MLB DFS Value Plays July 8: Top DraftKings and FanDuel Picks
Today’s MLB DFS coverage is for the small seven-game main slate that starts at 4:05 pm ET on both DraftKings and FanDuel. Starting pitching is headlined by James Paxton and Mitch Keller. We do not have Coors Field on the slate, so you don’t have to worry about that 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 Wilson is on the MLB DFS 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
Gavin Williams, Cleveland Guardians (DraftKings: $7,000)
Williams has pitched pretty decently through three starts, albeit with a very low K-rate (12 strikeouts in 19 innings), but we don’t have a ton of options to choose from. He had his best game against these Royals, firing seven innings of one-hit, shutout baseball with 6 strikeouts to finish with 26 fantasy points on DraftKings. I would view him as more of a cheap cash game option today or boring tourney option.
Brady Singer, Kansas City Royals (DraftKings: $6,100 / FanDuel: $6,600)
On the other side of that game, we have Singer who has been very tough to predict this year. He just dominated the Dodgers in his last start, two outings after getting shelled by the Tigers. He did pitch well against the Guardians in between those two starts, firing six shutout innings with three strikeouts. He’s a GPP only play on Saturday.
MLB DFS Value Hitters
Andrew Monasterio, SS, Milwaukee Brewers (DraftKings: $2,500 / FanDuel: $2,400)
Monasterio is hitting .316 over his last ten games with a stolen base. He has a home run, three steals, and 15 total R/RBI across 54 at-bats this year. He hasn’t played a ton, but he’s been productive when he has. Today he faces Luke Weaver, who has been one of the worst pitchers in the league this season with a 6.72 ERA and 1.59 WHIP. He has given up 15 home runs and opponents are hitting .308 against him.
Jurickson Profar, OF, Colorado Rockies (DraftKings: $3,200 / FanDuel: $2,800)
Profar is hot right now, hitting .324 with a .904 OPS over his last ten games where he has a home run and a steal in that span. He now has six home runs and 68 total R/RBI on the year across 77 games. We know he is going to hit in the top of the Rockies lineup and that continues to provide him with more opportunities to score points. I like him to stay hot today.
Will Benson, OF, Cincinnati Reds (DraftKings: $3,000 / FanDuel: $2,900)
Benson just continues to play well, scoring 17 and 11 fantasy points on DraftKings in his last two starts. He is hitting .333 with three stolen bases over his last ten games and now has three home runs and seven steals across 112 at-bats this year. Colin Rea has a 4.40 ERA this season and is not anything special on the mound, so I like Benson to stay hot.
Travis Jankowski, OF, Texas Rangers (DraftKings: $2,800 / FanDuel: $2,500)
Jankowski has been absurd lately, hitting .429 with a 1.114 OPS over his last ten games with a home run, three steals, and 14 total R/RBI. He now has 11 steals on the year and that’s where much of his upside comes from. He faces Jake Irvin, who has a 4.70 ERA and 1.45 WHIP on the year (4.93 and 1.46 over his last ten starts, respectively). Jankowski should stay hot.
Raimel Tapia, OF, Milwaukee Brewers (DraftKings: $2,200 / FanDuel: $2,300)
Tapia is playing pretty well right now with a .900 OPS over his last ten games, swatting a pair of home runs and swiping a bag in that span while scoring nine runs. And as mentioned in Monasterio’s section, Weaver has been awful this year. I like Tapia to stay hot today (just make sure he’s playing, as he doesn’t start a whole lot) and like the Brewers offense as a whole, but they will probably also be on the chalkier side.
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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.