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We have a 7-game main slate on tap tonight, and it is gonna be a doozy. There are flash flood warnings in Baltimore, so the Jays and O's may not even play. I still wrote up players there in the hopes they play. The Mets and Pirates games is also going to be dodging some rain as well. So keep your head on a swivel out there, folks. What that does mean is we have five games for sure, including the elite pitching matchup of Max Scherzer versus Yu Darvish. Both are great plays, a 1A and 1B of sorts. I did not write them up as you do not need my help picking one of those to put in your lineups tonight.
The slate starts with which pitchers to build around. Do you pay up for Scherzer or Darvish, or do you save some cash and drop it down to Walker and others? Once that is decided, it is time to stack them up, and there are plenty of bats tonight. The Jays are the top stack if they play, but there are plenty of others. The Tigers will bring a ton of value tonight, there should be plenty of offense in Milwaukee, and we may see some more fun in Wrigley once again. For the full slate run down, listen in to MLB DFS Quick Hits.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 7/8/2021. The lineup will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also check out today's FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. It’s also important to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, contact me on Twitter @bdentrek.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Taijuan Walker - P, NYM vs. PIT ($8,400)
Walker is quite the deal tonight. He comes into tonight's game throwing outstanding this season. He comes into tonight's game with a 2.44 ERA and 1.01 WHIP. Over his last five starts, he has thrown five innings in each start, six or more in three starts. In four of the starts, he has allowed two runs or less while striking out at least five in all five starts. Walker has limited the walks tremendously over the five-game stretch, leading to a 26.4% K-BB. He will take on a Pirates team striking out 21.5% of the time versus RHP over the last 30 days while hitting .226 with an 83 wRC+. Walker makes for a solid cash game option paired with Scherzer or Darvish and is also a viable tournament option.
Tarik Skubal - P, DET at MIN ($7,200)
Skubal can be a roller coaster of emotions when you roster him. He will give up runs, but he will also strike out a ton, and that gets us all those DK points. Over his last six starts (since 6/3), Skubal has three earned runs or less in five starts and has thrown at least five innings in five starts. He has allowed 15 earned runs over the 33.2 innings while walking 14 but has also struck 43 batters over that stretch. Skubal has a 20.1% K-BB with a 13.6% SwStr. Skubal has put up 20+ DK points in six of his last nine starts, which is largely due to the strikeouts. He faces MIN on May 7, and he threw five strong while allowing two runs and striking out eight. I love Skubal's price and upside nearly every time he pitches, and that will not change tonight versus the Twins.
Other Options: Max Scherzer (WAS at SD) $10,400, Yu Darvish (SD vs WAS) $10,200, Tyler Mahle (CIN at MIL) $8,700, Alek Manoah (TOR at BAL) $6,800
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DraftKings DFS Infielders
Jake Rogers - C, DET at J.A. Happ ($3,000)
With all the talk of his teammate Eric Haase, Rogers gets overlooked more often than not. Haase has had his monster games, but Rogers is no slouch either and comes in $1300 cheaper. Rogers brings a seven-game hitting streak into tonight's game. He has hit two home runs over that stretch with a .308 ISO and a .948 OPS. On the season, Rogers has flexed his muscle versus RHP with a .242 average and .303 ISO. He gets the honor of facing Happ tonight, and that should put him in line for another nice night. He is a great value tonight, and if you still want to use Haase, you can roster him in the outfield as well.
Jonathan Schoop - 1B, DET at J.A. Happ ($5,400)
Schoop is having a monster 2021 season and comes into tonight's game, hitting safely in six of his last eight games. He has three extra-base hits over that stretch. More importantly than his recent streak is the fact he is facing an LHP. On the season, Schoop is hitting .287 with a .264 ISO and a 28.5% HR/FB. He will face Happ, who has been giving up home runs to everyone this season, including 12 home runs over his last seven starts. When it comes to facing RHH, Happ is getting crushed. He is allowing RHH to hit .300 with a .588 SLG and 2.2 HR/9. The Tigers are very live tonight, and that makes Schoop a solid play. If you do want to save at first base, then give Miguel Cabrera a look as he is swinging it very well of late and loves facing Happ.
Jace Peterson - 2B, MIL vs Tyler Mahle ($4,000)
Peterson comes into tonight's game swinging a red-hot bat. He has hit safely in 11 of his last 12 games, good for a .412 average. Over the 12 games, he has seven extra-base hits, including two home runs (one off of Jacob deGrom). Peterson even helps with his legs as he has thrown in two stolen bases. He has a .353 ISO and a 1.298 OPS over this stretch. He has been an offensive monster of late for the Brew Crew. Tonight he takes on Mahle, who has looked like an ace in starts and looks like a batting practice pitcher in others. Mahle has allowed three runs or more in three of his last five starts while also allowing five home runs over that stretch. The Reds will be the popular play in this NL Central matchup, which makes sense, but I like some red hot Brewers versus Mahle. That starts with Peterson and building around him.
Bo Bichette - SS, TOR at Keegan Akin ($5,500)
Everyone talks Vladito when they talk Jays, and I get it, but Bichette is mashing this season, especially late. He has hit safely in nine of his last 10 games for a .429 average. He has two home runs, a .190 ISO, and a 1.086 OPS. Bichette is mashing at the plate, and he keeps setting the table to score with the mashes behind him. Bichette loves facing a lefty. On the season, he is hitting .354 versus LHP with a .215 ISO and a .983 OPS. He will face Akin tonight, allowing RHH to hit .305 with a .500 SLG and 1.8 HR/9. Stack up the Jays in a big way tonight if the game plays.
Cavan Biggio - 3B, TOR at Keegan Akin ($3,700)
Biggio is usually a boom or bust type play, and lately, he has been much more a boom. He is hitting .300 over his last nine games with four doubles while driving in eight. His price keeps getting cheaper and cheaper, so I keep throwing him into my Jays' stacks, and lately, that has worked out as he has produced, and most won't roster him. Tonight (if the game plays), most will avoid and see the lefty on lefty matchup, which is why I wanted to write him up. Biggio has not been great versus LHP, but Akin, on the other hand, has been getting torched by LHH. He is allowing lefties to hit .340 with a .580 SLG and 2.4 HR/9. Biggio could get his versus Akin and at worse will get multiple at-bats versus the bad O's bullpen. Do not forget the affordable and lowly rostered Biggio in your Jays' stacks tonight.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Franmil Reyes - OF, CLE vs. Danny Duffy ($4,000)
The FRANIMAL has been unleashed!!!!! Reyes returned from the IL on July 2 and started mashing right out the gate. He has hit safely in three of four games and has two three-hit games over that stretch. He has homered in back-to-back games and has even thrown in a stolen base. It is a super small sample, but a 30% barrel rate and 60% hard-hit rate since his return is impressive. He will take on Duffy tonight, and that bodes well as he has a .228 ISO and .456 SLG versus LHP this season. Franmil is a great value tonight and will be a very popular play in my builds as I see him having another monster night tonight.
Jesse Winker- OF, CIN at Adrian Houser ($5,300)
Winker has been in a bit of a funk of late, hitting safely in five of his last nine games for a .147 average and only one home run. So, why am I recommending Winker tonight? He LOVES facing Houser. He has taken Houser deep five times in his career, and maybe just the medicine Winker needs to get things going once again. Houser has allowed 10 runs over his last three starts. He also has struggled this season versus LHH, allowing them to hit .294 and a .441 SLG. The Reds are going to be a popular stack tonight, and for a good reason. Do not cheapen out and avoid Winker if you are one of those building those Reds' stacks.
Dominic Smith - OF, NYM vs. JT Brubaker ($3,900)
Last but not least, let's talk some Mets. I can't bring myself to full-stack the Mets versus Brubaker, and that may be a bad move on my part. However, what I can definitely get behind is a Dom Smith play. Smith has started off July in a strong way, hitting safely in six of seven games. He is hitting .375 with five extra-base hits, including three home runs. Smith has a .458 ISO and 1.240 OPS over this seven-game stretch. He will face Brubaker tonight, which has allowed 15 runs, including six home runs over his last 28.1 innings. He is allowing LHH to SLG .374 with 1.2 HR/9. Smith makes for a strong play in cash and tournaments tonight.
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- Cincinnati Reds (Adrian Houser, RHP)
- Toronto Blue Jays (Keegan Akin, LHP)
- Detroit Tigers (J.A. Happ, LHP)
- Sneaky Stacks- Milwaukee Brewers (Tyler Mahle, RHP)
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