Hopefully everyone had a great Fourth of July weekend. I know I enjoyed watching baseball until my eyes hurt. We have a few more days until the dreaded All Star Break, so enjoy it while you can. What are we going to do without fantasy baseball for five days!?
With just two early games on Thursday, we'll focus only on the nine-game main slate that starts at 7 p.m. eastern time. There are three pitchers that I like, and a fourth that I don't hate. The issue will be finding the right bats to fit into your remaining salary cap. Let's get to it.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball MLB lineup picks for DraftKings on 7/7/16. The DFS lineup picks will range from high-priced to low-priced options and identify options who will out-perform their expectations, including sleepers and value plays on DraftKings.
Editor's Note: RotoBaller has the best Premium MLB Subscription for only $1.99 per week. We have all the tools to help win your seasonal and daily leagues: Hitter & Pitcher Streamers, Matchup Ratings for every player, Sleeper Surgers for AVG, HR, Ks, PLUS Daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Lineup Picks, Expert Lineups, Stacks and Avoids.
DFS Lineup Stacks to Target on DraftKings
Colorado Rockies vs. Adam Morgan
A 84 wRC+ recognizes the fact that the Rockies as a whole are not great against left-handed pitchers like Morgan. However, they are ranked 15th in wOBA vs. LHP at .325, which tells us that they do an all right job against lefties when at Coors Field. Players like Nolan Arenado, D.J. LeMahieu, Trevor Story, and Charlie Blackmon are the main reasons why this glimpse of success exist. Morgan is an awful pitcher, carrying a 6.31 ERA while letting up nearly two homers and over two walks per nine innings. Coors Field should magnify those weaknesses, and make Rockies right-handed hitters (plus Blackmon) a nice stack.
Texas Rangers vs. Tyler Duffey
While the Rangers haven't blown us away with their ability to hit right-handed pitching this season, they have certainly flashed signs of success. Meanwhile, Duffey's train has fallen off the tracks since his apparent breakout earlier in the season. He's allowed 30 earned runs in his last 37 innings pitched. The combination of a solid righty-hitting lineup and a pitcher who can't figure it out provides a nice stacking opportunity. Texas' leaders in wOBA vs. RHP include Jurickson Profar, Ian Desmond, Nomar Mazara, and Rougned Odor. Prince Fielder also acts as a sneaky GPP play due to his quiet signs of life at the plate recently.
Also Consider: Cubs vs. Lucas Harrell, Phillies vs. Chad Bettis, Tigers vs. Drew Hutchison
DFS Starting Pitchers to Consider on DraftKings
Rich Hill, OAK at HOU - $11,400
Despite his lower salary, I like Hill more than the next pitcher. Still, I don't think you can go wrong with either one. The Astros rank 24th in wOBA vs. LHP, and the southpaw's curveball looked as dominant as ever in his return against the Pirates. Hill's pitch count should be close to (if not completely) irrelevant in this one, so I expect him to go at least seven innings while racking up plenty of strikeouts.
Drew Pomeranz, SD at LAD - $11,700
The Dodgers call the Astros' bad wOBA vs. LHP, and raise them. They rank 28th in that category this season, and this is not the lefty that could solve their issues. Pomeranz has flashed brilliance of late, and he has a 20/2 strikeout to walk ratio in his last 20 innings. This is another fine cash or GPP play for Thursday.
Danny Duffy, KC vs. SEA - $9,300
Trevor Bauer probably deserves some mention in this section, as he should be able to keep his head above water against the Yankees while providing some upside. I don't mind him in GPPs. Still, I prefer Duffy, and I'll even be using him in some cash games ahead of Pomeranz. Duffy has struck out eight batters in each of his last four outings, and the Mariners are below average against left-handed pitchers. Nelson Cruz and Franklin Gutierrez are two M's that hit lefties well, but as long as Duffy can avoid major damage from their bats he should have smooth sailing the rest of the way.
DFS Infielders to Consider on DraftKings
Catcher (C)
Nick Hundley, COL vs. PHI - $3,900
Cheap Coors Field exposure is always good. Hundley provides that on Thursday. He's not the biggest power hitter in the world, but there is some pop there. Morgan should allow plenty of runs in this one.
Kurt Suzuki, MIN at TEX - $3,500
As someone who once thought he had upside, let me be the first to tell you that Chi Chi Gonzalez is a bum. Suzuki has been smoking the ball lately, and his OBP skills are perfect for guaranteeing production from your catcher spot.
First Base (1B)
Miguel Cabrera, DET at TOR - $3,800
This is not a high enough price tag for the league's best pure hitter. He's not red hot by any means right now, and it would be better if Drew Hutchison was a lefty, but I'm not passing up this price.
Prince Fielder, TEX vs. MIN - $3,700
This price is certainly a little high for a player that was basically lifeless for the first three months of the season. However, Fielder is slowly waking up, and he's still sitting in the middle of a productive lineup. I'm a fan of this GPP play, especially in a Rangers stack.
Second Base (2B)
Jurickson Profar, TEX vs. MIN - $4,200
If you are stacking Rangers, I think Profar has to be in the mix. He's proven his top prospect status so far, and he's batting leadoff in Shin-Soo Choo's absence. The contact and power combo is tough to ignore, even at this price.
Yangervis Solarte, SD at LAD - $3,300
I'm not sure what DraftKings is trying to prove here, but Solarte has been mashing lefties this season, and he gets Ryu fresh off Tommy John on Thursday. Matt Kemp and Wil Myers should provide plenty of RBI chances for the switch hitter. FYI: You can use him at third base too.
Shortstop (SS)
Trevor Story, COL vs. PHI - $5,100
Troy Tulowitzki, TOR vs. DET - $4,200
These are my two GPP shortstop plays. Story is a great part of a potential Rockies stack as long as you have the money. Tulowitzki provides similar upside, but his matchup is much tougher against Justin Verlander. Still, I don't mind either one if you're looking to score big in a tournament.
Third Base (3B)
Nolan Arenado, COL vs. PHI - $5,400
This is my stud to pay up for if at all possible, and if you don't know why you need much more help than this article can provide. He might hit four homers as long as Morgan stays in the game.
Maikel Franco, PHI at COL - $5,100
I'm fine with Arenado's counterpart in a GPP, as the ownership level should be much lower. Franco has homered in four straight games, and he's one of the hottest hitters in the league coming into this Coors Field series.
DFS Outfielders to Consider on DraftKings
Charlie Blackmon, COL vs. PHI - $5,500
Ian Desmond, TEX vs. MIN - $4,800
Whichever team you decide to stack, you would be wise to include one of these outfielders. Blackmon and Desmond have been catalysts for their respective offenses this year, and they make for great plays if you have the cash.
Matt Kemp, SD at LAD - $3,500
This is another baffling price. I understand that Ryu has always been a good pitcher with borderline great stuff, but he's bound to make a few mistakes in his first MLB game in like 600 days. My money is on the lefty-mashing Kemp to take advantage of one of those mistakes.
Neslon Cruz, SEA at KC - $4,700
DK got this one right. Cruz has been automatic against lefties this year. His ownership should be low thanks to a good pitcher, a high price, and plenty of other options. That makes him a solid GPP play just in case he does get a hold of a Duffy pitch.
Ben Revere, WAS at NYM - $3,700
I like Revere as a cash play against Bartolo Colon on Thursday. Not only do his L/R splits matchup well with Big Sexy, but something tells me he'll be running if/when he does get on. He seems like a safe play if you need a mid-tier outfielder.
Full Season MLB & DFS Premium Pass
Get a Premium Pass for the entire MLB season - including the playoffs - for only $29.99. That's Premium access to over 10 tools, and over 20 valuable resources, for one incredible price. Here's a taste of what you get:
- DFS lineup picks and cheat sheets for FanDuel and DraftKings - seven days a week
- Three expert lineups: FanDuel, DraftKings, and Stack of the Day - seven days a week
- Top DFS value plays, avoids and injury updates - seven days a week
- Lineup tools: daily premium hitter and pitcher matchup ratings
All of this for just $29.99... it's simply the best deal around. No other site offers this type of deal. What are you waiting for?
Live Expert Q&A Chats - Every Weekday @ 1 PM and 6 PM EST (DFS)
Fantasy Baseball Chat Room
[iflychat_embed id="c-55" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]