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Just a seven-game slate over on FanDuel tonight, and we thankfully don't have any weather issues to worry about as the highest chance of rain is in Washington at just 16%. Selecting a pitcher is going to be tricky - Kershaw is the only ace on the board and exactly seven of the 14 teams have implied totals over five runs. We'll cover my favorite SP's to roster tonight as well as one-off hitter targets and team stacks. Let's get to it.
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 7/3/2021. You can see our DraftKings and FanDuel DFS lineup pick for the early slate here as well.
Be sure to also check out all the MLB player news, including late scratches, and the projected and confirmed daily MLB lineups for each DFS slate. You can also check out today's DraftKings MLB DFS lineup picks, and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. Let's get to it!
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FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Cash Game / GPP Anchor Play:
Clayton Kershaw - LAD vs. WAS ($11,000)
There's really no argument to be made for anyone else in the Cash/GPP anchor spot tonight. Kershaw has been a steady force all year as he holds a 3.25 ERA (3.02 xERA) and a 30.5% K%. The crackdown on "the sticky stuff" hasn't seemed to affect the veteran - he went for eight innings and allowed one earned run with 13 strikeouts (70 FD points) in his last outing (vs. CHC). The Nationals' offense hasn't been the force everyone expected them to be as they rank middle-of-the-pack in most hitting categories. They don't strike out a ton, but the lineup isn't very scary at all outside of 1-3 (Schwarber, Turner, Soto). Schwarber has been on a historic tear of hitting bombs, but he left last night's game and is unlikely to play tonight. The Nationals also have a 3.3-run implied total, which boosts Kershaw's outlook.
Alternate Play(s)
Jake Odorizzi - HOU vs. CLE ($7,200)
Odorizzi is an intriguing play on a slate with brutal SP options outside of the perpetual ace in Kershaw. He hasn't pitched in the sixth inning in his eight starts, but he also hasn't allowed an earned run in his last three outings and spiked for a nine-strikeout, 48 FD-point win on 6/21 vs. BAL. Cleveland has a middling offense that hasn't done much of anything this season, so Odorizzi has a solid chance to put up another useful game here. A handful (or more) strikeouts, a quality start, and a win would represent great value at this price point.
GPP Dart-Throw
Kyle Freeland - COL vs. STL ($6,100)
This one is dicey since it's in Coors Field and Freeland has been...let's just say "volatile" this season. However, he has posted back-to-back impressive starts with 11 IP, 14 K, and 1 ER against SEA and PIT. The Cardinals are working with better lineups than those two squads, but they have really struggled to hit southpaws on the road this season. In fact, they're hitting just .193 in such situations - the worst mark in the MLB.
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FanDuel DFS Infielders
Matt Olson - 1B, OAK vs. BOS ($3,700)
Olsen has hit a 2-for-24 wall over his last seven games, but he was on a torrid stretch prior to that and will have an incredible chance to get back on track against the struggling veteran Richards tonight. Richards holds a 5.97 xERA and has allowed either four or five earned runs in each of his last four starts. He has also given up six bombs in that recent stretch of outings. Olson obviously has the power (20 HR, .560 SLG., 48.3% Hard Hit%) to take advantage.
Kyle Seager - 3B, SEA vs. TEX ($3,000)
Seager has underwhelmed this year to the tune of a .215/.280/.408 slash line, but he does have 14 homers and 48 RBI. The appeal here is his low salary and juicy matchup against the embattled Jordan Lyles, who holds a 5.12 ERA and has allowed 16 home runs over 84 and 1/3 IP this season. Seager has actually struggled against Lyles in his career (4-for-23), but his .355 xBA and .616 xSLG against him tell an entirely different story.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa - 3B/SS, TEX vs. SEA ($2,600)
IKF looks like a solid source of value tonight at a bargain salary and going up against a gettable pitcher in Marco Gonzalez. He hasn't done much of anything lately, but he will lead off and Gonzalez has just been so bad (see Garcia, Adolis write-up below). A homer and/or a steal here wouldn't surprise me in the slightest, and neither would a double-digit FD-point game.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Kyle Tucker - OF, HOU vs. CLE ($3,400)
Tucker remains very affordable and should provide great value tonight against rookie starter Eli Morgan, provided he's in the lineup. Tucker holds some of the best advanced metrics in the league, highlighted by his xwOBA, xBA, and xSLG all ranking in the top 5% of the MLB. He should absolutely mash against a low-velocity pitcher like Morgan.
Adolis Garcia - OF, TEX vs. SEA ($3,200)
Joey Gallo has been absolutely RAKING and I won't fault you for paying the $4,100 it takes to get to him today, but I'd suggest taking the salary and rostership discount with Garcia in the same matchup. Garcia hasn't hit a homer since his double-dong effort back on 6/23, but he has still been very productive with four games over 12.6 FD points over his last seven games. Opposing SP Marco Gonzales gives up a ton of hard contact (45.4% Hard Hit%) and ranks in the bottom 1% of the MLB in xBA (.322).
Kike Hernandez - OF, LAD vs. WAS ($3,600)
Kike Hernandez is officially more expensive than Cody Bellinger, and I'd still rather get to Hernandez as Bellinger's power has been non-existent this season. Hernandez has equaled Bellinger's home run total (three) in just his last six games, and he has put up over 15 FD points in four of his last six. Espino is not a pitcher to fear in the slightest, making Kike a great one-off or stacking piece tonight.
FanDuel DFS Stacks
- Houston Astros vs. Eli Morgan
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Pablo Espino
- Seattle Mariners vs. Jordan Lyles
- STL/COL in Coors
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