July 20, 2017

Daniel Marcus' top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for 7/20/17. Expert MLB DFS advice, sleepers & player recommendations for FanDuel and DraftKings.

There's a small slate of games Thursday but there should be no shortage of offensive firepower with hot temperatures projected for several games. There are also plenty of pitching options without many lock down aces on today's slate but also not many punching bags toeing the rubber either. Given the wide array of options for both hitters and pitchers, especially given the small slate, it's time to dig in.

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 7/20/17. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to holler at me on Twitter @DanMarcus3.

DFS Starting Pitchers to Consider

Jimmy Nelson - P, @PIT (DK - $11,700, FD - $9,300)

Over his past 10 starts, Nelson has struck out eight or more batters seven times.  On the other hand, the Pirates only strike out at an 18.6% rate against right-handed pitching, second lowest in the league. This would seemingly limit Nelson’s upside but they also have just an 88 wRC+ against right-handed pitching, meaning Nelson has a safe floor for a cash game at worst.

Jhoulys Chacin - P, vs MIL (DK - $8,900, FD - $8,500)

Chacin is a tournament only play but is an interesting pivot off of the chalky play of Madison Bumgarner. In fact, the Giants have the second worst wRC+ against right-handed pitching in the league. Don’t be scared off by Chacin’s drastic splits on the road, as three blow-ups across April and May make up the majority of his ugly road ERA. He isn’t the safest play on the board, but for those who want to play the elite options from the Red Sox or Dodgers, two of the top stacks of the day, Chacin is an option worth considering.

DFS Infielders to Consider

James McCann @KC - C (DK - $2,500, FD- $2,300)

McCann is hitting an abysmal .208 on the season but his splits against lefties are much more appealing. Six of his nine home runs have come against lefties despite double the amount of at-bats against right-handed pitching. Thus, while Danny Duffy doesn’t jump off the page as an appealing matchup, McCann is in a good spot to produce on Thursday.

Hanley Ramirez - 1B, vs TOR (DK - $4,100, FD - $3,200)

Ramirez has been all or nothing in July as he has several double-digit performances but has also been held hitless several times. Given the favorable matchup against Francisco Liriano on Thursday, he has allowed an .895 OPS to right-handed hitters this season, Ramirez is a good bet to produce.

Scooter Gennett - 2B, vs ARI (DK - $4,300, FD - $3,100)

Gennett is a much better option on FanDuel thanks to the price differential. However, his performance over the past few months suggests that he is worth paying up for. Taijuan Walker hasn’t been bad on the season but the hot weather in Cincinnati suggests the ball should be flying out of Great American Ballpark.

Jose Reyes - SS, vs STL (DK - $3,500, FD - $2,800)

There aren’t an abundance of exciting options at the shortstop position, so Thursday is either a day to pay all the way up to Corey Seager or drop down for some salary relief. That makes Jose Reyes a decent option as he has been on a nice run of late. The matchup doesn’t stand out, but Lance Lynn is worse on the road and when facing left-handed hitters. Reyes isn’t the most exciting, but he provides salary relief with some upside amongst otherwise uninspiring options.

Justin Turner - 3B, vs ATL (DK - $4,800, FD - $2,800)

Though Mike Foltynewicz has struggled more so against lefties this season, Justin Turner is a great option to pay up for on Thursday’s slate.  He has raked all season and the team context should work in his favor with the potential for him to be in the middle a lot of Dodgers’ runs scored on Thursday.

DFS Outfielders to Consider

Matt Holliday - OF, @ SEA (DK - $3,600, FD - $2,800)

Holliday’s eligibility differs by site, as he is first base eligible on DraftKings and outfield eligible on Fanduel. He has struggled mightily since returning from the DL going just 3-for-28 since July 14. However, he got an off day on Wednesday and will now face a watered-down version of Felix Hernandez. He’s best for a tournament format but getting a piece of the Yankees’ offense on Thursday is a smart option.

Steve Pearce - OF, @ BOS (DK - $3,800, FD - $3,000)

The Doug Fister experiment has gone poorly for the Red Sox making both teams in this game appealing despite less than ideal weather conditions. Despite being one of the better producers besides Justin Smoak on the season, Pearce remains an underpriced option on both sites and is a good play in what should be a high-scoring matchup.

Also Consider: Mookie Betts (DK - $5,400, FD - $4,100) and Dexter Fowler (DK - $3,800, FD - $2,800)

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