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Hello there, MLB DFS grinders! The focus of this article will be on the 5-game afternoon slate for both DraftKings and the four-game slate over on FanDuel. The Cleveland and Tampa Bay game will only go seven innings, since it is Game 1 of a double header, so they have been left off of the Early Only FD slate. We have some good pitching options and good stacks to consider so let's dive on in and find the best plays for both your cash game and tournament lineups.
While most of our MLB DFS coverage here at RotoBaller is geared towards the main slate, I wanted to give you some of my favorite pitchers and bats for these early games that will help you cash in tournaments and cash game contests. I'll highlight my favorite pitching options here first and then give you some hitters at each price tier to consider as well as my favorite teams to stack up! You can read our DraftKings DFS lineup picks for the main slate and FanDuel DFS lineup picks for the main slate as well.
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the DraftKings and FanDuel slates beginning at 12:10 PM on 7/7/2021. 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 MLB DFS lineup picks for the main slate here, and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. Let's get to it!
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MLB DFS Pitchers
Lance Lynn ($10,300 FD, $8,900 DK)
Lynn has been great all season long and he is the first pitcher I am considering on both sites. Lynn is 8-3 on the season with a 2.02 ERA and he is sporting a 27.3% strikeout percentage this year. What's been very impressive about Lynn is that he is getting the first strike 65% of the time which means he is getting up in the count early on batters and it puts them into a hole that causes them to be overly aggressive at the plate. Lynn has faced the Twins two times already and in 11 total innings pitched against them this year, Lynn has held them to just seven hits, two runs while striking out 11 total batters.
Sonny Gray ($8,000 FD, $8,300 DK)
Sonny made his return to the hill for Cincinnati last Thursday and looked very solid as he went five innings while allowing one earned run and striking out eight batters. While his record hasn't been great (1-4) he has posted a modest 3.27 ERA on the season and has a 30.7% strikeout percentage. This Royals squad can be a pesky squad when they are rolling but they have struggled to get the long ball going as they are ranked 24th in the league when it comes to homers off of right-handed pitchers and they have the 26th best team ISO against righties as they have an ISO of .142. In addition, they have five batters in their lineup who have a strikeout rate that is greater than 21% so there is definitely upside in this matchup for Gray.
Others to consider: Kyle Gibson vs. Detroit Tigers
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MLB DFS "Bats Worth Paying For"
Tim Anderson – SS, CHW @ MIN ($3,500 FD, $5,000 DK)
Anderson is the one primary White Sox bat to get into your lineup against Pineda. he has hit him well in his career as he has nine hits in 15 at-bats while having three home runs and two doubles. Pineda throws his fastball to righties over 52% of the time and Anderson profiles well against this pitch type as he has a .286 ISO and a .564 XwOBA against his fastball pitch type.
Jose Ramirez – 3B, CLE vs. TBR ($4,800 DK)
Ramirez gets a little bit of a discount here on DK and that is partly due to his game only going seven innings but he would be worth a stab in tournaments because of his upside. Ramirez has an ISO of .295 and a 45.7% flyball rate against right-handed pitchers this season and profiles well against Wacha's fastball as he has a .500 ISO and a .473 XwOBA against his that specific pitch type.
Jesse Winker – OF, CIN @ KCR ($4,200 FD, $5,800 DK)
Winker has one of the highest upsides on the slate against Brady Singer on both sites and would be one worth paying up for in all formats. Singer has allowed six home runs to lefties this year which is four more than what he has allowed to righties and Winker has a big-time ISO of .333 against righties this year. Singer throws his sinker over 46% of the time to lefties and Winker crushes that pitch as he has a .356 ISO and a .468 XwOBA against that pitch.
MLB DFS Values
Jacob Stallings – C, PIT vs. ATL ($2,500 FD, $3,200 DK)
Stallings tends to draw a spot in the lineup when lefty pitchers are on the mound and with Drew Smyly starting on Wednesday afternoon for Atlanta, we are most certain Stallings could be in the lineup for Pittsburgh. He has a .208 ISO against lefties this year and has three home runs against this handedness.
Gavin Sheets – 1B/OF, CWS @ MIN ($2,800 FD, $3,200 DK)
Sheets is still under-priced for his production that he has brought to this White Sox lineup so you might as well continue to roster the hot bat while he is still cheap. Sheets is hitting .320 on the season and has gotten a hit in four out of his last five games played. Pineda has gotten roughed up by lefty batters this year as he has allowed six home runs to this handedness and Sheets profiles well against his fastball which he throws to lefty batters over 50% of the time.
Franmil Reyes – OF, CLE @ TBR ($3,000 DK)
Another Cleveland bat that is under-priced on DK is Franmil Reyes. He returned from the IL the other day but this matchup against Wacha looks to be a good one for Reyes. He is hitting .297 against right-handed pitching and has nine home runs and has an ISO of .264 against this handedness and Wacha has been roughed up by righty batters as they have a .285 ISO against him.
Also Recommended: Brian Goodwin vs. Michael Pineda, Ke'Bryan Hayes vs. Drew Smyly, Guillermo Heredia vs. Wil Crowe
MLB DFS Hitter Stacks
Atlanta Braves vs. Wil Crowe
The Braves have struggled on this little trip to Pittsburgh as they have only combined for two runs scored over the last two games that they have played. Wil Crowe will get the nod for the Pirates and this is what the doctor ordered for this Braves lineup as Crowe is 1-5 on the year with a 6.26 ERA. He has allowed two home runs in three out of the last five games that he has pitched in so there is home run upside for the Braves batters. Crowe has actually been touched up by right-handed batters as they are slashing .319 against him this year with eight home runs so make sure to lock in Ronald Acuna Jr. in any Braves stacks you make. Also consider Freddie Freeman, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, and Guillermo Heredia for a cheap Braves bat.
Chicago White Sox vs. Michael Pineda
The White Sox roughed up Pineda earlier this year as they were able to score three runs in 5.1 innings pitched while also hitting two home runs against him. Pineda is a pitcher that can implode in any given matchup and he faces a team that has a .199 ISO against right-handed pitching and Pineda himself has a 40.2% flyball rate this year. The White Sox have several bats to consider and it starts with guys at the top of the lineup with Jose Abreau, Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, Brian Goodwin, and Gavin Sheets.
Other recommended stacks: Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Drew Smyly, Cincinnati Reds vs. Brady Singer
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