Identifying the top high salary and value shortstop plays from around Major League Baseball for your July 8 DraftKings lineup.
Our goal is to help you win DraftKings contests with consistently strong lineups. To accomplish that, we’ll be highlighting some higher salary players worth paying up for, and some value picks that will help you save salary in key areas. These picks are specifically for DraftKings lineups, so all references to prices and fantasy points are based on DK figures.
As always, be sure to double-check final MLB lineups and monitor weather situations before locking in your DFS lineups.
High Salary
Aledmys Diaz, Cardinals (5,100): Diaz has put together a spectacular rookie season, one that’s resulted in him being named to the All-Star Game as an injury replacement for teammate Matt Carpenter. Diaz has been particularly hot since Carpenter went down with an oblique strain on Wednesday, tallying double-digit DK points in his last three games. Look for him to stay hot Friday against Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Jimmy Nelson (5-7, 3.65 ERA).
Troy Tulowitzki, Blue Jays (4,800): “Tulo” has been on a brilliant run since late June. He’s hit safely in nine of his last 10 games, a stretch that includes four home runs. He’s hit double-digit DK points in 11 of his last 15 games. On Friday, he draws an inviting home matchup against Detroit Tigers righty Mike Pelfrey (2-7, 4.78 ERA), against whom he is 7-for-20 with a home run in his career.
High Value
Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox (4,100): Bogaerts isn’t exactly cheap, but compared to his usual price in the 5,000s, he’s a bargain. Bogaerts has only reached double digits in fantasy points in two of his last 12 games, but he’s an attractive option against Tampa Bay Rays starter Chris Archer (4-11, 4.50 ERA), given his track record of success against the right-hander (6-for-16, one home run).
J.J. Hardy, Orioles (3,000): Hardy isn’t the safest option, so consider him for GPPs only. However, he’s 6-for-16 with five RBIs over his last four games. The Orioles have one of the highest expected run totals (5.0) on Friday, so they should be able to do some damage against Los Angeles Angels starter Matt Shoemaker (3-9, 4.40 ERA). Hardy is cheap exposure to that fantasy production.
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