DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Sunday 7/25/21 - Main slate

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Pitchers

Yu Darvish FD - P 10300 DK - SP 10500
Opponent - MIA (Undecided) Park - MIA
FD - 37.96 DK - 21.49

Miami hasn’t announced their starting pitcher yet which is why there is no opening line on this game. But Darvish should be a big road favorite in this one against the worst offense in the league in the Marlins. Darvish Isn’t striking batters out at quite the same rate he had been over the last few years, but he’s still elite in the swing and miss stuff regardless. He’s been able to keep the walks in check as well and has a 3.86 xFIP. Plus again, the matchup is great against the lowly Marlins.

Zack Greinke FD - P 8400 DK - SP 10000
Opponent - TEX (Dane Dunning) Park - HOU
FD - 34.07 DK - 17.98

Greinke is an interesting case here on FanDuel. He’s cheap enough to consider at this mid-$8K price point because the matchup against the Rangers is a good one and the win odds are tremendous. The Rangers are the second-worst offense in the league in wOBA and strike out 24% of the time. That’s all going for him. But the issue is that the K’s have fallen off a cliff for Greinke, and he’s striking out fewer than seven batters per nine. I think you can still roll with him because of the FD price, but DK is out of the question. He’s too expensive there.

Consider Aaron Nola (FD $9100 DK $10300) against the Braves.

Catcher/First Base

Yuli Gurriel FD - 1B 2700 DK - 1B 4600
Opponent - TEX (Dane Dunning) Park - HOU
FD - 14.29 DK - 10.96

We’ve given Gurriel as a play at this FanDuel price point a lot and it’s been mostly correct. He’s just too cheap on that site for what he can provide. He was hitting third for the Astros on Friday and the patience and contact rate for the righty are nearly unmatched. He has a mid-800s OPS, 80% contact rate, and is facing off against an average arm in Dunning. This is a good spot.

Joey Votto FD - 1B 3100 DK - 1B 4400
Opponent - STL (Johan Oviedo) Park - CIN
FD - 11.5 DK - 8.63

The Reds were a popular stack on Saturday and could be that way again on Sunday. Johan Oviedo is a weaker arm with a bad K rate and a high xFIP. Meanwhile, Votto has brought some power back this season with 12 home runs through his first 280 plate appearances. The walks are down and the K’s are up, but this is a great hitter’s park and the Reds are facing one of the weaker arms on the slate.

Second Base

Jonathan India FD - 2B 3300 DK - 2B 4500
Opponent - STL (Johan Oviedo) Park - CIN
FD - 10.88 DK - 8.3

India was a chalk play at 2B on the main slate on Saturday and he delivered with a couple of hits and a walk out of the leadoff slot. He gets on base over 40% of the time and has mixed some power (8 home runs) and speed (7 stolen bases) in there. He’s a fantastic leadoff hitter and is too cheap on both sites.

DJ LeMahieu FD - 2B 3200 DK - 2B/3B 4600
Opponent - BOS (Martin Pérez) Park - BOS
FD - 12.38 DK - 9.57

LeMahieu is struggling this season with an OPS sitting around .700 which is way down from his previous years. Some of it is a BABIP about 40 points lower than his career numbers, but there’s also a hard contact rate concern with that number down considerably. He’s been considerably better against lefties for his career, which is a good sign for this matchup against Perez. This game has a big total and for a good reason.

Shortstop

Fernando Tatis Jr. FD - SS 4600 DK - SS 6300
Opponent - MIA (Undecided) Park - MIA
FD - 17.6 DK - 13.32

Miami hasn’t chosen its starting pitching for Sunday which is a good sign for Tatis who is likely to face a sub-par arm on this slate. And, like we’ve said many, many times this season, he’s basically the best you could ever hope for from a fantasy bat. His 29 home runs and 23 stolen bases are a revelation and there is so much of the season left that these could toward historic levels. Keep an eye out for who the Marlins put on the mound.

Carlos Correa FD - SS 3000 DK - SS 4500
Opponent - TEX (Dane Dunning) Park - HOU
FD - 11.81 DK - 8.88

The Astros have one of the better implied run lines on the main slate and Correa is having a bounce-back year when it comes to the power this time around. He has 16 home runs through fewer than 400 plate appearances which is a better rate than he’s shown on average over the better part of the last four seasons. Against a weaker arm in Dunning, the FanDuel price is especially looking good.

Third Base

I’m not in love with any of the 3B options on this slate, but some of the pricier guys can get some consideration here. Rafael Devers (FD $4100 DK $5400) and Manny Machado (FD $3800 DK $5100) would be in that class, but I would roll with others in their price point at other positions. Also, let’s see who Josh Donaldson (FD $3000 DK $4700) faces off against because the FanDuel number is still too cheap.

And like I said, third base is a weaker position, so I don’t mind punting it if there is the chance to. Abraham Toro (FD $2300 DK $2900) would be one of those options on DraftKings even if he is lower in the order.

Outfield

Yordan Alvarez FD - OF 3400 DK - OF 5300
Opponent - TEX (Dane Dunning) Park - HOU
FD - 14.25 DK - 10.63

Alvarez is in the same spot that we’ve spoken about already for Correa and Gurriel, facing off against a weaker arm in a good hitter’s park. After missing most of the 2020 season, Alvarez looks fully healthy this season with a mid-800s OPS and 17 home runs. He still strikes out too much, and the walk rate is on the lower side, but that’s keeping the FanDuel price in the reasonable range.

Giancarlo Stanton FD - OF 3400 DK - OF 4400
Opponent - BOS (Martin Pérez) Park - BOS
FD - 13.66 DK - 10.11

Stanton isn’t quite the bat he once was and the Yankees are struggling this season, for sure. But when he’s facing a lefty at these prices then you have to at least put him into consideration. For his career against southpaws, Stanton is one of the best there is with a 1.002 OPS and .298 ISO. The 166 wOBA is also elite and he’s coming too cheap on both sites, but especially DraftKings.

Tommy Pham FD - OF 3300 DK - OF 3800
Opponent - MIA (Undecided) Park - MIA
FD - 13.85 DK - 10.5

As long as Pham is in the leadoff slot, he’s basically a must play on DraftKings especially. He remains a power/ speed threat that you love to see in fantasy with 11 home runs and 13 stolen bases while getting on base 38% of the time. If he’s setting the table here for the Padres against a weaker arm then the DK price is a total no-brainer.