MLB DFS Playbook July 19: Top Plays for DraftKings and FanDuel
![Cody Bellinger Chicago Cubs](https://d29m18w01sxjzp.cloudfront.net/thumbnails/source/fatest/Cody_Bellinger_Chicago_Cubs-1000x600.jpg)
Published: Jul 19, 2023
We got eight games on Wednesday's MLB DFS main slate on DraftKings and FanDuel headlined by top names like Ronald Acuna, Luis Castillo, Shohei Ohtani and Elly De La Cruz. Be sure to check in with our MLB DFS Tools, with the daily MLB projections, MLB DFS rostership projections, and our MLB DFS Lineup Generator when building those lineups today to help you decide which players you should be targeting!
MLB DFS Playbook: July 19
MLB Weather Updates
No real weather issues here for tonight's main slate. There is the potential for some rain during the Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals game but not anything that is expected to cause the game not to be played.
DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
We have two games on this slate with game totals in the double-digits with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Atlanta Braves game total sitting at 10 and the San Francisco Giants and Cincinnati Reds sitting at 10.5 runs. These game totals should draw some good rostership, especially the Braves who draw Ryne Nelson. I think finding a way to get some Braves in your lineup with the right value plays is the way to go. Pitching is a bit questionable but we will dive into that here as well.
Recommended DFS Starting Pitchers
Top Options for Strikeouts
- Luis Castillo vs Minnesota Twins
- Carlos Rodon vs Los Angeles Angels
- Justin Verlander vs Chicago White Sox
- Charlie Morton vs Arizona Diamondbacks
Best Odds for a Win
- Charlie Morton vs Arizona Diamondbacks
- Luis Castillo vs Minnesota Twins
- Eduardo Rodriguez vs Kansas City Royals
- Carlos Rodon vs Los Angeles Angels
- See More
Favorite Starters to Use for DFS Lineups
Justin Verlander, New York Mets
The pitching on tonight's slate is a bit sparse but the Mets are favorites here against the White Sox and Verlander has a decent strikeout prop and good odds to collect the win. As a bonus we get him at under $9,000 here as well. We've seen some ceiling potential from Verlander recently and I expect him to be popular against this White Sox lineup.
Luis Castillo, Seattle Mariners
Castillo has the highest strikeout prop on the board at 7.5 and though he continues to be a bit shaky, the Twins are a team that strikes out a lot and can be overpowered by elite pitching. The price tag for Castillo is also very palatable here given the slate.
Ryan Yarbrough, Kansas City Royals
The Tigers can certainly be a feisty team at times but they are also the Tigers who rank 21st in wOBA against left-handed pitching while ranking just 22nd in batting average. Yarbrough has now had back-to-back good outings, allowing just two runs over 11.2 innings with wins in both games. Getting him under $6,000 here tonight, at home, in this spot when we have expensive hitters to pay up for will mean I will have some exposure here tonight.
Recommended DFS Hitters
Highest Expected Run Totals
- Atlanta Braves vs Ryne Nelson
- Chicago Cubs vs Trevor Williams
- New York Mets vs Touki Toussaint
- San Francisco Giants vs Graham Ashcraft
- See More
Favorite Hitters to Use for DFS Lineups
Cody Bellinger, Chicago Cubs
He's the cover of the playbook so obviously we are going to feature him in our top hitters section. The matchup against Trevor Williams is elite as lefties have a .350 wOBA with a .488 slugging percentage against Williams this season. Bellinger is also on a heater right now, hitting .459 with five home runs and 10 RBI over the last 10 games.
Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves
Tough night for those who played Olson last night as he went 0-for-3 with one run and two walks on a night that his team scored 13 runs. The Braves are one of the top offenses on the board again tonight and Olson finds himself in an other great spot as lefties have a .378 wOBA with a .530 slugging percentage against Nelson this year.
Maikel Garcia, Kansas City Royals
We need some value on the slate tonight and I think the Royals may be an interesting team to look at here as they have some guys who have handled themselves well against left-handed pitching this season with Garcia being one of the more notable names. This season Garcia has a .360wOBA with a .167 ISO against southpaws.
Wilmer Flores, San Francisco Giants
The man might be the hottest hitter in baseball as he is hitting .500 with an OPS of 1.382 over the last 10 games. He homered twice the other night and the Giants are a team with one of the highest implied run totals. We like the Giants in this matchup against the Reds and they continue to play in a favorable hitting ballpark in Cincinnati.
Be Sure To Tune In At 5pm ET For Today's Livestream
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