DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (7/27/20): MLB DFS Lineups

I'm back today and going position by position to give you some of the best plays to start the week for the nine-game Main slate on DraftKings. Besides some possible rain in Detroit, everything on the weather side of things looks fine. With high temperatures and winds blowing out, we could see some prime hitting environments in Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland.

DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers

Josh James - HOU vs SEA ($8,600)

Back then you didn't know him, now he's hot you're all on him. I'm Josh Ja-aames! Houston closes out its four-game set against Seattle, sending James to the mound after Sunday's double-whammy of Zack Greinke getting roughed up and Justin Verlander hitting the IL with a forearm strain. James is in a good spot, getting a Seattle team that has a 25.8% K-rate against right-handers so far this season. Seattle's lineup will be stacked with lefties but James hasn't shown any splits issues so far in his career, striking out both sides of the plate at a 37% rate in 2019.

Adrian Houser - MIL @ PIT ($8,300)

To say this pitching slate is thin, might be too generous, with Mike Foltynewicz getting top-billing at $10,300. Houser is grouped in a price-range with mediocre options like JA Happ ($8,500) and Michael Wacha ($7,900). But while Happ and Wacha have to go to Philly and Boston, respectively, Houser goes to Pittsburgh to face off against a subpar offense in a great pitcher's park. The Pirates were stingy with strikeouts against Cardinal right-handers in their opening series over the weekend (18.6% K-rate vs. RHP, 2nd-lowest in MLB) and have some plate-discipline masters in the first half of their lineup. But there are a lot of strikeouts in the lower third, with Guillermo Heredia (29% K-rate vs. RHP in 2019) and John Ryan Murphy (37.2%) both likely to start.

DraftKings DFS Catchers

Victor Caratini - CHC @ CIN ($3,500)

Caratini is a nice option if you don't want to pay for the likes of Realmuto, Grandal, or Contreras. A switch-hitter, Caratini is better from the left side of the plate but is still serviceable from the right side, with a .341 wOBA against left-handers in 2019. The bad news is that he faces a lefty on Monday; the good news is that it's Wade Miley. The better news is that Cincinnati is projected to have evening temperatures in the 90's and a 10+ mph wind blowing out. I'll have to check the math but it seems like heat plus wind plus Wade Miley, should equal a bushel of runs.

Other options: Salvador Perez (KC @ DET) $2,900

DraftKings DFS First Baseman

Justin Smoak, 1B, MIL @ PIT ($3,700)

That's a pretty excellent price on the Smoak-monster going to Pittsburgh to face lefty Stephen Brault. As a switch-hitter, Smoak is better from the left side (.340 wOBA vs RHP/.302 wOBA vs LHP). But Brault isn't very good at getting out right-handers, allowing a .353 wOBA and 39.4% Hard% to them in 2019. PNC Park is a run-suppressing environment but much less so for right-handed hitting; its 107 Park factor for runs scored (Baseball prospectus) is the 7th-highest in baseball

Other Options: Ji-Man Choi (TB vs ATL) $3,900, Miguel Cabrera (DET vs KC) $3,100

DraftKings DFS Second Baseman

Keston Hiura, 2B, MIL @ PIT ($4,400)

When all else fails, pile on the Pirates. Like his teammate Justin Smoak, Hiura is in a nice spot, even though he usually hits right-handers better than lefties. But Brault isn't exactly Clayton Kershaw and Hiura and the Brewers are looking to break out of their early-season offensive doldrums.

Jonathan Schoop, 2B, DET @ KC ($3,400)

I love the price here on Schoop going to Kansas City to face Mike Montgomery. Schoop hasn't gotten it going on the power side of things but he does have four singles in his first 13 plate appearances. Getting to face Montgomery is a good way to get your power going; he allowed a 43.1% hard-hit rate to RHB in 2019.

Other Options: Jose Altuve (HOU vs SEA) $5,000, Brandon Lowe (TB vs ATL) $4,300

DraftKings DFS Third Baseman

Eugenio Suarez, 3B, CIN vs CHC ($4,600)

Does anyone else remember when Jon Lester was good? I do but the memory is fading fast after Lester posted a 4.46 ERA in 2019 while allowing a career-high 1.36 HR/9. On the other hand, Suarez posted a .301 ISO and .414 wOBA against left-handers in 2019. He also strikes out at an alarming 31.4% rate against them but I'm not picky; I'd be able to live with 2 HR and three strikeouts.

Alex Bregman, 3B, HOU vs SEA ($5,100)

What should you do when an MVP candidate with a .399 wOBA against right-handers faces someone who hasn't appeared in a game since 2018? You play him, Bob. You play him. I may have a soft spot for Seattle's Kendall Graveman but he could in for a rough return to the majors, even as he debuts his fancy new four-seamer.

Other Options: Jose Ramirez (CLE vs CHW) $5,000

DraftKings DFS Shortstop

Niko Goodrum, 2B/SS, DET vs KC ($4,300)

Goodrum has had a solid start to the year, going 3-for-12 with a home run in the Tigers opening series. A switch-hitter, Goodrum is much, much better versus left-handed pitching, putting up a .393 wOBA against them compared to a .296 wOBA against right-handers. He's batting leadoff and is hitting in front of Jonathan Schoop, Miguel Cabrera, and C.J. Cron; all of whom are set up for good matchups, too. A former reliever who's back to being a starter, Montgomery gave up an atrocious 1.78 HR/9 in 2019.

Other Options: Carlos Correa (HOU vs SEA) $4,400, Adalberto Mondesi (KC @ DET) $3,500

DraftKings DFS Outfielders

Michael Brantley, OF, HOU vs SEA ($3,300)

If you want to expose your outfielders to Kendall Graveman but don't want to pay George Springer's hefty $5,400 price-tag, may I suggest Michael Brantley? He's batting cleanup for one of baseball's best offenses and is facing someone who hasn't pitched in 2018 and has never had below a 4.05 ERA. Only $3.3K with a .388 wOBA versus right-handers. Yes! Yes! Yes!