RADIO
With the trade deadline right around the corner, this is one of the most interesting times of the season. That means checking lineups is more imperative than ever, as we don’t even know if these guys will be on their respective teams come game time.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 7/30/19. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like FanDuel, and other sports too.
If you have any questions or comments, contact me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel
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Today's Weather
In terms of weather, we have a few questionable forecasts. The cities you need to keep an eye on are Philadelphia, Washington, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Denver. All of those cities/teams have some rain projected in the forecast and it’s unclear what it will look like come first pitch.
DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Griffin Canning, LAA vs. DET ($7,900)
Canning’s last four appearances have lowered his price tag to this tasty number but he’s way too good to be priced this cheaply. Not only were three of those tough matchups, one of them was a surprise relief appearance in the 16th inning of a marathon game. Prior to that, Canning had a WHIP south of 1.00 and a K rate north of 25 percent. We expect to see numbers like those against this putrid offense, with the Tigers ranking bottom-three in K rate, runs scored, OPS, wOBA and xwOBA. That’s why Canning enters this matchup as a –270 favorite, with the Motor City Kitties projected for only four runs.
Dinelson Lamet, SD vs. BAL
This play is actually only available if you’re playing the day slate but I do love this situation and price for Lamet in the Showdown format. While his 5.00 ERA is obviously nothing to write home about, this kid has all the talent in the world. That’s evident by his 31 percent K rate and 3.97 xFIP. Those are monstrous numbers from a player this cheap and he actually gets a superb matchup against this cupcake lineup. In fact, the Orioles rank 21st in K rate, 26th in OBP, 25th in OPS, 27th in wOBA and 28th in xwOBA.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Buster Posey — C, SF at PHI ($3,700)
Geez, Posey really hasn’t given us a whole lot this season but this is a pretty good spot for him. What makes him really enticing is this matchup with Drew Smyly, with the Phillies lefty pitching to a 7.69 ERA and 1.81 WHIP this season. Those are nightmarish numbers in a hitter’s park like Citizen’s Bank and it becomes scary against one of the hottest offenses in the league. Posey is a major reason why, as he’s hitting .351 over his last 19 games en route to a .500 SLG and .915 OPS. That’s all you can ask for from a guy priced this cheaply, especially one who used to be a perennial All-Star.
Daniel Vogelbach – 1B, SEA at TEX ($4,800)
The lumberjack known as Vogelbach has absolutely destroyed right-handers all season long and we have to love him in a place like Texas. Globe Life Park is currently the second-best hitting environment in the league and that caters beautifully to a guy like Vogelbach. The powerful first baseman is currently providing a .393 OBP, .564 SLG and .957 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor. That’s truly frightening for Ariel Jurado, who’s got a 6.69 ERA and 1.51 WHIP over his last eight starts.
Mike Moustakas – 2B, MIL at OAK ($4,000)
Second base is always a tough pick but one nice subtlety about DraftKings is that we get to use Moustakas over there. The man known as “The Moose” is currently setting career-highs across the board and it’s really no surprise in a potent lineup like this. A major reason why for the breakout is his success against right-handers, with Moustakas posting a .861 OPS against righties so far this season. He actually has pretty even split for the year but he’s always had more success against right-handers from the left side. Chris Bassitt is definitely a pitcher we can exploit too, with the Oakland righty pitching to a 5.09 ERA and 1.29 WHIP over his last 11 starts.
Kyle Seager – 3B, SEA at TEX ($3,700)
We already discussed why we like the Mariners in the Vogelbach write-up, as their 5.7 implied run total is one of the highest on the board. That’s a huge number from a cheap offense like this and it’s really no surprise considering their matchup and ballpark. That directly puts Seager right in play, as he’s been a .780 OPS hitter throughout his career. That’s a big number from someone in this price range and we can’t overlook the fact that he gets the platoon advantage against Jurado too, with Seager posting a .784 OPS against righties for his career. That may not sound like anything special but it’s huge from a $3,700 player in such a tasty situation.
Trea Turner – SS, WSH vs. ATL ($4,700)
It's really tough to pick a shortstop on this slate, so let’s go with a reliable guy like Turner. This dude has simply been one of the best players in fantasy over recent years, which is evident by the fact that he typically gets taken in the Top-10 in season-long formats. His 12.7 FanDuel points per game show just that, as he’s actually scorching-hot right now. In fact, Turner is hitting .307 over his last 13 games while generating a .868 OPS and swiping four bags. Getting to face a righty is big too, as that actually gives Turner a much better chance to steal a bag and score.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Josh VanMeter, CIN vs. PIT ($3,800)
VanMeter has been an absolute stud the last week and he simply needs to see a price increase. Over his last eight games, VanMeter is hitting .500 while generating a 1.091 SLG and 1.633 OPS. Those are laughable numbers and it’s really no surprise when you see his Triple-A statistics. At the minors this season, VanMeter posted a .348 AVG, .669 SLG, and 1.098 OPS. Those are absurd numbers and we can’t overlook the fact that he gets the platoon advantage here.
Justin Upton, LAA vs. DET ($3,600)
Upton has struggled in his return from the IL but he’s too good of a player to be priced below $4,000 on DraftKings. We’re talking about a guy who has a .210 career ISO to match his .355 wOBA. It’s not like this is some geezer who’s way past his prime either, with Upton being only 31-years-old. The reason he’s an intriguing option today is that he gets to face Drew VerHagen, who’s got an unsightly 14.40 ERA and 3.00 WHIP. Don’t be afraid to stack all of the Angels against this gas can.
