Welcome back to another Sunday edition of MLB DFS picks and advice from your friendly neighborhood RotoBaller. We have ourselves a beautiful 10 game main slate in typical Sunday morning fashion today, and it is quite an ugly sight on the pitching side. Corey Kluber is facing the Blue Jays today and will be everyone's favorite on the slate. Unfortunately he also costs you an arm and both legs. So let's take a look at some non-Kluber options for pitching today, and some supporting bats that can fit into the remaining cap space.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 7/23/17. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @RowdyRotoJB.
Featured Promo: For this week only, take 50% off any full-season or yearly Premium Pass on the site! Just enter discount code THANKS when checking out. Thanks for being a reader, and Happy Holidays! Sign Up Now!
DFS Starting Pitchers to Consider
Lance McCullers, HOU at BAL (DK - $10,400, FD - $8,900)
I have been burned by this guy his past two starts, and he only has one QS in his last five tries, but I like the match-up for McCullers today. Over his last 19 1/3 IP, he owns an ugly 6.05 ERA. But, while maintaining a sexy 10.24 K/9 over this span he has also induced a 63.3 GB% and only allowed an 18.0 Hard%. Despite the ERA, his FIP for this duration is sitting at a 2.12. So this guy is certainly due for a gem, and the Orioles may be forced to oblige. Against McCullers collectively, the Orioles are slashing .145/.234/.261 with an absurd 42 K% over 69 AB. When the two clashed back in May, McCullers struck out eight over six innings on his way to a 46 FP (FD) performance.
Jerad Eickhoff, PHI vs MIL (DK - $7,600, FD - $7,300)
I honestly don't feel comfortable with anyone under Klubot and McCullers today, but I do like the strikeout upside in Philly today. Over his two starts since returning from the disabled list, Eickhoff is boasting a 13.1 K/9. This could provide some hefty FP today as he faces the offense with the most strikeouts over the last seven days, and against RHP for the whole season. Another plus for Eickhoff is playing the game at home, where he has allowed half as many HR compared to on the road in 2017. It's days like this where you need some contrarian lines to separate yourself in GPPs.
DFS Infielders to Consider
J.T. Realmuto - C, MIA at CIN (DK - $3,600, FD - $2,800)
You could say Realmuto has some momentum heading into today, after going 3-4 with a double and two dongs during last night's 50.4 FP (FD) performance. It continues the trend of JT turning into an absolute monster when in the batters box of any stadium besides Marlins Park. He is slashing .360/.410/.530 on the road this season, sporting an OPS three hundred points higher than his home number. For his encore performance today, he faces Sal Romano and his 7.50 ERA.
Jose Abreu - 1B, CWS at KC (DK - 4,500, FD - $3,500)
Today the Sox square off against Travis Wood at Kauffman Stadium. This means Jose Abreu must get into my lineups. He is still rocking an OPS up over a thousand (1.038) against southpaws this season, and has hit 14 of his 16 bombs on the road. Against Wood for his career, Abreu is 4-5 with three doubles. Wood allowed six ER on nine hits in just 4 1/3 innings last time on the bump, so expect Abreu and company to hang a healthy number on the scoreboard today.
Scooter Gennett - 2B, CIN vs MIA (DK - 4,100, FD - $3,000)
Josh Harrison was my preferred keystone pick for today, but the Coors price premium makes it very difficult to justify when you got guys like Scooter Gennett with great match-ups at much more affordable costs. Gennett has destroyed RHP all season to the tune of a 1.024 OPS, and faces off against Tom Koehler today. Koehler has allowed 22 ER in his last four outings, and is rocking an impressively bad 7.92 ERA. Against LHB this season, he has allowed a .333 BA and 1.101 OPS. Gennett's price on FanDuel is too good to pass up.
Nicholas Castellanos - 3B, DET at MIN (DK - $4,400, FD - $3,200)
Despite what the .254 BA suggests, Nicholas (formerly Nick) Castellanos has been hitting the ball extremely well all season. Among qualified hitters, he ranks second in the league with a 48.1 Hard%, and ranks first with his minuscule 8.3 Soft%. He has fared much better against LHP, boasting a .659 SLG against, and gets to play in one of his favorite ballparks today. Through 23 career games at Target Field, Castellanos is slashing .315/.343/.522 with four HR and seven doubles. This is another steal on FanDuel.
Marcus Semien - SS, OAK at NYM (DK - $3,600, FD - $2,300)
Semien seems to be warming up at the plate after his extended stint on the DL during most of the first half of this season. He is 6-13 over the past three games, while swiping two bases. You typically would save Semien for games against LHP, but Rafael Montero has not shown any reason to fear him this year. At home in 2017 Montero owns a 6.32 ERA across 31 1/3 IP, with a disastrous 1.85 WHIP. He has yet to give up a long ball at Citi Field, but expect Semien to get on base with ease today and hopefully keep this SB trend up. Once again DraftKings pricing model has me pegged, but on FanDuel Semien can free up a ton of cap room and facilitate some Coors bats or the Klubot.
DFS Outfielders to Consider
Yoenis Cespedes - OF, NYM vs OAK (DK - $3,700, FD - $3,600)
Based on pricing on both sites, I was really tempted to go with Jay Bruce today, until I viewed Daniel Gossett's splits against RHB. He is allowing a .619 SLG while serving up 9 of his 10 bombs to righties. Yo hasn't left the yard since June 23rd, but I expect that drought to end today in front of the home crowd.
Corey Dickerson - OF, TB vs TEX (DK - $4,100, FD - $3,200)
C-Dick is my favorite play on today's main slate. His power stick has certainly slowed down a bit over the past few weeks, but the man is still hitting .311 and faces a familiar foe in Tyson Ross today. For his career, Dickerson is 5-14 with two HR and a double against Ross, who has earned just one QS through his first six starts of 2017. During his latest outing, Ross gave up eight ER in just 3 1/3 innings at Camden Yards. For his career, he has allowed 14 ER in 14 IP at Tropicana.
Andrew McCutchen - OF, PIT at COL (DK - $5,400, FD - $4,600)
Okay Coors, you win. I just can't pass up Cutch versus a LHP at that altitude. He owns the third highest OPS in the league against LHP (1.168), and has hit 11 of his 17 HR on the road this season. Of course he also has monster career numbers at Coors Field. Through 28 games, he is slashing .318/.444/.589 with six HR, three triples, and five doubles. Kyle Freeland has had himself a very respectable rookie campaign, and has actually only allowed one hit in his last two appearances (11 1/3 IP), but this is one match-up I don't see him winning.
Sample Lineups
DraftKings
FanDuel
DFS Premium Tools & Research
Get a free trial of our powerful MLB Premium Tools. Our famous DFS Optimizer & Lineup Generator, daily Matchup Ratings, expert DFS Lineups/Cheat Sheets, and more.
Win more. Try the most advanced lineup optimizer in daily fantasy baseball.