Hello and welcome to the MLB DFS Playbook for August 1! We have a monster 14-game slate on both DK and FD on our hands today. We have a 7:05 pm ET start time, so you have plenty of time to get those lineups made! Make sure to check out all of our amazing MLB DFS tools as they are always worth going through before building your lineups as are the Vegas Odds. However, as I am sure you have figured out by now, the new playbook will be a one-stop shop that includes everything from easy-to-read player write-ups and suggestions to MLB Weather Reports to lineup construction tips to our best value plays for DraftKings and FanDuel. You will be given core plays around which to build your lineups, DFS stacks to consider for GPP tournaments and key statistics to help you in your DFS research. Let’s dive in! 

 

MLB DFS Playbook August 1

MLB Weather Updates

Kansas City Royals vs. New York Mets (possible rain)

San Diego Padres vs. Colorado Rockies (possible rain)

Games that appear to have a decent wind blowing out:

None. 

Games that appear to have a decent wind blowing in:

None.

DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts

These big slates are a lot to unpack. For starters, we have 14-games to look at, but we also have a couple mlb weather concern issues to check before lock. We also have Coors Field on the slate, but that is one of the games with possible weather issues. We also have some aces taking the ball tonight in Spencer Strider and Zac Gallen taking the mound for their teams. The New York Mets and Atlanta Braves have the highest implied runs totals tonight and are the only two teams over 5.00, but that is with the Coors Field game not having betting odds yet. Let’s dive in! 

Recommended DFS Starting Pitchers

Top Options for Strikeouts

Spencer Strider, Atlanta Braves

Pablo Lopez, Minnesota Twins

Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers

Best Odds for a Win

Spencer Strider (Atlanta Braves -252)

Framber Valdez (Houston Astros -193)

Justin Steele (Chicago Cubs -165)

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Favorite Starters to Use for DFS Lineups

Spencer Strider, Atlanta Braves

No pitcher in the league (outside of deGrom when healthy) provides the upside that Strider provides for DFS with his insane strikeout rates. He is averaging 25.4 dk points per game this season, which is a full FIVE points higher than any other pitcher on this slate. He has a 3.73 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 199 Ks across 123 innings and gets to pitch for one of the best teams. He faces an Angels lineup that is solid, but still without Mike Trout. 

Matt Manning, Detroit Tigers

Manning was hammered in his last start, but he had been pitching very well prior to that and he gets a much easier matchup tonight in the Pirates. He has a 1.08 WHIP on the season and .215 BAAA as he has done a good job of limiting the damage. His strikeout upside isn’t strong (30 Ks across 41.2 innings) but he could deliver a solid outing and he has already had a game with 26.6 dk points, so there is upside in there as well. 

Andrew Heaney, Texas Rangers

You never know what you’re going to get with Heaney, as sometimes he looks incredible dominant and other times he looks like garbage. We are going to hope that tonight is one of the gem type nights by Heaney. He provides strikeout upside, the White Sox are not a good team, and the Rangers are favorites in this one. I will take a chance on him at this price tag. 

Recommended DFS Hitters

Highest Expected Run Totals 

5.21 – New York Mets

5.04 – Atlanta Braves

4.96 – Texas Rangers

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Favorite Hitters to Use for DFS Lineups

Pete Alonso, 1B, New York Mets

Alonso is locked in right now, hitting .342 with a 1.159 OPS over his last 10 games, including swatting four home runs and racking up 13 RBI. He has 30 home runs and 75 RBI on the year. He has been so much better on the road this year too with a .944 OPS, compared to a .672 mark at home. Zack Greinke has really struggled this season with a 5.49 ERA and 20 home runs allowed, so I don’t think he will cool off Alonso tonight. 

Brendan Rodgers, 2B, Colorado Rockies

Rodgers made his return to the Rockies last night and went 1-4. He is super cheap, especially for a Coors Field game and against a bad pitcher like Ryan Weathers. Rodgers has been amazing against lefties in his career, slashing .302/.359/.518 against them for a .876 OPS, compared to .250/.299/.367 against righties for a .666 OPS. He, like most Rockies, has also been far better at home in his career with a .789 OPS, compared to a .674 OPS on the road. 

Juan Soto, OF, San Diego Padres

Soto is swinging a hot bat right now with a .382 average and 1.181 OPS over his last 10 games including hammering three home runs and driving in 10. He had fun in his first game of the Coors Field series yesterday, going 3-4 and scoring 13 DK points. I wouldn’t be surprised if we see even bigger fireworks from Soto tonight, including a dinger. 

James Outman, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Outman is swinging well right now too, hitting .300 over his last 10 games with a home run and a pair of stolen bases. He now has 12 home runs and 12 steals on the year, providing upside in a variety of ways. He has hit lefties very well this season and today he faces a tomato can lefty in Ken Waldichuk, who has a 6.38 ERA and 1.77 WHIP this season across 84.2 innings, making him arguably the worst pitcher in baseball this season. 

Player Pool

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Stacks

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