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Zach's top DraftKings and FanDuel MLB DFS picks for today, Thursday, 7/24/25. His favorite daily fantasy baseball lineup sleepers and value picks for DFS on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Welcome Back, RotoBallers! After a busy week following the All-Star break, Major League Baseball has a lighter schedule on Thursday. After one afternoon contest, four games are on tap for under the lights as new series get underway for the weekend. Even though there aren't as many matchups, the four games on the board are very intriguing matchups with good DFS fantasy baseball picks from all across the eight-team player pool.
The first game of the set is a matchup of American League division leaders in Detroit, where the Tigers host the Blue Jays. The Cardinals and Padres are both in the National League Wild Card chase as they begin their series in St. Louis, and we close out the night with a pair of divisional games from the AL West. Overall, the weather looks like it will be cooperative, with only some potential late rain in Detroit to keep an eye on in the forecast. With smaller slates, managers have to get more creative in GPP contests. So don't be afraid to mix things up with your lineups in order to differentiate yourself from the competition.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 7/24/2025, with the slate starting at 6:40 PM EST. The lineup picks will showcase elite players, 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 always essential.
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Eric Lauer, TOR at DET ($7.9K DK/$8.8K FD)
Lauer will get the start for the Jays in Detroit, and the 30-year-old lefty will look to continue his successful return to the majors after playing in Korea last season. He is 5-2 in his 15 games this season for Toronto with a 2.80 ERA, 3.34 FIP, and 65 strikeouts in 61 innings. He has posted at least 16 DraftKings points in three straight and five of his last six starts, including a pair of ceiling outings with over 25 DraftKings points.
One of those excellent outings came last Saturday against the Giants, when he went six innings with seven strikeouts, while allowing just two runs on two hits.
Eric Lauer, K'ing the Side in the 2nd.
5Ks thru 2. pic.twitter.com/0ww8htw5Si
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 19, 2025
Lauer does have a tough matchup against the Tigers, but Detroit's offense has been in a bit of a funk lately. Over the last 14 days, they're hitting only .212 as a team and averaging only 2.75 runs per game with a 77 wRC+. While Lauer's Jays have been surging, the Tigers were just swept by the Pirates and have dropped eight of their last nine, scoring two runs or fewer in four of their last five.
Logan Evans, SEA at LAA ($7K DK/$8K FD)
Evans is high-risk, but the other options on this small slate all come with even bigger question marks. Evans brings a good ceiling to this matchup with the Angels and needs a strong outing to secure his spot in the starting rotation. He has made 10 starts for the Mariners this season, averaging 11.0 DraftKings points per game with a 3.81 ERA and 4.88 FIP. He hasn't been able to get through five innings in either of his last two starts, but did limit the damage to just two runs in four innings in his last outing against the Astros.
Earlier this season, Evans had a few very strong starts, earning 15.15 DraftKings points against the Royals and 25 DraftKings points against the Nationals. The 24-year-old righty has helped fill in for the injuries in the rotation for the Mariners this season, with mixed results, but enough upside to use him as a cheap play on this small slate.
Before his last two starts, he had thrown at least five innings in every start, so he should be able to bounce back and get through five against the Angels, who remain near the top of the league in K%. The Angels were swept to start the week by the Mets, and Evans and the Mariners will look to continue their losing streak on Thursday.
Others To Consider:
- Yusei Kikuchi, LAA vs. SEA ($8.3 DK/$9.4K FD)
- Luis Severino, ATH at HOU ($6K DK/$7.9K FD)
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Nick Kurtz, 1B - ATH ($4.9K DK/$3.9K FD)
Kurtz and the Athletics continue their trip to start the ceremonial second half of the season with a stop in Houston to face the Astros. The 22-year-old lefty has quickly become one of the top power-hitters in the majors and a strong consideration to build around on almost every slate. Since the All-Star break, Kurtz is 11-for-25 (.440) with six doubles, a triple, and two homers.
What Nick Kurtz is doing this year is remarkable.
Last year in college he hit 22 homers over 54 games.
This year he has 19 homers through 63 games IN THE BIG LEAGUES 😳 https://t.co/UAizJyYBGe pic.twitter.com/5ktPPYYZYc
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) July 23, 2025
Kurtz and the A's get a juicy matchup against righty Jason Alexander, who has an 8.40 ERA and 6.43 FIP in the majors this year and has allowed a .419 wOBA to lefties like Kurtz. Kurtz is hitting .309 against righties on the year with 15 of his 19 homers, a .449 wOBA, and a 190 wRC+ on that side of the splits. He should be set to keep right on rolling as the A's look to start their stop in Houston with w win.
Addison Barger, 3B/OF - TOR ($4.3K DK/$2.8K FD)
Another young lefty hitter who has stepped up as a regular fantasy contributor this season is Addison Barger of the Blue Jays. I included Barger as one of "my guys" for the second half, and he's off to a strong start, going 9-for-22 (.409) and picking up a hit in each of his five starts since the All-Star break. Those nine hits include a double and a home run to help him average 10.0 DraftKings points per start.
Barger is hitting .289 with 13 of his 14 homers against right-handed pitchers, so like Kurtz, he'll be on the strong side of his splits to start this road series. He and the Jays face Reese Olson, who has a 2.71 ERA and 3.06 FIP on the year but has pitched five innings or fewer in four of his last five outings. It's not an ideal matchup for Barger, but he's been hot enough to use him at the hot corner or in the outfield on this small slate despite the matchup.
Luis Rengifo, 2B on DK 2B/3B/SS on FD - LAA ($2.9K DK/$2.4K FD)
Rengifo is a cheap option that brings good upside at his low salary and has reached base safely in eight of his last nine games coming into Thursday night's home game against Evans and the Mariners. In those nine games, Rengifo is 12-for-34 (.353) with two doubles, four runs scored, and four RBI to average 6.7 fantasy points per game.
The switch-hitter hasn't run much this year but has been better overall from the left side when facing righties like Evans. He is extremely versatile on FanDuel and can fill in wherever you need him in the infield. On both sites, he brings solid bargain value potential.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B - TOR ($5.2K DK/$3.6K FD)
- Brendan Donovan, 2B on DK 2B/3B/SS/OF on FD - STL ($4K DK/ $3K FD)
- Brice Matthews, 2B on DK 2B/SS on FD - HOU ($3.1K DK/$2.7K FD)
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
George Springer, OF - TOR ($4.7K DK/$3.7K FD)
Springer had multiple hits in four of his first six games out of the All-Star break, going 10-for-22 (.455) with a double, a home run, and a .513 wOBA. He averaged 12.0 DraftKings points per game in those six contests, with double-digit fantasy points in three of his last four. Springer's recent surge has been a big part of the Blue Jays' climb to the top of the AL East, and he'll look to keep his engine revved up in the Motor City this weekend.
Jose Altuve, 2B/OF - HOU ($4.6K DK/$3K FD)
Springer's former teammate, Jose Altuve, has also been a key contributor for his club coming out of the break. The Astros' offense is seriously injury-depleted, but Altuve continues to keep things going. He got a day off on Wednesday after posting double-digit DraftKings points in three of his last four games.
In July, Altuve is hitting .373 with a .463 wOBA, seven doubles, and four home runs. He doesn't steal bases like he did in his prime, but the veteran continues to be a solid fantasy option due to his strong production at the plate. He and the 'Stros will take on a struggling Luis Severino when the A's come to town on Thursday.
Jordan Walker, OF - STL ($2.7K DK/$2.6K FD)
Walker has yet to consistently deliver on his potential, but he's still just 23 years old and continuing to develop at the plate. He's had a strong start to the second half after spending nearly a month on the injured list with an abdominal injury. He made some adjustments to his stance and has gone 8-for-20 (.400) with four doubles in his current five-game hitting streak. He's been mashing the ball as well with a 53.3% hard-hit rate and an average exit velocity of 92.6 miles per hour over his last five games.
Jordan Walker's exit velocities in the Rockies series:
111.4 MPH
110.4 MPH
107.3 MPH
102.6 MPH
102.4 MPH
86.1 MPH
85.3 MPH
76.3 MPH pic.twitter.com/zgNkUzvq3P— Kareem (@KareemSSN) July 23, 2025
Walker is a solid bargain to consider as the Cards come home to take on a struggling Yu Darvish and the Padres to start the weekend series.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Mike Trout, OF - LAA ($5K DK/$3.3K FD)
- Randy Arozarena, OF - SEA ($4.5K DK/$3.4K FD)
- Cam Smith, OF - HOU ($4K DK/$2.8K FD)
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
1. Athletics vs. Jason Alexander (HOU)
Alexander has pitched well in Triple-A but has been shelled in the majors. He started the year with the Athletics but allowed 13 runs in six innings before the A's placed him on waivers and the Astros scooped him up. The A's will be very familiar with him, and I think they'll pile up some good production against their former teammate Thursday night.
Favorite Combo: Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler
2. Cardinals vs. Yu Darvish (SD)
Darvish has only pitched 13 1/3 innings this season and has given up nine runs on 13 hits for an ugly 6.08 ERA. Some of the Cardinals have good history against him, including Nolan Arenado, who is 9-for-23 with three homers against Darvish in their past meetings. He hasn't looked quite back to full strength yet, and the Cardinals will try to take advantage of that on Thursday night.
Favorite Combo: Donovan, Willson Contreras, Arenado, Walker
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