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We have a busy Thursday on tap with 11 games, but they are split up all over the place. Both DraftKings and FanDuel left off the early bird leaving us with a four-game early slate and six games in prime time. I will be with you all day for your MLB DFS needs. This will focus on the early slate of games.
This article contains my picks for the early slate on August 3, 2023, for DraftKings and FanDuel slates, which lock at 2:05 PM ET. Weather shouldn't be a concern today, so all four 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
Max Scherzer, TEX vs. CWS ($10,400 DK, $9,900 FD)
Texas brought Scherzer back to the American League for the first time since 2014, and he gets a pretty good welcome back start. The White Sox have the second-worst wRC+ against RHP over the last month (75) and are striking out at a 26.6% clip against righties in that span. Max isn't as good at limiting runs as he used to be, but the strikeouts are still there. He has racked up 121 this season in 107 2/3 innings. I'll be part of the welcoming committee in Arlington. This is a good spot for Scherzer.
Jack Flaherty, BAL at TOR ($8,100 DK, $10,000 FD)
Flaherty has come full circle. His first start of the season was against the Blue Jays on April Fool's Day. He held them hitless over five innings. His first start with his new team also comes against the Jays. Can he have the same success? A peep at the Statcast says yes.
The Jays haven't got any hard contact off of Flaherty in 37 at-bats (45 plate appearances). They are also hitting the ball high in the air or on the ground like Vladdy. This is a small sample size, but can it all be just dismissed as noise? The Jays got to the Orioles' bullpen last night, thereby ruining a nice start for Grayson Rodriguez. Flaherty has earned the right to work out of his own jams. We could see another strong start out of him here in his new uniform.
Others to consider: Brady Singer ($7,400 DK, $8,900 FD) vs. NYM
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Pete Alonso - 1B, NYM at KC ($5,300 DK, $4,200 FD)
1B is full of good options on a short slate, but none of them are hitting as well as the Polar Bear right now. His June swoon is behind him. Alonso is hitting .308 with five homers and 14 RBI in the last ten games. Brady Singer has done a good job of limiting damage of late, but he has still allowed eight of his 12 homers on the season at Kauffman Stadium.
Marcus Semien - 2B, TEX vs. CWS ($6,100 DK, $3,600 FD)
Semien already has four hits in two August games with a homer, three runs scored, and a pair of RBI. All told Semien is hitting .341 with three homers, nine RBI, and nine runs over the last ten games with just four strikeouts. In a day and age when players strike out more than 21-year-old me in a bar at 1:30 am, this is refreshing. Touki Toussaint has been revitalized on the South Side so far, but the Rangers are an entirely different animal. Just ask Dylan Cease...
Maikel Garcia - 3B, KC vs. NYM ($3,600 DK, $3,000 FD)
Garcia is riding an eight-game hitting streak with six RBI, five runs scored, and a steal in that span. Carlos Carrasco has been hammered of late. So hammered that he is starting on short rest since he has only pitched 9 1/3 innings in his last three starts combined. The Royals have one five straight. Let's make is six against a crumbling Cookie, and take the leadoff guy in DFS for good measure.
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Eloy Jimenez - OF, CWS at TEX ($4,100 DK, $3,200 FD)
Max Scherzer is one of the best pitchers of the 21st Century, but he still gives up his share of home runs. If you're going after him, do so with a power hitter. Max has allowed 23 homers in 19 starts this season, including five over the last two starts. Jimenez has a hit in all but one game since July 20. He's already running hot, so I'll choose him to be my one-off against one of my pitchers.
Joc Pederson - OF, SF vs. ARI ($4,000 DK, $3,100 FD)
Brandon Pfaadt is still having trouble acclimating to the major leagues, but it's not like the Giants offense is setting the world afire either. Pederson has three homers in the last 11 games but has still only scored four runs in that span. Pfaadt has allowed six homers in his last four starts. We may as well chase another with the only semi-hot Giants bat here.
Kyle Isbel - OF, KC vs. NYM ($2,500 DK, $2,600 FD)
Two of Isbel's four homers on the season have come in the last ten games. He is hitting a robust .351 in that span with four RBI, eight runs, and a steal for good measure. I appreciate the savings on DraftKings, but Isbel is still plenty affordable on FD as well.
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
Kansas City Royals vs. Carlos Carrasco
Carrasco has allowed 13 runs (11 earned) over just 4 2/3 innings in his last two starts. Those were against Baltimore and Washington, who do have better offenses than the Royals. That said, the Royals have won five straight and the youngsters on this team are starting to play together. Isbel and Garcia are my favorite pieces, setting this up to be a wrap-around stack. Since I prefer the lefties against Carrasco, I'll be jumping around the lineup a bit. Michael Massey and MJ Melendez stand out here, as does Bobby Witt Jr.
Also consider: Texas Rangers vs. Touki Toussaint
I'm all for redemption stories, and the story of Touki with the Sox is a good one. I do have questions about sustainability. Toussaint has been brilliant at home for the Sox, but his road outings have been less successful. That's not good news against an offense as potent as this. Semien is the obvious place to start. Josh Jung, Nate Lowe, and Mitch Garver are high on my list as well. Corey Seager is a great option, but might be a little out of my price range, especially on DK.
Sneaky stack: San Francisco Giants vs. Brandon Pfaadt
I'm not sure how sneaky this is, but the Giants may not be well-owned. They have only scored more than four runs in a game once since July 19. Pederson is a great one-off, but full stacking the Gigantes won't be a popular move. This is a lineup based heavily on platoons. Michael Conforto, LaMonte Wade Jr., Patrick Bailey,and Brandon Crawford are worth the effort just in case the Giants hit Pfaadt.
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