X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (7/27/21): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

Mark Strausberg highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for 7/27/21, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.

Good morning RotoBallers! I'm in a far better mood than I was last week, as I did turn a profit last night, the fifth or sixth time since last Tuesday. Just a reminder that you will get beat sometimes but you can and got to get right back up.

And I am ready to attack this full 15-game slate tonight we have here before us. But like last week, I'm not spending up on pitcher tonight. I will definitely be spending less than $9K on pitcher on tonight's slate. I think he will be fine, but ten-and-a-half K is a little much for McCullers in my humble opinion; Ray is coming off a mediocre start and the Boston bats are starting to heat up; Wainwright is averaging less than a strikeout an inning; and not only are the Orioles are fiesty enough to scare me but Alcantara hasn't struck out more than five batters in over five weeks.

Meanwhile, there are at least half a dozen lower-salaried pitchers that intrigue me. So which ones did I settle upon for tonight? See below for my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 7/27/2021.

 

FanDuel DFS Pitchers

Cash Game/GPP Anchor Play:

James Kaprielian OAK at SDP ($7,900)

I waffled on naming Kaprielian as a cash game option. For one, the Padres are pretty good. And two, has Kaprielian really proven himself enough? Does he give us a high enough floor as a cash game option?

Upon reflection, the answer is yes. He's given up three earned runs or less in 11 of 12 starts. He's gone five or more innings in 11 of 12 games started as well. I think that ends the floor discussion. But my guess is I am going to get far more resistance on the match-up. But don't rise out of your pews just yet, because believe it or, the Padres have been scuffling a little lately. Over the last seven days, San Diego has an OPS of just .641, fifth-worst in the league. They are also in a three-way tie for ninth-fewest HRs during that time. Finally, they also have the second-fewest runs during that time as well. So perhaps Kaprielian is catching them at just the right time.

And it's not like Kaprielian is just scraping by either. He has a 2.65 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 73 Ks in 68 IP. And those numbers are weighed down by one night when he gave up four runs and couldn't get out of the fourth inning. And that was his worst start. He only has one win over his last five starts, but he's also given up just eight runs total over those five starts. I'd like to see him pitch into the eighth inning to maybe top his season-high 10 Ks in a game, but the ceiling is absolutely there for Kap. Throw in his low price at just $7900 and he's hard not to play in your cash entries!

GPP Potential Alternate Play

Taylor Widener ARZ at TEX ($6,700)

As I mentioned there are a bunch of lower price options I like, but for my GPPs I'm looking for someone whose ownership will be low. And one of the best places to look is towards a team that is struggling this year. We look to the West, as Arizona is not going anywhere this year. However, there are some young pieces in place that might make Arizona a playoff contender next year and one of them is Widener. In fact, even some of the more arrogant experts out there have gone as far as touting him on social media:

Well, Widener was indeed a sneaky play as few would probably want to bring attention to his eight hits and five earned runs in not even five innings pitched. Yet, even in that dismal start, Widener still struck out eight batters! Even when he's having a bad night, he brings enough to make him start worthy. He still has a respectable 3.55 ERA and Texas is one of the better match-ups a pitcher can have.

As a team, the Rangers are hitting just .226, which is the fourth-worst on the majors.  But they also have the eighth fewest HRs (110) in the league, averaging just 1.1 HRs/game. There's a reason they have the third-fewest runs in the league! Even though he currently has  a HardHit% of 44.9%, Widener should be able to lower that number against the Rangers. And at less than $7K, he should return a profit and give us plenty of money to spend on some big bats.

 

Want more MLB DFS tools and content? Our MLB Premium package includes our daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Research Station, Optimizer, and access to our Premium Slack Chatrooms where members can chat with our MLB analysts. Check out this recent big win from RotoBaller's RealTalkRaph on DraftKings - join in on the winning!

 

FanDuel DFS Infielders

Miguel Sano - 1B MIN vs DET ($2900)

But we are not splurging at first base. In fact, Sano is a high-risk play, but so is our decision to stack Twins tonight given the loss of Nelson Cruz last week. Minnesota got a good deal as they got some decent prospects in return, but Cruz was definitely one of the bigger boppers. But that now shifts the onus onto Sano.

Sano has seen a decrease in playing time lately, but with the exit of Cruz, he should now get more plate appearances. And we know Sano can wallop. He smacked 34 in baseball's last full season of 2019 and has 15 already this season. He will be facing Tiger starter Tyler Alexander, who is giving up over one and half home runs per nine. Wanna bet he gives up a big shot to Sano?

Eduardo Escobar - 2B/3B ARZ at TEX ($3000)

And Eduardo Escobar is just a hundred more than Sano, but brings even more production while not exactly breaking the bank either. I already discussed the Texas hitters, but Dane Dunning and his 4.30 ERA is not impressive either. Escobar meanwhile is very quietly having another great season, having swatted 22 HRs already. When you consider that Escobar has also been a tad unlucky (he has a BABIP of only .264), he will be on nearly all my entries tonight.

Trea TurnerSS WSH at PHI ($4,300)

Turner meanwhile will be an extremely chalky play, but I am more than happy to make him one of our expensive plays. Hitting .320 with 18 HRs, Turner would be a good play most nights, but with him slated to face Matt Moore and 5.79 ERA, this is an easy play. There is a reason I made him my cover player tonight.

If that's too rich for your blood, I'd go with the surprisingly cheap at $3400 Trevor Story or Jorge Polanco. Remember, I said I'm stacking Twins tonight. And that brings us to our next play in our Twins stack.

Josh Donaldson - 3B MIN vs DET ($3200)

I like getting a player with fifteen HRs already at just 3200 who also has the LvR advantage tonight. Donaldson will be teeing off against Tyler Alexander who has a 4.24 ERA and is seeing right-handers slug .520 against him. Since Cruz got traded on the 23rd of July, Donaldson has stepped up with five hits since then including a home run yesterday:

 

FanDuel DFS Outfielders

So if you look at last week's article, I am recommending the same three players, but one of them is the aforementioned Cruz. But we start with the cheapest of the three.

Kyle Tucker - OF, HOU at SEA ($3500)

I put Tucker in here, but I probably should have just said "starting HOU OF" depending on your budget. If you need to save a few bucks, go with Michael Brantley. And if you have the salary to spare, spend a few hundred more on Yordan Alvarez. Opposing pitcher Chris Flexen has been pitching pretty well this season as evidenced by his 3.35 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. But he's also been a little lucky as evidenced by his xERA of 4.03 and xFIP of 4.60.

Tucker's power numbers meanwhile are extremely strong given his FanDuel price. He has a HardHit% just barely under fifty percent, with a max EV of 111.1 and a barrel percentage of nearly 12%. Seattle's ball park is a bit on the spacious side, but when you're destroying the ball like Tucker is, it doesn't matter where you play.

Nelson Cruz - OF, TBR vs NYY ($4000)

Speaking of where you play, Cruz has made himself right at home right away in the Rays lineup.

He has been punishing Cleveland since he arrived, having homered off of them twice in Cruz's last three games. I like Cruz to continue to smash, especially against "meh" pitcher Jordan Montgomery.

Bryce Harper - OF, PHI vs WSH  ($4300)

Harper is also a few hundred more than he was last week. But Harper's opposing pitcher, Erick Fedde, makes Montgomery look like a Cy Young candidate. Fedde has a 4.88 ERA and 1.39 WHIP and just 64Ks in 72 IP. And some might say that Harper has the LvR advantage against Fedde as well. Fedde's splits are actually pretty similar whether he faces lefties or righties. But what can't be argued is that Harper has absolutely destroyed his former teammate. In fifteen at-bats against Fedde, Harper is hitting .400 against him with four round-trippers already. I'm thinking Harper might make it five tonight. And even if he doesn't, we should still expect a strong night from Harper.

Good luck with your entries!



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!




MLB DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Jaylen Waddle

Questionable for Week 3 Against Buffalo
Joe Burrow

Bengals Not Closing the Door on Joe Burrow Returning This Year
CFB

LaNorris Sellers to Play Against Missouri?
Kyle Tucker

Progress has "Plateaued"
Isaac Paredes

has "Outside Chance" to Return This Weekend
CFB

Kaidon Salter Expected To Start for Colorado on Saturday
Willson Contreras

Goes on 10-Day Injured List, Done for Season
Justin Fields

Ruled Out for Week 3 Due to Concussion
Jayden Reed

Out Indefinitely After Foot and Shoulder Surgery
Washington Commanders

Preston Smith Signs With Commanders
Trey Jemison III

Joins Knicks on Two-Way Contract
Kevin McCullar Jr.

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Knicks
Matt Ryan

Returns to Knicks on Exhibit 10 Contract
New York Knicks

Alex Len Signs Exhibit 9 Deal With Knicks
Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Expected to Take on Larger Offensive Role With Hawks
Thomas Sorber

Undergoes Surgery
Dominic Canzone

Has Five-Hit, Three-Homer Game Tuesday
Cal Raleigh

Sets Single-Season Home Run Record for a Switch-Hitter
Jayden Reed

Undergoes Clavicle and Foot Surgeries, Out for Foreseeable Future
Bo Bichette

to Miss Rest of Regular Season
Zach Neto

Placed on 10-Day Injured List With Hand Injury
Yordan Alvarez

Out on Tuesday, Dealing With "Significant" Ankle Sprain
Aaron Jones Sr.

Vikings Place Aaron Jones Sr. on Injured Reserve With Hamstring Injury
CFB

Diego Pavia Refutes Report of Seeking Seventh Collegiate Season
Christian Kirk

Expected to Return in Week 3
CFB

Diego Pavia Seeking Another Year of Eligibility
Tarik Skubal

on Track to Start Thursday
CFB

Kevorian Barnes Questionable Against SMU
Bo Bichette

has Short-Term Knee Injury, Could Return for Postseason
Tosan Evbuomwan

Joins Knicks
NBA

Kai Jones Links Up With EuroLeague Team
Bismack Biyombo

Returns to Spurs
Bones Hyland

Rejoins Timberwolves
Kobe Bufkin

Moves to Brooklyn
Trey Yesavage

Sets Franchise Strikeout Record On Monday
Yordan Alvarez

To Receive MRI For Sprained Left Ankle On Tuesday
Willson Contreras

Exits Early Monday With Right-Biceps Tightness
Yordan Alvarez

Exits With Ankle Sprain
Brock Bowers

Officially Active on Monday Night
Jauan Jennings

Day-to-Day With Ankle Injury
Logan O'Hoppe

Activated Off Seven-Day Injured List
CBJ

Denton Mateychuk Dealing With Groin Issue
Bo Horvat

Fine for Training Camp
Kirby Dach

on Track to Be Ready for Opening Night
Jose Altuve

Returns Against Rangers
J.J. McCarthy

Expected to Miss 2-4 Weeks With High-Ankle Sprain
J.J. McCarthy

Likely Out for Week 3 With High-Ankle Sprain
Jean Silva

Gets Finished For The First Time In His Career
Aaron Jones Sr.

Unlikely to Play in Week 3 Due to Hamstring Injury
Diego Lopes

Returns To The Win Column
Jayden Daniels

' Week 3 Status in Doubt
Rob Font

Outclassed In The Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
David Martinez

Wins His Second UFC Fight
Jared Gordon

Suffers Brutal TKO Loss At Noche UFC 3
Rafa Garcia

Wins Back-To-Back Fights
Brian Thomas Jr.

Dealing with Wrist Injury
Dustin Stoltzfus

Drops A Decision At Noche UFC 3
Kelvin Gastelum

Gets Back In The Win Column
Diego Ferreira

Suffers Second-Round TKO
Alexander Hernandez

Extends His Win Streak With A Brutal TKO
Quang Le

Suffers First-Round Knockout
Santiago Luna

Shines In His UFC Debut
Christopher Bell

Earns his First Bristol Cup Series Victory
Alex Bowman

Falls Short of Advancing Through Cup Series Playoffs
Chase Briscoe

Collects his Third Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Ryan Blaney

Strong Top-Five Bristol Performance Advances him to the Playoffs
Corey Heim

Earns his First Career Cup Series Top-10 Finish at Bristol
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Leads Greece to Bronze Medal
Alperen Sengün

Alperen Sengun Drops 28 Points in EuroBasket Finals
CFB

Indiana's Lee Beebe Jr. Out for Season with Knee Injury
Dennis Schröder

Dennis Schroder Named EuroBasket MVP
Bryce Eldridge

Giants to Promote Bryce Eldridge
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Progressing in Recovery
Jonathan Kuminga

Receives New Offer From Warriors
Kenneth Walker III

Bounces Back with Big Week 2 Performance
Bijan Robinson

Rushes for 143 Yards in Week 2
Justin Fields

Currently in Concussion Protocol
Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals Calling Around to Available Free-Agent Quarterbacks
Joe Burrow

to Undergo Surgery, Out at Least Three Months
Emil Heineman

Aiming to Take the "Next Step" This Season
Braeden Cootes

Good to Go for Camp
Ivan Fedotov

Blue Jackets Acquire Ivan Fedotov From Flyers
Aaron Jones Sr.

Injures Hamstring During Sunday Night Football
Garrett Crochet

Punches Out 12 in Win
Cole Ragans

to Return on Wednesday
George Kirby

Strikes Out 14 in Win
Carlos Estévez

Carlos Estevez Exits with Back Tightness
Quentin Grimes

Still Not Close to a New Contract Agreement
Joel Embiid

"Looking Slender, Spry and in Positive Spirits"
Ty Gibbs

Has Arguably his Best Career Drive, but Only Finishes 10th
Chase Elliott

Despite Crashing Out at Bristol, Chase Elliott Advances to Round of 12
Austin Dillon

Misses Round of 12 After Extremely Mediocre Bristol Run
Shane Van Gisbergen

Shane van Gisbergen Fails to Advance to Round of 12
Josh Berry

Finishes Last in All Three Round of 16 Races to Fail to Advance
CFB

Ryan Williams Explodes In Return To Field
CFB

Drew Allar Plays Mediocre Game In Blowout Win
CFB

LaNorris Sellers Exits Game In Blowout Loss
CFB

DJ Lagway Tosses Five Interceptions In Loss
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Plays Game Manager in Saturday's Win
CFB

CJ Carr Remains Poised In Narrow Loss
CFB

John Mateer Leads Oklahoma In Rout
CFB

Arch Manning Struggles Against UTEP
CFB

Jeremiah Smith Impresses In Win
CFB

Sam Leavitt Shines As Arizona State Rebounds From Week 2 Loss
Ivan Demidov

Turning Heads in Rookie Camp
NHL

Calvin de Haan Signs With Swedish Team
Samuel Girard

Skates With Non-Contact Jersey
Mackenzie Blackwood

Dealing With Injury Ahead of Training Camp
Spencer Knight

Signs Three-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Chris Buescher

May have Another Solid Run at Bristol
Corey Perry

Out 6-8 Weeks Following Surgery
Kyle Busch

Should DFS Managers Roster Kyle Busch at Bristol?
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Is Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Too Risky to Consider Rostering at Bristol?
Michael McDowell

Could be A Solid Value Option For Bristol DFS Lineups
Chase Elliott

Probably Won't Factor in for Bristol Win
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not as Strong at Bristol as Other Short Tracks
Alex Bowman

Needs to Win to Make Round of 12
Ross Chastain

has Never Led at Bristol but Has Been Pretty Consistent
Austin Dillon

Richmond Speed Unlikely to Carry Over to Bristol
Josh Berry

Might Run Well at Bristol, but Almost Certainly Won't Win to Advance
Justin Haley

Bristol One of Justin Haley's Few Recent Bright Spots
CFB

Austin Simmons Listed As Game-Time Decision Against Arkansas
CFB

Nico Iamaleava Struggles In Fourth Straight Loss
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen

Dealing With a "Tweak"
BUF

Alexandar Georgiev Joins Sabres on One-Year Deal
Corey Perry

Injured During Pre-Camp Skate
CFB

Antonio Williams Out Against Georgia Tech
CFB

CJ Bailey Flashes Again in Win Over Wake Forest
CFB

Jaxson Moi a Game-Time Decision for Tennessee on Saturday
Jean Silva

A Favorite At Noche UFC 3
Diego Lopes

Set For Noche UFC 3 Main Event
Rob Font

Looks For His Third Consecutive Win
David Martinez

Set For Noche UFC 3 Co-Main Event
Rafa Garcia

An Underdog At Noche UFC 3
Jared Gordon

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Dustin Stoltzfus

Looks To Return To The Win Column
Kelvin Gastelum

In Dire Need Of Victory
Diego Ferreira

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Malcolm Brogdon

Heading to Knicks on One-Year Deal
Landry Shamet

Staying with the Knicks
Adam Lowry

Aims for Early-Season Return

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP