DraftKings MLB Picks For July 26

Jul 31, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Los Angeles Angels starting pitcher Tyler Skaggs (45) throws in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

DraftKings MLB Picks For July 26

We have a full main tournament slate tonight, but that doesn’t mean we have a lot of great options. Only two pitchers are above $10,000, so we need to go bargain hunting. Are either or both of them worth it? Is there a lower priced option that could outscore them? Let’s check out the past stats to find out!

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NOTE: these picks are based solely on statistics. Some players have never faced their opponents, or have very little experience against them. I am not saying that none of those are good picks. The highest scorer of the day could be someone with no experience against his opponent. This is based on statistical analysis only. If you have a gut feeling, then by all means, follow that. This is not an exact science. The best lineups usually have a mix of proven stats and hot players.

Danny Salazar has never faced the Nationals, but he does have an impressive 11-3 record with a 2.75 ERA. DraftKings doesn’t believe much in him either. His $9,500 price tag is the only time is has been under 10K since June 3rd.

It has been almost two years to the day since Tyler Skaggs last pitched in the major leagues. He is making his first start back from Tommy John surgery against a decent Royals team. It is a good story, but that doesn’t mean he can help you in daily fantasy.

Steven Wright‘s only career start against the Tigers came a year ago yesterday, and it was not pretty. He gave up four runs in 4.1 innings while striking out four. You should likely stay away here as well.

Chris Archer has never faced the Dodgers, but I’m not sure this is the place to roll the dice with him. Something is off. He has been marginally better of late, but his season ERA is still 4.60, which is more than a run higher than his career mark. The strikeout potential still keeps him in play. He has two double digit strikeout games in July after having just three in the first three months.

Chris Tillman has never faced the Rockies, but the current lineup is just 1-18 off of him with a Gerardo Parra triple being the only hit. Parra is on the DL. That said, he hasn’t faced Trevor Story, Carlos Gonzalez, or Charlie Blackmon. Tillman has had a very good year, and will be a solid play, but I think there are better options in that tier.

The current Padres are just 1-11 against Marcus Stroman. Expect more nice numbers in his first career start against them. His $8,400 price tag is pretty enticing against that offense.

Cody Reed has never faced the Giants, but do you really want to take a chance on a guy with a 6.75 ERA in a full slate? Didn’t think so.

Lucas Harrell has never faced the Twins, and has posted a respectable 4.24 ERA so far this year. The Twins don’t have a great offense, so this is an interesting pick if you are looking for someone that wont be widely owned.

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Next: Pitcher Picks

Jul 20, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez (47) throws to the Los Angeles Dodgers during the second inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Best Bets:

Felix Hernandez ($8,600): The Pirates are only hitting .167 against King Felix in 114 at bats with one homer, seven runs, and 36 strikeouts. He was rusty in his return from the DL on Wednesday, but he also ran into a hot White Sox team. He is grossly underpriced tonight. Use him and reap the rewards!

Gio Gonzalez ($6,500): Here we have another pitcher struggling compared to his career stats. The Indians are only hitting .237 against Gio in 76 at bats, but they do have two homers and nine runs. Gio has racked up 27 strikeouts in those 76 at bats though. There is potential here, but how much do you trust him?

Honorable Mention:

Francisco Liriano ($8,300): The Mariners are only hitting .237 against Francisco Liriano with two homers, five RBI, but only 14 strikeouts. Liriano has not given up more than three runs in a start this month after going six straight from the end of May through June. The strikeouts have been climbing as well, making him a pretty intriguing option here, but he may not have a great chance at a win facing the King.

Tom Koehler ($6,400): History is on Koehler’s side. The Phillies are only hitting .201 against him in 164 at bats with just three home runs and 39 strikeouts. The bad news? They have scored 22 runs. The strikeouts help offset the damage, but Koehler is one of the better low-range options you will find. And you can’t ignore the fact that Koehler gave up just one run in eight innings against the Phillies on Thursday.

Andrew Cashner ($6,100): Yes, I realize that he is playing the Blue Jays, a team he has never faced. I also realize that the Blue Jays are a very potent offense, but the fact remains that the Jays are just 4-30(.133) against Cashner with one extra base hit, three runs, and nine strikeouts. That said, he has never faced Edwin Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, or Josh Donaldson. This will likely determine how much the Padres will get for Cashner in a trade. If he pitches well against the Jays, he will become a very hot commodity.

Dark Horses:

Sonny Gray ($5,900): The past stats say Gray should be a good pick against the Rangers. They are hitting only .223 off of Gray in 202 at bats with five homers, 14 RBI, and 39 strikeouts. Those are solid number across the board. The problem is that Gray’s ERA is more than two full runs higher than his career mark of 3.33. His last start against Texas was on June 15th. He gave up five runs in six innings and only struck out three. He presents a sizable risk despite past success.

James Shields ($5,600): The Cubs are only hitting .232 off of Shields in 69 at bats with three homers, six RBI, and 27 strikeouts. The strikeout total is high enough to consider using him here. If you take away the stats from Chris Coghlan and Jorge Soler, the average drops to .191 with two homers and four RBI with 20 strikeouts in 42 at bats. It’s not a large sample size, but it’s enough to take notice.

Dillon Gee ($4,000): This is for those of you that are really cheap. The Angels are hitting just .182 against Gee in 44 at bats with one homer, three runs, and four strikeouts. That said, half of those at bats belong to Andrelton Simmons, who only has five hits. Albert Pujols is hitless in five at bats against Gee though. There is potential here, but don’t count on Gee going deep into the game, and there is no guarantee that he wont single-handedly destroy your lineup.

Next: Who Are The Best Stacks?

Jul 7, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder Nick Markakis (22) rounds second base after hitting a two run home run during the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports

You have heard our FanDuel experts Matt Rogers and Brian Tulloch talk about “stacking” pieces of a lineup against certain pitchers. Here are the stacks that could work well on DraftKings today, based on past statistics.

Jacoby Ellsbury ($3,600) is 3-8 with three walks, two doubles, and two RBI against Doug Fister. Starlin Castro ($3,000) is 1-3 against Fister with two RBI. Mark Teixeira ($2,600) is 3-12 with a triple, a homer, and four RBI off of Fister.

Matt Holliday ($3,600) is 7-16(.438) with a walk, two doubles, and four RBI against Bartolo Colon. Matt Adams ($3,600) is only 2-12(.167), but he has a homer and three driven in. Randall Grichuk ($4,100) is 1-3 with a two run double. Kolten Wong ($2,700) is 4-11 with a walk and a RBI against Colon. At least Colon wont have to face Matt Carpenter or Jhonny Peralta. They are a combined 9-33 with a homer and three RBI off of him.

The Rays are familiar with Bud Norris from his days in the A.L. East, and they are happy to have him back. They hit .314 off of him. Kevin Kiermaier ($3,100) is 2-6 with a solo homer against Norris. Brad Miller ($3,800) is 2-5 with a walk, a homer, and two RBI. Logan Morrison ($3,300) is 4- with a double and three RBI. Evan Longoria ($4,200) is only 3-14(.214) against Norris, but he has a walk, a double, two homers, and four RBI.

Believe it or not, the Braves actually hit Ervin Santana hard when he was in the National League. Nick Markakis ($3,600) is 12-40 with a walk, five doubles, three homers, and ten RBI against Ervin. A.J. Pierzynski ($2,500) is only 8-38(.211), but he has a walk, two doubles, two homers, and three RBI. Gordon Beckham ($2,800) is just 5-26(.192), but he has three walks, a double, three homers, and six RBI. He may be the most likely Brave to hit a homer against Ervin.

Don’t be surprised if Matt Garza gives up enough runs in line with his 5.94 ERA. Michael Bourn ($4,000) is 10-21(.476) with a walk and two RBI. Wellington Castillo ($3,400) is only 2-9, but both hits are doubles and he has driven in three. Jake Lamb ($4,800) is 2-3 with a double, a triple, and a RBI against Garza. Chris Owings ($3,200) is 4-7 with a walk, two doubles, a triple, and three RBI off Garza.

Jay Bruce ($) is 8-16 with four walks, two doubles, and four RBI against Matt Cain. Zack Cozart ($) is 2-9 wtih a walk, a double, and a solo homer. Brandon Phillips ($) is only 7-33(.212) against Cain, but he has two doubles, two homers, and three RBI. Joey Votto ($) is 7-26(.269) off of Cain with four walks, two doubles, and a RBI.

Next: More Notes For 7-26

Jul 20, 2016; Seattle, WA, USA; Chicago White Sox right fielder Adam Eaton (1) advances to third base on a hit by a teammate during the second inning against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field. Seattle defeated Chicago, 6-5, in eleven innings. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

John Jaso ($2,700) is 5-18(.278) against Felix Hernandez with a walk, two doubles, and two RBI. Matt Joyce has the only homer off of King Felix, but he is 3-27 lifetime. You think that’s bad? David Freese is 0-21…..

Mike Trout ($4,900) is 1-3 with a solo homer against Dillon Gee.

Adam Eaton ($3,500) is 2-5 with a walk, a homer, and two RBI against Kyle Hendricks. Justin Morneau ($2,700) is 3-6 with a double and a RBI. In fact, the White Sox team is hitting .370 against Hendricks..

Nelson Cruz ($4,900) is 3-7 with two walks, a double, a homer, and two RBI against Francisco Liriano.

Troy Tulowitzki ($4,000) is 3-12 with a walk, a double, and two RBI off of Andrew Cashner from his Rockies days.

Cody Asche ($3,000) is only 4-20 against Tom Koehler, but he has a triple, a homer, and four RBI off of him. Ryan Howard ($3,100) is 6-25(.240) with four walks, a double, a homer, and four driven in off Koehler.

Jonathan Lucroy ($4,500) is 5-8 with a walk and a double off of Patrick Corbin. Ryan Braun ($5,300) is 1-3 with a solo homer.

Carlos Gomez ($3,500) is 3-13(.231) with a solo homer against CC Sabathia. Jose Altuve ($5,400) is 2-3 with two RBI.

Marcell Ozuna ($4,000) is 3-9 with two doubles and a solo homer against Jerad Eickhoff. Christian Yelich ($5,000) is 3-6 with a double and a solo homer against Eickhoff. The Marlins lit him up for five runs on Thursday. You can use either one of these guys.

Mitch Moreland ($3,600) only has four hits in 16 at bats against Sonny Gray, but two of those are home runs. Robinson Chirinos and Rougned Odor have also homered against Gray, but both of them carry averages on the wrong side of .200 against him.

Mike Napoli ($4,500) is 3-12 with four walks, a double, a triple, a homer, and five RBI against Gio Gonzalez.

Both Dexter Fowler and Jason Heyward have solo home runs against James Shields, but they are a combined 3-16. They likely aren’t worth the risk.

James Loney ($2,900) is 4-8 with a double and two RBI against Jaime Garcia. So much for Loney struggling against lefties!

Manny Machado ($3,900) is 2-3 with a double and two RBI off of Chad Bettis.

Be sure to check out the FanDuel picks from out experts in that area! Brian Tulloch provides the picks, while Matt Rogers tells you where to save in his FanDuel Economics articles. Don’t play FanDuel without them!

Next: DFS Strategy - Take Your Game to the Next Level

Good luck out there, and check out our picks for FanDuel baseball!