MLB DFS Playbook July 17: Top Plays for DraftKings and FanDuel
Published: Jul 17, 2023
Hello and welcome to the MLB DFS Playbook for July 17! We have a monster 10-game slate on both DK and FD on our hands today. We have a 7:05 pm ET start time, so you have plenty of time to get those lineups made! Make sure to check out all of our amazing MLB DFS tools as they are always worth going through before building your lineups as are the Vegas Odds. However, as I am sure you have figured out by now, the new playbook will be a one-stop shop that includes everything from easy-to-read player write-ups and suggestions to MLB Weather Reports to lineup construction tips to our best value plays for DraftKings and FanDuel. You will be given core plays around which to build your lineups, DFS stacks to consider for GPP tournaments and key statistics to help you in your DFS research. Let’s dive in!
MLB DFS Playbook July 17
MLB Weather Updates
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Baltimore Orioles (possible rain)
Cleveland Guardians vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (possible rain)
San Francisco Giants vs. Cincinnati Reds (possible rain)
Miami Marlins vs. St. Louis Cardinals (possible rain)
Games that appear to have a decent wind blowing out:
None.
Games that appear to have a decent wind blowing in:
None.
DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
We have a nice medium-sized slate today, which are always interesting as there are still enough different directions to go, but also you’ll see players with high roster percentages. We do have a few weather concerns, which makes it a bit more tricky. Shane McClanahan, Logan Webb, and Jesus Luzardo are the headliners on the mound. We do not have Coors Field on tonight’s slate, so you don’t have to worry about that. Make sure to look at weather reports as we get closer to lock.
Recommended DFS Starting Pitchers
Top Options for Strikeouts
Best Odds for a Win
Logan Webb (San Francisco Giants -157)
Drew Smyly (Chicago Cubs -146)
Matt Manning (Detroit Tigers -129)
Favorite Starters to Use for DFS Lineups
Luzardo has been incredible lately, scoring 19.9, 32, 29.9, 28.7, and 28.7 dk points over his last 5 games while giving up just four total runs in that span. He has struck out 9, 9, 8, and 9 batters over his last four starts. He has the highest ceiling of any pitcher on tonight’s slate and he is locked into a great groove right now.
Quinn Priester, Pittsburgh Pirates
Priester is set for his MLB debut today and will face the Guardians. Cleveland is not a tough matchup, so this isn’t a bad spot to make your debut. He has been OK at AAA this year with a 4.31 ERA and 84 Ks across 87.2 innings. I would have liked to see his price a bit cheaper, but I still like him today. We have seen a ton of pitchers come up this year and have immediate success and Priester could be the next one to do so.
Manning was incredible in his last out, firing 6.2 no-hit innings against the Jays with 5 Ks as the Tigers went on to no-hit Toronto in that game. He has had a very tough sledding of games thus far, facing the Astros, Blue Jays, Rangers, Rockies (at Coors), and Blue Jays through his first five starts to begin the year and he has still managed to produce a solid 3.72 ERA with a great 1.03 WHIP. The Royals are easily his easiest matchup to this point.
Recommended DFS Hitters
Highest Expected Run Totals
5.46 – San Francisco Giants
5.17 – Cleveland Guardians
4.92 – Detroit Tigers
Favorite Hitters to Use for DFS Lineups
Shohei Ohtani, 1B/OF, Los Angeles Angels
Ohtani just won’t stop hitting bombs as he hit another last night, has four in his last 10 games, and now has 34 of them on the year to go along with a .301 average, 11 steals, and 140 total R/RBI. He is flat-out incredible. He faces Luis Severino, who has been abysmal with a 7.38 ERA and 1.81 WHIP through his first nine starts while giving up 11 bombs in just 42.2 innings of work.
Triston Casas, 1B, Boston Red Sox
Casas has come out of the beak on fire, homering in all three games and scoring 17, 16, and 16 dk points. He has been a better road player this year with a .804 OPS, compared to .724 at home and 10 of his 12 bombs coming on the road. He faces Paul Blackburn, who is not very good by any means with a 4.87 ERA and 1.54 WHIP through his first eight games this season.
Trey Cabbage, 1B/3B, Los Angeles Angels
Cabbage made his first start last night and had a monster game, going 3-3 with a double and two RBI to finish with 15 DK points. He was balling at AAA prior to being called up, hitting .287 with 23 home runs and 24 steals. He is the minimum price on both DK and FD, and I think there is plenty of upside at that price, especially facing the struggling Severino.
Zack Gelof, 2B/3B, Oakland Athletics
Gelof has been incredible since being recalled by the A’s, scoring 7, 22, and 12 dk points through his first three games by going 4-12 with two doubles, a triple, two steals, two RBI, and three runs scored. His price remains the same as it’s been over the past couple games and he has a nice matchup tonight against Nick Pivetta, who has a 4.83 ERA this year.
Masataka Yoshida, OF, Boston Red Sox
Let’s go to another hot Red Sox bat since, as mentioned, Blackburn isn’t any good. Yoshida is averaging 14.9 dk points per game over his last 10 games while hitting .465 with a 1.245 OPS in that span. He has three home runs and three stolen bases in that span with 21 total R/RBI. I don’t see Blackburn being the guy to slow him down.
Player Pool
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Stacks
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