MLB DFS Picks Today: Daily Fantasy Baseball Strategy and Tips For FanDuel, DraftKings (7/21/25)

Zach's top DraftKings and FanDuel MLB DFS picks for today, Monday, 7/21/25. His favorite daily fantasy baseball lineup sleepers and value picks for DFS on DraftKings and FanDuel.

Welcome back, RotoBallers! After the All-Star break last week, teams do not need an off-day just yet, so all 30 are in action on Monday night. The work week starts with a full fantasy baseball slate. Five of the games start just before 7:00 PM ET, setting up a nice turbo slate, and the other 10 make up the main slate, putting 20 teams in the player pool for the main contests on both DraftKings and FanDuel.

On the mound, we have some very solid options, such as Carlos Rodon, Kodai Senga, and George Kirby. Meanwhile, at the plate, the Cardinals, Rays, and Rockies have the highest implied run totals. Coors Field and George M. Steinbrenner Field are both in play as good hitting environments, and the wind is blowing out in a few places as well, setting up more offense.

This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 7/21/2025, with the slate starting at 7:07 PM EST. The lineup picks will showcase elite players, mid-priced options, and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. Monitoring injury news and today's MLB starting lineups is always essential.

DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks

Brandon Woodruff, SP - MIL ($9.6K DK/$10.8K FD)

Woodruff has made only two starts this season since his extended absence due to shoulder surgery and a few other injuries picked up along the way. His two outings have been impressive, though, and he'll look to continue his remarkable recovery in Monday's matchup against the Mariners.

After missing 652 days between starts in the majors, he looked dominant in his return against the Marlins, earning 30.3 DraftKings points.

Brandon Woodruff made his long awaited return yesterday:

6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 8 K's in 70 pitches
30% WHiff%
41% CSW%
93.2 MPH avg fastball velocity

One of the most underrated pitchers of his generation returns with a stellar outing.

Let's hope he stays healthy!#ThisIsMyCrew pic.twitter.com/xVnrtmTr8I

— LouisAnalysis (@LouisAnalysis) July 7, 2025

He continued his success against the Nationals in his second start, picking up 10 strikeouts but only lasting 4 1/3 innings in a no-decision. He still had a solid 22.75 DraftKings points, though, due to all those strikeouts.

With a 2.61 ERA, 3.38 FIP, and an impressive 47.4% K%, it's easy to see the upside in building around Woodruff as a DFS ace this Monday. He comes a little cheaper on DraftKings than FanDuel, but his strikeout ceiling is high enough to make him a good play on either site against the Mariners, who have the fourth-most strikeouts of any team in the majors over the last 30 days.

Shane Baz, SP - TB ($9K DK/$9.6K FD)

The Rays host the White Sox in a very favorable home start for Baz, who flashed an extremely high ceiling in the first half but also had a few rocky outings. In his 19 starts, he has a 4.17 ERA and 4.41 FIP to go with 107 strikeouts in 110 innings.

He has allowed zero or one run in three of his last six starts, with a total of 12 runs against him, and an average of over a strikeout per inning. Baz earned over 25 DraftKings points in three of those outings and over 13 DraftKings points in each of those six starts, averaging 22.3 DraftKings points per game.

He has been a little homer-prone at the hitter-friendly confines of Steinbrenner Field, but a matchup against the light-hitting White Sox mitigates some of that risk. Chicago has the second-fewest homers and third-lowest team batting average of all teams in the majors over the last 30 days.

Jacob Lopez, SP - ATH ($6.8K DK/$7.7K FD)

Former Ray Jacob Lopez has been a great value play for the Athletics, and the lefty brings lots of upside as he takes on the Rangers to start the week.

In his 14 games, Lopez has a 4.20 ERA and 4.28 FIP, but his xERA is only 3.54, showing he does a better job limiting hard contact than his ERA shows. He had a couple of rough outings but bounced back with a good performance against the surging Blue Jays just before the break.

He has 69 strikeouts in 55 2/3 innings this year and at least eight strikeouts in four of his last eight games. The Rangers have the sixth-highest K% in the majors this season against lefties and have hit only .216 in the split, the second-worst batting average against lefties in the majors. Lopez should be set up for success against them at Globe Life Field.

Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):

• Kodai Senga, SP - NYM ($9.3K DK/$10.1K FD)
• Bryce Elder, SP - ATL ($6.3K DK/$7.1K FD)

Want more MLB DFS tools and content? Our MLB Premium package includes our daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Research Station, Lineup Optimizer, and access to our Premium Discord Chatrooms, where members can chat with our MLB analysts. Win more with expert tools and advice from proven winners!

DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks

Junior Caminero, 3B - TB ($5.3K DK/$3.5 FD)

Caminero made a splash at the MLB Home Run Derby during the break, and he has continued to mash for the Rays in their three games since then as well. The 22-year-old righty is hitting .259 with 25 homers on the season, giving him a .256 ISO and .343 wOBA.

He has been especially outstanding at home, where he is hitting .324 with 16 of those homers and a .412 wOBA. He has averaged 9.7 DraftKings points per game at home this season, and he gets a good matchup against righty Sean Burke of the White Sox on Monday night.

Junior Caminero homered twice on Friday and is now up to 25 HR this season.

He's on pace to be just the 5th hitter since 2000 to hit 40+ HR in a season at age 22 or younger, joining Vlad Jr. (2021), Tatís Jr. (2021), Acuña Jr. (2019), and Harper (2015).pic.twitter.com/d12tMr05jj

— Eric Cross (@EricCrossMLB) July 19, 2025

Caminero is one of the most exciting young sluggers in the game and is a great centerpiece to build around Monday.

Nick Kurtz, 1B - ATH ($4.5K DK/$3.7K FD)

Another exciting young slugger to build around comes from the opposite corner of the diamond in the Athletics' Nick Kurtz. Kurtz has been scalding hot over his last 11 games, going 17-for-39 (.436) with 14 of those 17 hits going for extra bases. He has eight doubles, a triple, and five homers over that span with a .639 wOBA and .641 ISO.

Kurtz has 18 homers on the season, and 14 of those have come against righties like Jack Leiter, who is lined up to start for the Rangers. Building around Kurtz and Caminero is a strategy that makes a lot of sense on Monday night, based on their matchups, and will likely be one that works for years to come, as both young hitters have a lot of potential.

Nick Kurtz has 13 Home Runs & 32 RBI's over his last 30 games.

162 game pace: 70 HR & 173 RBI.

The future of the first base position.#Athletics pic.twitter.com/5MabrHOAsK

— LouisAnalysis (@LouisAnalysis) July 20, 2025

Kody Clemens, 1B/2B on DK, 1B/2B/3B/OF on FD - MIN ($3.1K DK/$2.5K FD)

As a bargain utility play, Clemens has been a very solid contributor for the Twins and flashed a very good ceiling. In his last 14 games, Clemens is hitting .302 with a double, two triples, five home runs, and a .462 wOBA.

He had two hits in each of his two starts in Denver, producing 21 and 13 DraftKings points. He has averaged 11.5 DraftKings points per game over his last eight contests, and he will likely be in the lineup on Monday against Shohei Ohtani as an opener and Dustin May in long relief.

The lefty Clemens is set up well on the strong side of his splits against the two righties, since all 12 of his homers have come against right-handed pitching, and he has a .368 wOBA and 137 wRC+ on that side of the split.

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): 

• Yandy Diaz, 1B - TB ($4.8K DK/$3.2K FD)
• Masyn Winn, SS - STL ($4.6K DK/$3.4K FD)
• Nacho Alvarez Jr., 2B/3B on DK, 2B/3B/SS on FD - ATL ($2.2K DK/$2.2K FD)

DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks

Aaron Judge, OF - NYY ($6.5K DK/$4.8K FD)

Judge is a great pay-up play to build around as his Yankees head to Toronto for a big AL East series. Judge hit his 36th homer of the season on Sunday, and he has hit .340 (18-for-53) in 15 games in July with five homers, 15 RBI, a .478 wOBA, and a 65.8% hard-hit rate.

He'll be in a great matchup against Kevin Gausman and the Jays, since he has gone 16-for-43 (.372) in the past against Gausman with six home runs. As usual, his ceiling is extremely high, and he's fairly reliable as the main producer for the Bronx Bombers.

Jordan Walker, OF - STL ($3.9K DK/$2.9K FD)

The Cardinals are at Coors Field, but they're taking on a lefty in former Cardinal Austin Gomber, which does make their lineup a little unpredictable since it tends to be a bit lefty-heavy. One right-handed hitter worth a look thanks to the Coors boost is Jordan Walker, who just returned to the club after missing nearly a month with an abdominal injury.

Walker went 3-for-11 with two doubles in his three games since returning, while posting a 62.5% hard-hit rate. On the season, he's only hitting .214 with a .258 wOBA, but his 47.5% hard-hit rate indicates some positive regression could be ahead for the young righty. He's a little priced up at Coors, but his power potential is worth the investment if you have the salary available.

Cam Smith, OF -  HOU ($3.5K DK/$2.8K FD)

Cam Smith moved into the leadoff spot for the Astros on Sunday and went 1-for-5 with a double and a pair of RBI. He has climbed up to the top spot for Houston due to multiple injuries, but he has also shown great progress as the season has unfolded.

With Jeremy Pena (ribs), Isaac Paredes (hamstring), Jake Meyers (calf), and Yordan Alvarez (hand) all on the injured list, Smith should stay in a premium lineup spot as they start their series in Phoenix against the Diamondbacks.

CAM SMITH CARRY US pic.twitter.com/VBaIBvFK84

— Apollo Dez (@ApolloDez1) July 20, 2025

Smith is hitting .284 (16-for-81) in his last 19 games with four doubles, a triple, two home runs, two stolen bases, and a .338 wOBA. He and the 'Stros face Zac Gallen on Monday in what should be a favorable spot.

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): 

• Ronald Acuna Jr., OF - PIT ($6.3K DK/$4.1K FD)
• Heliot Ramos, OF - SF ($4.1K DK/$3.1K FD)
• Trent Grisham, OF - NYY ($3.8K DK/$2.8K FD)

DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks

1. Tampa Bay Rays vs. Sean Burke

Burke is 4-8 on the year with a 4.36 ERA, 5.07 FIP, and 1.40 WHIP. He has struggled even more on the road with a 5.18 ERA, 5.34 FIP, and 1.58 WHIP away from Rate Field. He has given up 16 homers and a 10.8% barrel rate, so the Rays should be able to keep rolling on Monday night. They scored 18 runs in three games coming out of the break while taking two of three from the visiting Orioles.

Favorite Combo: Caminero, Diaz, Jonathan Aranda, Chandler Simpson

2. St. Louis Cardinals vs. Austin Gomber

Nolan Arenado returning to Coors Field is one storyline to follow in this series, and the Cardinals should be in a good place to produce against Gomber. However, they have struggled against left-handed pitchers at times, as many of their key hitters are left-handed.

Gomber has a 5.65 ERA and 5.57 FIP in his six starts this season for the Rockies and is still in search of his first win. He has allowed six homers and a 13.8% barrel rate, so the potential for plenty of fireworks is definitely there in Denver in this matchup.

Favorite Combo: Walker, Arenado, Ivan Herrera, Willson Contreras

More Fantasy Baseball Analysis