MLB DFS Value Plays July 24: Top DraftKings and FanDuel Picks
Happy Monday! Today we have an 8-game main slate on both DraftKings and FanDuel that is getting underway at 7:05 PM EST. There are some exciting matchups happening today with some great offenses to target and some solid pitching options to choose from as well. This slate is highlighted on the pitching side by Luis Castillo, Yu Darvish, and Jose Berrios at the top end, with Castillo being my favorite of the high-end pitchers. We have some solid other value options down below, but I am not a fan of the cheaper pitching options today, which means you have some great offensive options to choose from with good matchups. Speaking of offenses, some of my favorite ones to target today include the San Diego Padres, Washington Nationals, Cleveland Guardians, Arizona Diamondbacks, Cincinnati Reds, and the St. Louis Cardinals. Plenty of different directions to go to build a winning MLB DFS lineup today, so let’s get into some of my favorite value options of the day!
MLB DFS Value Pitchers
Kenta Maeda, Minnesota Twins (DraftKings: $8,600 / FanDuel: $8,400)
Don’t be fooled by the 5.10 ERA, which is fueled by the 10 runs he gave up to the New York Yankees back in April. If you remove that start, he has a 3.20 ERA and has been pitching great since then. Since the Yankee blowup, he has a 2.73 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP with 36 strikeouts through 26.1 innings. Seattle doesn’t have a very scary offense, and he faced them in his last outing, where he struck out 9 and only gave up 2 runs through 6.1 innings. I expect more of the same this time around.
Logan Allen, Milwaukee Brewers (DraftKings: $8,700 / FanDuel: $9,400)
This duo of pitchers is a bit higher priced than my usual value options, but I really don’t trust any of the pitchers below Maeda and Allen to feel comfortable endorsing them today. Logan Allen had a fantastic first start back, with the team striking out 8 batters through 5 innings and only giving up 1 hit against the Pittsburgh Pirates. That made it 12.2 innings straight without giving up a run in the majors for him. He gets another easy matchup today against the Kansas City Royals and should have no problem putting together another great outing.
MLB DFS Value Hitters
Alejandro Kirk, C Toronto Blue Jays (DraftKings: $2,900 / FanDuel: $2,300)
Alejandro Kirk has had a very disappointing season at the plate after being one of the best-hitting catchers in the league and an all-star last year. In his last 2 starts, though, he has 7 hits and a home run, and we have seen how good of a hitter he has been before, and he is still only 24, so I think we see him bounce back and be a solid contributor for the Blue Jays. With his price dropping so low, I am going to take a chance that this is him taking a step forward and can continue it against Michael Grove today.
Dominic Smith, 1B Washington Nationals (DraftKings: $2,700 / FanDuel: $2,400)
Dominic Smith has been locked in at the plate recently. Over his last 10 games, he has slashed .382/.477/.588, and over the last 5 that is all the way up to .529/.529/.588 with multi-hit games in each of his last 4 starts. While those hits have been mostly singles, he is still contributing plenty for the price you can get him. Don’t forget how good of a hitter he was back in 2020 for the New York Mets; it is reasonable that we see him get back to that level at some point.
CJ Abrams, SS Washington Nationals (DraftKings: $3,700 / FanDuel: $3,000)
CJ Abrams has been making it into a few of my write-ups lately, but he has deserved it. The former San Diego Padres prospect, that was a centerpiece of that Juan Soto trade, is starting to show his worth as the lead-off hitter for the Nationals. He is still at a 1.027 OPS with 3 homers and 8 stolen bases since moving to the leadoff spot on July 7th. He went 0-5 yesterday but should be able to bounce back today against Karl Kauffmann.
Randal Grichuk, OF Colorado Rockies (DraftKings: $3,600 / FanDuel: $2,800)
Randal Grichuk is slashing .343/.395/.743 in the month of July with 4 home runs, and a lot of that work has been outside of Coors and even in pitcher-friendly parks (Miami and San Francisco) with only 3 of the 10 games this month being in Colorado. They continue this road stretch today in Washington, and Patrick Corbin has been pitching better recently, but he still gives up a ton of home runs, so I like this spot for Grichuk to keep up his good month of hitting.
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Player News
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.
José Soriano allowed three runs over five innings while not factoring in the decision Thursday against the Blue Jays.
Soriano left with a 4-3 lead, but it was erased quickly after his departure. The 26-year-old was not exactly dominant in his outing with eight hits allowed and four free passes, but he did strike out six to help balance things out a smidgen. Soriano takes an even ERA of 4.00 into a scheduled start against the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday. There should be better options for that one.