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Hello there, MLB DFS grinders! The focus of this article will be on the 5-game Early Only afternoon slate for DraftKings and the 4-game Early Only afternoon slate for 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. Note that the The Red Sox @ Blue Jays game is set for 7 innings and is DK only.
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 1:05 PM on 8/7/2021. 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!
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MLB DFS Pitchers
Carlos Rodon @ Chicago Cubs ($10,500 FD, $10,500 DK)
The best arm on this early slate belongs to Carlos Rodon and he is the top pitcher to target in all formats. Rodon is having a great year as he is 8-5 on the season with a 2.49 ERA and is sporting a very strong 35.5% strikeout percentage. He is doing a great job of getting up on batters as he normally throws a first-pitch strike 63% of the time and is getting batters to chase pitches 33% of the time outside of the zone. The Cubs were very active at the trade deadline but they're going in a different direction as they traded some of their top stars like Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, and Javier Baez so the remaining Cubs lineup is one that could be targeted against frequently. This lineup features six batters with a strikeout percentage that is greater than 21%, and only has one batter that sports an ISO greater than .185 against left-handed pitching. With how rough of a lineup this Cubs lineup might be, make sure to lock Rodon in on both sites and move on.
Cole Irvin vs. Texas Rangers ($9,000 FD, $7,500 DK)
Irvin stands out more on DK than on FD as he is $1,500 cheaper but in a very solid matchup against the Rangers. Irvin is coming off of a very solid outing as he went 6.1 innings pitched, allowed one earned run while striking out six batters. Texas was another team that did some wheeling and dealing during the trade deadline which really watered down their lineup as a whole. This lineup features six batters that have a strikeout percentage that is greater than 21% and has a team ISO of .090 against lefty pitchers so this looks to be a spot to consider Irvin, especially over on DK.
Others to consider: Tyler Megill vs. Philadelphia Phillies
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MLB DFS "Bats Worth Paying For"
Pete Alonso – 1B, NYM @ PHI ($4,000 FD, $4,600 DK)
When Alonso faces a lefty, he certainly falls into consideration in all formats. Alonso has an ISO of .389 and a batting average of .271 against lefties this year while also hammering 13 home runs against that handedness. Alonso has a 50% flyball percentage against lefties this year and profiles very well against Suarez as he throws the sinker 33% of the time to right-handed purposes and Alonso has an ISO of .971 and an XwOBA of .947 against that pitch type.
Xander Bogaerts – SS, BOS @ TOR ($5,200 DK)
One Red Sox bat that really stands out against Robbie Ray is Xander Bogaerts. Bogaerts has been one of the top Red Sox batters when it comes to facing lefty pitchers as he has a .310 average, six home runs, and a .381 wOBA on the season against this handedness. Ray really relies on two pitches when it comes to facing right-handed batters and those pitches are the fastball and slider. Ray throws his fastball in the mid-90s and Bogaerts profiles extremely well against a fastball like this as he has a .474 ISO and a .575 XwOBA against it.
Mitch Haniger – OF, SEA @ NYY ($3,600 FD, $5,000 DK)
One batter that looks to be a lock for all formats is Mitch Haniger. Haniger has been very good against lefties this season as he is hitting .285 with 10 home runs and has a .316 ISO and a 54% hard-hit percentage against that handedness. He has seen Andrew Heaney plenty of times throughout his career and has managed to blast three home runs off of him in 20 plate appearances. Heaney throws his fastball close to 60% of the time to right-handed batters and Haniger has a 53% hard-hit percentage and a .429 ISo against that fastball pitch type.
MLB DFS Values
Gavin Sheets – 1B/OF, CWS vs. CHC ($2,300 FD, $3,600 DK)
If Gavin Sheets draws a spot into the White Sox lineup, he is one that could be considered in all formats. Sheets is at a very reasonable price point on both sites and brings some pop against right-handed pitchers as he has six home runs and sports a .303 ISO against that handedness this season. Alzolay struggles against lefty batters and this would be a spot where Sheets could take him deep.
Yoan Moncada – 3B, CWS @ CHC ($2,800 FD, $4,600 DK)
While the pricing on Moncada is still reasonable over on DK, he stands out as a very nice value over on FD as he is almost 2k cheaper. While he has more of an underwhelming season, Moncada has hit right-handed pitchers a little better as he has a 50% hard-hit percentage, and eight out of his nine home runs this season have come from right-handed pitchers.
Kike Hernandez– 2B/OF, BOS @ TOR ($4,200 DK)
Hernandez has been a great hitter against lefty pitchers throughout his career and despite drawing a tougher matchup against Robbie Ray, he still should be considered in all formats. Hernandez has eight home runs against that handedness and sports a .233 ISO and a 43% hard-hit percentage. Righties have gotten to Ray as they have a collective ISO of .217 against him this year and Ray throws his fastball over 50% of the time to that handedness and Hernandez has a .500 ISO and a .418 XwOBA against that fastball pitch type.
Also Recommended: Brian Goodwin vs. Adbert Alzolay, Ty France vs. Andrew Heaney
MLB DFS Hitter Stacks
Chicago White Sox vs. Adbert Alzolay
The Cubs as a team have pretty much mailed it in for the remaining portion of the season and while they will still throw out their young prospects, it's all about them getting reps and innings at this point. Adbert Alzolay will be on the mound for the Cubs and while he has flashed some upside, this looks to be a good spot to target this White Sox offense, especially the lefty batters. Lefties are crushing Alzolay as they have a collective batting average of .284 with 19 home runs hit off of him while also having a combined ISO of .367. Some of the lefty batters to consider are Brian Goodwin, Yoan Moncada, Gavin Sheets, and Cesar Hernandez while also giving looks to Jose Abreu, Eloy Jimenez, and Tim Anderson.
Oakland Athletics vs. Drew Anderson
This is an interesting spot to target as Drew Anderson will receive the spot start for the Rangers against the Athletics on Saturday afternoon. Anderson has only pitched four innings in the big leagues and he has yet to record a strikeout while also allowing five hits in that four-inning span. He might only pitch for a few innings which means the Rangers could be reaching into their bullpen early and that favors the Athletics. Anderson relies heavily on his fastball as he throws it 50% of the time so guys like Starling Marte, Matt Olson, Mark Canha, and Jed Lowrie all profile well against that pitch.
Other recommended stacks: Seattle Mariners vs. Andrew Heaney, Boston Red Sox vs. Robbie Ray
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