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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on July 12th, 2019. Austyn Varney's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Welcome to Friday baseball on DraftKings! We're back in real action tonight and the baseball gods have blessed us with a fun 13 game slate that offers plenty of pitchers and hitters to choose from. Gerrit Cole is the lone ace on the hill, but he has a tough match-up in the summer Texas weather. We also have a game in Coors Field, so you things are going to be get interesting.
Caleb Smith and Mike Fiers will head our pitching options and give us plenty of money to spend on hitting. The Yankees, Reds, Astros, and many other offenses are expected to put up a ton of runs and we'll have to pick through the top options. Let's get to it!
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 7/12/19. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. Be sure to also check out all the Vegas Odds for today's slate. 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, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @VarneyDFS.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Caleb Smith - MIA vs. NYM - $8,600
On the high-end, Gerrit Cole is in a tier of his own when it comes to talent. He's just pitching in Globe Life Park in Arlington, where it happens to be close to 100 degrees. He's still in play, but the ball will be flying and Vegas has the game at a 10 projected total currently. We'll instead step down and look at two mid-priced arms in solid spots. Starting with Caleb Smith, he'll host the Mets in spacious Marlins Park, where's he's sported a 2.76 xFIP on the season. He's striking out 11 batters per nine innings and walking just two. He's held both righties and lefties to a sub .291 wOBA and hasn't shown any signs of letting up. He was allowed to go 95 pitches before the ASG game, so you have to assume he's ready for 100. The Mets are middle of the road against lefties and K 24% of the time. Smith is affordable and an elite arm in every category.
Mike Fiers - OAK vs. CWS - $8,500
Let's be clear. Mike Fiers has been pitching way over his head. On the season, he's held a 5.42 xFIP with a 3.87 ERA. This second half should be a pretty tough one for Fiers, but we're hoping the regression gods give us at least one more game. This weak White Sox lineup will head into the huge Oakland Coliseum, where it's extremely tough to hit for power. On the season, they rank 26th in baseball with a .21 wOBA on the road. Fiers has been amazing at home, holding a .254 wOBA against and striking out six batters per nine innings. His price is fair and he's a solid play in all formats. In conclusion, stay away from Fiers for the rest of the season, but try to suck what luck is remaining out of this situation tonight.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
C - Gary Sanchez - NYY vs. TOR (Sanchez) - $4,800
With some affordable arms, it's not worth messing around at catcher. For whatever reason, Sanchez isn't the most expensive catcher on the slate. He's still $4,800 and it should keep at least a few people off of him. The Yankees faced Sanchez just a couple weeks ago and had a lot of success. Sanchez is actually a guy who struggles against teams that have seen him a lot. FOr instance, his wOBA allowed triples after his second time through the order. The Yankees should put some runs up early tonight and Sanchez has held a .431 wOBA against righties since the start of the season. If you're not paying all the way up, Gary Sanchez is a safe bet at catcher.
1B - Joey Votto - CIN @ COL (Gray) - $4,100
Joey Votto is way too cheap in Coors Field. He would be in consideration if he was one of the more expensive 1B, but he's only $4.1k for some reason. DraftKings hasn't priced these Reds up enough and I don't mind stacking them in Coors Field. Gray is a good pitcher, but he's given up a .371 wOBA at home and we know this lineup is dangerous. Votto has held a .387 wOBA against righties and a .433 since the start of May. He isn't necessarily a home run hitter, but Coors Field is going to turn him into one for a few nights. This isn't tough at first.
2B - Whit Merrifield - KC vs. DET (Norris) - $4,600
Daniel Norris has been one of the worst pitchers in the entire league this season. Against righties, he's allowed a .340 wOBA with a 4.42 xFIP. He's striking out just six batters per nine innings and walking three. The Royals are a high-contact team and Merrifield embodies that. He's sported a .360 wOBA vs southpaws on the year and has already hit 11 homers this season. He's the heart and soul of this Royals team and they hold one of the highest implied totals of the night at 5.31.
SS - Didi Gregorius - NYY vs. TOR (Sanchez) - $4,300
There are always a ton of shortstop options to choose from, but Gregorius is a bit cheaper then he should be. He'll be hitting behind the heart of this order, which happens to be projected for over six runs. The RBI opportunities will be plentiful here and we know Didi isn't one to leave RISP. Aaron Sanchez has allowed a .351 wOBA to lefties and he now goes into the gauntlet of Yankee Stadium. This Yankees lineup is my favorite stack of the night and Gregorius is the top point per dollar option at shortstop.
3B - Kyle Seager - SEA @ LAA (Cole) - $3,300
Kyle Seager isn't in the best match-up in the world, but he certainly shouldn't be this cheap. Taylor Cole and Felix Pena are average at best pitchers and there's no reason this Mariners squad can't put up a bunch of runs. Pena has allowed two or more earned runs in each of his last eight starts, combined with a .341 wOBA allowed. Seager has been decent this year, sporting a .328 wOBA with peripherals that suggest bad luck. He always seems to come up with runners on base and I'm willing to bet on him coming through in one of those tonight.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Yasiel Puig - CIN @ COL (Gray) - $4,900
Sorry if you think this is too expensive for Yasiel Puig, but he's the number one guy on the slate I'm afraid to fade tonight. In general, hitting streaks are pretty moot and unpredictable. With that said, there are guys like Justin Upton and Yasiel Puig who are undeniably streaky. Over just his previous five games, Puig has amounted ten hits and three home runs. He's on an insane tear and now gets to travel into Coors Field. Jon Gray is certainly a talented pitcher, but he's been volatile in Coors Field this season. Puig is ripping the cover off of the ball and I can't imagine fading him in any format.
Khris Davis - OAK vs. CWS (Nova) - $3,700
I know Ivan Nova is far worse against lefties, but Khris Davis is too cheap here. Nova is still below average against righties, holding a .327 wOBA. Davis has hit nine of his 17 homers against righties this season and 37 of his 48 last season. The A's are expected to score over five runs and Davis will be in the 4 or 5 hole. He's under $4k and a great option if you're looking for an affordable shot at a home run. Good luck tonight and feel free to hit me up on Twitter with any questions!
