This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Happy 4th of July! Despite the holiday, the main slate is fairly typical with nine games on the board. The pitching options are fairly straightforward and will likely be chalky as a result. So in tournaments, it will be worth seeking hitters who are projected to be rostered at a lower rate.
Top Pitchers
Freddy Peralta ($9,700) is the most appealing pitcher on the slate. Not only has he maintained the highest strikeout rate, but he also draws the best matchup. Despite the Pirates fanning at only a 22.3 percent rate, they've produced a league-worst .124 ISO. Peralta will be chalky, but it's difficult to make the case to move away from him.
Lucas Giolito ($8,900) is another expensive option worth rostering. He's not as impressive as Peralta in terms of his season-long strikeout rate, but he still boasts an impressive 21.5 sK-BB%. He also should have the chance to shine today thanks to his matchup against Detroit, with the Tigers whiffing at the highest rate as a team and also sit bottom-third in ISO.
Charlie Morton ($7,800) dips into the middle tier of salaries and offers the best value among the pitching options. His 3.74 ERA is not all that impressive, but he offers very similar skills to those of Giolito. Morton has maintained a 19.5 K-BB% while his 3.60 SIERA is sixth-lowest on the slate, yet he is the 10th-highest salaried pitcher.
Top Hitters
Jose Abreu ($5,200) hasn't delivered at the same level as 2020. He'll be leading a beat up White Sox lineup that could be without Yoan Moncada and Yasmani Grandal. That may not make for the most intriguing stack, but it's still worth rostering power bats on the White Sox roster thanks to their matchup against Matt Manning, who's allowed 1.9 HR/9 and only a 3.0 K-BB% in three career major-league starts.
Fernando Tatis ($6,100) represents the premier hitter on the slate, but for good reason. His skills speak for themselves, and he draws a matchup against Vince Velasquez. Though Velasquez hasn't allowed multiple homers in a start since May 31, he's posted a 45.1 percent flyball rate as compared to just a 34.1 percent groundball rate. That proneness to the long ball places Tatis among the best hitters to roster on the slate.
Bargain Bats
Jake Burger ($2,100) was called up on Friday to make his major-league debut due to the injury to Yoan Moncada. Though Burger isn't among the top prospects, he maintained a solid profile at Triple-A Charlotte with a 150 wRC+ and .275 ISO. Though those numbers will be hard to match in the majors, he's at nearly minimum salary and faces Manning.
Dominic Smith ($2,300) draws against Gerrit Cole, clearly not a pitcher to typically target based on matchup. However, Smith has swung a hot bat of late and is undervalued among Mets hitters. Add in a strong park for the long ball and he presents plenty of value despite largely unimpressive numbers to this point in the season.
Tyrone Taylor ($3,200) isn't an everyday member of the Milwaukee lineup, but he should be starting with a southpaw on the mound. Speaking of lefties, he's done the majority of his damage against them this season by posting a .931 OPS and .295 ISO in only 47 plate appearances. Though that's a small sample, Taylor's salary is low enough to get cheap exposure to the Brewers in a favorable matchup.
Stacks to Consider
Minnesota Twins vs. Brad Keller: Nelson Cruz ($5,600), Miguel Sano ($3,900), Alex Kirilloff ($3,800)
The Twins have been underwhelming this season and also aren't likely to have their lineup at full strength on Sunday. Josh Donaldson (hamstring) is banged up and Byron Buxton has yet to return from the injured list. Even so, their matchup is extremely notable as Keller has allowed 1.3 HR/9 and also walked batters at 10.8 percent clip. That should keep plenty of Twins on the basepaths. Also, their 17.2 percent strikeout rate is second-lowest on the slate and will give the bats plenty of opportunity to put balls in play.
San Diego Padres vs. Vince Velasquez: Fernando Tatis ($6,100), Manny Machado ($5,400), Trent Grisham ($4,800)
The Padres are in a strong position to do well offensively thanks to both their matchup against Velasquez and the strong hitter's park. Like Keller, Velasquez is vulnerable both to the long ball and putting runners on base with a 12.2 percent walk rate for the season. Most regular members of the Padres are valued up, which could make it difficult to both roster them and the prime pitchers. Even so, there are enough salary relief options where it should be possible to roster arguably the most attractive matchup on this slate.
