DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Monday 7/25/22

Now’s your chance to get DFSR PRO, which will give you access to our MLB, NBA, PGA, NHL, and NFL optimizers and our new player lab! Get started for free by clicking the button below.

Pitchers

Tony Gonsolin FD 10200 DK 10200
Opponent - WSH (Paolo Espino) Park - WSH
FD - 38.94 DK - 20.26
Max Fried FD 10500 DK 10500
Opponent - PHI (Ranger Suárez) Park - PHI
FD - 34.91 DK - 18.98

We have some tough decisions to make on the mound as we get multiple options for who we could easily make a case for and against. There is a path to paying up for both on DraftKings so I will group these first-time All-Stars together here.

Let's start with Gonsolin who enters the second half with the third most wins(11) and fourth-best ERA(2.02) in baseball. Outside of that final start in St. Louis(5 ER against) he has held opponents to two or fewer earned runs in the other 16 starts while striking out 24% of batters. The Dodgers are usually a team we caution when using starters as the pitch count never gets too high but that efficiency has allowed Gonsolin to average almost six innings per start since the start of May. For Fried, his numbers are very similar as he enters the second half with a 2.64 ERA/3.15 xFIP and 23% K rate.

Gonsolin gets the nod in terms of the matchup as he faces a Washington team that is well on their way to a rebuild and despite not striking out much, rank bottom four in wOBA, wRC+, and ISO over the last month. Fried faces a much better Phillies offence overall but they haven't been the same without Bryce Harper who remains out with a thumb injury. I am likely going to play both together with an abundance of value bats that we are routinely getting but if I had to choose just one, I am taking Gonsolin as my top arm.

Sean Manaea FD 9900 DK 8800
Opponent - DET (Drew Hutchison) Park - DET
FD - 35.73 DK - 19.31

While I prefer to take the safe route with the two above options, the system is on board with taking some savings at SP2 and upgrading the bats. Enter Manaea who may not be the model of consistency(4.11 ERA/3.93 xFIP) but is still priced below $9K on DraftKings in a very good matchup. He faces a Tigers team that ranks dead last in almost every offensive category and have struck out at a 26% rate since the All-Star break. Despite the risk(every pitcher has some tonight), Manaea is a very solid SP2 option on DraftKings.

Also Consider: Jake Odorizzi(HOU) for even more savings as he and the Astros are -231 favourites against a bottom-five Oakland offence. 

Catcher/First Base

Ty France FD 3600 DK 4600
Opponent - TEX (Glenn Otto) Park - TEX
FD - 14.84 DK - 11.31

We talked about paying up for two pitchers tonight and making that strategy much easier is the abundance of PTS/$ values at the plate and it starts at first base. France trails only Freddie Freeman in projection at first but also comes at a huge discount. Combining his pre and post All-Star appearance, France comes into tonight with hits in six of his last seven games with three doubles and two home runs and now gets a plus matchup vs Glenn Otto who has a 6.21 ERA and has given up a .368 wOBA to right-handed batters. The decision is a little closer on FanDuel but France is easily our top play at first on DraftKings tonight.

Jared Walsh FD 2500 DK 2700
Opponent - KC (Zack Greinke) Park - KC
FD - 8.82 DK - 6.64

The absence of Mike Trout has created some opportunities for some secondary pieces for the Angels and Walsh is one of them who has benefited greatly, at least in the short term. With Trout placed on the IL, Walsh was moved up to the cleanup spot coming out of the ASB and has thrived so far with hits in three straight including three doubles. He gets a plus matchup against Zack Greinke(4.64 ERA/4.67 xFIP) and better yet, a price that is in the mid $2K range on both sites. I won't be full stacking the Angels here but love Walsh as a one-off value play to load up elsewhere.

Second Base

Jose Altuve FD 4100 DK 5000
Opponent - OAK (Adam Oller) Park - OAK
FD - 12.27 DK - 9.35

Whenever we can get a discount on a top player we need to take advantage and that is the case with Altuve tonight, at least on DraftKings. Sure, $5K may not seem like a discount but consider he was $6K coming out of the break and I will gladly take it for a red-hot Altuve who is 6 for his last 14 with two runs. He and the Astros also get one of the best matchups on the board against Adam Oller who almost has more walks(12) than strikeouts(14) in five starts and has given up multiple home runs in four of those. The Astros are my top team to stack tonight and it starts at the top of the lineup with Altuve.

Brandon Lowe FD 3000 DK 4900
Opponent - BAL (Austin Voth) Park - BAL
FD - 12.12 DK - 9.05

Lowe has put himself back on our radar after returning from a two-month stint on the IL and looking terrific with hits in all four starts going 9 for 20 with two extra-base hits. He and the Rays are in a good spot tonight as they face Austin Voth who has spent most of the season out of the bullpen and struggled mightily putting a ton of runners on(1.63 WHIP) and then allowing opponents to hit north of .300 off of him which has resulted in an ugly 6.38 ERA. The price has most definitely adjusted on DraftKings making him more of a secondary option behind Altuve but on FanDuel, he is our top option at a big discount.

Shortstop

Willy Adames FD 3800 DK 5100
Opponent - COL (Kyle Freeland) Park - COL
FD - 11.85 DK - 8.98

Shortstop is a position we are going to want to put a good portion of salary towards as all the top options seem to have terrific matchups. Adames is one of them as the Brewers sit as a top three projected team tonight in a matchup against Kyle Freeland who has really struggled since mid-June giving up 40 hits(6.6 per start) and 24 earned runs(6.00 ERA) over his last six starts. For Adames, he went into the break hot with hits in eight of his last 10 games and picked up where he left off post-break with hits in three straight. All things considered, Adames is my top play at shortstop on both sites.

Luis Rengifo FD 2200 DK 3500
Opponent - KC (Zack Greinke) Park - KC
FD - 7.11 DK - 5.48

Like Jared Walsh who I mentioned above at first base, Luis Rengifo is getting some added opportunities with Trout out. He has moved way up the lineup and it has paid off for the Angels and fantasy owners as he has hits in seven straight with three multi-hit efforts. More good news here if wanting to still pay up at shortstop, Rengifo has multi-position eligibility and while the matchup is only average, I just can't pass up the PTS/$ allowing us to pay up for top pitching and multiple top bats.

Also Consider: Trea Turner(LAD) who leads all shortstops in projection in an elite matchup but is also very expensive or 

Third Base

Alex Bregman FD 3000 DK 4700
Opponent - OAK (Adam Oller) Park - OAK
FD - 11.45 DK - 8.59

Overall, it has been a disappointing season for Bregman who is hitting just .241 but most of those struggles have surprisingly come against left-handed pitching where he is hitting just .185 on the season. The good news here is that he faces a below-average righty tonight and has been terrific in the split with a .378 wOBA, 151 wRC+, and .216 ISO. Better yet, his price is still suppressed, especially on FanDuel, and he comes in with hits in four of five games since the ASB with two doubles and a home run. He is easily our top play at third base tonight.

Yandy Díaz FD 2900 DK 4400
Opponent - BAL (Austin Voth) Park - BAL
FD - 9.68 DK - 7.38

Surprise, surprise, I am writing up Yandy Diaz at third base today. It is hard to ignore the PTS/$ value on a player who is hitting .373 with a.446 wOBA and 201 wRC+ since the start of July and despite the red-hot play, the price continues to stay put for the Rays' leadoff hitter. He gets a plus matchup against Austin Voth who has been slightly worse against righties and is a top two-man stack candidate with Brandon Lowe. Fire them up in all formats.

Outfield

Mookie Betts FD 4200 DK 5400
Opponent - WSH (Paolo Espino) Park - WSH
FD - 13.62 DK - 10.25

The Dodgers lead all teams in projected scoring tonight and it makes sense as they are not only one of the hottest teams post-ASB(6.3 runs per game) they also get the best matchup on the board. With their prices, it will be nearly impossible to full stack the top of the lineup but if just wanting one, Betts is at the top of our list, last least on DraftKings, as he comes in cheaper than both Turner and especially Freeman. Betts has also been red-hot out of the break with hits in all four game with two multi-hit efforts and two home runs.

Hunter Renfroe FD 3400 DK 4100
Opponent - COL (Kyle Freeland) Park - COL
FD - 12.3 DK - 9.24

For cash games, I will be mostly playing the mid-range game and no outfielder stands out more in that area than Hunter Renfroe. He returned from injury in mid-July and went into the break with hits in four straight and more than picked up where he left off post-break with multi-hit, multi-RBI games in three straight including a home run in each. Despite all of that, the price is still in buy-low range in an elite matchup vs a struggling lefty. Lock and load in all formats.

Also Consider: Chas McCormick(HOU) as a cheap value play who has hits in four straight out of the break and a plus matchup

GRAB A FREE TRIAL OF OUR PROJECTION SYSTEM, AND CHECK OUT DFSR PRO!