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MLB DFS play for FanDuel, DraftKings (7/22/24). Use Doug's Daily Fantasy Baseball GPP Tournament Picks to win big on FanDuel and DraftKings tonight.
Good tidings and happy Monday! Tonight we have a nine-game slate that looks to be a lot of fun. We do have a Coors game to worry about, meaning we will have to decide what we want to do with that game (play or fade) before making any other decisions. Austin Gomber is on the mound for the Rockies, making the Red Sox look great in this matchup, but let’s not forget that Gomber can be a troll so a fade of Boston is in play. Thankfully, there are many options on this slate where we can pivot.
The Minnesota Twins could surprise against a struggling Ranger Suarez, while the Astros match up against the lowest-rated pitcher in my model; Hogan Harris of the Athletics. The Dodgers faced off against Blake Snell, who has been up and down all year, and the White Sox look shockingly good against Michael Lorenzen and the defending world-champion Texas Rangers.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 7/22/2024 and the slate locking at 7:20 p.m. EDT on DraftKings and FanDuel. The lineup picks will range from some elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. Monitoring injury news and today's MLB starting lineups is also essential.
DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Hunter Greene (CIN/RHP) at Atlanta Braves ($8.2K DK, $9.9K FD)
This is a loaded slate for pitching, but Greene stands out as a top option when you combine his score on my pitching model (tied with Cole Ragans for the top spot) and price (seventh-highest-priced pitcher on DraftKings). Greene had no negative marks in my model, whereas Ragans was dinged for facing a team that doesn’t strike out frequently against left-handed pitching. I want strikeouts more than anything from my pitchers, and Greene can lay the hammer. He’s had five or more strikeouts every start this year, averaging 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings. The Braves starting lineup has a 24% strikeout rate against righties this year, and with both Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies out of the lineup, this team isn’t nearly as scary as they were in April.
Greene has also been great on the road this year, scoring 15 or more DraftKings points in all but one start. Included in those road games are matchups against the Dodgers, Cubs, and Rangers so it’s not like he’s been beating up on the dregs of Major League Baseball. Greene has produced 20 or more DraftKings points in seven of his last eleven games, only twice failing to hit 15 DraftKings points, giving him the high floor we are looking for in a cash game option. His mid-range price point won’t break the bank, and Atlanta’s reputation as a high-powered offense should keep his ownership down for tournaments.
Now pitching for the 2024 National League All-Stars: Hunter Greene. ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/M4ureH3L0h
— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) July 17, 2024
Tobias Myers (MIL/RHP) vs Chicago Cubs ($7.2K DK, $7.9K FD)
Tobias Myers has quietly put together a stellar rookie campaign. He’s allowed one earned run or fewer in eight of his thirteen Major League starts and has scored double-digit DraftKings points in 10 of those starts. Myers has been an innings-eater for Milwaukee, completing six or more innings in six of his last seven starts. He’s recorded four or more strikeouts in all but one of those starts. All of this is to say that Myers, at his value price point, is an excellent option as your second starting pitcher on DraftKings in cash games.
He’s also got quite a bit of a ceiling, having scored 20 or more DraftKings points in four of his last seven starts, making him a good option for tournament lineups as well. He has started two games against the Cubs this year, one of them good and one of them bad, but overall Chicago rates as an elite matchup with below-average power numbers against righties and a high strikeout rate (24.6% for today’s projected starting lineup against right-handed pitching this season).
Also Consider: Cole Ragans, Tanner Houck, Bailey Ober, Erick Fedde, Spencer Arrighetti
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Paul DeJong - 3B/SS, CWS at Michael Lorenzen ($3K DK, $2.7K FD)
In the introduction, I referenced the White Sox as a potential team to look at for tournaments, and Paul DeJong is one of the first two names I’d click (Luis Robert Jr. being the other). DeJong has been known as a lefty-killer over his career, but this year he’s been strong against right-handed arms as well. He’s second on the team with a .206 ISO and a .445 slugging percentage against righties. He’s also had success against Lorenzen over his career, with five hits and two home runs in 18 at-bats. Even more notable is that he’s only struck out twice against Lorenzen, meaning he’s getting the ball in play; opening up opportunities for run production. At a position with so many studs to choose from, DeJong offers a relatively cheap pivot option for both cash and tournament lineups.
Alec Bohm - 3B, PHI at Bailey Ober ($5.2K DK, $3.4K FD)
Alec Bohm may not bring the same level of power as Bryce Harper or Kyle Schwarber, but he has a respectable .185 ISO and a .496 slugging percentage against right-handed pitching this year. He’s also entering this game hot, with multiple hits in three of his last four games. This Phillies lineup is loaded, always putting runners on base for guys like Bohm to drive them in. Bailey Ober isn’t a pitcher we generally think to use bats against, and he scored well on my pitching model, but his one area of weakness is against right-handed bats. He has allowed a .459 slugging percentage to righties this year, and against a team like the Phillies that could get him into a lot of trouble. I wouldn't use Bohm in cash games today, but Philly is a sneaky stack against a strong pitcher, and Bohm shouldn’t be shied away in that stack.
Michael Massey - 2B, KC vs Yilber Diaz ($4.2K DK, $3.1K FD)
It feels like Michael Massey has come out of nowhere, but he’s been steady all year for Kansas City and is starting to come on strong right now. He’s got a .300 batting average with three runs batted in over the three games the Royals have placed since the All-Star break. He’s been batting in the middle of the Royals’ lineup, and it makes sense as he’s got a .209 ISO and a .476 slugging percentage against right-handed pitching this year. Yilber Diaz has a small sample size, but he’s allowing the third-highest slugging percentage to lefties of any pitcher on the slate (.429 slugging percentage).
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Tyler O’Neill OF - BOS at Austin Gomber ($5.7K DK, $4.1K FD)
Although he went hitless on Sunday night, one could still argue that Tyler O’Neill has come out of the All-Star break on fire. In the first two games after the Mid-Summer Classic, O’Neill went five for nine with two home runs. Today he gets to head into Coors to face Austin Gomber. As I referenced above, Gomber can be somewhat of a troll at home, but he’s been very bad against right-handed bats this year; allowing a .455 slugging percentage. O’Neill, on the other hand, has been great against lefties with a .333 ISO and a .642 slugging percentage. Both of those numbers lead the Red Sox and are some of the best in the entire league. If you can afford his price tag, O’Neill should be an easy click for cash games.
Yordan Alvarez, OF - HOU at Hogan Harris ($5.5K DK, $3.9K FD)
The Houston Astros' current roster has been shockingly bad against left-handed pitching this year…except for Yordan Alvarez. Alvarez has posted a monster reverse-split number this year, putting up a .212 ISO, a .559 slugging percentage, and a .347 batting average against southpaws. All three of those numbers lead Houston, which is impressive when you realize that Jose Altuve and Kyle Tucker play for them! As it were, Hogan Harris is a reverse-splits pitcher, faring very poorly against left-handed bats. He’s allowed a .472 slugging percentage to lefties this year, which bodes well for Alvarez, who is coming off the first cycle of his career last night.
YORDAN ALVAREZ HAS JUST HIT FOR THE CYCLE!!!! pic.twitter.com/Pgo8CoNMzn
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 21, 2024
Byron Buxton, OF - MIN vs Ranger Suarez ($4.6K DK, $3.3K FD)
Somehow, Byron Buxton has quietly started to fulfill his potential. After a rough start to the year, Buxton has come on strong; putting up a .395 batting average, a .763 slugging percentage, and nine extra-base hits over his last ten games. For the season, he has been one of the better Twins’ bats against lefties with a .242 ISO and a .561 slugging percentage. Ranger Suarez started the year as one of the stronger pitchers in the National League, but over his last three starts, he’s come crashing back to Earth. Over those three games, he has an 8.61 ERA, has given up 4.02 walks per nine innings, and has allowed three home runs. This is not the same Ranger Suarez we saw in May, and it’s time to start using bats against him. Buxton has been playing well enough to merit consideration in cash games, and the Twins are a fun stack to use to try to detour from the chalk.
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stack
1. Boston Red Sox at Austin Gomber (COL/LHP)
Favorite Plays: Rob Refsnyder, Tyler O’Neill, Rafael Devers, Connor Wong, Jarren Duran
2. Minnesota Twins vs Ranger Suarez (PHI/LHP)
Favorite Plays: Byron Buxton, Christian Vasquez, Willi Castro, Carlos Santana, Brooks Lee
