MLB DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Sunday (7/24)

It was so exciting to get back to baseball this weekend! I really missed it over the All-Star break, and it has my batteries recharged and ready for the second half. These first few days are frustrating because we’re not exactly sure who will start for every team the night before. With that said, we had a good showing for Saturday’s slate, and we’ll keep that momentum rolling here!

Starting Pitcher Rankings

Starting Pitcher Strategy

Man, this pitching pool is ridiculous. It’s scattered with All-Star pitchers, and it’ll be fun to pick and choose between these aces. It will be tough to pick the right ones, but you can’t go wrong with so many great pitchers in such fantastic spots. With that in mind, let’s get started with the best pitcher in fantasy!

Cash Game Recommendations:

Sandy Alcantara (MIA) at PIT

Sandy should have been the starter for the NL in the All-Star game, but we’ll keep riding him in DFS. The Marlins horse has thrown at least seven innings in 13 straight starts, posting a 1.31 ERA and 0.76 WHIP in that span. Those are averages you usually see from an elite closer, and this guy is doing this across 7-8 innings every night. That should be easy to duplicate against Pittsburgh, with the Pirates ranked bottom-three in runs scored, OBP, OPS, K rate, and xwOBA.

Clayton Kershaw (LAD) vs. SF

Kershaw is the one who got the start in the All-Star Game, and it’s hard to be disappointed with how good the future Hall-of-Famer has been. The left-hander has a 2.13 ERA and 0.91 WHIP this season, flirting with a perfect game in his last time out. San Fran had a scary offense last season, but they’re far from worrisome with CK entering this matchup as a -250 favorite against a lineup with Joc Pederson as their best hitter.

GPP Recommendations:

Dylan Cease (CWS) vs. CLE

Cease was the biggest snub in the All-Star game, and it’s hard to understand why he was left off the roster. The right-hander has a 2.15 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, and 12.9 K/9 rate this year, leading all starters in K rate. That strikeout stuff makes him an elite play in DFS, with Cease compiling a 0.47 ERA and 12.3 K/9 rate across his last 10 starts. Cleveland is not a concerning matchup either, with the Guardians ranked 17th in runs scored and 26th in xwOBA. That was on full display when Cease collected 50 FanDuel points against them two weeks ago.

Martin Perez (TEX) at OAK

Perez was a pitcher we used to stack against, but this guy has become an ace in Texas. The southpaw is slinging a 2.68 ERA and 1.16 WHIP this season, scoring at least 30 FD points in 14 of his 18 starts. That should be his floor against the A’s, with Oakland ranked 29th or 30th in OBP, OPS, runs scored, wOBA and xwOBA. In his two starts in Oakland this year, Perez has produced a 0.69 ERA and 0.69 WHIP.

Top Lineup Stacks

Minnesota Twins (vs. Drew Hutchinson)

• Road (Comerica Park)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9 Runs/MIN -150

We’ve been stacking against Hutchinson for years, and it always seems to print money. The journeyman has a 4.46 ERA and 1.39 WHIP this year, totaling a 5.30 ERA and 1.51 WHIP since 2015. That’s a long time to be posting averages like those, and we certainly believe guys like Luiz Arraez, Byron Buxton, Jorge Polanco, and Carlos Correa can add to those atrocious averages. There’s some thought that Rony Garcia might start for Detroit, but that’s a great matchup too!

Atlanta Braves (vs. Reid Detmers)

• Home (Truist Park)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9 Runs/ATL -190

The Braves have been bashing lefties throughout the year, and it’s easy to understand why. They have robust righties like Ronald Acuna, Austin Riley, and Marcell Ozuna, making them one of the most enticing stacks against Detmers. The left-hander has a 4.81 xFIP this season and a 4.79 ERA across his last four starts. That’s why Atlanta is projected for five runs!

Arizona Diamondbacks (vs. Erick Fedde)

• Home (Chase Field)
• Value: High
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9 Runs/ARI -120

Stacking the D’Backs looks silly on the surface, but the Nationals are an easy team to stack against. They sit 29th or 30th in ERA, WHIP, and xwOBA, making them one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball. That puts any offense in play against them, and we could find a ton of value among these Diamondback hitters. It looks like Erick Fedde will toe the rubber for the Nats, and that makes us even more excited behind his 4.91 ERA and 1.50 WHIP.

Core Studs

• If we love the Braves, we have to adore their leadoff hitter. That’s Acuna, a Top-5 player in fantasy since his call-up. That makes him tough to avoid since he has the platoon advantage against Detmers, totaling a .420 OBP and .931 OPS against lefties since 2020.
• Altuve is the BvP play of the day. The stout second baseman has a .529 AVG, .619 OBP, 1,000 SLG, and 1.619 OPS in 21 at-bats against Robbie Ray. That’s no surprise when looking at his splits, with Altuve amassing a .375 OBP, .694 SLG, and 1.069 OPS against left-handers this season.
• Lowe is probably Tampa’s best hitter, and we have loved his form since coming off the IL. The slugging second baseman has a .615 AVG and four runs scored in the three games since his reinsertion into the lineup. That makes him a good option, with Lowe providing a .341 OBP, .518 SLG, and .859 OPS since 2019.
• It’s hard to understand why Carpenter isn’t in the lineup every day because he’s been the highest-scoring player in fantasy on a per-game basis. The former Cardinal has a .448 OBP, .837 SLG, and 1.285 OPS in 33 games this year. That consistently earns him a top spot in one of the most potent lineups in baseball, and he should continue that success against a righty with a 1.32 WHIP.
• Arraez leads baseball with a .338 AVG, and he continues to kill righties atop this lineup. In fact, Luis has a .364 AVG, .435 OBP, and .919 OPS, with the platoon advantage in his favor this season. He should get on base multiple times against a horrid pitcher like Hutchinson.

Value Plays/Punts

• The Twins are my favorite stack of the day, and it should be easy to get Arraez and Polanco into your lineup. The middle infielder has been incredible in the heart of this lineup, providing a .372 OBP, ..481 SLG, and .853 OPS against righties this year.
• Cooper has quietly had a few monster seasons in Miami. The 31-year-old has compiled a .283 AVG, .360 OBP, and .816 OPS since 2020. That’s a large sample size of dominance, making it hard to understand why he remains so cheap. Facing a pitcher like Mitch Keller is excellent, too, with the righty registering a 5.52 ERA and 1.64 WHIP across 259 career innings.
• The Brewers are one of the sneakiest stacks out there, and Tellez would be an excellent choice if that’s the route you want to take. This bulky first baseman has a .490 SLG and .790 OPS against righties this season. He should continue that against a struggling Chad Kuhl, with the Colorado arm accruing a 5.45 ERA and 1.61 WHIP across his last six starts.
• Ozuna went yard on Friday, and we believe he’s in line to have a monster second half. This slugger’s hard-hit numbers are on par with his career averages, and it’s just a matter of time before positive regression heads his way. Getting the platoon advantage against an overachieving lefty is the way to even up those averages!
• Varsho has struggled at times this season, but he’s the best catching option on the board over on DraftKings. The backstop had three hits and a dinger in his first game after the break and now has a .766 OPS against righties this season. Facing Fedde is a fantastic matchup, and Varsho is the first Arizona bat you should get for your stack.

Hitter Strategy

This is a fun slate. Not only do we have a ton of great pitching options, but we have some great offenses to build around them. Teams like Tampa, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Atlanta, and Arizona have a ton of cheap bats we can pivot to, and it should allow us to pick any aces we want from the pitching pool. It’s imperative to have big days from your arms, so start your build there. We should also find plenty of value with many players resting on this Sunday slate, which you need to keep an eye on.

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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.