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Hello there, MLB DFS grinders! The focus of this article will be on the 3-game afternoon slate for both DraftKings and FanDuel. 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 2:10 PM on 7/8/2021. 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
Jordan Montgomery vs. Seattle Mariners ($8,200 FD, $8,000 DK)
This pitching slate is a tough one to navigate through and one of the more popular options will be Montgomery. The Mariners have struggled against left-handed pitchers all season long as they have the 29th ranked batting average against the split with a team average of just .221. In addition, they also have the third-highest strikeout total against lefty pitchers on the season (274 strikeouts) and have a 27.2% strikeout rate against that handedness. Montgomery is moderately priced on both sites and makes for a great pitcher on this short slate.
Lance McCullers Jr. vs. Oakland Athletics ($9,600 FD, $9,800 DK)
McCullers Jr. is the top arm talent on the slate but also draws a tough matchup against the Athletics. McCullers Jr. is 6-1 on the year with a 2.97 ERA and has already pitched two games and 10 total innings against the A's. In those 10 innings, McCullers Jr. has held them to just two runs while striking out 13 batters and walking six of them. The A's lineup features six batters who all have a strikeout rate that is greater than 21% but also has five batters who sport an ISO that is greater than .185 so this is a bit of a risky spot for McCullers Jr.
Others to consider: Frankie Montas vs. Houston Astros
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MLB DFS "Bats Worth Paying For"
Jose Altuve – 2B, HOU vs. OAK ($4,300 FD, $4,700 DK)
The second base position isn't truly deep so it might be best to pay up for someone like Altuve. Altuve leads the Astros with 14 home runs against right-handed pitching and he has done well against Montas as he has eight hits in 24 total at-bats while having one home run and two doubles. Montas throws his fastball and sinker for a combined 60% of the time and Altuve is one of the better Astros hitters against those pitch types as he has a .182+ ISO against both pitches.
Ryan McMahon – 2B/3B, COL @ ARI ($3,100 FD, $4,600 DK)
McMahon is one of the big power bats on this Rockies roster that you should target. He has 13 home runs against right-handed batters which leads all Rockies batters against this handedness and has a 45% hard-hit percentage which is tops on the team as well. Faria has struggled against lefty bats as lefties have a .318 ISO against him and McMahon is sporting a .213 ISO against right-handed pitchers while also having a .412 ISO against Faria's fastball pitch type which he throws over 50% of the time to all batters.
Aaron Judge – OF, NYY @ SEA ($4,100 FD, $5,300 DK)
There are several outfielders that could be mentioned but Aaron Judge sticks out as a top option on this slate. He has been swinging a hot bat as he has had three multi-hit games in his last four games played and has hit a home run in four out of his last eight games played. Logan Gilbert has given up most of his home runs allowed to right-handed batters and he throws his fastball over 50% of the time which is a pitch type that Judge smashes as he has a .522 ISO and a .602 XwOBA against it.
Also Recommended: Yordan Alvarez vs. Frankie Montas, Trevor Story vs. Jake Faria
MLB DFS Values
J.P. Crawford – SS, SEA vs. NYY ($2,800 FD, $4,500 DK)
If you were wanting to go against the chalk pitcher in Jordan Montgomery, one guy to consider for the Mariners would be J.P. Crawford. Crawford has hit lefties well this year as he has a .336 average against lefty pitchers and has an 83.1% contact rate which is the highest contact rate on the team. While he doesn't have the highest power upside at the plate, Crawford will put the ball in play with his high contact rate and low strikeout rate (16.7% strikeout rate) and will see plenty of at-bats as he bats at the top of the order.
Gio Urshela – 3B/SS, NYY @ SEA ($3,000 FD, $3,900 DK)
If you're looking for cheap exposure to the Yankees, Gio Urshela could be one to look at. He is moderately priced on both sites and has been on a bit of a streak as he has recorded a hit in seven straight games and has fared well against right-handed pitching as he has the third-most home runs (8 home runs) on the Yankees against right-handed pitching.
David Peralta – OF, ARI vs. COL ($3,400, $3,300 DK)
Peralta looks to be a pretty good value pick on this three-game slate, especially over on DK. He is seeing the ball well as he has recorded a hit in four straight games heading into Wednesday night's slate and has managed to score a run in three straight games.
Also Recommended: Tony Kemp vs. Lance McCullers Jr., Yonathan Daza vs. Jake Faria
MLB DFS Hitter Stacks
New York Yankees vs. Logan Gilbert
The Yankees are swinging some hot bats in Seattle as they have totaled 17 runs over their last two games and the good fortune should continue as they face Logan Gilbert on Thursday afternoon. Gilbert is 2-2 with a 4.10 ERA and surprisingly enough, he hasn't done well while pitching at home. He has an ERA of 5.63 and has given up 80% of his home runs allowed when pitching at T-Mobile Park and three of those four home runs have come from right-handed batters. The Yankees have a strong right-handed heavy lineup so guys like Judge, Stanton, Voit, and Sanchez would be where to start while also including Torres and Arshela as well.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Chi Chi Gonzalez
We have been targeting offenses against Gonzalez all season long so that means we should consider a few bats from Arizona. Gonzalez has struggled to pitch on the road this year as he has an ERA of 6.81 while opposing batters have a combined average of .302 against him. Lefties have gotten the best of him as they are hitting .314 against him so considering guys like Josh Rojas, David Peralta, Eduardo Escobar, and Pavin Smith would be the way to go in this stack.
Other recommended stacks: Colorado Rockies vs. Jake Faria
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