiago shouldn’t have a problem repeating that. On the season, he has a 2.70 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 115 strikeouts in 123.1 innings. The Indians are 20th in team batting average, 26th in home runs and 21st in runs scored this month. For the price and shot at a win, Santiago is worth it.

P – Erasmo Ramirez, TB, $6,300

Ramirez has been pitching well over the last month. He has given up just one run in five of his last six starts. Ramirez will take the mound against the budding Chicago White Sox. The White Sox are nine in runs scored, T-10 in RBI and seventh in batting average this month. With the lack of pitching in these early slates, Ramirez is reasonably priced and has a good matchup. He is my sleeper of the day.

C – Caleb Joseph, BAL, $3,600

The catcher position does not have a lot of depth in these games. You could go the route of using one of the two catchers playing in Colorado, but that’s not where I went. Joseph has four home runs, 13 RBI and a .392 batting average over his last 10 games. He will be hitting against Kendall Graveman, who has given up 14 runs in his last four starts. Just keep tabs on the starting lineup to see if Joseph or Matt Wieters will get the start.

1B – Chris Davis, BAL, $4,300

No surprise that I’m using “Crush” Davis. He is the second most-expensive first baseman in these games. He has five home runs and 15 RBI over the last 10 games. He should be able to crush another home run off of Graveman.

2B – Logan Forsythe, TB, $3,900

Forsythe has been on a tear recently. He hit a home runs in two of his last four games with seven RBI. I like the Tampa Bay hitters against Chicago White Sox rookie pitcher Carlos Rodon. He has allowed 15 runs in his last three outings, 13.2 innings. With his recent success, Forsythe is priced just right.

3B – Manny Machado, BAL, $4,300

This pick was a little tough. There are some good third basemen playing in the early games, and DraftKings’ prices made it even harder. Machado is the fourth-most expensive third baseman. However, with the matchup and price, Machado is the way to go. If you want to spend 10 percent of your budget on a third baseman, then go with Nolan Arenado. But his recent struggles steered me in another direction.

SS – Brad Miller, SEA, $3,900

If you are not going to pay for Jose Reyes, then it doesn’t matter who you pick. Reyes is $800 more than the next expensive shortstop, Miller. In yesterday’s game, Miller had two hits (one double), two runs scored and a stolen base. He went 3-for-4 with a home run the night before. Miller seems to be a fan of Coors Field, which is why I’m a fan of him on DraftKings.

OF – Mike Trout, LAA, $5,000

The price difference between Trout and Nelson Cruz is ridiculous. DraftKings has Cruz priced at $6,200. Saving $1,200 and using the best baseball player today allows you to upgrade another position. The benefit of playing in Coors Field is not worth the price. Trout is Trout and he can hit anywhere.

OF – Adam Eaton, CWS, $4,500

The White Sox offense is finally emerging, and Eaton is a big contributor. He has 12 runs, 18 hits and four stolen bases in his last 10 games. The White Sox offense should continue their hitting ways against Wei-Yin Chen. He has 23 earned runs in his last 10 starts, 4.04 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. Eaton may not provide you with power, nine homers this season, but the hits, runs and stolen bases will add up to some valuable points.

OF – Adam Jones, BAL, $4,700

Jones is the last Baltimore hitter I am using in these games. He has been a bit of a roller coaster of a player recently. In his last five games, he two games with three hits. In the other three? He went 0-for-4. He hit home runs in back-to-back games to end July. Hopefully, Jones can carry that power over into this month.

This is the lineup I’m using for DraftKings. The games lock in less than four hours, so head over to DraftKings and set your lineup for the early games. Good luck and happy playing.