This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Happy Fourth of July! DFS action kicks off early today starting in the morning 11:05 AM EST with the Red Sox taking on the Nationals in an all-day slate. Then there's a three-game early-only slate starting at 1:05 PM EST before the main slate begins at the usual 7:05 PM EST featuring seven games.
For those interested, we've started an MLB DFS Slack channel for paid RotoWire subscribers. (There is a season-long one as well.) To join those channels, e-mail support@rotowire.com.
PITCHER
Rich Hill, LAD vs PIT ($7,600): Trevor Bauer ($12,000) is a tough squeeze under the cap today if you want to stack Rockies against an opposition lefty in Coors Field. Therefore, to fit in Trevor Story, Nolan Arenado and probably Ian Desmond, a cheaper starting pitcher needs to be found. Hill fits that bill and is home against the Pirates. He's scored 40 and 51 fantasy points in two of his three starts since coming off the DL and gave up only a .256 wOBA (2.77 ERA) at home last season.
GPP Fade: Joe Musgrove, PIT at LAD ($7,300): Musgrove has faced the Dodgers once already at home and only scored 21 fantasy points in that start. The Dodger bats have come to life, and they put up a 17-spot Monday against these Pirates. The Dodgers are fifth best in the league with a .329 wOBA against right-handed pitching, and their 21.8 percent strikeout rate is in the bottom half of the league.
Cheap GPP Consideration: Marcus Stroman, TOR vs NYM ($6,500): Bauer is still an interesting play given that his ownership percentage will be suppressed as people try to afford pieces of the Coors game. Stroman makes a lot of sense instead given how well he's pitched since coming off the DL. He has scored 30 and 40 fantasy points in his two starts and now gets the Mets at home. New York ranks 20th in the league in wOBA against right-handed pitchers (.309) and their 21.4 percent strikeout rate is right around league average, making them a decent target.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Ian Desmond, COL vs SF ($3,700): Desmond and DJ LeMahieu are the two lesser names to target when the opposing team puts a lefty on the mound at Coors. That'll be the case Wednesday, as Andrew Suarez toes the rubber for the Giants. It also just happens that Suarez's worst splits come on the road against right-handed hitters, as he has allowed a .397 wOBA. Desmond has a .427 wOBA at home this season against southpaws and two seasons ago in Texas (another good hitting environment) that mark was .451.
SECOND BASE
Scooter Gennett, CIN vs CWS ($3,900): The Reds are a pretty big favorite (-180) in a game with an over/under of 10, so they could be a sneaky stack. Gennett has been hitting the cover off the ball with a 1.003 OPS over the week prior to last night's home run. Dylan Covey has stalled, giving up 16 earned runs in 11.1 innings (12.27 ERA) over his last three starts including six home runs.
THIRD BASE
Jake Lamb, ARI vs STL ($3,500): Lamb is averaging double-digit fantasy points per game on the season and has had a lot of success at home against right-handed pitching. He's had .384 and .390 wOBAs in each of the last two seasons at Chase Field, and Miles Mikolas has struggled the most on the road against left-handed bats (.323 wOBA). Lamb comes into this game reaching base safely in 11 straight, averaging 11.6 fantasy points over that span.
SHORTSTOP
Trevor Story, COL vs SF ($4,200): Story has actually had more success than Arenado over the last two and a half seasons at home against lefties with a .489 wOBA to Arenado's .401 mark. Story typically hits cleanup after Arenado, putting him in a great spot should pitchers decide to avoid his teammate's bat. Story should be considered a top-three bat today, and there's not much to like at the position outside of him and Francisco Lindor anyway. Going Hill, Desmond and Story in a lineup still allows for an average of $3,250 per position for all the other players, and even using Arenado is still a feasible option.
OUTFIELD
Joey Gallo, TEX vs HOU ($2,700): Most will see Lance McCullers (second-highest priced pitcher on the slate) and steer clear of the Rangers bats, but the over/under of 10 in this game suggests there will be some fireworks. After a .876 OPS at home last season, Gallo is following that up with a .861 mark this season. McCullers has had more difficulties pitching on the road (4.24 ERA) than at home this season (2.66 ERA).
Curtis Granderson, TOR vs NYM ($2,800): Granderson has been a solid DFS play this season with his price mostly staying below the $3,000 mark. The key is to use him when he's at home and facing right-handed pitching, a split in which he boasts a .851 OPS. Wednesday he gets rookie Corey Oswalt, who was bombed in his first start and had only a 5.32 ERA over 10 starts at Triple-A this season.
UTILITY
Evan Gattis, HOU at TEX ($3,400): Gattis is a terrific play, along with Jose Altuve ($4,200) and George Springer ($3,700), in a good hitter's environment against a left-handed pitcher. Mike Minor has struggled this season with a 4.64 ERA and has allowed right-handed batters to post a .333 wOBA against him. Gattis has a .340 wOBA against left-handed pitching this season and that number goes up to a whopping .432 on the road.
