Happy 4th of July! I can think of no better way to celebrate Independence Day than with some of America’s pastime! There will be baseball all day long to enjoy today, so you should be able to squeeze some baseball in, no matter your plans for the 4th. We’ve got an early slate for our playbook today to get some winning MLB DFS lineups in well before the fireworks this evening.

 

 

 

We have a 7-game slate on DraftKings starting at 1:05 PM ET. If you are playing on FanDuel, it is an 8-game slate, and it gets underway a bit earlier, at 12:35 PM ET. It also includes the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Pittsburgh Pirates game that isn’t included in the DraftKings slate. Lots of excitement on this holiday, so let’s dive right into today’s playbook and my favorite MLB DFS picks for the day!

MLB DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook Today, July 4

MLB Weather Today, 7/04

This game has rain and thunderstorms scattered around all day. I think they will probably play but keep a close eye on it and consider avoiding it.

MLB DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts

There is no super-expensive pitching today, with Cristopher Sanchez as the top-priced arm at $9,000. While I don’t really love many of the cheap options today, that isn’t a big issue, with the top guys not costing much. I have Bailey Ober as a favorite, but if you want to avoid that game because of the weather, that is reasonable. Outside of those top guys, the other pitchers I would consider taking a shot on today are Nick Pivetta, Ben Lively, and Framber Valdez. 

On the offensive side, some of my favorite lineups to target today include the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, and Cleveland Guardians. 

 

 

 

Recommended MLB DFS Starting Pitchers

Top Options For Strikeouts

Best Odds For A Win

 

 

 

Core MLB DFS Pitchers

Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies

Cristopher Sanchez is coming off a complete-game shutout against the Miami Marlins, allowing only 3 hits and striking out 9. That also takes him to 16 straight scoreless innings in his last two starts, reducing his season ERA to 2.41. 

The Chicago Cubs have not been that good of an offense against lefties and hold a 21.8% strikeout rate against them. We are trusting Cristopher Sanchez to keep things rolling today and will happily pay for him as the top-priced guy on this slate. 

Bailey Ober, Minnesota Twins

Sure, Bailey Ober’s last three outings have been all against the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners, whom he should pitch well against, but he has been completely dominant, with 27 strikeouts in 21.1 innings, a 1.69 ERA, and a 0.80 WHIP. 

Facing the Detroit Tigers isn’t a big jump in opponents either, and I expect the dominance to continue. He has at least 8 strikeouts in his last 3 outings, and I bet he can hit that mark again today. Keep an eye on the weather for this one, but if they are playing, Bailey Ober should be a solid pick today. 

Michael King, San Diego Padres

Michael King’s first full season as a starter continues to go well. He has thrown 6 innings in back-to-back games now. He did give up 5 runs to the Brewers, but it came with 8 strikeouts as well. His season-long numbers are solid, with a 3.61 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. Although the WHIP is a bit high, you can live with that when it comes with a 27.2% strikeout rate. 

The Texas Rangers don’t strike out much against righties, but they haven’t been doing much damage. Michael King has good enough stuff he could still pile up plenty of strikeouts today and should give us another solid outing. 

 

 

 

Recommended MLB DFS Hitters

Highest Expected Run Totals 

Core MLB DFS Hitters

*Note: Will Be Updated As Official Starting Lineups Are Released

Vladimir Guerrero, 1B Toronto Blue Jays 

Vlad has really heated up as we’ve entered the summer. Over his last 15 games, he has slashed .381/.418/.762, along with 6 homers and 20 RBIs. He is starting to look like the hitter we have seen in the past, which has earned him another AL All-Star appearance. 

Along with Vlad hitting well, Framber Valdez has not been himself. Over his last four starts, he has a 5.82 ERA, a 1.71 WHIP, and an 18% strikeout rate. If Framber continues this bad streak, Vlad should have no problem feasting today and continuing this hot stretch. 

Jonathan India, 2B Cincinnati Reds

Jonathan India has finally slowed down a little, going 0-9 in his last two games after a 12-game hitting streak, but I expect him to bounce back today. Over that 12-game hitting streak, he had multiple hits in 9 of those games, with 8 straight multi-hit games at one point. 

He had a 1.371 OPS over that hitting streak, and I think this matchup against Marcus Stroman will give him a good opportunity to get right back into it. Stroman has given up at least 3 runs in each of his last 3 starts, along with 9 total walks, and I don’t think he will be able to contain the Reds offense in Yankee stadium today. 

Rafael Devers, 3B Boston Red Sox

Rafael Devers now has multiple hits in 3 straight games. He also is batting .400 over his last 10 games with a 1.264 OPS and 4 homers (plus a triple last night). The Boston Red Sox offense has continued to produce with Devers being at the heart of it, and I don’t expect that to stop today against Kyle Tyler. 

Yordan Alvarez, OF Houston Astros

Yordan Alvarez has homered in three straight games and has been one of the best hitters in the league for a while now. Since the beginning of June, Aaron Judge has been the only player with a higher OPS. While Judge is also a great outfield option, Yordan is your guy if you can’t afford him or want to double up on top outfielders. 

Chris Bassitt is also crushed by lefties, who are slashing .282/.367/.431 against him this season. The only way I see Yordan not doing damage today is if they choose not to pitch to him.

 

 

 

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