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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on July 15th, 2018. Elliott Baas' MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
It's the last slate before the All-Star break, so hopefully a juicy 12-game featured slate can keep us satiated until Friday. As expected, the Coors Field game boasts the biggest total with a 11.5 O/U. TOR @ BOS and KC @ CWS are the next highest games with a 9.5 O/U each. There are a wealth of options to sift through on Sunday's massive slate.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 7/15/18. 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, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @ElliottBaasBB.
DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Looking at this pitching slate, there aren’t many high-priced options that seem enticing in tournaments. Every pitcher above $8,000 is facing a top-8 offense (based on wOBA) except for Justin Verlander ($13,500 vs. DET). Verlander is fine in a cash game, but prohibitively expensive in tournaments. Today it seems like a better option to go bonkers on hitting and use some cheaper pitchers.
Joe Musgrove, PIT (vs. MIL): $6,600
Musgrove has been great when healthy this season, pitching to a 3.77 ERA, 3.36 FIP, and 3.75 K/BB ratio. The Brewers have not been a favorable matchup from a season-long perspective, but they have really struggled at the plate as of late. The Brewers are 2-9 in their last 11 games and averaged 2.667 runs per game during that stretch. They also have a .319 wOBA and 25.4% strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season, tied for third highest strikeout rate in the majors.
Jose Urena, MIA (vs. PHI): $6,300
Urena may be 2-9 this season, but don’t let that record deceive you. He’s posted a career best 3.67 FIP and 3.54 K/BB ratio. The Phillies are on equal footing with the Brewers in terms of offensive effectiveness against righties. Philadelphia has a .315 wOBA and 25.8% strikeout rate against right-handed pitching this season. It’s hard to ever say Urena is in a good spot to get a win given the team he pitches for, but it will certainly be easier now that Zach Eflin was scratched for the Phillies.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Infielders
C – Matt Wieters, WAS (@ NYM): $3,100
We only have to go cheap at one position today with these pitchers, and it’s at catcher with Matt Wieters. Mets’ starter Corey Oswalt has been obliterated in 17.1 IP this season to the tune of a 6.75 ERA and 5.73 FIP. He’s also surrendered four home runs in three starts. Wieters gives us cheap exposure to Oswalt without going all out Nationals in a suboptimal hitting environment.
1B – Ryon Healy, SEA (@ COL): $4,000
Healy is his ideal situation on Sunday, facing a left-handed pitcher in Coors Field. In his career Healy has a .205 ISO against lefties and has a .211 ISO and 18 home runs in 311 PA this season. Mariners’ hitters are underpriced in this matchup in general, because it’s hard to buy into Rockies’ starter Tyler Anderson’s success. Anderson may have a 3.76 ERA, but it comes with a 4.26 ERA and 1.34 HR/9. At home he’s been even worse, with a 4.82 FIP and 1.69 HR/9. The Rockies are -147 favorites in this matchup and most likely will be chalk, so the Seattle side of this game looks like the way to go in tournaments.
2B – Rougned Odor, TEX (@ BAL): $4,200
Original starter Jimmy Yacabonis was scratched in this start, and while they haven’t officially announced who is replacing Yacabonis as of writing this, whomever it is will almost certainly be terrible. There are rumblings of DFS favorite Chris Tillman making the start, which would be great for all Rangers hitters. Odor has really turned things around after a rough start to the year and has posted a .926 OPS and .237 ISO in July.
3B – Nolan Arenado, COL (vs. SEA): $5,400
The king of Coors Field is always a great option at home, and with salary to burn he’s a nice fit in this lineup. This season Arenado has hit .361 with a 1.132 OPS and a .331 ISO in his home ballpark.
SS – Jean Segura, SEA (@ COL): $5,000
Segura is having another great season at the plate, hitting .325 with a .352 wOBA and 127 wRC+. He’s been even better against lefties, with a .340 AVG and .886 OPS this season. As the Mariners’ second hitter Segura is one of the key pieces to a Mariners stack as they finish out a series in Colorado.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Charlie Blackmon, COL (vs. SEA): $5,600
Carlos Gonzalez, COL (vs. SEA): $5,000
Both Blackmon and Gonzalez thrive at home against right-handed pitching, and get a favorable matchup against Mike Leake in this game. Leake has posted a 4.49 FIP and 1.24 HR/9 this season, both representing his highest marks since 2012. Blackmon has an .899 OPS and .228 ISO at home against righties this season, which are actually slightly below average compared to his career numbers (.971 OPS, .231 ISO), so if we trust the career marks for him he’s got even more upside.
Carlos Gonzalez has excelled pretty much solely at home against righties, where he has hit like an MVP-candidate. Gonzalez has posted an 1.168 OPS and .352 ISO at home against righties this season. He has been on fire this
Mitch Haniger, SEA (@ COL): $4,800
Without Nelson Cruz in the lineup Haniger is the Mariners’ best power hitter. He’s slugged 18 home runs with a .222 ISO in a breakout season. He should serve as the number three hitter in this game, giving him plenty of run scoring opportunities in a likely high-scoring affair.
Note: If by some miracle Nelson Cruz starts in the outfield he's a great play at $5,000, but that seems incredibly unlikely.
