DFS MLB Lineups for July 8, 2017 at Draftkings.com & Fanduel.com
For this daily fantasy baseball season, each day there’s a good slate of DFS MLB games, we’ll be writing up a group of pitchers and hitters that we’re considering for our cash and GPP lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel. We’ll also provide a list of stacks to consider, MLB start times, starting pitchers, and game run totals to give you a good idea of where the fantasy goodness might come from on a given night. As with any DFS sport, the advice below is relevant for fantasy purposes. A player or team might be better or worse from a fantasy perspective than they are in real life due to matchup, price, park factor, etc. This is important when constructing a roster. And if you’re looking for new ways to play DFS, be sure and give BOOM Fantasy and DRAFT a try!
A quick reminder while playing DFS MLB, don’t forget baseball is a game of variance. You can make a really solid lineup and still fall short of the cash line. Even Clayton Kershaw can get lit up, and Mike Trout can still go 0 for 4. Baseball is funny like that. Trust the process and know that if you’re playing quality lineups, you’ll be a winner in the long term.
Another thing to remember outside of making sure your player is in the lineup, is to always check the weather. Always. Make this something that is part of your basic routine. Baseball games can get postponed! Your players receive no points from postponed games!
7/8/17 MAIN SLATE TOURNAMENT RUNDOWN
DraftKings Saturday Slugfest: $40 buy-in, $160k guaranteed
DraftKings Perfect Game: $333 buy-in, $125k guaranteed
DraftKings Thunderdome: $5,300 buy-in, $110k guaranteed
FanDuel Monster: $555 buy-in, $100k guaranteed
FanDuel JUMBO Rally: $7 buy-in, $40k guaranteed
FanDuel Squeeze: $4 buy-in, $100k guaranteed
Best DFS MLB Pitchers for July 8, 2017
Jeff Samardzija vs MIA ($9.4k DraftKings, $9k FanDuel)
Samardzija’s 3.41 FIP this year is the best indication of his ability, not his 4-9 record and 4.54 ERA. On the bright side, he has struck out 122 batters in 111 innings and is averaging nearly 6.2 innings per start. It also helps that the Marlins are below-average against righties (.266 batting average, .744 OPS through 84 games). Since the Marlins are a last place team, the shark should be able to earn a win bonus.
Brandon McCarthy vs KCR ($6.9k DraftKings, $7.5k FanDuel)
Over the course of the season, the Royals have shown their inability to get on base and score runs. In 83 games, they own a .299 OBP (AL worst) and a .716 OPS (24th of 30 MLB teams). Not to mention since it is a home game for an NL team, the Royals will be without a DH which will hurt their production. That should be helpful for McCarthy, who is 6-3 with a 3.25 ERA and 3.21 FIP in 13 starts. Plus, the Dodgers are one of the better hitting teams in the league, so he should have ample run support to help you get the win bonus.
Other pitchers to consider: Mike Clevinger, Taijuan Walker, Jake Arrieta
Best DFS MLB Hitters for July 8, 2017
Nolan Arenado ($4.9k DraftKings, $4.7k FanDuel)
The way Nolan Arenado is hitting lefties this year is insane. Though 88 at-bats, he owned a .420 batting average with seven home runs and a 1.258 OPS. Plus, he tends to hit better at home and his Rockies will be at home. He will be facing Jose Quintana, who is 4-8 with a 4.45 ERA this season. That might be the kind of pitcher he can take deep.
Jean Segura vs OAK ($5.0k DraftKings, $3.8k FanDuel)
Segura collected 14 hits in his first 27 at-bats of July, so he is definitely swinging the bat well. The shortstop has quite neutral splits and owned a .354 batting average and an .882 OPS coming into this series against the Athletics. Today, he will face Chris Smith, a righty who is 36 years old and has never started an MLB game. Smith’s career FIP as an MLB reliever in parts of four MLB seasons exceeds 5.00. This could be a game for Segura to do more damage.
Bradley Zimmer ($3.4k DraftKings, $2.8k FanDuel)
In his rookie year, Zimmer has made it clear that he can hit right-handed pitching well. Through 103 at-bats against them, he was hitting .291 with four home runs and an .832 OPS. That makes him an affordable pickup today as his team faces the Tigers with Justin Verlander, who has a 5.70 ERA in his last eight starts, on the mound. This could give Zimmer a chance to excel.
Other hitters to consider: Nelson Cruz, Robinson Cano, Jarrod Dyson, Trevor Story, Paul Goldschmidt, Jake Lamb
7/8/17 DFS MLB STACKS
Mariners vs. Chris Smith
Chris Smith who is 36 years old and made his MLB with the Boston Red Sox in 2008, will make his first career start in the big leagues today against the Mariners. In 63 relief outings over parts of four seasons (2008-2010, 2016) he owns a 4.58 ERA and 5.43 FIP. That should be helpful for the Mariners, who are an above-average team when it comes to hitting right-handers (.265 batting average, .758 OPS in 86 games). The prospect of a 36-year-old who has never started an MLB game who does not have a successful MLB track record just does not seem very promising. Go after him hard with the big three: Jean Segura, Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz.
Diamondbacks vs. Luis Castillo
Through 45 home games, the Diamondbacks had the best offense in baseball; they have been averaging over six runs per games in those contests with an MLB-best .854 OPS. That gives them a chance to feast on any pitcher they face, especially an inexperienced one like Luis Castillo. The Reds rookie starting pitcher is 0-1 with a 4.41 ERA and a 6.10 FIP through his first three career MLB starts. In 16.1 innings, he has allowed five home runs and he will be in a hitter-friendly park which does not help him out either.
Indians vs Justin Verlander
Justin Verlander is not throwing well this year despite being a Cy Young contender last year. He is 1-2 with a 5.70 ERA in his last eight starts and opponent batters are hitting .309 with an .836 OPS off of him in that span. On average, he is going about five innings per start and their bullpen has been miserable, owning a 4.91 ERA through 83 games which is the second-worst in the AL. In contrast, the Indians own a .777 OPS against right-handers through 80 games which ranks fourth in the American League. It helps that they are at home and posted an OPS over .800 in the month of June. Maybe the likes of Jose Ramirez, Lonnie Chisenhall, Michael Brantley and Edwin Encarnacion, who hit righties well, can punish Verlander for his struggles.
Other Stacks to consider:
Rangers vs. Jesse Chavez
Rockies vs. Jose Quintana
