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Hello there, MLB DFS grinders! The focus of this article will be on the 4-game Early Only afternoon slate for FanDuel while also including the 3-game slate on DK. We have some good pitching options and good stacks to consider so let's dive on in and find the best plays for both your cash game and tournament lineups. The Texas and Toronto game could be facing weather issues all day long so I am anticipating this game not playing today.
While most of our MLB DFS coverage here at RotoBaller is geared towards the main slate, I wanted to give you some of my favorite pitchers and bats for these early games that will help you cash in tournaments and cash game contests. I'll highlight my favorite pitching options here first and then give you some hitters at each price tier to consider as well as my favorite teams to stack up! You can read our DraftKings DFS lineup picks for the main slate and FanDuel DFS lineup picks for the main slate as well.
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the DraftKings and FanDuel slates beginning at 3:07 PM on 7/17/2021. Be sure to also check out all the MLB player news, including late scratches, and the projected and confirmed daily MLB lineups for each DFS slate. You can also check out today's MLB DFS lineup picks for the main slate here, and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. Let's get to it!
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MLB DFS Pitchers
Frankie Montas vs. Cleveland Indians ($8,800 FD, $7,700 DK)
Montas is one of the best options to consider on this slate and is moderately priced on both sites which makes him an attractive target for all formats for this early slate. Montas had his best game of the season right before the All-Star break as he went 6.2 innings pitched while striking out 10 batters against the Astros while picking up a quality start and a win. This Indians team has seven batters that have a strikeout percentage that is greater than 21% so there is some upside to this matchup against Cleveland.
Adbert Alzolay vs. Arizona Diamondbacks ($7,400 FD, $8,000 DK)
Another arm to consider for all formats is Adbert Alzolay from the Cubs. Despite him being 4-9 on the year, Alzolay gets a favorable matchup against a Diamondbacks offense that has a team ISO of .163 against right-handed pitchers and features five batters with a strikeout percentage that is at or above 21%. This is a riskier play as the Diamondbacks will most likely roll out a left-handed heavy lineup and this handedness has a collective ISO of .302 against Alzolay but the good thing for him is that the Diamondbacks have struggled against righties as they have the 26th best team batting average against that handedness.
Others to consider: Zach Thompson vs. Philadelphia Phillies
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MLB DFS "Bats Worth Paying For"
Matt Olson – 1B, OAK vs. CLE ($ 4,100 FD, $ 5,100 DK)
Olson is a top option on this slate and should be a pretty popular pick as he faces righty Cal Quantrill. Olson has an ISO of .260 against right-handed pitchers this year while having a 40.9% flyball percentage against that handedness and he profiles very well against Quantrill's main pitch which is the sinker. Quantrill throws this 34% of the time to lefty batters and Olson has a .262 ISO and a .537 XwOBA against that specific pitch type.
Kris Bryant – 3B/OF, CHI @ ARI ($3,700 FD, $4,500 DK)
The pricing on Bryant seems too soft on both sites and he is by far one of the best Cubs play on the slate. Despite his low batting average against righties (.247), he has managed to hit nine home runs and have an ISO of .177 against this handedness. Gallen throws his fastball close to 50% of the time to right-handed batters and Bryant crushes this pitch type as he has a .358 ISO and a .416 XwOBA against that specific pitch.
Starling Marte – OF, MIA @ PHI ($3,500 FD)
Marte is my top bat from the Miami Marlins and is one that could be used in all formats. Velasquez is allowing righties to have a .248 ISO against him while also allowing an absurd 12 home runs to be hit off of him from the right side of the plate and Marte has a 41.7% hard-hit rate against this handedness.
MLB DFS Values
Anthony Rizzo – 1B, CHC @ ARZ ($3,100 FD, $4,100 DK)
Rizzo is under-priced on both sites and in this matchup against Zac Gallen, he shouldn't be ignored. Rizzo carries a .209 ISO against right-handed pitching this year and profiles well against Gallen's pitch types. Gallen throws his fastball over 40% of the time to lefty batters and Rizzo has a .269 ISO and a .466 XwOBA against his fastball pitch type.
Nico Hoerner – 2B/SS, CHC @ ARZ ($2,500 FD, $3,700 DK)
Hoerner could make his way into the lineup for the Cubs and would make for a great value play should he get the start. He has hit right-handed pitching very well this year as he is averaging .364 against that handedness and is cheap on both sites which allows you to save and spend up for other positions. Lefties have hit Gallen pretty well this year as they are averaging .321 against him and with Hoerner seeing the ball well against righties, it makes for an easy plug and play.
Kole Calhoun – OF, ARZ vs. CHC ($2,500 FD, $2,000 DK)
One batter that could give Alzolay some trouble is Kole Calhoun. He has an ISO of .257 against right-handed pitchers and Alzolay has struggled against lefties as they are hitting .263 with 15 home runs against him on the year. Alzolay throws three primary pitches to lefties with it being a combination of his fastball, slider, and sinker and Calhoun smashes sinkers as he has a .414 ISO and a .480 XwOBA against that pitch.
Also Recommended: Mitch Moreland vs. Cal Quantrill, Ian Happ vs. Zac Gallen
MLB DFS Hitter Stacks
Oakland Athletics vs. Cal Quantrill
The A's will be a very popular stack against Cal Quantrill and it will be tough to not want to play them. They are coming off of a thrilling victory against Cleveland on Friday night where Jed Lowrie took one deep in the bottom of the ninth for a two-run homer for a walk-off victory. Quantrill is 1-2 on the year with a 4.23 ERA and this A's team matches up well as they have a team ISO of .183 with five batters that have an ISO that is greater than .185. Lefties have a 41.6% flyball percentage against Quantrill this year so guys like Olson, Lowrie, and Moreland would be good places to start your A's stack while also looking at Chapman and Murphy.
Miami Marlins vs. Vince Velasquez
Miami is on the FD slate and would be the "late afternoon" hammer of this slate if you decide to play over on FD. Vince Velasquez is coming off of his worst outing of the season as he was tagged for eight runs on six hits while managing to walk four batters in just 2.1 innings against the Red Sox before the All-Star break. While the matchup against the Marlins might not be the scariest matchup for Velasquez, he has allowed 12 home runs to right-handed batters this year and the Marlins will have a batting order full of righty batters. The top of the order is certainly in play with Chisholm, Marte, Cooper, and Aguilar while also looking at Duvall as well.
Other recommended stacks: Chicago Cubs vs. Zac Gallen
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