RADIO
It's Tuesday night and that means we have a full slate of baseball ahead of us. We have all 30 teams in action starting at 7ET, so it should make for a fascinating night of baseball.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 7/23/19. 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
Today's Weather
After a postponement on Monday, we have some more questionable weather here. There's rain forecasted in New York and Milwaukee but it doesn't look like we'll see any more PPD's. The only heavy wind will be in San Francisco but that ballpark is impossible to hit in any way, especially with Madison Bumgarner and Yu Darvish taking the mound.
DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Aaron Nola, PHI at DET ($10,100)
Nola has had a frustrating year for season-long owners who invested a high pick in him but we have to love him in a matchup like this. The Tigers currently rank 29th in K rate, runs scored, wOBA and OPS. That simply means they’re one of the worst offenses in baseball and a talented guy like Nola should cruise right through them. The Philly righty has been much better recently, pitching to a 1.55 ERA and 0.96 WHIP over his last six starts, striking out 48 batters across 40.2 innings. That’s why Vegas has him projected as a –150 favorite, with the Motor City Kitties projected for fewer than four runs.
Chris Archer, PIT vs. STL ($7,500)
Archer is yet another guy who’s had a down year for his standards but recent results are really encouraging. Not only does he have at least 5 Ks in nine-straight starts, Archer is also pitching to a 4.15 ERA and 1.15 WHIP over his last five starts. He actually has a K rate north of 30 percent in that span and this is the Tampa Archer that we’ve been waiting for all season long. The Cardinals are a matchup we definitely want to exploit too, with St. Louis ranking 24th in wOBA, 22nd in runs scored and 23rd in OPS for the season, while missing Marcell Ozuna, Matt Carpenter and Yadier Molina.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
Yasmani Grandal - C, MIL vs. CIN ($4,300)
Grandal is always one of the top catcher picks in the league and it’s strange to see him outside of the Top-5 at the position. This guy has been the second-best catcher in the league this season and this price is truly hard to understand. What makes him attractive here is that he gets to bat from the left side, with Grandal’s career OPS nearly 100 points higher against righties than it is against lefties. He’s been fantastic from both sides this season though, accruing a .372 OBP, .505 SLG and .877 OPS.
Joey Votto - 1B, CIN at MIL ($3,800)
Votto just continues to be disrespected by DraftKings and it’s hard to understand why they’re keeping his price so low. Over his last 45 games, Votto is hitting .306 while providing an .830 OPS in that span. That’s pretty close to the Votto that we’ve become accustomed to, as he has a wOBA and OBP in the .400-range against right-handers for his career. This is a righty we want to exploit too, with Davies posting a 5.18 xFIP and 1.32 WHIP while striking out just 15 percent of opposing batters.
Jason Kipnis - 2B, CLE at TOR ($3,600)
Kipnis has quietly had a resurgent season for the Indians and he’s always in play against right-handers. We’re still talking about a guy with a career OPS approaching .800 with the platoon advantage in his favor and he comes into this matchup scorching. Over his last 28 games, Kipnis has a .308 AVG, .510 SLG and .869 OPS. That becomes very enticing against Aaron Sanchez, who’s pitching to a 6.26 ERA and 1.75 WHIP so far this season.
Jose Ramirez - 3B, CLE at TOR ($4,500)
Those ugly numbers from Sanchez put all of the Indians bats in play, which means we have to love Ramirez the way he’s breaking out. While the Top-10 fantasy pick struggled mightily early on, recent results show the stud player that we’ve all been waiting for. Over his last 29 games, Ramirez is hitting .304 while generating a .923 OPS. Those gaudy numbers look very tempting against a struggling pitcher like Sanchez, with Ramirez traditionally hitting better from the left side. In fact, Ramirez has an OPS north of .900 against right-handers since 2016.
Manny Machado - SS, SD at NYM ($4,600)
Why more people aren't talking about Machado is beyond me. This dude has been the best hitter in baseball over the last month and that makes this price mind-boggling. Over his last 30 games, Machado has 15 homers and 33 RBI en route to a .727 SLG and 1.080 OPS. Those are some bonkers statistics and we have to love him against a weak lefty like Jason Vargas. Not only does Machado have a 1.334 OPS against southpaws so far this season, Vargas’ 5.18 xFIP makes him a guy we want to exploit.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Joc Pederson, LAD vs. LAA ($4,500)
Pederson has been mired in a bit of a slump but he’s too good to be priced this cheaply. He still bats atop one of the best lineups in baseball and still mashes right-handers. In fact, Pederson has all 23 of his dingers against righties this year en route to a .569 SLG and .914 OPS. That’s fantastic production from a leadoff hitter, especially one who bats for a lineup like the Dodgers. Getting to face Felix Pena is the icing on the cake, with the right-hander pitching to a 4.92 ERA after allowing eight runs in his last start.
Khris Davis, OAK at HOU ($3,600)
Davis really hasn’t given us much reason to use him with his recent form but he’s way too good to be priced this cheaply. We’re still talking about a guy who’s leading the league in home runs since 2016, as he’s had at least 40 homers in four-straight seasons. It’s unlikely he’ll reach that total this year but his .270 ISO in that span is hard to argue with. That alone makes him worth a shot at this price and it doesn’t even take into consideration that he faces a low-K pitcher with the platoon advantage in his favor. So far this season, Davis’ OPS is nearly 150 points higher against lefties than it is against righties.
