RADIO
Kevin Luchansky highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for 7/6/18, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
Happy Friday to you, my fellow RotoBallers. We've got a delightful 14 game Main slate on FanDuel this evening, with a pair of aces at the top and some enticing mid-tier and near-ace pitchers not far behind them. Some tough decisions will have to be made at the top of your lineups tonight, but I do believe there are a few lucrative routes we can take.
Before I get into player selection and rationale, let's gander at a few Vegas lines of interest - specifically, implied run totals and moneyline favorites. As to be expected when there are a number of quality pitchers throwing tonight, there are just a few teams above the 5.0 implied run total threshold - Red Sox (5.3), Yankees (5.3), Nationals (5.3), Indians (5.3), and the Astros at 5.1. As for the moneyline favorites, Sale and the Sox are up top at a massive -325 line, followed by the Astros (-270), Nationals (-190), Indians (-185), and Mets (-155).
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel on 7/6/18. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS lineup picks for DraftKings and other sports too. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me up on Twitter @kpLuch.
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FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Chris Sale - SP, at KCR ($12,500)
Mr. Sale just seems to get better and better as the season goes along. He has absolutely crushed the competition - and his DFS implied total - in five straight starts and eight of his last 10. He's recorded 11+ strikeouts in each of his past three starts, never recording less than 52 FanDuel points in that stretch and once hitting 70. The price is steep, but bear in mind the implied total for a pitcher with a 12.5K salary is 39 points. Facing the team that has been the worst offense in the majors since June 1st and own just a .280 wOBA split against southpaws, I am feeling pretty confident that Sale has both a high points floor and a high points ceiling tonight. For the season, he's compliled a 0.9 WHIP and an oustanding 13.2 K/9. He also gets a park upgrade tonight and the Sox are -310 favorites on the moneyline. He can be deployed in all formats.
Mike Foltynewicz - SP, at MIL ($8,800)
I was a little hesitant to roll out Folty - one of my favorite GPP studs - in his return from a short DL stint with triceps tightness in his throwing arm, but he proved in his last two trips to the bump that his arm is just fine and dandy. His velocity is on par with where it has been throughout the season and he has limited opponents to a 27% hard hit rate in his two most recent starts. He's also garnered an incredible 57% groundball rate in that time. He gets a fairly risky matchup today (Brewers' implied run total sits at 4.0), but the opportunity for a high strikeout total is absolutely there as well and his price tag would allow us to load up on elite bats. For 2018, he's been fantastic at keeping the ball in the park (0.7 HR/9) and mowing down hitters (10.2 K/9). Roll him out in tournaments tonight.
Also Consider: Jacob deGrom - SP, vs TBR ($12,000); Dereck Rodriguez - SP, vs STL ($8,600)
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Evan Gattis - C, vs CWS ($3,500)
Rostering a catcher is no longer a requirement on FanDuel, but I do like the idea of being a bit contrarian and using one in tournaments when they're in a good spot. For Gattis, the upside is most certainly there tonight and the ownership should be low. His recent BABIP tells us he's been quite unlucky, but hopefully that ends tonight. He'll have strong lineup context as the Astros have one of the highest implied run totals of the evening and he boasts a .235 ISO split against right-handed pitching.
Cody Bellinger - 1B, at LAA ($4,200)
It's supposed to be a million degrees and extra humid tonight in southern California, and, as such, we could see the baseball flying out of this spacious park more easily. Bellinger is someone I love to target in these situations as he is a student of the launch angle movement and has been hitting the ball hard of late, too (48% hard hit rate, 51% fly ball rate last two weeks). The matchup is also pretty damn good, and he does boast a .370 wOBA and a .261 ISO against right-handed pitching this season.
Rougned Odor - 2B, at DET ($3,000)
His season-long numbers and splits certainly wont floor you, but the man affectionately known as "Stink" has really started to come alive of late. He's surpassed value in seven of his last 10 games and while the price has crept up, it's a small amount and he's going to save us cash without the risk of losing much upside this evening. He faces one of the weaker pitchers on the slate, has the platoon advantage and has a 42% hard hit rate over his last 12 starts.
Rafael Devers - 3B, at KCR ($2,700)
Devers is another player with a bargain bin price in a good spot this evening. The Red Sox are currently tied with the highest implied run total in the Main slate at 5.3, ans Devers should have a few shots at driving runs in. He faces a struggling Jason Hammel and Devers owns a .330 wOBA and .214 ISO split against right-handed pitching this season.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Andrew Benintendi - OF, at KCR ($3,700)
I am certainly a fan of rostering outfield mates Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez tonight, too, but I'd also like to be able to pay up for elite pitching. Grabbing Benintendi for one of your outfield spots give you exposure to this great matchup without breaking the bank. He too, like Devers, has the platoon advantage here and has a strong .353 wOBA split in 2018 with an average exit velocity of 93 miles per hour over his past 12 starts.
A.J. Pollock - OF, vs SDP ($3,700)
Notorious southpaw crusher Pollock is back in action and it's nice to be able to grab him in a spot where he's facing a subpar lefty with an under 4k price tag. Dating back to last season, he has posted some phenomenal splits, highlighted by a .407 wOBA and a .301 ISO mark.
