MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 7/4/2019

If you’re looking to kick back with some DFS fun after your barbeque Thursday, there isn’t much action to speak of with only four games making up the evening slate. There are still a handful of strong starters set to take the mound, so scoring might not be all that easy to come by. Keeping that in mind, here are some of the better options to consider for your entry. 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

Lance Lynn vs. Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $9,300
DraftKings = $9,500

The biggest name set to start Thursday is Hyun-Jin Ryu, and while he could be in line for another stellar performance, he’s pricey. Rolling with Lynn might be a better option at a much more reasonable price. He has increased his strikeout rate to 26.3 percent while allowing only nine home runs across 108 innings, helping him generate a 2.94 FIP and a 1.21 WHIP. He’s also pitched well against the Angels, holding them to four runs over 12.2 innings.

Mike Soroka vs. Philadelphia Phillies
Stadium – SunTrust Park
FanDuel = $8,800
DraftKings = $9,000

In this homer-friendly environment, the fact that Soroko has allowed four home runs across 84.2 innings should not be overlooked. He’s also shown excellent control, helping him produce a 0.98 WHIP. Having allowed more than three earned runs in only one of his 14 starts, his consistency has been crucial for the Braves. At a slightly cheaper price than Lynn, Soroka is also a viable option to consider.

CATCHER

Christian Vazquez vs. Marcus Stroman, Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $3,000
DraftKings = $4,000

The catcher position is the hardest to fill most nights, so it won’t get any easier with just a four-game slate. The good news is that Vazquez will be in action and he’s red-hot right now, hitting 24-for-67 (.358) with six home runs across his last 16 games. He’s already set a career-high with 13 home runs to go along with a .350 wOBA.

Others to consider: Danny Jansen

FIRST BASE

Justin Smoak vs. Hector Velazquez, Boston Red Sox
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $3,900

Velazquez has bounced between the starting rotation and bullpen and isn’t really stretched out for this game since he hasn’t thrown more than 45 pitches in an outing since the middle of May. The Red Sox bullpen has had plenty of struggles, so this could get ugly. The Blue Jays might not be the most imposing lineup, but they could be a stack worth considering based on this matchup. The switch-hitting Smoak has a .379 wOBA against right-handed pitchers this season, so he could provide value based on his reduced price on both sites.

Others to consider: Michael Chavis and Edwin Rios

SECOND BASE

Eric Sogard vs. Hector Velazquez, Boston Red Sox
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $4,800

A backup infielder for the majority of his career, Sogard has received an opportunity to play on a regular basis with the Blue Jays. He’s certainly taken advantage by recording a 134 wRC+. Add in his 1.048 OPS over his last 17 games and he stands out at his reasonable price on FanDuel. Even though he will cost significantly more on DraftKings, he’s a great target there, as well.

Others to consider: Max Muncy and Cavan Biggio

THIRD BASE

Rafael Devers vs. Marcus Stroman, Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $4,300
DraftKings = $5,300

There are few hitters in baseball as hot as Devers is right now. He’s put the Red Sox lineup on his back of late, hitting 32-for-70 (.457) with five home runs and eight doubles over his last 17 games. His wOBA is all the way up to .383 and one of the main reasons for his success this season has been his 16.2 percent strikeout rate, which is down from 24.7 percent last year.

Others to consider: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Josh Donaldson

SHORTSTOP

Chris Taylor vs. Dinelson Lamet, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Dodger Stadium
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $4,400

Lamet hasn’t pitched in the majors since having Tommy John surgery in April of last year, so it’s hard to envision him pitching that deep in this contest. That should make the Dodgers a popular stack, especially considering all of the dangerous left-handed hitters than they have in their lineup. Although Taylor doesn’t have the platoon advantage, he is 23-for-51 (.451) with three home runs and eight doubles over his last 15 games.

Others to consider: Xander Bogaerts and Freddy Galvis

OUTFIELD

Joey Gallo vs. Griffin Canning, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $4,200
DraftKings = $5,700

With Canning having his start pushed back a day to Thursday, home runs could be flying out of Globe Life Park since he’s allowed 1.8 HR/9. If you want to try exploiting that stat, there’s no better way to do so than with Gallo, who has an astonishing .383 ISO. Even though he’s still a strikeout machine, his 18.7 percent walk rate is over four percentage points higher than his career mark, which has helped propel him to a .433 wOBA.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. vs. Hector Velazquez, Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium – Rogers Centre
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $5,500

A demotion to Triple-A clearly lit a fire under Gurriel. He’s made his case to never return to the minors by recording a 1.136 OPS since being recalled. Despite playing in a poor lineup, he’s still managed to produce 28 RBI and 33 runs scored during that 37-game stretch. He’s no longer a bargain, but he still carries considerable upside.

Nick Markakis vs. Zach Eflin, Philadelphia Phillies
Stadium – SunTrust Park
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $3,900

The Braves have plenty of dangerous hitters in Ronald Acuña Jr., Freddie Freeman and Austin Riley. While he doesn’t present the same power threat as those three, Markakis is also a very important part of their lineup. He has a .358 wOBA against right-handed pitchers and is a tough out, in general, with his 12.6 percent strikeout rate. He could be worth taking a chance in tournament play against Eflin, who has allowed a .362 wOBA versus lefties for his career.

Others to consider: Alex Verdugo and Shin-Soo Choo

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.