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We have another afternoon-heavy Saturday in the middle of summer. MLB still left us some scraps to keep us occupied at night. These aren't exactly scraps. A couple of the most coveted matchups of the day are in the evening!
This article contains my picks for the four-game late slate on July 8, 2023, for both DraftKings and FanDuel, which locks at 7:15 PM ET. It's rare of late to have a slate without weather concerns, but we finally have one! All four cities seem clear for tonight!
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.
DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Blake Snell, SD vs. NYM ($8,800 DK, $11,200 FD)
I honestly see no reason to pay up for Spencer Strider tonight, especially on DraftKings. Yeah, he leads the league in K/9 by a large margin, but no one else is priced up nearly as much as he is. Take Snell, for example. He has at least seven strikeouts in seven straight starts and has only allowed three earned runs in 42 innings in that stretch. I'm taking Snell and the extra $4,800. Whatever difference in the score between Snell and Strider, it won't make up for the nearly $5,000 extra to spend on bats. You can make a case for Strider on FD and I would listen, but it's hard to ignore the return of Snellzilla.
Reid Detmers, LAA at LAD ($8,400 DK, $10,000 FD)
Not blowing a ton of money on Strider also allows us to take a more stable SP2 on DraftKings. A start against the Dodgers may not seem stable, but the rash of injuries to the Boys In Blue has them not nearly as dangerous against left-handed pitching. Detmers has a 1.42 ERA over his last five starts. Included in that stretch was a game against the Dodgers on the other side of town in which he two-hit them over seven scoreless innings while striking out eight. Speaking of strikeouts, Detmers has eight or more in every game over that stretch.
Others to consider: Bryan Woo at HOU ($7,500 DK, $8,000 FD); Michael Grove vs. LAA ($5,300 DK, $5,800 FD)
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Matt Olson - 1B, ATL at TB ($6,200 DK, $4,400 FD)
Olson hasn't been held scoreless in DFS since June 27 and is hitting .385 with four homers, 10 RBI, and 11 runs scored since then. On top of that, he mashes four-seamers and cutters, pitches that Taj Bradley throws 71% of the time. Yikes.
Manny Machado - 3B, SD vs. NYM ($4,700 DK, $3,500 FD)
I touched on Machado's mastery of left-handed pitching earlier in the week and he has done nothing but get hotter at the plate since. Machado has two homers and six RBI in the last two games alone and has four consecutive multi-hit games. Buy a seat at the top of the Western Metal Supply Company roof, play him in your DFS lineup, and wait for him to hit another homer.
Luis Rengifo - 2B/3B, LAA at LAD ($2,100 DK, $2,400 FD)
This is purely a salary-saving move. Brandon Drury and Mike Trout are both on the IL and there's a good chance that the Angels hold out Anthony Rendon through the break. That should give Rengifo some playing time. He is hitting .304 over his last ten games with a homer and three runs scored. That's not much, but what do you expect for this price? If I get a single out of him, I'm happy at this price.
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Julio Rodriguez - OF, SEA at HOU ($4,600 DK, $3,600 FD)
I'd love to play Ronald Acuna, but I'm not willing to gamble on pitching enough to do it. Rodriguez seems like a good consolation prize. He is riding a seven-game hitting streak with multiple hits in five of those games. He hasn't hit a homer during the streak, but he has scored four runs and driven in seven. I'll go with Rodriguez to stay hot in July so I can use better pitching.
Mickey Moniak - OF, LAA at LAD ($3,400 DK, $3,200 FD)
Moniak has three homers in the last seven games with eight RBI and four runs scored. If you want two good pitchers, you need value. Michael Grove wasn't bad in his last start, but several Angels are actually hitting well right now and they are cheap. Moniak is still leading off, providing us good value at the top of the order.
Chas McCormick - OF, HOU vs. SEA ($2,400 DK, $3,200 FD)
I can find better for the price on FD, but you won't come anywhere near this potential for the price on DK. McCormick is hitting .294 with a homer and six RBI over the last ten games. He has also tacked on a couple of steals and five runs scored. These prices look backward, but I can assure you they aren't. McCormick is my favorite value play on DK tonight by a long shot.
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
San Diego Padres vs. David Peterson
The Padres, like most teams, are much better against left-handed pitching. Not only that, but the stars for the Padres are the ones that crush lefties. It's hard to afford a stack of Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Xander Bogaerts, but you get a lot of potential with those three stars. Nelson Cruz makes for an interesting punt play. His Boomstick is more like a twig, but he has still been driving in runs lately.
On top of that, Peterson has been dreadful on the road this year with a ghastly 9.21 ERA in six road starts. San Diego is a decent park for pitchers, but at some point, it's no longer a park issue. It's a pitcher issue.
Also consider: Atlanta Braves vs. Taj Bradley
Bradley is a pretty good pitcher, but pretty good doesn't cut it against the Braves. The main issue here, and the thing keeping me from a Braves full stack, is price. They are all expensive, even Michael Harris hitting in the nine-hole.
Sneaky stack: Seattle Mariners vs. Framber Valdez
Framber missed his last turn through the rotation with a bum ankle and was ineffective in the start before that. A few Mariners are starting to heat up like Rodriguez and Eugenio Suarez. Cal Raleigh and Teoscar Hernandez are also worth a look, but I don't know if I have the stones to full stack this.
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