MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/25/2019

Not much action to speak of across the majors Thursday night with only six games making up the main slate in DFS. With some terrible starting pitching options, it might be best to just load up on hitters for your entry. Let’s discuss which players stand out as the best to target. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our MLB Lineup Optimizer to help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

STARTING PITCHERS

Brett Anderson vs. Texas Rangers
Stadium – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
FanDuel = $7,800
DraftKings = $7,900

Anderson certainly doesn’t miss many bats with his 11.8 percent strikeout rate. However, that hasn’t stopped him from recording a 3.82 ERA. He has been somewhat lucky based on his 4.82 FIP, but he doesn’t walk many batters and has helped his cause by allowing only 1.1 HR/9. The Rangers have a lot of lefties in their lineup, which should work in Anderson’s favor since he has held them to a .293 wOBA this season. Add in Joey Gallo (wrist) likely being out and this could be a matchup to exploit.

Wade LeBlanc vs. Detroit Tigers
Stadium – T-Mobile Park
FanDuel = $5,900
DraftKings = $5,800

LeBlanc is expected to either start or pitch the bulk of the innings in this game after an opener. If he starts, it would increase his upside on FanDuel since he’d have the potential to log a quality start. Either way, he could provide value on both sites at such a cheap price. He’s allowed two runs or fewer in five of his last six appearances and will be facing a Tigers team that has scored the fewest runs (352) in baseball.

CATCHER

Austin Romine vs. Rick Porcello, Boston Red Sox
Stadium – Fenway Park
FanDuel = $2,100
DraftKings = $3,300

The Yankees are lucky to have such a talented backup catcher like Romine. He’s excellent defensively and seems to come through with clutch hits more often than not despite his limited playing time. With Gary Sanchez (groin) now on the IL, Romine is set to be their primary catcher moving forward. He should have plenty of opportunities to provide counting stats in such a loaded lineup, especially in this game since Porcello has given up 27 runs over 23 innings in his last five starts.

Others to consider: Omar Narvaez

FIRST BASE

Daniel Vogelbach vs. Drew VerHagen, Detroit Tigers
Stadium – T-Mobile Park
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $4,200

The Tigers don’t have much talent to speak of in their starting rotation, so they’ll give VerHagen a crack at starting Thursday. With his career 4.86 FIP and 1.44 WHIP, the Mariners have the potential to have one of their better offensive performances of the season. Vogelbach is arguably their most dangerous hitter with his .278 ISO, making him a key player to build around should you choose to deploy a Mariners stack.

Others to consider: Matt Olson and Luke Voit

SECOND BASE

David Fletcher vs. Jimmy Yacabonis, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Angel Stadium
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $4,000

Yacabonis is expected to start this game, but it’s unclear how long he will be able to pitch considering he’s logged one inning or fewer in six of his last seven appearances. He could be followed by Tom Eshelman, who would then pitch the bulk of the innings. Either way, both pitchers have struggled mightily, so the Angels should be a popular stack. Fletcher is one of the best cost-effective options on the team with him hitting 21-for-65 (.323) with seven doubles and 11 runs scored over the last 15 games. Of note, he is only available at second base on FanDuel since he is listed at third base and the outfield on DraftKings.

Others to consider: Gleyber Torres and Luis Rengifo

THIRD BASE

Jose Ramirez vs. Mike Montgomery, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $4,600

The Indians could put up a crooked number in this game with Montgomery on the mound. He allowed five runs over two innings against them in his last start. When combined with his time with the Cubs earlier this season, Montgomery has a disappointing 6.83 ERA and 6.39 FIP. With Ramirez coming to life at the plate again, he carries significant upside heading into this matchup.

Others to consider: DJ LeMahieu and Matt Chapman

SHORTSTOP

Didi Gregorius vs. Rick Porcello, Boston Red Sox
Stadium – Fenway Park
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $4,900

Gregorius can sometimes be overlooked in the Yankees’ star-studded lineup. However, with all of their right-handed hitters, his lefty bat is extremely important. His counting stats are down after starting out the season on the IL, but he’s trying to make up for lost time, posting two home runs, four doubles and 17 RBI over his last eight games. Lefties have a .363 wOBA versus Porcello, so continue to ride Gregorius’ hot bat.

Others to consider: Francisco Lindor and Andrelton Simmons

OUTFIELD

Mike Trout vs. Jimmy Yacabonis, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Angel Stadium
FanDuel = $5,000
DraftKings = $5,700

Since we can save some money at starting pitcher, this is the night to pay up for Trout. He’s destroying the league again this year with a 185 wRC+ and he even has a career-high .365 ISO. I could go on for days with all of the excellent stats that he has compiled. No need to overthink this one.

Jordan Luplow vs. Mike Montgomery, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $4,200

When a lefty is on the mound, Luplow has become an important part of the middle of the order for the Indians. He’s certainly performed well with a 180 wRC+ against southpaws. As far as cheaper options go, Luplow is arguably one of the best ones on the slate, regardless of position.

Mike Tauchman vs. Rick Porcello, Boston Red Sox
Stadium – Fenway Park
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $4,600

The Yankees are going to have a hard time taking Tauchman out of the lineup. He’s stepped in with Brett Gardner (knee) out the last four games, hitting 8-for-15 with two doubles, a triple and a home run. His price has jumped up significantly on DraftKings, but he’s still an excellent bargain on FanDuel to pursue if he’s in the lineup once again.

Others to consider: Shohei Ohtani and Oscar Mercado

Author Bio:

Mike has been covering fantasy sports since 2007, joining Lineup Lab in 2017. An avid player of both season-long fantasy leagues and DFS, Mike’s work has appeared on numerous sites, including RotoWire, SportsLine and Sports Illustrated. He’s also been featured on DraftKings’ nightly show, The Sweat, and was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.