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Welcome to another year of the DFS Army MLB Full Count! You have to start your research somewhere, and oftentimes going game by game and breaking down every matchup and its key players is the first step in our process. My name is Mike aka @MadnessDFS on Twitter, make sure to give me a follow as I’ll occasionally make updates to the advice in the article out on Twitter as well as inside our coaching forums. With that said, let’s get it started!
Full Slate Breakdown Picks for MLB DFS 7/25:
Jul 24, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Mookie Betts (50) runs from second base into home to score a run against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports
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Main MLB Slate Player Projections and Stacks:
Atlanta Braves (-177) @ Philadelphia Phillies (+150)
Implied Run Totals:
Rundown:
We’ll open up the day with Max Fried heading into Philly to take on the Phillies in this one. Fried actually comes in as the most expensive pitcher on the slate on both DraftKings and FanDuel. He has at least 21.9 DraftKings points in three of his last five but we haven’t seen that 30-point ceiling in a while. He and the Phillies as a whole both have a 22% strikeout rate on the season, so I do think he’s viable in all formats once you get past the sticker shock. Ranger Suarez will get the ball for the Phillies in a tough matchup against this Braves team that just lost Adam Duvall for the season. I have a hard time targeting pitching against Atlanta right now, so I’ll happily stay away from him here.
ATL 5-star plays: Ronald Acuna Jr., Austin Riley
4-star plays: Dansby Swanson, Matt Olson, Michael Harris
GPP Note: The Braves will look like a solid full stack again on this slate.
PHI 5-star plays: None
4-star plays: Kyle Schwarber, Rhys Hoskins, JT Realmuto
GPP Note: Just one-offs against a guy that is great at limiting hard contact.
Tampa Bay Rays (-133) @ Baltimore Orioles (+110)
Implied Run Totals:
Rundown:
The Rays will send Corey Kluber to the mound in a solid matchup with this Baltimore team that can be pesky at times. Kluber has at least 43 FanDuel points in two of his last three games before a down game last time out against this very Orioles team. He still rocks a 21.3% strikeout rate on the season, so he’s in play in all formats considering the other pitching options on this slate. Baltimore will send Austin Voth to the mound and likely won’t be a guy I have interest in here. That said, he is due for some positive regression with an xERA about a point and a half less than his actual 6.38 ERA.
TBR 5-star plays: Brandon Lowe
4-star plays: Yandy Diaz, Randy Arozarena, Josh Lowe
GPP Note: More of a mini-stack than anything, I don’t love the bottom of the order.
BAL 5-star plays: Cedric Mullins
4-star plays: Adley Rutschman
GPP Note: I don’t love Baltimore, but they’re fine filler pieces.
Cleveland Guardians (-110) @ Boston Red Sox (-110)
Implied Run Totals:
Rundown:
The Guardians will send Zach Plesac to the mound in a tougher matchup with this Red Sox team. That said, they’re pretty banged up with JD Martinez, Trevor Story, and Rafael Devers all out at the moment. I don’t think Plesac is all that great of a pitcher but I guess you can make a case for him against this watered-down lineup. I just wish he had a better strikeout rate than 16.9% to give us some more upside. Nick Pivetta will start for Boston and has been extremely bad as of late with at least six earned runs in three straight games. Two of those games were against the Yankees so it’s a little more understandable, but it’s hard to ignore his current form. I do think he’s solid enough to get to here on a bad pitching slate due to the upside he brings with a 23% strikeout rate, however.
CLE 5-star plays: Jose Ramirez
4-star plays: Josh Naylor, Andres Gimenez, Amed Rosario
GPP Note: If you think Pivetta continues to struggle here then the Guardians will make a lot of sense.
BOS 5-star plays: None
4-star plays: Jarren Duran, Alex Verdugo, Xander Bogaerts
GPP Note: More of a mini-stack team due to how banged up they are right now.
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San Diego Padres (-165) @ Detroit Tigers (+140)
Implied Run Totals:
Rundown:
Sean Manaea will get the start for the Padres and looks like a great option tonight at first glance. The Tigers are striking out at a 23.6% rate on the season to go along with Manaea’s 23.9% strikeout rate. He’s shown some volatility as of late, but on this slate, he looks great. Drew Hutchison will start for Detroit here and likely won’t be a guy that makes my pitching pool. This Padres lineup doesn’t really scare me but Hutchison hasn’t struck out more than three batters in his past five starts and I like having more upside than that.
SDP 5-star plays: Manny Machado
4-star plays: Jurickson Profar, Jake Cronenworth, Luke Voit
GPP Note: I think the Padres look like a nice mini-stack team with full-stack potential.
DET 5-star plays: None
4-star plays: Riley Greene, Javier Baez
GPP Note: I have a feeling I’m going to get a lot of Manaea here.
Pittsburgh Pirates (+130) @ Chicago Cubs (-150)
Implied Run Totals:
Rundown:
JT Brubaker will get the start for Pittsburgh here as it looks like the wind won’t be a big factor in Wrigley. Brubaker is coming off of a massive start against the Marlins where he put up 30.8 DraftKings points. His 23% strikeout rate makes him interesting at the least against a below-average Cubs team. Speaking of the Cubs, they’ll send Adrian Sampson to the mound in a great matchup. He’s another guy that should get you about five innings of solid pitching but the strikeout stuff isn’t there to make him viable in DFS for me.
PIT 5-star plays: None
4-star plays: Oneil Cruz, Ke’Bryan Hayes
GPP Note: This lineup is really ugly right now
CHC 5-star plays: None
4-star plays: Willson Contreras, Seiya Suzuki, Patrick Wisdom, Ian Happ
GPP Note: I like the Cubs as a mini-stack, but I do think Brubaker is in play as an SP2 in tournaments.
Los Angeles Angels (-105) @ Kansas City Royals (-113)
Implied Run Totals:
Rundown:
Noah Syndergaard will get the ball for the Angels in a really nice matchup with this weak Royals lineup. Syndergaard has at least 20.3 DraftKings points in two of his last three games but is still probably not someone I love here. The big thing with him is his inability to hold on runners so this Royals team could run all over him if they’re able to get on base. Kansas City will start Zack Greinke and has been a guy I’ve been looking to stack against as of late, but this Angels lineup just isn’t good enough right now… so I’ll likely just fade both sides of that battle.
LAA 5-star plays: Shohei Ohtani
4-star plays: Taylor Ward, Jared Walsh, Jo Adell
GPP Note: I do think you can make a case for the Angels in tournaments due to the young raw talent they have against a washed-up pitcher.
KCR 5-star plays: Bobby Witt Jr.
4-star plays: MJ Melendez, Andrew Benintendi, Whit Merrifield
GPP Note: I like targeting the top of this lineup and the guys that can run on this team to take advantage of the stolen base potential against Syndergaard.
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Colorado Rockies (+165) @ Milwaukee Brewers (-200)
Implied Run Totals:
Rundown:
The Rockies will send Kyle Freeland to the mound in this one in a tough matchup against a hot-hitting Brewers team. He’s given up a combined 15 earned runs over his last three games, so not a guy I’m going to look to get much of here either. I do like Aaron Ashby on the other side of this one quite a bit, however. He went into the All-Star break on a bit of a downswing, but this is an elite bounce-back spot against the Rockies away from Coors Field. He has a 26.8% strikeout rate on the season and the price tag is awesome… I’m going to get a bunch of him in all formats on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
COL 5-star plays: None
4-star plays: Kris Bryant, CJ Cron
GPP Note: One-offs only, I love Ashby here.
MIL 5-star plays: Christian Yelich, Willy Adames
4-star plays: Rowdy Tellez, Hunter Renfroe, Andrew McCutchen
GPP Note: I was all over the Brewers stack last night and will be a team I go right back to here.
Houston Astros (-235) @ Oakland Athletics (+195)
Implied Run Totals:
Rundown:
The Astros will send Jake Odorizzi to the mound in one of the better matchups you can ask for against this A’s team. He has at least 36 FanDuel points in four of his last seven games which makes him look pretty solid considering the matchup. He’ll look like a solid option in all formats, but I do like the price tag as an SP2 much more on DraftKings… I’m not sure how I feel about letting him fly solo as my only pitcher on FanDuel. Adam Oller will start for the Athletics and carries an 8.56 ERA into this one, it’s safe to keep him out of your pitching pool in a bad matchup with Houston as a +195 dog.
HOU 5-star plays: Yordan Alvarez, Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker
4-star plays: Jose Altuve, Jeremy Pena
GPP Note: I hate stacking in Oakland, but this spot looks pretty good for Houston.
OAK 5-star plays: None
4-star plays: Ramon Laureano
GPP Note: This lineup just isn’t good enough.
San Francisco Giants (-130) @ Arizona Diamondbacks (+110)
Implied Run Totals:
Rundown:
Jakob Junis will get the start for the Giants as they stick around in Arizona here. He’s coming off of a rough start against the Brewers but gets a nice bounce-back matchup in this one. I do worry about the pitch count he’s restricted to however with throwing just 34 in his first game back last time out. He’d be more of a tournament guy than anything for me in this one. Tyler Gilbert will start for the Diamondbacks and is another guy I won’t get to here, he has a low 14% strikeout rate and can struggle with command at times.
SFG 5-star plays: Austin Slater, Wilmer Flores
4-star plays: Darin Ruf, Yermin Mercedes, Joey Bart
GPP Note: The Giants could be sneaky here against Gilbert.
ARI 5-star plays: Ketel Marte
4-star plays: Josh Rojas, Alek Thomas, Christian Walker, Daulton Varsho
GPP Note: Same deal here, both of these pitchers are big question marks.
Texas Rangers (+140) @ Seattle Mariners (-165)
Implied Run Totals:
Rundown:
The Rangers will send Glenn Otto to the mound to kick this one off in a solid enough matchup with Seattle. That said, he has a 5.40 ERA and an xERA of 5.82 this season, so he won’t be a guy I like all that much here either. Chris Flexen will start for the Mariners and is another guy that won’t make my pitching pool even though he’s proven some competency as of late. This Rangers stack will be intriguing to me against him, I don’t generally love stacking in Seattle however.
TEX 5-star plays: Adolis Garcia, Corey Seager, Marcus Semien
4-star plays: Nate Lowe
GPP Note: I like the Rangers as a mini-stack at the very least… the lineup just kind of drops off after Garcia in the 5-hole which kind of stinks.
SEA 5-star plays: Julio Rodriguez, Ty France
4-star plays: Jesse Winker, Eugenio Suarez
GPP Note: Same deal here, after Suarez in the 5-spot it’s hard to love this full lineup.
Washington Nationals (+255) @ Los Angeles Dodgers (-315)
Implied Run Totals:
Rundown:
We’ll round out the slate with Paolo Espino getting the start in a terrible matchup with the Dodgers here. You won’t find Espino in my pitching pool against one of my top stacks (spoiler alert). Then the Dodgers will start Tony Gonsolin in what looks like a nice matchup as he comes in as a -315 favorite, so the win equity is pretty huge. He has a 2.02 ERA on the season to go along with a 24.2% strikeout rate, he’ll look great in all formats on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
WAS 5-star plays: None
4-star plays: Juan Soto, Nelson Cruz, Josh Bell
GPP Note: I’ll like Gonsolin more than anyone on this Nats lineup.
LAD 5-star plays: Mookie Betts, Trea Turner, Freddie Freeman
4-star plays: Will Smith, Max Muncy, Gavin Lux, Cody Bellinger
GPP Note: The Dodgers look like one of the better stacks on the slate in this one.