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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on July 18th, 2019. Ben Rolfe's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
As always on a Thursday we have a split slate to give us a day loaded with baseball. However, this week sees just five games on the afternoon slate, with the remaining eight residing in the evening and on the "featured" slate for DFS players.
Unsurprisingly, the Cleveland Indians behind Trevor Bauer are the biggest favorites of the day. However, quite a lot of the other matchups are considered to be fairly even, which should make for an interesting evening. The scoring is expected to be fairly even on the slate, with most games totals residing in the 9-to-10 region. The notable exception is the 7.5 line in what should be a fascinating duel between Noah Syndergaard and Madison Bumgarner out in San Francisco.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 7/18/19. 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 @benrolfe15.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Charlie Morton, TB (@ NYY) - $10,200
Morton has just simply been immense this season, be that at home (2.80 ERA) or at home (1.97 ERA). Admittedly one of his worse starts this season was in Yankees Stadium, but that is not always a reliable indicator of future performance. Interestingly, the Yankees score on average nearly 1.5 runs per game less at home, and the under has hit in 33 of their 55 games this year, suggesting scoring has been reduced. Morton has plenty of upside as well as a relatively nice floor, given he averages 5.91 innings per start and has a 31.2 K% to bolster those innings numbers.
Julio Teheran, ATL (vs. WAS) - $6,400
This is a bit of a gamble because the weather in Atlanta should be hitter-friendly. However, Teheran has been immense at home this season, with a 2.66 ERA and opposing batting average of .236. There have been a number of times this season I have shied away because of tough conditions only to see him produce a wonderful performance. This time he is facing a Nationals offense which ranks 15th in batting average (.254), 16th in runs (461), 17th in home runs (128) and 15th in slugging percentage (15th).
DraftKings DFS Infielders
C - Roberto Perez, CLE (vs. DET) - $3,800
Perez against a left-handed pitcher has been an interesting proposition for fantasy owners this season. So far he has six home runs in just 85 PA, with a .282 batting average, a .296 ISO and a .406 wOBA.
1B - Albert Pujols, LAA (vs. HOU) - $3,900
Pujols has been another hitter who has had success with left-handed pitchers on the mound this season. Seven of his 14 home runs have come against lefties, giving him a .238 ISO and a .317 wOBA. Nothing incredible, but a solid return at this price.
2B - Mike Moustakas, MIL (@ ARI) - $4,700
Moustakas is having a nice year with the Milwaukee Brewers, regardless of who is on the mound. However, against right-handed pitchers, he has an impressive .276 ISO and .364 wOBA, which serve him well in Arizona for this matchup.
3B - Josh Donaldson, ATL (vs. WSH) - $4,500
Donaldson's lefty vs. righty splits this year are pretty extreme. 18 of his 22 home runs have come off right-handed pitchers and his batting average (.268) is .062 higher when righties are on the mound. Overall, against righties, he has an impressive .272 ISO and .377 wOBA.
SS - Paul DeJong, STL (@ CIN) - $4,100
This is a double-whammy of reasons to look at DeJong for this matchup. Not only have 11 of his 13 home runs this season come off right-handed pitchers, but nine of those 13 home runs have been on the road. Overall his ISO is .215 and his wOBA .338 when facing righties on the road this season.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Shohei Ohtani, LAA (vs. HOU) - $4,400
Now Ohtani is an interesting one because he has been pretty hot since the start of June, hitting for over .300 in both months. His numbers against right-handed pitchers are better, but this price still present value for a hitter with a .346 wOBA and a .279 batting average against lefties.
Mark Canha, OAK (@ MIN) - $4,200
Canha is having a solid season, with 15 home runs in 223 PA. However, his performances against right-handed pitchers have stood out, as he has a .270 batting average, 10 home runs, a .322 ISO and a .409 wOBA.
Jake Bauers, CLE (vs. DET) - $3,400
It has not been the prettiest of seasons for Bauers, but July has been pretty good, at least from a batting average point of view. Additionally, he is averaging a home run every 20.6 PA when lefties are on the mound. His overall numbers are not superb, but this price against a struggling pitcher in Matt Boyd looks too good to pass up.
