MLB DRAFT DFS Picks (DRAFT.com): Friday, July 13th

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Welcome to today’s edition of MLB DRAFT DFS Picks from FantasyCPR. The DRAFT app can be downloaded to your mobile device through your app store, or you can access their desktop site here.

I play quite a bit on DRAFT, and have always been a big fan of the snake draft format. On DRAFT, you roster one starting pitcher, two infielders, and two outfielders. They offer head-to-head, 3-man, 6-man and 10-man drafts that start upon filling. Also, they have a tournament format, where one contest will span a few days. The further you advance, the more you win. I play mostly the six-man contests for cash games, which payout to the top two spots.

If you are finding this article for the first time, my goal here will be to give you my strategy for drafting today on DRAFT, followed by my top 30 overall rankings. Strategy of course changes day by day, depending on what type of slate we are working with. I always start with my pitcher, as everything else revolves around that. After having completed my rankings for today and done a few six-man drafts, here is how I am attacking this slate.

MLB DRAFT DFS Picks – Slate Overview:

Happy Friday the 13th CPR readers. I am here to get you set for a full 15-game slate. No afternoon games on the schedule today, so we will have plenty to sift through as all 30 teams will be in action this evening. Well we have really had our share of aces in action the last couple days, and today we will see a noticeable drop off in talent among the top arms. Highlighting our pitchers today is Mets ace Noah Syndergaard, who will be returning from a DL stint. He should finally be at full strength, and he is expected to have no limitations.

Even though there is a severe drop off after Thor, I will not be drafting a pitcher early today. We have too many bats in good spots to target today, so I will wait back and sift thorugh the mediocrity at the end of my drafts. It is just too early to get a good feel for the weather at this point, but at first glance, everywhere looks to be safe today. Be sure to give that a second look before you hit the DRAFT lobby. Let’s get into it!

MLB DRAFT DFS Picks – Top Pitching Targets

Instead of giving you some basic vanilla strategy, like repeating the fact that the Infield position is usually deep throughout, and the Outfield position drops off pretty dramatically usually in terms of “lock” type plays, I will opt to point out the guys I am actually targeting and drafting. I think this will be more helpful in terms of understanding why I have certain players ranked where they are. Similar to the rankings, followed by each target will be their overall ranking of 30 in parenthesis.

Noah Syndergaard – New York Mets – (7)

Without question, the best arm on the slate tonight is Thor. Problem is, he is fresh off the DL, and will likely get no run support from his offense. I won’t talk much about this because I guarantee I will have zero shares. There are just too many good hitters in great spots tonight that you are better off taking most of them before you grab your pitcher. Syndergaard is a full go, and could very well shut down the on-and-off Nationals, but a pitcher fresh off the DL with a bad finger is just not where I am spending my first pick. He will likely go in the first round, as most will view this as a spot where there are no other alternatives.

Madison Bumgarner – San Francisco Giants – (15)

MadBum was starting to look like he was getting his groove back going back four starts. Hurling two straight quality starts and striking out eight in each game, one against the Padres and one versus the Rockies at home. He then went into Coors and picked up another quality start against the Rockies, scattering eight hits and allowing two earned runs through six innings. However, in his last start against St. Louis, he struggled a little bit, allowing four earned runs in just 5.1 innings. He was able to hold on the win though in that one as well. If I like my hitters I will grab him if he is there in the third round. After him though, I am taking the best available according to my rankings, in the last round

MLB DRAFT DFS Picks – Today’s Top Hitter Targets:

Well this MLB DRAFT DFS Picks article continues to evolve and change as I see fit. Instead of giving you just four individual bats to target, today I am looking at specific teams to target, along with a couple of other random bats. I often find myself struggling to narrow this part four guys, simply because there are so many good plays. So let’s mix it up and get even a little more specific today.

Team Stacks:

Boston Red Sox – (Mookie Betts, JD Martinez, Steve Pearce, Xander Bogaerts)

Broken record here when it comes to stacking, but Betts and Martinez continue to be first round picks every day. If there is any chance you can grab them both somehow in your drafts you should do it 100% of the time at this point. There is no hotter duo in baseball going into the All-Star break, and once again the Red Sox will face a lefty, in Blue Jays rookie Ryan Borucki. Pearce was hit by a pitch early in the game last night and removed from the game for precautionary reasons. I expect him back tonight for a second chance of revenge against his former team.

Colorado Rockies – (Charlie Blackmon, Nolan Arenado, Carlos Gonzalez, Trevor Story)

The last series before the break at Coors Field will be an interleague set in which the Rockies will host the Mariners. Colorado will welcome back former teammate and potential Mariners starting pitcher Christian Bregman back to Coors Field, which is I am sure exactly where he wants to pitch after getting out of there. Spending most of the season in AAA with a 4.78 ERA there, if he is who gets the pill tomorrow for the M’s, I want as many Rockies as I can draft. It is not official he will start yet, but regardless of who pitches, the Rockies bats are nearly always great targets at home.

Individual Targets:

IF – Kris Bryant – Chicago Cubs – (25)

Bryant missed right around three weeks in his time on the DL and came back with a bang on Wednesday, hitting a two-run homer, and taking two walks in a marathon game with the Giants. Today the Cubbies roll into San Diego for a three game series with the Padres before the All-Star break. In this first game tonight, The Dads will have left-hander Clayton Richard on the mound. Adding Bryant back to the middle of this order should spark the Cubs on a run before the break, and he will be a one-off target for me today if I need an infielder at the end of my drafts.

OF – Eric Thames – Milwaukee Brewers – (17)

The Brewers keep mashing, and this mixture of speed and contact with Christian Yelich and Lorenzo Cain, mixed with the power of Jesus Aguilar and Thames, seems to be the right recipe for the Brew Crew. He had his extra-base hit streak come to an end at four games last night, as he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. Thames and the Brewers will face Pirates right-hander Nick Kingham, who they faced in early May. Kingham was able to get some K’s, as one would figure against this team, but he was also touched up for four runs on six hits in 5.1 innings. Thames was injured and on the DL for that one, and has never faced Kingham.

OF – Shin-Soo Choo – Texas Rangers – (14)

Another random outfielder I may grab late in my drafts if available without any intention of stacking is Choo. The Rangers head in to Baltimore, and will face struggling righty Alex Cobb. Cobb was a semi-highly sought after free agent this offseason, and has not been what the Orioles hoped he would be when they were able to ink him. Sporting an ERA of 6.67, Cobb is just 2-11, and has been giving up hard contact to both sides of the plate all season. Choo is the best pure hitter on the Rangers in my opinion, and even though Cobb is a pitcher to target, the Rangers just aren’t consistent enough for me to stack on DRAFT with so many options.

MLB DRAFT DFS –  Today’s Rankings:

My rankings are pretty easy to follow. I have ranked the top 30 overall. We will go six deep at pitcher, and twelve deep at IF and OF. Rankings are broken down into positions, and following each players name will be their overall ranking in parenthesis.

Pitchers:

1. Noah Syndergaard – New York Mets – (7)

2. Madison Bumgarner – San Francisco Giants – (15)

3. Rick Porcello – Boston Red Sox – (22)

4. Dallas Keuchel – Houston Astros – (24)

5. Walker Buehler – Los Angeles Dodgers – (29)

6. Jake Arrieta – Philadelphia Phillies – (30)

Infielders:

1. JD Martinez – Boston Red Sox- (2)

2. Nolan Arenado – Colorado Rockies – (4)

3. Jose Ramirez – Cleveland Indians – (5)

4. Francisco Lindor – Cleveland Indians – (6)

5. Trevor Story – Colorado Rockies – (9)

6. Paul Goldschmidt – Arizona Diamondbacks – (19)

7. Max Muncy – Los Angeles Dodgers – (20)

8. Cody Bellinger – Los Angeles Dodgers – (21)

9. Matt Carpenter – St. Louis Cardinals – (24)

10. Kris Bryant – Chicago Cubs – (25)

11. Alex Bregman – Houston Astros – (27)

12. Jean Segura – Seattle Mariners – (28)

Outfielders:

1. Mookie Betts – Boston Red Sox – (1)

2. Charlie Blackmon – Colorado Rockies – (3)

3. Mike Trout – Los Angeles Angels – (8)

4. Carlos Gonzalez – Colorado Rockies – (10)

5. Mitch Haniger – Seattle Mariners – (11)

6. Aaron Judge – New York Yankees – (12)

7. Rhys Hoskins – Philadelphia Phillies – (13)

8. Shin-Soo Choo – Texas Rangers – (14)

9. Joc Pederson – Los Angeles Dodgers – (16)

10. Eric Thames – Milwaukee Brewers – (17)

11. Andrew Benintendi – Boston Red Sox – (18)

12. David Peralta – Arizona Diamondbacks – (26)

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That is all for today’s MLB DRAFT DFS picks on FantasyCPR. If you have any questions regarding any of my rankings, reach out to me on Twitter at @JuanBondDFS. You can also leave a question right here in the comments, and I will do my best to respond. Good luck tonight and happy drafting on DRAFT!