Monday, Aug. 2, brings a staggered seven-game main slate with no true aces on the mound and no weather concerns. Let’s get into the top MLB DFS picks for pitchers and stacks for Yahoo, DraftKings and FanDuel daily fantasy baseball lineups.
MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Pitchers and Top Stacks, Monday, Aug. 2
Yahoo Stack of the Day: Washington Nationals vs. LHP Ranger Suarez — 4.2 implied runs
Last week the Nationals literally traded everything than was not nailed down. This has thrust several reserves and minor leaguers into starting roles, and there are some nice discounts on Yahoo. Ranger Suarez will be moved into the starting rotation going forward for the Phillies, and while he is not stretched out, he should be in line for 50 to 60 pitches.
There is a good chance Ryan Zimmerman ($7) will be in the lineup, and at the Yahoo salary floor, he is the lynchpin for any Washington stack. In the event he is out, then it will be because Josh Bell ($17) is staying as the lead first base option. There has been some chatter that Bell could see some time in the outfield in order to have both his bat and Zimmerman’s in the lineup at the same time.
Victor Robles ($7) is also coming at an extreme discount, and with Philadelphia opening with a southpaw, he is likely to draw leadoff duties, swapping spots in the order with lefty Andrew Stevenson. Yadiel Hernandez ($10) has extra base hits in four straight games, and he also launched a pair of home runs on Sunday. Juan Soto ($27) costs a pretty penny, but he has a .317 ISO in his last 186 same-handed matchups and is capable of taking any pitcher deep.
Utilizing the Nationals as a complementary stack will offer a great deal of roster flexibility. Focus on our favorite three or four hitters and then load up with the Blue Jays or Yankees.
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Milwaukee Brewers vs. RHP Bryse Wilson — 5.5 implied runs
Tonight marks the Pirates debut for Bryse Wilson, who was acquired from Atlanta. Wilson is not a bad pitcher, but he is one to pick on with his above-average walk rates and power surrendered, plus a pedestrian strikeout rate.
Wilson is allowing over a .220 ISO across his last 100 opposite-handed matchups. Even without Christian Yelich, who is in the health and safety protocol, the Brewers have plenty of left-handed options. Omar Narvaez is a solid choice and also will take care of the catcher requirement on Yahoo and DraftKings. Rowdy Tellez is in the midst of a hot streak, and despite his reputation as a free swinger, he has a below-average 17% strikeout rate against righties since the beginning of last season. Switch-hitter Eduardo Escobar can be paired with Kolten Wong, who should be leading off. For differentiation, Jackie Bradley Jr. can be part of a wrap-around stack if he is in his customary spot at the bottom of the order tonight.
Spotlight Pitchers
Top Target: RHP Tylor Megill at Miami Marlins — 3.2 implied runs
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $42 | FanDuel $8,500 | DraftKings $9,600
There will be enough discount bats available to easily afford rookie Tylor Megill in his matchup against a heavily watered-down Marlins lineup. Over the last two seasons, only Jesus Aguilar (.204 ISO) and Brian Anderson (.190 ISO) have any sort of power against right-handed pitchers. Even with this veteran duo, the projected Marlins lineup has a .143 ISO, 25.2% strikeout rate and a pedestrian 6.7% walk rate. Megill should be able to get through five innings on 90 to 95 pitches and qualify for the win. While that is not the most eye-popping projection, there is some safety here going against Miami in Marlins Park.
Secondary Target: LHP Andrew Heaney vs. Baltimore Orioles — 3.9 implied runs
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $33 | FanDuel $7,600 | DraftKings $8,600
Tonight Andrew Heaney will be making his debut for the Yankees. While Baltimore will be rolling with a righty-heavy lineup, their talent drops off dramatically for the back half of their lineup. It is always an adventure rostering Heaney with his mercurial result. However, his salary is reasonable across the board, and he has strikeout upside in the 8 to 10 range in this matchup. In four July outings Heaney allowed only two home runs while striking out 24 batters across 22.1 innings.
Wild Card: RHP Josiah Gray vs. Philadelphia Phillies — 4.3 implied runs
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $34 | FanDuel $6,300 | DraftKings $7,600
There were some whispers that Washington was going to shut down Josiah Gray early after getting him as the crown jewel in the Max Scherzer/Trea Turner deal. It looks like they are at least going to give him a couple of starts, and he makes for an intriguing tournament option. Gray was a second-round selection in the 2018 MLB Draft by Cincinnati, who ended up moving him to the Dodgers as part of the Yasiel Puig deal. Gray projects as a second or third starter with fringe ace upside. In college he was mainly a shortstop before converting to being a full-time pitcher in his final season. Though he has been uneven in his first two starts, allowing four home runs and five walks in just eight innings, he also has 13 strikeouts. He is a tournaments-only play, but Gray has a 10% chance of being the top scoring pitcher tonight and a 22% chance of being in the top two on DraftKings and Yahoo.
Final Thoughts for the Monday, Aug. 2 MLB DFS Slate
There is a lot of uncertainty with tonight’s pitching options. If playing 10-plus lineups, do not be afraid to have a couple stacks against the more popular hurlers, even if rostering them.
