MLB DFS Value Plays July 18: Top DraftKings and FanDuel Picks
Today’s MLB DFS coverage is for the massive 14-game main slate that starts at 7:05 pm ET on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Starting pitching is headlined by Nathan Eovaldi and Mitch Keller. We do have Coors Field on the slate, so keep that in mind when setting lineups. We have a couple mild mlb weather concerns today, so make sure to keep a close eye on the reports leading up to first pitch. Henry is on the playbook today, make sure to give that a read, and don’t forget to check out the MLB Lineups page, Vegas Odds, and all of our MLB DFS Tools. Let’s dive into some of my favorite value options of the day and some we can fit into our cash and tournament lineups!
MLB DFS Value Pitchers
Carlos Carrasco, New York Mets (DraftKings: $6,200)
Carrasco is coming off his best game of the season as he fired eight shutout innings against the Diamondbacks while striking out four and picking up the win to finish with 27.6 dk points. He has been pitching much better and has scored double-digit DFS points in three straight. The White Sox aren’t a scary offense, especially while Eloy Jimenez is out.
MLB DFS Value Hitters
Triston Casas, 1B, Boston Red Sox (DraftKings: $2,500 / FanDuel: $2,800)
Casas was one of my top plays for yesterday’s playbook and while his home run streak came to an end, he still had another solid game, going 1-2 with two walks and a run scored to finish with 9 DK points, his fifth straight game with at least that many. I will continue to ride the hot bat, especially considering he is facing Luis Medina, who has a 6.34 ERA and 1.61 WHIP this season through 59.2 innings.
Oswald Peraza, 2B/3B, New York Yankees (DraftKings: $2,800 / FanDuel: $2,300)
Peraza led off for the Yanks yesterday and he had a monster game, going 1-1 with FOUR walks, a steal, and a run scored to finish with 18 DK points. He has a steal in both games he has played in since being recalled while going 2-2 at the plate. I like him today at this price tag, especially if he is in the leadoff spot again.
CJ Abrams, SS, Washington Nationals (DraftKings: $3,100 / FanDuel: $2,800)
Who is this guy and what has he done with the real Abrams? He is on FIRE right now, scoring 12, 10, 13, 16, 22, 19, 17, and 12 dk points over his last eight games. He is hitting .410 over his last 10 games with EIGHT steals in that span. He now has 17 steals on the season to go along with eight home runs, giving him a good bit of upside in multiple ways.
Michael Conforto, OF, San Francisco Giants (DraftKings: $3,400 / FanDuel: $3,000)
Conforto is hitting .294 with a home run and two steals over his last 10 games and now has 13 home runs and 91 total R/RBI on the year in just 80 games of action. He has been a focal point of the Giants offense this year and today he gets to play in the Great American Smallpark against one of the worst pitchers in baseball in Luke Weaver (7.00 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, and 17 home runs allowed in 73.1 innings of work).
Corey Julks, OF, Houston Astros (DraftKings: $3,000)
Julks is hitting .382 with a .918 OPS over his last 10 games with three steals in that span. He is hitting .279 on the year with six home runs and 15 steals across 72 games of action. He has been much better on the road, hitting .290 with a 7.7 dk ppg average, compared to .266 and 6.5 at home, respectively. He now gets to play in the best offensive park in baseball at Coors Field. He isn’t cheap on FD, but this DK price is nice.
Dominate your MLB DFS contests this week with our DFS Playbook, Podcasts, Lineup Generator, Player Projections, & Draft Percentage Forecaster.
Player News
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that Zach Eflin (lat) is likely to return and start Sunday against the Angels
It was assumed that Eflin would be back this weekend, but now we have a concrete date. The 31-year-old may not be at full strength after throwing fewer than 60 pitches in his rehab start, but the Orioles feel confident enough to have the right-hander back on the bump for the series finale against the Angels.
Riley Greene is not in the lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the Rockies on Thursday.
Greene will get a break and likely return to the lineup for the second game of the twin-billing. Zach McKinstry will get the start in left field while Greene rests.
Yu Darvish (elbow) is facing live hitters on Thursday.
Darvish has been throwing bullpen sessions and traveled to the team’s complex in Arizona to face live hitters on Thursday. It will be his first time facing live batters since a spring training appearance on March 13th. He will likely need a few sessions like this before the Padres can map out a rehab appearance timeline for him.
Adael Amador is starting at second base and batting ninth for the Rockies on Thursday.
Amador has now started three of the last four games at second base for the Rockies. He’s gone just 7-for-43 this season with 15 strikeouts in 16 games. He’s just 22 years old, so there is plenty of time for him to adjust to the MLB level, but he doesn’t need to be on redraft radars right now.
Jackson Holliday is playing second base and batting second for the Orioles on Thursday against the Twins.
With Cedric Mullins sitting out on Thursday, Gunnar Henderson will bat lead off, and Holliday will jump up from sixth in the order to second. Holliday is riding a hot streak right now, and the Orioles are taking advantage. This is likely just a one-game sample with no Mullins or Adley Rutschman in the lineup, but Rutschman has been struggling, so perhaps it could become a more permanent spot in the lineup for Holliday moving forward.
Endy Rodriguez (finger) had his splint removed this week.
Rodriguez suffered a lacerated right index finger on April 14th. Now that he is out of his splint, he “is playing catch and doing a slightly modified swing.” Once he can progress to taking full swings, we’ll have a better sense of the timeline for his return.