👉 TAP TO SAVE 50% WITH CODE SPRING
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


Daily Fantasy Baseball Lineup Picks (7/18/17): MLB DFS Advice for FanDuel and DraftKings

Tonight we have a full 15-game slate on deck and pitching options in all tiers that are enormous upgrades from what we had to work with last night. Lineup lock is at 7:05 with every team playing under the lights. As a result of every team participating in the Main contest, there are some monster GPP pools to dip into. Monster GPP pools are what makes Tuesdays half tolerable.

Now, I have to preface this by saying the lines are sure to move before first pitch, but I'd be remiss and totally out of character if I didn't call out a few of these that look interesting as of Monday night. The biggest favorites of the night are the Dodgers at -295, which is none too surprising when you see Clayton Kershaw listed as the starting pitcher. After a steep drop off, we then have the Astros (-195), the Pirates (-155), and the Rockies (-142) to round out the large and/or notable favorites. For run total projections - especially helpful when deciding which stacks to deploy in cash games and tournaments - the Rockies rule the roost at 6.3, followed by the Yankees (5.6), Astros (5.6), Dodgers (5.5), Orioles (5.5), Diamondbacks (5.4), Royals (5.4) and the Padres (5.3). Those are some pretty high totals, but the rest of the teams aren't too far behind. Keep an eye on the late movement on these figures.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 7/18/17. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. Let's get to it, shall we?

Featured Promo! Save 50% on any PGA Premium Pass using discount code MASTERS, this week only! Win more with our DFS and Betting Packages, get expert tools and advice from proven winners including the Lineup Optimizer, Research Station, betting/props cheat sheet and more. GAIN FULL ACCESS HERE

 

DFS Starting Pitchers to Consider

Clayton Kershaw - P, @ CWS (DK - $14,000, FD - $12,700)

He's the greatest pitcher on the board almost every night but the gap between he and the next best pitcher tonight is quite large. In other words, you need to be prepared to pay up for him as your cash game pitcher. The matchup tonight isn't perfect but it does have upside as well. Kershaw is taking the bump in Chicago which is a downgrade for a pitcher but he does a good job of keeping the ball in the yard (1.1 HR/9) and an excellent job of limiting hard contact, with a 27% mark this season (a number that is just 21% over the past 15 days). The upside I mentioned? It's in the form of strikeouts, of course. Kershaw has a 10.5 K/9 mark over the past 12 months and the White Sox are no opponent to striking out - their projected lineup for tonight owns a collective 25.6% K rate. On top of all that, the Dodgers are the biggest favorites tonight and the White Sox have the lowest run projection of the night by nearly a run at 3.1. I think he's got a great start for a Quality Start in addition to enough run support for the win to go with his 7+ strikeouts.

Brad Peacock - P, vs SEA (DK - $10,300, FD - $9,200)

Peacock's consistent brilliance finally caught the attention of DraftKings and FanDuel because we're seeing five digit price tags for the first time. He's not the value he once was due to that, but he's still a much cheaper option than Kershaw (and a relative value today) and the price increase is a little easier to stomach in guys like Peacock thanks to his strikeout artistry. Speaking of that, he owns an excellent mark in that respect this season with his 11.2 K/9 and he's paired that with a 0.7 HR/9, which has helped him to be so effective. His StatCast data is favorable as well, as it showcases the fact that he's been able to limit hard hit balls (27% hard hit rate allowed, 87 mph exit velocity). He takes on a Seattle opponent tonight that isn't the ideal matchup but it's not one to avoid in tournament formats and if the Vegas data is something you trust, at -195 favorites, he might be viable as a SP2 in cash games as well.

Also Consider: Blake Snell - P, at OAK (DK $6,600, FD - $6,400)

 

DFS Infielders to Consider

Catcher (C)

Evan Gattis (DK - $4,200, FD - $2,700)

There is a lot to love about this matchup, starting with the Astros entirely. They're currently pegged with the second highest run projection, and I think Gattis and his teammates will benefit from plenty of RBI/run scoring opportunities. Gattis is facing Sam Giviglio, who has turned in a few respectable performances this season but it's been quite some time since that happened. Lately, he's been getting shelled and his wOBA and ISO allowed over his last three starts are both over .400. And of course there are Gattis' marks, starting with his splits over the last year that are quite attractive - .381 wOBA and a .267 ISO.

First Base (1B)

Cody Bellinger (DK - $4,900, FD - $3,800)

Good news, guys - the Home Run Derby didn't ruin Bellinger's swing. Since the return from the break, Cody has already left the yard a few times and collected a handful of doubles. In this inter-league matchup, he's getting a park upgrade and the matchup itself is one that is very favorable for left-handed hitters - something the Dodgers have in large quantities. Miguel Gonzalez has allowed a slugging percentage to lefties this season over .500 and Bellinger and his .421 wOBA and .400 ISO splits are sure to take advantage.

Second Base (2B)

Matt Carpenter (DK - $4,000, FD - $3,900)

Carpenter is really heating up and he's always someone I'd suggest riding until that wave crashes. He enters this game with a very impressive 50% hard hit rate over the past two weeks and pairs that with a 41% fly ball rate which gives him a bit more home run upside. He's going into Citi Field which is a pitcher's park but the heat and humidity in New York in July is certainly helping the ball carry. His opponent, Rafael Montero, is one of the reasons that the ball has been carrying so well in Queens. He's been lit up over his past three starts, allowing a .483 wOBA and .333 ISO in that stretch. As for Carpenter, he can do damage against right-handed pitching which is showcased in his .357 wOBA and .224 ISO split.

Shortstop (SS)

Stephen Drew (DK - $3,600, FD - $2,200)

On a night where getting Kershaw in your roster is essential, it's important to find upside in cheap places. Drew is one of my favorite options that fit that description for tonight. He's been doing a fine job getting run as an every day guy and owns a 40% hard hit rate on the year. His splits against right-handed pitching are favorable (.348 wOBA) - especially for this price tier - and he generally finds himself in a favorable position near the top or middle of this Washington order. His opponent, Jesse Chavez, has been pretty kind to opposing hitters lately as well, allowing a wOBA and ISO split over .340 and .220, respectively.

Third Base (3B)

Freddie Freeman (DK - $5,000, FD - $3,800)

It still feels odd writing him in under third base but I suppose I'll get used to it at some point. Anyway, Freddie has been on a tear and I think we can safely say he's now matchup proof. Whether or not you believe that he's reached that status yet is no matter today, as the matchup is a favorable one with John Lackey opposing him. Lackey's struggles are well documented this season and I like Freeman and his .488 wOBA and .389 ISO to take advantage. Freeman's StatCast data gives me more confidence in the selection as well, seeing as he's posted a 41 % hard hit rate with a 237 foot average batted ball distance over the past two weeks.

 

DFS Outfielders to Consider

Charlie Blackmon - OF, vs SDP (DK - $5,600, FD - $4,900)

Yes, the price is steep, but consider the whole situation. We have one of the games premiere hitters in the most ideal hitters park, leading off against a pitcher that has allowed the highest wOBA and ISO (over his last three starts) of any pitcher taking the mound tonight. That's the description of a player you just have to get a few shares of. In addition to the fact that Dinelson Lamet should be picked on, there's also the convincing angle of Blackmon's splits, which, at a .406 wOBA and .300 ISO, are truly elite figures.

Clint Frazier - OF, at MIN (DK - $4,000, FD - $2,500)

I think the guys at DraftKing's have the same opinion as I about Frazier's upside in this matchup. The recent call-up has had his strikeout issues - which will persist - but he's shown he can shatter his price implied value when he pops a home run. He's starting to do that in bunches as well, and I think this spot tonight is as strong a matchup for him as he's had yet this year. Bartolo Colon will be taking the bump, and we're all aware just how poorly his starts have gone this season. Frazier and his strong righty-righty splits (.335 wOBA, .364 ISO) can produce here.

 

 

DFS Premium Tools & Research

Get a free trial of our powerful MLB Premium Tools. Our famous DFS Optimizer & Lineup Generator, daily Matchup Ratings, expert DFS Lineups/Cheat Sheets, and more.

Win more. Try the most advanced lineup optimizer in daily fantasy baseball.

Sign Up Now!

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Michael Harris II

Dealing With Back Tightness, Not Believed to be Serious
Byron Buxton

Suffers Shoulder Contusion After Colliding With the Wall
Sacramento Kings

Kings Want to Trade Their Larger Contracts
Chicago Bulls

Darius Acuff Jr. Works Out for Bulls
Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Could Get Traded
Marcus Johansson

Returning to Europe
Thomas White

Likely to Miss Rest of Season With Shoulder Capsular Sprain
Mitchell Robinson

is Upgraded to Available for Game 2
Cole Caufield

Earns Lady Byng Trophy
Nick Suzuki

Lands Selke Trophy
Deebo Samuel Sr.

Does Deebo Samuel Sr. Carry Buy-Low Appeal for Win-Now Dynasty Managers?
Elic Ayomanor

Is Elic Ayomanor Still Worthy of a Dynasty Roster Spot?
Jose Altuve

Astros Reinstate Jose Altuve From the Injured List
Tyler Warren

Does Tyler Warren Have Dynasty TE1 Upside?
Jonathon Brooks

Entering 2026 as a Buy-Low Dynasty Candidate?
Tyler Allgeier

Remains a Dynasty Buy-Low Candidate
Quentin Johnston

Is Quentin Johnston Undervalued by Dynasty Managers?
CFB

Reed Harris Hoping to Fill Void in Arizona State Receiving Room
CFB

Nick Marsh Gearing Up for Breakout
CFB

Drew Mestemaker Looking to Catapult Oklahoma State Offense in 2026
CFB

Rocco Becht Brings Experience to New-Look Nittany Lions
CFB

Can Trey White, Adam Trick Keep Texas Tech's Defensive Front Elite?
CFB

Devon Dampier is Key to Success for Morgan Scalley in Year 1
Aaron Judge

Yankees Officially Place Aaron Judge on Injured List With Fractured Rib
Francisco Lindor

Expected to Return in "About a Couple Weeks"
J.J. McCarthy

Fighting Uphill Battle to Win Starting QB Job?
Brian Thomas Jr.

Improving his Chemistry With QB
Malik Willis

' Chemistry With New WRs is a "Work in Progress"
Baker Mayfield

"Not Anywhere Close" to New Contract With Buccaneers
Chris Rodriguez Jr.

Sitting Out of OTAs
Isaiah Likely

Carries Significant Dynasty Upside into First Season in New York
Emanuel Wilson

Dynasty Outlook Clouded by Depth Chart Uncertainty in Seattle
Jaylin Noel

Is Jaylin Noel Still Roster-Worthy in Dynasty Formats?
Dylan Sampson

Carries Dynasty Upside Despite Current Place on Depth Chart
George Holani

Is George Holani Worthy of a Deep-League Dynasty Roster Spot?
Tank Bigsby

Could See an Increase in Snaps in 2026
Corey Seager

Rangers Activate Corey Seager From the Injured List
Gabriel Bonfim

Set For UFC Vegas 118 Main Event
Belal Muhammad

In Dire Need Of Win
Kendre Miller

Is it Time to Move on From Kendre Miller in Dynasty Leagues?
Edmen Shahbazyan

An Underdog At UFC Vegas 118
Shayne Gostisbehere

Dishes Out Two Power-Play Assists in Comeback Win
Hollywood Brown

a Dynasty Fade in New-Look Eagles Receiver Room
Brendan Allen

Looks For His Third Win In A Row
Seth Jarvis

Ties Finals With Power-Play Goal
Mark Stone

Scores Sixth Playoff Goal in Overtime Defeat
Tom Nolan

Searches For His Fifth Consecutive Win
Darnell Mooney

Facing Further Dynasty Decline
Mitch Marner

Records Two Assists in Game 2 Loss
Farés Ziam

Fares Ziam A Favorite At UFC Vegas 118
Brett Howden

Matches Franchise Record With Another Productive Outing
Christian Kirk

Unlikely to Regain Dynasty Value in San Francisco
Brayden McNabb

Hospitalized After Taking Puck to Face
Aaron Judge

Diagnosed with Stress Fracture, Out 4-6 Weeks
Shohei Ohtani

has "Small" Blister, a "Non-Issue" for his Pitching Starts
Brent Rooker

Out on Thursday Due to Knee Soreness
Frederik Andersen

Hurricanes Retain Confidence in Frederik Andersen
Vincent Trocheck

Maple Leafs Interested in Vincent Trocheck
Dylan Larkin

Requests Trade From Red Wings
Corey Seager

Expected to Return This Weekend
Lucas Erceg

Royals to Mix and Match in Ninth With Lucas Erceg Struggling
Jonathan Toews

Expected to Retire
Anders Lee

Set to Hit Open Market
TB

Jon Cooper Wins First Jack Adams Trophy
De'Aaron Fox

Struggles Again Wednesday Night
Dylan Harper

Turns Heads in Finals Opener
Stephon Castle

Close to Double-Double in Game 1 Loss to Knicks
Victor Wembanyama

Notches 26 Points in Finals Debut
Josh Hart

Grabs 15 Rebounds in Game 1 Win Over Spurs
Karl-Anthony Towns

Opens Finals With Double-Double
Jalen Brunson

Scores Game-High 30 Points in Finals Opener
Aaron Judge

to Undergo Additional Imaging
Ketel Marte

Out on Wednesday With Back, Hamstring Injuries
Mitchell Robinson

is Available for Game 1 on Wednesday
Kawhi Leonard

Unlikely to be Traded
Chicago Bulls

Bulls Host Potential Lottery Picks for Workout
Washington Wizards

Wizards Considering Trading Down in Draft
Corbin Burnes

has Teres Major Strain, Unlikely to Return Until September
Rickie Fowler

Looks To Continue Resurgent Season At Memorial
CFB

Can Eric Singleton Jr. Fully Break Out at Third School?
CFB

Katin Houser Steps into QB1 Role for Illinois
CFB

Savion Hiter an Immediate Impact Freshman for Michigan
CFB

Isaiah Horton Set to Take Over KC Concepcion's Role
CFB

UCLA Transfer Karson Gordon Signs with Austin Peay
CFB

Will Muschamp Bringing New Intensity to Texas Practices
Gary Woodland

Brings Boom-or-Bust Potential to Memorial
Jordan Spieth

Still Searching for a Breakthrough
Alex Smalley

Brings Elite Form to Memorial Tournament
Justin Rose

Looks to Recapture Memorial Tournament Success
Cameron Young

Looks to Get Back to His Contending Ways at Murifield Village
Chris Gotterup

Needs to Find Fairways at Muirfield Village
Si Woo Kim

Looks to Stay Hot at Memorial Tournament
Matt Fitzpatrick

Positioned for Success at Muirfield Village
Jalen Chatfield

Records Two Assists in Tuesday's Loss
Keegan Bradley

Looking for Another Strong Finish at Muirfield
Nikolaj Ehlers

Nets Two Goals in Game 1 Loss to Golden Knights
Shea Theodore

Notches Three Points in Game 1 Win
Brayden McNabb

Sets Up Three Goals in Game 1 Win Over Hurricanes
Justin Thomas

is an Exciting Play This Week in Ohio
Brett Howden

Starts Finals With Multi-Point Effort
Scottie Scheffler

Looks to Win Memorial Tournament for Third Consecutive Year
Tomas Hertl

Scores Game-Winner in Finals Opener
Rory McIlroy

Looking for Better Performance at Muirfield Village
Drake Baldwin

Could Return During Braves Next Homestand
Garrett Crochet

Diagnosed With Low-Grade Lat Strain
Russell Henley

Coming to Ohio on the Heels of Latest Victory
Tommy Fleetwood

Looking for Better Iron Play at Memorial Tournament
Patrick Cantlay

Looks to Continue Dominance at Muirfield Village
Ludvig Aberg

a Great Fit for Muirfield Village
Isaiah Hartenstein

Hopeful to Stay with Oklahoma City
Luguentz Dort

Wants to Remain with Thunder
Mitchell Robinson

is Questionable for Game 1
Moussa Diabaté

Moussa Diabate Has Contract Guaranteed for 2026-2027 Season
Oso Ighodaro

Gets Guaranteed Contract for Next Season
Aaron Judge

Out on Tuesday With Rib/Shoulder Injury
Josh Hader

Set to Return from Injured List on Tuesday
CFB

SEC Coach Calls Buster Faulkner a "Home-Run Hire"
CFB

Auburn a Sleeper in the SEC Under Alex Golesh?
CFB

Noah Fifita Primed for Strong 2026 Campaign
CFB

Oregon Assistant Coach Charged with DUII, Reckless Driving
CFB

Tight End Nick Pollack Commits to Clemson
Akshay Bhatia

Needs the Driver to be True in Ohio
Aaron Rai

Primed to take on the Memorial Tournament
J.J. Spaun

Rebounded at Charles Schwab Challenge
Xander Schauffele

One to Watch This Week in Ohio
Elly De La Cruz

to Miss 2-4 Weeks of Action
Chase Burns

is Scratched Due to Illness
Deiveson Figueiredo

Suffers Second-Round Submission Loss
Song Yadong

Gets Second-Round Submission Win
Zhang Mingyang

Suffers Back-To-Back Losses
Alonzo Menifield

Gets Back In The Win Column
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round Knockout Loss
Sergei Pavlovich

Scores First-Round Knockout Win
Cameron Smotherman

Suffers Third Loss In A Row
Kai Asakura

Earns His First UFC Win
Denny Hamlin

Earns the first Nashville Cup Series Victory of his Career on Sunday
Christopher Bell

Finishes as the Runner-Up at Nashville
Chase Briscoe

Earns First Career Podium Finish at Nashville
Ryan Blaney

Scores A Solid Top-10 Finish at Nashville
Kyle Larson

Top-10 Streak at Nashville Ends after Late Flat Tire Spin
Tyler Reddick

Is One of the Top Favorites to Win at Nashville
Kyle Larson

May Continue his Top-10 Consistency at Nashville this week
Christopher Bell

Is One of the Top Competitors for the Win at Nashville
Chase Briscoe

Is A Must Start for Nashville DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

has Plenty of Upside for Nashville DFS Lineups
William Byron

Is William Byron A Playable DFS Option for Nashville Lineups?
Carson Hocevar

Is Likely to have Another Solid Result at Nashville
NASCAR

Should Fantasy Players Roster Bubba Wallace at Nashville?
Chris Buescher

Is A Decent All-Around DFS Option for Nashville Lineups
Daniel Suarez

is Likely to Drop Positions during the Cracker Barrel 400
Denny Hamlin

Could Denny Hamlin Dominate at Nashville?
Ryan Blaney

Is a DFS Tournament Option at Nashville
Ty Gibbs

Don't Overlook Ty Gibbs at Nashville
Joey Logano

Could Show Life at Nashville
Ross Chastain

Needs a Good Run at Nashville
Chet Holmgren

Fails to Step Up in the Season Finale
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF