MLB DFS: Stud and Steal of the Day July 20th
Welcome Back!
After a brief hiatus because of the all star break, we’re back with the stud and steal of the day for MLB DFS! Looking at tonight’s slate of eleven baseball games, it can be daunting to decide who deserves a place in your lineup. Knowing which star player is worth the money can be the difference between a winning night and one that ends in failure. However, finding the hidden gems that perform well are equally as important because they can let you spend more on your starting pitchers. This article will touch on one expensive player who is primed to have a big night, and one cheap player whom you wouldn’t normally play but is a great play tonight in MLB DFS.
Past Plays:
6/27:Mike Trout:3/4, 1 HR, 2B, 2R’s 1 RBI
6/28: Josh Donaldson:2/5, 3B,BB,3 RBI’s,1R
6/28:Giancarlo Stanton :3/5, 1 HR, 2 1B, 3 RBI’s, 1 R
7/4:Kris Bryant: 1/1, 2 BB’s, 1 HR, 2 RBI’s
7/4:Travis d’Arnaud: 3/4, 1 HR, 2 1B’s, 2 RBI’s, 2 R’s
7/5:Buster Posey
: 1/3, 1 HR, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB
Next: The Stud of the Day
MLB DFS: The Stud of the Day- David Ortiz, 1B ($5,600 DK,$4,100 FD)
The stud of the day is none other than the ageless wonder himself, David Ortiz. Facing off against Matt Cain and the Giants at Fenway Park is literally the perfect spot to use the future hall of fame first baseman. Cain has a huge issue getting lefties out and Ortiz has slaughtered right handed pitchers in the friendly confines of Fenway Park. Looking at the respective splits for both players makes the mismatch so much more apparent.
Ortiz vs. RHP @ Home: 53/130, .408 AVG, 11 HR’s, 39 RBI’s, 25 2B’s!!!!!!!
Cain vs. LHB on the Road: 12/38, .353 AVG, 2 HR’s, 2 2B’s
A .408 average in that large of a sample size is mind boggling, when you throw in the almost unfathomable 25 doubles Ortiz has hit it becomes even more ridiculous. Big Papi simply murders right handed pitching at home and whenever he matches up against one you almost have to use him regardless of price.
Don’t let Matt Cain’s name scare you here, while he use to be one of the best right handed pitchers in baseball, he is no longer even remotely close to that elite level. The fact that lefties are hitting over .350 against him shows just how far he has fallen from the glory days back in 2012 and 2013. Not only would I use Big Papi, I would also consider a full Red Sox stack headed by Ortiz and Jackie Bradley Jr. both are left handed and should be in line for a big night. Obviously Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts are in play like they are basically every time the Red Sox take the field.
Next: The Steal of the Day
MLB DFS: Steal of the Day- J.J Hardy ($3,000 DK, $2,100 FD)
In order to fit David Ortiz and the other big time bats into your lineup, you need somebody like J.J. Hardy in your lineup. While I would almost never recommend strictly using batter vs pitcher data when selecting a player, in this case it makes sense. Hardy and the Orioles face off against Michael Pineda, who Hardy has crushed in his career albeit in a limited sample size.
Hardy vs. Pineda Career: 7/15, .467 AVG, 3 HR’s, 4 RBI’s,
When you can find someone who is as cheap as Hardy with those kind of numbers against the starting pitcher you have to include them in your lineups. Even if Hardy doesn’t hit a home run tonight, he’s likely to get on base and not get you a zero in your shortstop slot. At the price of $3k you can live with that kind of production because you have to assume that your big bats will pick up the slack, (Ortiz, Bradley Jr., etc).
Throw in the added bonus of the game being at Yankee Stadium, which is a clear hitters ballpark, and it all adds up. Throw JJ Hardy into your lineups and surround him with the big guns of David Ortiz and the rest of the Red Sox. Good luck to all of you playing DFS tonight and may we all win money!