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Hello there, MLB DFS grinders! The focus of this article will be on the 4-game Early Only afternoon slate for both FanDuel and DraftKings. We have some good pitching options and good stacks to consider so let's dive on in and find the best plays for both your cash game and tournament lineups.
While most of our MLB DFS coverage here at RotoBaller is geared towards the main slate, I wanted to give you some of my favorite pitchers and bats for these early games that will help you cash in tournaments and cash game contests. I'll highlight my favorite pitching options here first and then give you some hitters at each price tier to consider as well as my favorite teams to stack up! You can read our DraftKings DFS lineup picks for the main slate and FanDuel DFS lineup picks for the main slate as well.
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the DraftKings and FanDuel slates beginning at 4:05 PM on 7/24/2021. Be sure to also check out all the MLB player news, including late scratches, and the projected and confirmed daily MLB lineups for each DFS slate. You can also check out today's MLB DFS lineup picks for the main slate here, and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. Let's get to it!
MLB DFS Pitchers
Max Scherzer @ Baltimore Orioles ($11,000 FD, $10,100 DK)
The top arm on the slate and arguably most popular arm will be Max Scherzer. Scherzer is 7-4 on the season with a 2.83 ERA and while he still gives up the long ball from time to time (six home runs over his last five games), he has been very consistent striking out at least seven batters in each of his last five starts. The matchup against Baltimore is a very good one as they have seven batters that have a strikeout percentage that is greater than 21% and only two batters that have an ISO that is greater than .185.
Nathan Eovaldi vs. New York Yankees ($8,700 FD, $8,900 DK)
Another top arm to consider on this slate is Eovaldi. He has been in great form over his last four starts as he has totaled 28 total strikeouts over his last 25.1 innings pitched while only allowing two home runs and seven total runs to be scored in that span. Eovaldi has been very good for Boston this year as he has a 9-5 record with a 3.57 ERA and has done well against New York as he is 2-0 against them with 20 total strikeouts and three earned runs allowed in 18.2 innings pitched. This Yankees lineup features five batters that carry a strikeout percentage that is greater than 21% and is only collectively hitting .180 against right-handed pitchers over their last 14 days so this seems to be a good spot to consider Eovaldi.
Others to consider: Ryan Weathers vs. Miami Marlins
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MLB DFS "Bats Worth Paying For"
Rhys Hoskins– 1B, PHI vs. ATL ($ 3,700 FD, $ 5,100 DK)
Hoskins is a big-time Phillies bat to consider on this slate. Despite him having a lower batting average of .246 against lefties, he has eight home runs and has a team-high .289 ISO against this handedness. Smyly throws two main pitches to righties (fastball and knuckle-curve) and Hoskins hits both of these pitches well as he has a .235+ ISO and .286+ XwOBA against both pitches.
Rafael Devers– 3B, BOS vs. NYY ($3,900 FD, $5,500 DK)
Devers could go overlooked on this slate based on pricing and paying up for pitching which makes him a prime tournament target for this slate. Devers has a .322 ISO against right-handed pitching and Taillon has gotten touched up by lefty bats as lefties have combined for a .227 ISO against him. Taillon throws his fastball over 55% of the time to lefty bats and Devers profiles extremely well against this pitch as he has a .304 ISO and a .527 XwOBA against this pitch type.
Juan Soto – OF, WSH @ BAL ($4,700 FD, $6,000 DK)
Soto is going to be an extremely popular play and might come in as the highest-owned batter on the slate against Matt Harvey. Soto has a .237 ISO and a 50% hard-hit percentage against righties this season while also managing to hit .332 against this handedness. Harvey has five pitches that he throws to lefties with his fastball being thrown over 35% of the time and Soto sports and an ISO of .244 and an XwOBA of .418 against that pitch.
Also Recommended: Trea Turner vs. Matt Harvey, Andrew McCutchen vs. Drew Smyly
MLB DFS Values
Josh Bell– 1B, WSH @ BAL ($3,000 FD, $4,000 DK)
Another Nationals bat that could do some damage against Matt Harvey is Josh Bell. Bell is hitting .266 against right-handed pitching this season and is third on the team with 10 home runs against this handedness. Bell is heating up at the plate as he has hit a home run in three out of his last four games played and could crush his value if he is able to do it again on this slate.
Jean Segura– 2B/SS/ 3B, PHI vs. ATL ($2,900 FD, $4,000 DK)
If you're looking for a cheaper option for the infield, Segura is your guy. He is slashing .320 against left-handed pitching and is tied for third on the team with three home runs. Segura has a hard-hit percentage of 40.9% against lefty pitchers and profiles well against Smyly's fastball as he has a .294 ISO against that specific pitch type and Smyly throws it to righties close to 50% of the time.
Jarren Duran – OF, BOS vs. NYY ($2,500 FD, $3,600 DK)
Duran has really come on strong for this Boston lineup as he has accrued a hit in three of his first five games played while managing to score a run in four of his first five games as well. In limited action against righties, Duran has a .375 ISO against right-handed pitching and if he draws a solid spot in the lineup for Boston, he could be considered in all formats.
Also Recommended: Alec Bohm vs. Drew Smyly, Joc Pederson vs. Vince Velasquez, Gerardo Parra vs. Matt Harvey
MLB DFS Hitter Stacks
Washington Nationals vs. Matt Harvey
The Nationals might come in as the most popular stack but in the matchup against Matt Harvey, it is tough to ignore them from a stacking standpoint. Harvey is 4-10 on the season with a 7.13 ERA and both sides of the plate are sporting ISO's above .200. Righties have actually hit Harvey better as they have a .344 average with seven home runs while lefties are hitting .265 and have five home runs off of him. The top of the lineup is all in play while also considering bats like Gerardo Parra to differentiate your stacks.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Drew Smyly
Another team stack that looks to be in a good spot is the Philadelphia Phillies against Drew Smyly. Smyly has a very good record of 7-3 on the season but has a 4.50 ERA and has allowed 17 home runs on the season with 11 of those coming against right-handed batters. This Phillies lineup has five batters that have an ISO that is greater than .185 while also having five batters that have a hard hit percentage that is greater than 36%. This is another stack where the top of the order is all in play but bats like McCutchen and Segura would be the first ones to consider.
Other recommended stacks: Atlanta Braves vs. Vince Velasquez
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