Happy 4th of July, RotoBallers! Enjoy that freedom today, and be safe with all your loud obnoxious fireworks. As President Thomas Whitmore (portrayed by Bill Pullman) once said, "Perhaps its fate that today is the 4th of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom, not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution -- but from annihilation, on DraftKings."

Today we have a full slate of freedom-filled baseball. However, only 14 of those games are available on DraftKings, as the matinee game in D.C. was left off the slates. It looks to be a day filled with fireworks, offensively that is, as Danny Salazar is the only probable starter with a FPPG above 20. Since DraftKings is all about freedom, and allows the late swap option, feel free to enjoy the All Day slates focusing on those tasty late games that will provide oodles of offense. But if you intend on being away from your phone and computer all day, like a good American, focus more on the Early (main) and late slates to ensure all your players are in the starting lineups prior to the contest kicking off.

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In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball MLB lineup picks for DraftKings on 7/4/16. The DFS lineup picks will range from high-priced to low-priced options and identify options who will out-perform their expectations, including sleepers and value plays on DraftKings. Let's get rowdy, Independence Day style!

 

DFS Lineup Stacks to Target on DraftKings

Boston Red Sox vs Nick Martinez

Nick Martinez is toting along a 5.00 ERA through three starts this season, accompanied by a awful 1.72 WHIP. He is allowing a .936 OPS to left handed hitters, and attempts to be a ground ball pitcher (54.0 GB%). With that being said, fire up the three main lefties in the Sox lineup: David Ortiz, Travis Shaw, and Jackie Bradley Jr, who all happen to have FB% above 34%. Mookie Betts is a RHB, but I'd want him in there today as well as he is also a prominent flyball hitter. This is a stack that comes with a hefty cost, so save it for a GPP lineup with a couple of low cost starting pitchers.

Arizona Diamondbacks vs Luis Perdomo

Perdomo has been just awful. The Padres could hit me up today and I'd go out there tossing my infamous knuckle ball and get similar results. He owns a grotesque 8.49 ERA and 2.06 WHIP. He's having terrible BABIP, HR/FB, and LOB luck, but you know what Spiderman always says, "with very hittable pitches in the center of the plate, comes terrible results." I like Jake Lamb, Paul Goldschmidt, Jean Segura, and Chris Herrmann today, who happen to be the top four wOBAs against RHP on the team. This is another hefty stack, but more importantly the game takes place at 9:10 pm ET. Don't try to use this stack in an all day slate.

Toronto Blue Jays vs Edinson Volquez

Man, I guess I'm just going to be Captain Obvious today. But for real, the Blue Jays cannot be ignored today. They put up 17 runs against Corey Kluber and the Tribe yesterday, and today have a picture perfect matchup against Volquez. Two reasons why Volquez is getting destroyed today: 1. he's been awful against right handed hitters, and 2. he can't buy a strikeout right now. He is allowing a .294 BA and .785 OPS against righties on the season, and over his past two weeks owns a feeble 4.7 K/9 ratio. Now enter the Blue Jays. Devon Travis, Josh Donaldson, Edwin Encarnacion, and Troy Tulowitzki all are right handed hitters with an OPS over .800 against RHP this season. Of course DraftKings is never caught with their pants down and for the third straight time, this stack features hiked up prices.

 

DFS Starting Pitchers to Consider on DraftKings

Danny Salazar, CLE ($11,200)

I usually wouldn't spend this kind of dough on Salazar, but on a day with no elite aces, he is far and away the safest option. He is the only available pitcher today averaging above 20 FPPG, and has totaled 26 K in his last four starts. Now, he did have an ugly baby two outing ago, against this very Detroit offense, but I'd like to think of that as a blip on the radar. I mean, we all saw what Chris Archer did to them yesterday (5.2 IP, 0 ER, 10 K). If you are playing any cash games today, it would behoove you to include Salazar.

Nick Tropeano, LAA ($9,200)

I find myself starting any lump of skin and bones that heaves a baseball with his right arm against Tampa Bay. The Rays rank 29th in the league in runs scored against RHP and was held to one run in 6.1 innings by Mike Pelfrey yesterday. Tropeano is making his first start since going on the DL with a shoulder injury, but owns a 3.25 ERA and 54 K in 55.1 IP for the season.

James Shields, CWS ($4,600)

This price, though! Shields is coming off his first great start in what feels like decades, scoring 21.6 FPTS against the Twins. The Yankees rank 25th in runs scored against RHP this season, and have scored the 26th fewest runs over the last seven days. If you can get any decent amount of points from a pitcher for less money than your first baseman, it opens up new worlds of opportunity. This, right here, is how you will be able to afford those high dollar stacks.

 

DFS Infielders to Consider on DraftKings

Catcher (C)

Buster Posey, SF ($3,700)

Any day that features Posey as the fifth most expensive catcher available, especially against a young southpaw, you have to take him. He is hitting .385 with a HR over the last seven days, and .309 against LHP on the season. Not a whole lot of power showing up this year for Posey, but his floor is as high as anyone's today.

 

First Base (1B)

Albert Pujols, LAA ($4,100)

Recent numbers a bit inflated after the 21 run onslaught the Angels put on the Red Sox two nights ago, but Pujols is hitting .448 with 2 HR, 8 RBI, and even a SB over the last seven days. The Machine has been great against LHP this season, hitting .284 with 7 HR in only 74 AB. On the bump for the Rays, Matt Moore is allowing a 34.0 Hard% and 41.5 FB% this year, meaning Pujols has a great shot at putting one in the bleachers today. Don't be the guy that rosters teammate C.J. Cron over Pujols today. You will regret it.

 

Second Base (2B)

Jonathan Schoop, BAL ($3,600)

I about hit the floor when I saw this price. Sure Schoop has been much more effective against RHP this year, but he is still hitting .274 against southpaws and is hitting .433 over the last seven days. Also, it is worth noting that Julio Urias has only made it through six innings once out of seven starts this year, meaning there's a great chance at Schoop seeing 1-2 at bats against the Dodgers bullpen. He makes for a great low-cost cash option today.

 

Shortstop (SS)

Troy Tulowitzki, TOR ($4,100)

A key piece to the Toronto stack mentioned above, Tulo has come back strong from his latest DL stint, hitting .290 with 3 HR and 7 RBI over the last seven days. Now add in all the goodness I spelled out in the stacks paragraph about Tulo's power stroke versus RHP and Volquez being rather blah.

 

Third Base (3B)

Kyle Seager, SEA ($3,900) 

Very nice price point for Seager today. He's belted 16 HR this season, with an impressive 52 RBI. Against RHP he is hitting .313 with 11 of those HR. McCullers has pitched well when healthy, but I give the edge to Seager here.

 

DFS Outfielders to Consider on DraftKings

Max Kepler, MIN ($3,400)

The last time Kepler faced a RHP (two days ago) he hit two bombs at plated seven. Today he faces Kendall Graveman, who is allowing a .376 wOBA to lefties and owns a 4.94 FIP on the season.

 

Seth Smith, SEA ($3,900)

The RHP masher is on a tear over the last seven days, hitting .400 with 3 HR including a grand salami yesterday. In typical fashion, all nine of his HR have come off righties this season, along with a .293 BA.

 

Brandon Nimmo, NYM ($2,000)

Value Alert! What a deal, for a lefty facing Tom Koehler today. Koehler has been getting smoked by LHB all season, allowing a .362 wOBA and 19 XBH compared to only 9 XBH to RHB. As for Nimmo, he has fared well with the big league club, collecting eight hits through his first seven games. If you are in search for salary relief when setting your lineups today, this is the first place I would look.

 

USA! USA! USA!

 

 

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