Tuesday, Aug. 2, brings a mega main slate starting at 7:05 p.m. ET. Let’s get into the top MLB DFS picks today for pitchers and stacks for DraftKings and FanDuel daily fantasy baseball lineups.
DraftKings & FanDuel MLB DFS Picks Today (8/2)
Main Slate: Brewers at RHP Bryse Wilson — 5.3 implied runs
Bryse Wilson is not as bad as his 6.31 ERA this season, but he also is not as good as his July performance where he cruised to a 3.27 ERA in 22 innings, including games in Coors Field and the Great American Ballpark. Though he is still only 24 years old, Wilson has appeared in The Show in five different seasons between his time in Atlanta and Pittsburgh. The going has mostly been rough, as he has just 172.1 innings with an unsightly 5.80 ERA and a pitiful 6.4 strikeouts per nine innings.
The Stokastic Top Stacks Tool is doing cartwheels over the Brewers’ chances to bring the fantasy goodness in this matchup. Because Wilson pitches to contact, he can spontaneously combust at any time if his defense is not saving him with double plays and web gems. Target the batters swinging the stick from the left side of the plate first, with Rowdy Tellez, Christian Yelich, Kolten Wong and catcher Omar Narvaez leading the way. Milwaukee will likely space out these lefties, but not to fear — Wilson allows above-average power to right-handed batsmen as well. Hunter Renfroe and Willy Adames can be used to connect the dots, so to speak, and increase the synergy of the stack with adjacent hitters.
Evening Slate: Orioles at RHP Spencer Howard — 4.2 implied runs
The Stokastic Top Batters Tool is giving strong marks to catcher Adley Rutschman and outfielder Cedric Mullins. Though the Orioles lineup takes a hit with Trey Mancini dealt to Houston, the top of the order is still solid. Ryan Mountcastle is just $2,900 on DraftKings, which is a steal. Spencer Howard is a substandard pitcher who has been overmatched at the big league level, despite crushing at every level in the minor leagues. There is still time for the 26-year-old to turn things around, but in 33 appearances across three seasons and 104.1 innings, his 6.64 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 1.98 home runs per nine innings have been disastrous, to say the least. Baltimore is a strong secondary stack on the main slate, and they can be a featured stack for the evening sub-slate.
Late Slate: Padres vs. RHP Jose Urena — 5.2 implied runs
There is conflicting information as to which Rockies pitcher will be starting the second game of today’s doubleheader, though most sites currently have Jose Urena as the listed starter, with Ryan Feltner slotted in Game 1. Either way, we are going to want to look at the Padres as a potential stack.
San Diego is unlikely to catch the Dodgers, who have a 12-game lead in the National League West, but they also are trying to fend off the Phillies and Cardinals in the Wild Card standings. That means we should see robust lineups for both games today. There is a good chance that Fernando Tatis Jr. (wrist) will be joining the team in the next week, and, of course, the trade talks for Juan Soto and Josh Bell, among others, are heating up.
That should put some pep in the step of the Padres, along with a solid matchup against a beleaguered Colorado pitching corps. Look to the top half of the lineup, with Manny Machado, Jurickson Profar, Luke Voit, Eric Hosmer and Jake Cronenworth as the primary options. Because it is unlikely the lineups will be released prior to the main slate lock, the Friars are likely to be underrepresented in tournaments.
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Best MLB DFS Pitchers
Primary Target: RHP Corbin Burnes at Pirates — 2.9 implied runs
- DFS Salary: DraftKings $10,100 | FanDuel $11,300
Corbin Burnes will be facing Pittsburgh for the third time this season. The first two tilts were mostly non-events, with the reigning National League Cy Young winner allowing two home runs and only three total runs while striking out 15 across 13 innings. The Pirates have plated the third-fewest runs in the league this season, and their 83 wRC+ against right-handed pitching is the second lowest in the league, ahead of only the toothless Tigers. Burnes is an easy recommendation as the top pitcher on the board tonight.
Secondary Target: RHP Kevin Gausman at Rays — 3.3 implied runs
- DFS Salary: DraftKings $9,500 | FanDuel $10,300
July was rough for Kevin Gausman, as he stumbled through four starts spanning 17.2 innings with a 5.09 ERA while ceding four of his six home runs allowed on the season. Keep in mind that he only made four starts in the entire month after taking a comebacker off his left ankle on July 2 against Tampa Bay, which cost him one start and potentially impeded his typical throwing regimen and mechanics.
The Rays added David Peralta for the stretch run, and though their lineup is not brimming with household names, they boast a solid top six in their batting order. Prior to suffering a deep ankle bruise, Gausman was in the midst of a career season and on the short list of American League Cy Young candidates. Tropicana Field is significantly more pitching friendly than the Rogers Centre, and Gausman is a strong option in all formats on Tuesday.
Wild Card Target: RHP Spencer Strider vs. Phillies — 3.1 implied runs
- DFS Salary: DraftKings $8,300 | FanDuel $8,300
Rookie Spencer Strider is an intriguing wild card option tonight due to his prodigious strikeout ability. Overall, his 120 strikeouts are the 17th most in the league and his 13.1 strikeouts per nine innings would top the list among qualified starters if he had a few more innings under his belt. It should be noted that Strider squared off against the Phillies last Tuesday, though the potential for heightened familiarity is balanced by the lack of Bryce Harper. Philadelphia is actually a below-average offense, with a 93 wRC+ against right-handed hurlers on the season.
Additional Opportunities
Graham Ashcraft looks like a pitcher to target in the player props market tonight with his 5.5 over/under on his strikeout prop. The Stokastic MLB Projections have him for 4.3 strikeouts, giving him a 69% probability of failing to surpass his milestone. Thus far in his 66 MLB innings, Ashcraft averages 6.27 strikeouts per nine innings, which is even a tick lower than what the major projection sites are forecasting for this season. While the 24-year-old is clearly a good pitcher, he is far from a strikeout artist. Though he has recorded six and eight strikeouts in his last two starts, he has more than five strikeouts in just three of his 12 appearances.
Other Pitching Options
- RHP Yu Darvish vs. Colorado Rockies (Early, tentatively scheduled for Game 1)
- RHP Jameson Taillon vs. Seattle Mariners (Main SP2)
- RHP Cristian Javier vs. Boston Red Sox (Evening)
- RHP Jordan Lyles at Texas Rangers (Main SP2, Evening)
- RHP Noah Syndergaard vs. Oakland Athletics (Late)
Other Hitting Options
- Jesus Aguilar vs. RHP Graham Ashcraft (Early)
- Jesse Winker at RHP Jameson Taillon (Main)
- Eddie Rosario vs. RHP Nick Nelson (Main)
- Trey Mancini vs. RHP Kutter Crawford (Evening)
- Mookie Betts at LHP Alex Wood (Late)
Final MLB DFS Thoughts & MLB Weather Notes
There are no weather concerns today, though we could see some mid-week storms starting tomorrow through the weekend in the Midwest and along the East Coast.
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