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The top early-slate daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on July 26, 2023. Mike's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
We have a few matinee games on Getaway Day this week, but of course, both FanDuel and DraftKings chopped off the afternoon games. We still have five early games (classified as very early on FD) and at least both sites are on the same page this week with the same five games. Progress is progress...
This article contains my picks for the early slate on July 26, 2023, for DraftKings and FanDuel slates, which lock at 12:05 PM ET. Weather shouldn't be a concern today, so all five games look good to go!
The lineup picks will range from some elite high-priced players to mid-priced options and value plays. I'll give you a few of my top pitching options and then some infielders, outfielders, and teams to stack. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. It's also essential to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups.
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Zach Eflin, TB vs. MIA ($10,300 DK, $10,400 FD)
Zach Eflin has some staggering home/road splits this season. He has a 2.10 ERA in 11 home starts (not to mention 10 wins in those 11 starts). His road ERA is 5.36 in eight tries. He's a guy you want to use at home, and it's even better that it's against the Marlins.
The Marlins have just three extra-base hits in 66 plate appearances against Eflin, with none leaving the yard. As you can see by the launch angle, that's no surprise. The Marlins have had issues getting the ball in the air against Eflin. The metrics prove that Eflin's success against the Marlins is earned. Expect it to continue today, especially given the home splits for Eflin this year.
Gavin Williams, CLE vs. KC ($6,500 DK, $8,600 FD)
This will be the third start against the Royals for Gavin Williams in just his seventh career start. Williams has only allowed three runs to the Royals in 12 2/3 innings so far and picked up 13 strikeouts. That's half his season total! Teams are starting to figure out Williams a bit, but he has still only allowed three runs in his last two starts against the Phillies and Rangers. That bodes well for another matchup with KC, especially considering the discounted price.
Others to consider: Freddy Peralta ($9,000 DK, $9,500 FD) vs. CIN
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Josh Naylor - 1B, CLE vs. KC ($4,400 DK, $3,500 FD)
I had the wrong Josh Naylor last night, but I'm going back to him again today. He has three homers and 10 RBI in the last 10 games and is facing arguably the worst pitcher on the slate. Alec Marsh got thumped by the Yankees last week and hasn't given up less than two runs in any of his four starts this year. Cleveland is going to get some runs today. Naylor is a prime candidate to be behind at least one of those.
Andruw Monasterio - 2B, MIL vs. CIN ($2,700 DK, $2,500 FD)
Hey, if the Brewers are going to use Andruw Monasterio at cleanup for this price, I'm all in! His only career home run so far has come against Ben Lively, so he has that going for him as well. Some of those Cleveland bats are getting expensive, so I'll take the savings with a cleanup guy at this price.
Jeimer Candelario - 3B, WAS vs. COL ($4,100 DK, $3,300 FD)
Jeimer Candelario has feasted on the Rockies' pitching in the first two games of this series. All three of his hits have gone for extra bases (two doubles and a homer) and he has driven in four while scoring all three times that he has reached base. Candelario has homered three times and driven in eight since the break. We may as well ride him while he's hot!
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Christian Yelich - OF, MIL vs. CIN ($5,400 DK, $3,800 FD)
Christian Yelich is hitting .356 with four homers, 12 RBI, and six runs scored since the All-Star break. He has even added a stolen base in there to further increase his fantasy appeal. Ben Lively isn't a total gas can, but he has faced Milwaukee three times in his 10 major league starts this season. Yelich is 4-for-11 with two doubles and a homer off of him. Expect more of the same from the red-hot Yelich today.
Steven Kwan - OF, CLE vs. KC ($4,200 DK, $3,100 FD)
Steven Kwan has come out of the break swinging. He is hitting .333 with two homers, seven RBI, eight runs scored, and a steal sitting atop the Cleveland lineup. The Guardians' offense found their stride in June and the hot hitting has carried over into July. I definitely want the leadoff hitter at an affordable price against Alec Marsh and the KC bullpen.
Randal Grichuk - OF, COL at WAS ($3,800 DK, $2,900 FD)
I went cheap on a second pitcher and at 2B so I could pay up in the outfield. Randal Grichuk is a big reason why. He has three consecutive multi-hit games and is hitting .441 over his nine-game hitting streak. He has three homers, six RBI, and nine runs scored in that span. Grichuk even managed to swipe his second base of the season last night. He feels cheap for what he is doing at the plate lately.
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
Cleveland Guardians vs. Alec Marsh
Marsh's stats look far superior to what they actually are, especially in DFS circles. This is thanks to his 11-strikeout performance against the Rays coming out of the break. 37% of everything he offers up classifies as a hard-hit, and the average exit velocity off of Marsh is 89.2 mph. He is allowing a lot of hard contact to a team that is hitting well right now. That could be a disastrous combination. He has already allowed eight homers in four starts. Someone is going to get him today.
Since a Cleveland stack is going to be very popular, you might have to get different with it. Steven Kwan is a must-have piece, but a wrap-around stack won't be nearly as popular as a Kwan-Amed Rosario-Jose Ramirez-Josh Naylor-Andres Gimenez stack. I'm thinking more like a Bo Naylor-Myles Straw-Kwan-Rosario-Josh Naylor stack, purposely skipping the slumping and overpriced Ramirez.
Also consider: Colorado Rockies vs. Jake Irvin
Most are going to be on the other side of this stack simply because Peter Lambert's overall numbers aren't good. Dig a little deeper, though. Lambert has been not only serviceable but quite good away from Coors this year with a 2.79 ERA in 19 1/3 road innings. While Jake Irvin has been better lately, seven of his 10 homers allowed have been at home and he has allowed a long ball in six consecutive starts. The Rockies have been on the road long enough that they are no longer suffering the Coors effect.
Grichuk is the only Rockies player that I consider a must-have, but C.J. Cron and Ezequiel Tovar are hitting well enough to consider. Nolan Jones doesn't have the average going for him, but he has four homers since the break, including two in the last four games.
Sneaky stack: Seattle Mariners vs. Joe Ryan
You wouldn't know it by his disgustingly high price tag, but the wheels have come off for Joe Ryan. After posting a 2.75 ERA over the first two months of the season, he has a bloated 5.23 ERA since the beginning of June and a 5.82 ERA in four July starts.
Ryan will strike some guys out, but he has allowed a staggering 11 homers over his last five starts. Right-handed batters are also hitting 53 points higher off of him than lefties and Seattle has a ton of them. I'm looking at Eugenio Suarez, Teoscar Hernandez, and Julio Rodriguez (who homered twice last night) here.
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