This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
For the last Monday of July, we have a fairly-full slate of action, which isn't always the case after a Sunday. There are 11 games on the docket for DFS purposes, so you have options to sift through. I've already done some sifting, though, and now I have these recommendations for you.
Pitching
Max Fried, ATL at PHI ($10,500): Over his last 11 starts, Fried has a 2.18 ERA. The Phillies are in the top 10 in runs scored, but right now Bryce Harper is out. Also, Fried is a lefty, so he can keeps guys like Kyle Schwarber in check as well.
Tony Gonsolin, LAD vs. WAS ($10,200): Gonsolin has taken one loss all season, and it was in the All-Star Game. He's 11-0 with a 2.02 ERA. The Nationals, meanwhile, are bottom five in runs scored. My only concern? Juan Soto goes off trying to showcase his skills to the Dodgers in hopes of a trade. Even so, Gonsolin will likely succeed once again and probably will get a 12th win.
Sean Manaea, SD at DET ($9,900): Manaea has not had a great campaign in his first season with the Padres, posting a middling 4.11 ERA. However, he does have a 3.76 ERA on the road. This matchup can really benefit him, though, as the Tigers are last in runs scored. Righties have hit .250 against Manaea this year, but the Tigers as a team have hit .228, so I think the former Athletic will be just fine.
Top Targets
Put a righty on the mound and let Freddie Freeman ($4,200) do his thing. Since 2020 he has an 1.015 OPS versus right-handed pitchers. Since joining the rotation, Paolo Espino has a 4.88 ERA. He's also a righty, and that's exactly what Freeman is looking for, and so am I.
At this point, Austin Riley ($4,100) has nothing left to prove. The changes he made to his approach have turned him into one of the better hitters in baseball and given him incredible power (.584 slugging percentage with 28 home runs). This year, he's mashed lefties to the tune of an 1.117 OPS. Ranger Suarez is a lefty, and he has a 5.15 ERA at home.
Bargain Bats
The lefty Jake Cronenworth ($3,600) has an .815 OPS versus righties since 2020. Additionally, he's really struggled at home this year. On the road, he has an .867 OPS. San Diego is on the road Monday, and Tigers starter Drew Hutchison has a 4.46 ERA.
Due to an assortment of injuries, Brett Phillips ($2,300) is seeing steady playing time for the Rays. He has five homers and seven stolen bases after having 13 of the former and 14 of the latter last season. Now, he can't hit lefties at all, but the Orioles are starting the righty Austin Voth, who has a career 5.44 ERA. Lefties have hit .286 against him since 2020.
Stacks to Consider
Astros at Athletics (Adam Oller): Jose Altuve ($4,100), Kyle Tucker ($3,700), Jeremy Pena ($2,900)
If the Athletics had any hopes this year, Oller wouldn't be in the rotation. The rookie has an 8.56 ERA and has allowed 2.63 home runs per nine innings. Even in Oakland's pitcher-friendly ballpark, I am happy to stack three Astros.
Altuve has slashed .278/.365/.523. He also has 19 home runs and eight stolen bases for good measure, and in his last two full seasons he's hit 31 homers. The lefty Tucker has 18 home runs and 16 stolen bases. Additionally, on the road he has an .890 OPS. Stepping into Carlos Correa's spot, the rookie shortstop Pena has hit .261 with 14 home runs and six swiped bags.
Mariners vs. Rangers (Glenn Otto): Ty France ($3,600), Eugenio Suarez ($3,000), Carlos Santana ($2,600)
Well, Otto has gone from a 9.26 ERA as a rookie to a 5.40 ERA this year. On the other hand, this year he's only struck out 6.86 batters per nine innings and has allowed 1.77 home runs per nine as well. Since righties have hit .301 against Otto, I am stacking three right-handed Mariners.
France is a guy who hits for average as is, as he's batted .306 this year. On top of that, he has a .941 OPS at home. Over the last five seasons, Suarez has slugged .496. He also has an .837 OPS over the last three weeks. Since being dealt to the Mariners, Santana has five home runs in only 20 games. He's also bounced back on the OBP front, as he has a .352 OBP more in line with his career .361 OBP than last season's .319 aberration.
Guardians at Red Sox (Nick Pivetta): Jose Ramirez ($4,200), Josh Naylor ($3,200), Andres Gimenez ($3,200)
Pivetta has a 4.50 ERA this season, and if he finishes at that number it would be the lowest season ERA he's had in his career, which kind of says it all. However, it doesn't feel likely that he is going to manage that, at least based on recent performance. Over his last three starts he has a 13.50 ERA. He's also allowed the fewest home runs per nine innings of his career thus far (1.17), so maybe regression is coming for him with a vengeance.
Ramirez is one of the best hitters in baseball and a 20-20 lock every season. However, his lofty salary is even easier to justify when he gets to face a righty or gets to be on the road this year, as with righty matchups he has a .992 OPS, and on the road he has a .994 OPS. Naylor has no interest in walking, but when you can hit .282, slug .504 and hit 13 home runs in 66 games, you can get by with that. Plus, he has an .897 OPS against right-handed batters. Gimenez was a key cog in the Francisco Lindor trade, and he's shown why this year. The 23-year-old has slashed .304/.360/.493 with 11 home runs and seven stolen bases.
