DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Saturday 7/16/22

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Pitchers

Justin Verlander FD 11100 DK 11100
Opponent - OAK (Jared Koenig) Park - OAK
FD - 44.1 DK - 24.47
Max Fried FD 10700 DK 10400
Opponent - WSH (Paolo Espino) Park - WSH
FD - 37.66 DK - 20.46

This huge early slate has a major lack of value on the mound which is going to force us to pay up as much as possible. It isn't impossible to pay up for both of these aces so I paired them together as they have a ton of similarities when looking at all the angles. They both go deep into games and average over six innings per start, they both have average K rates of around 25%, and both have been very efficient recently with Fried allowing two or fewer earned runs in nine of his last 10 while Verlander has done so in five of his last six. Then you look at the matchups and both stand out as Fried gets the Nats who have dropped 13 of their last 14 while Verlander gets the A's who rank dead last in wOBA(.252) against right-handed pitching. If you aren't just stacking them together and forcing me to choose between them, I would go Verlander who is at home.

Miles Mikolas FD 10000 DK 8700
Opponent - CIN (Nick Lodolo) Park - CIN
FD - 34.73 DK - 18.37

I mentioned the lack of value options so we don't go down the board very far to find our top PTS/$ SP2 today. Mikolas has been very similar to the above two options in that the strikeouts have been down but he has been very efficient in holding opponents to two or fewer earned runs in six of his last seven starts. Today he faces a Reds team that has been on a heater as of late but have also struck out at a crazy 29% rate and on the season rank as a bottom-five offence. All things considered on this early slate, Mikolas is in play for me in all formats.

Catcher/First Base

Trey Mancini FD 3000 DK 2800
Opponent - TB (Ryan Yarbrough) Park - TB
FD - 9.08 DK - 6.94

We are going to need some value on this slate and the Orioles provide just that. It starts at first base with Trey Mancini who is not only sub $3K on DraftKings but also comes in red-hot with hits in 19 of his last 20 games. Topping it off is a plus matchup against lefty Ryan Yarbrough who has struggled mightily giving up 22 hits and 13 earned runs over his last three appearances and has failed to record a strikeout in each of the last two. And if you BvPers need another reason to play him, he is 11 for 27 with three home runs against Yarbrough. Fire up Mancini in all formats.

Albert Pujols FD 2100 DK 2100
Opponent - CIN (Nick Lodolo) Park - CIN
FD - 8.13 DK - 6.27

It has been a pretty quiet farewell tour for Pujols but he will get all the love this coming week at the All-Star game as the commissioner has added an exemption to allow Pujols and Miggy Cabrera to play in the game. For DFS purposes today, Pujols fits the narrative as we are looking for value to pay up for pitching and he is min price on both sites. He is no longer an everyday player but gets to take his hacks against lefties and is hitting over .300 in the split with a .352 wOBA/131 wRC+. There is still value left in the tank and I will have some exposure in all formats today.

Second Base

Josh VanMeter FD 2600 DK 2800
Opponent - COL (José Ureña) Park - COL
FD - 13.37 DK - 10.08

The Pirates shifted their lineup around some coming into this Coors series and have VanMeter hitting leadoff and that once again has him as a top PTS/$ value play. He somewhat let us down last night going 0 for 4 with a sac fly but the boxscore doesn't show the amazing catch which robbed him of a double or possibly a triple. Either way, on a slate where we are begging for value we get a one who is hitting leadoff in Coors in a plus matchup. Lock and load in all formats once again on Saturday.

Jonathan Aranda FD 2200 DK 2100
Opponent - BAL (Dean Kremer) Park - BAL
FD - 7.59 DK - 5.8

Second base is usually a train wreck so it works out great on Saturday that we get multiple punt plays on a slate where we will be spending most of our salary on pitching. Aranda hasn't blown the doors off since being called up but does have hits in three of five starts including two multi-hit efforts and he also got his first extra-base hit on Thursday. The biggest thing here is that he is once again projected to hit in the middle of the Rays lineup which gives him tons of opportunity to hit and exceeded value at nearly min prices on both sites. He is in play in all formats.

Shortstop

Bo Bichette FD 3700 DK 5500
Opponent - KC (Daniel Lynch) Park - KC
FD - 9.22 DK - 7.09
Dansby Swanson FD 3700 DK 5800
Opponent - WSH (Paolo Espino) Park - WSH
FD - 12.13 DK - 9.26

Shortstop is always loaded at the top and today is no exception as both of these players are in great spots today but will cost you a large chunk of salary cap, at least on DraftKings. Swanson gets the better matchup of the two going up against Espino and overall has been the more consistent option hitting .318 with a .390 wOBA/150 wRC+ since the start of June. Bichette faces a lefty where he is slightly below-average but he has been very consistent as of last with hits in 17 of his last 19 games. Ultimately it will come down to what team you want more exposure of and in that regard, I slightly lean Bichette here today.

Tommy Edman FD 2600 DK 3600
Opponent - CIN (Nick Lodolo) Park - CIN
FD - 11.05 DK - 8.65

If you are still looking for more value, Edman makes a ton of sense as the everyday leadoff hitter for the Cardinals. He hasn't been nearly as consistent as the two above but the price reflects that and the good news is that he does come into today with multiple hits in three of his last four games with three doubles. He is also a switch-hitter that has been quite a bit better from the right side in his young career. All things considered, Edman is in play in all formats and a nice value stack option with Pujols.

Third Base

Nolan Arenado FD 4000 DK 4900
Opponent - CIN (Nick Lodolo) Park - CIN
FD - 12.23 DK - 9.26

It's not that I am trying to purposely pick on Nick Lodolo here as he is a terrific prospect and has 14 K's in his last two starts since being recalled. Like we have been discussing all article, it comes down to value today and we already have our eyes on Pujols/Edman so it only makes sense to target Arenado here and especially at a sub $5K price on DraftKings. He is having a terrific season with a .293/.359/.526 slash line and is still crushing lefties to the tune of a .391 wOBA/157 wRC+/.373 ISO. I am not a player on FanDuel but will buy-low in all formats on DraftKings.

Yandy Díaz FD 3200 DK 4300
Opponent - BAL (Dean Kremer) Park - BAL
FD - 8.91 DK - 6.79

If stacking three St. Louis bats against a top prospect isn't in the cards(no pun intended) consider Yandy Diaz who has been one of the most consistent bats in the league lately. I have mentioned in past articles that he lacks power upside but more than makes up for it with his patience at the plate combined with a .426 batting average since June 26(19 games). With his form and prices on both sites today, he is my top PTS/$ play at the third base position.

Outfield

Charlie Blackmon FD 3800 DK 5200
Opponent - PIT (Mitch Keller) Park - PIT
FD - 12.64 DK - 9.69

For the most part, I have avoided talking about the Coors game but can't gloss over Charlie Blackmon here as we look to spend some of the salary we have saved throughout the article. He gets a plus matchup against below-average pitcher Mitch Keller who has also been worse against left-handed bats(.341 wOBA against in split). For Blackmon, he has been absolutely crushing with multiple hits in five straight games including two doubles, a triple, and a home run. The price is going up but considering the home ball park and plus matchup, I am on board in all formats.

Teoscar Hernández FD 3600 DK 4400
Opponent - KC (Daniel Lynch) Park - KC
FD - 8.7 DK - 6.59

Teo continues to be massively underpriced on DraftKings and I don't just say this as a huge Jays homer. In fact, Teo has been en fuego for an extended period of time hitting .319 with a .404 wOBA/163 wRC+/.264 ISO since May 31 and has three home runs in his last three games. The Jays also get a terrific matchup again today, this time against lefty Daniel Lynch who may have looked better as of late but has given up the third highest hard contact rate(45.9%) via statcast. I look for the Jays to roll and Hernandez is my top PTS/$ play in the outfield once again today.

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