We are exactly one week away from the MLB trade deadline, which means teams — and players — have only seven more days to figure out what they want the homestretch of this 2024 season to be. But let them all worry about the future. We’re just focused on tonight.
It’s an 11-game featured slate. Let’s dive in.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $225K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
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PITCHER
Stud
Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners vs. Los Angeles Angels, $10,000 – If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. A simple adage, but one’s that stuck around long enough that it’s probably worth remembering. In Gilbert’s last appearance on July 14, he faced this same Angels lineup and ended up tossing seven scoreless innings. Add in nine strikeouts and you’re left with 32.6 DKFP. None of what took place should come as a shock. Gilbert’s been fantastic in 2024, registering a 2.79 ERA and a 3.11 xERA with a 24.8% strikeout rate. Meanwhile, across the past 30 days, Los Angeles ranks 24th in wRC+ (93) and 28th in ISO (.132).
Value
Jon Gray, Texas Rangers vs. Chicago White Sox, $7,000 – This hasn’t been Gray’s best season, but the veteran RHP does enter Tuesday’s action in possession a 3.46 FIP over his 86.1 innings of work in 2024. He’s been solid, if unspectacular, for a Rangers rotation that has been constantly ravaged by injury. As it pertains specifically to tonight’s slate, Gray is cheap and facing the lowly White Sox. Sometimes viability is just that simple. Over the last 30 days, Chicago sits dead-last in MLB in both wOBA (.273) and wRC+ (74). The team also owns a 25.0% strikeout rate within that same span.
INFIELD
Stud
Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants, $5,500 – By his own lofty standards, you could make the case that Freeman started 2024 a little slowly. However, that has not been the case since the beginning of June. In his last 183 plate appearances, Freeman is hitting .296 with a .270 ISO and a 167 wRC+. For lack of a better terminology: Freeman’s back. He should keep the good times rolling against Jordan Hicks ($7,800), who has seen his velocity dip in recent outings. Not surprisingly, that’s meant a 6.08 ERA dating back to May 31.
Stud
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bay Rays, $4,800 – I feel like a broken record, but Guerrero remains too cheap for his recent level of production. Since the beginning of May, the All-Star first baseman is slashing .321/.377/.528 with a 156 wRC+ that is the 11th-highest qualified mark in baseball. To get him in a lineup for less than $5K seems insane — especially with the Rays employing a bullpen game on Tuesday. Tyler Alexander ($6,400) will likely pitch in a bulk role for Tampa. He’s allowing 2.11 home runs per nine this season to opposing RHBs.
Value
Jahmai Jones, New York Yankees vs. New York Mets, $2,600 – I’ll be honest: I have no idea who is going to leadoff for the Yankees tonight against the left-handed Jose Quintana ($7,900). It might be DJ LeMahieu ($2,800), who hit a much-needed home run on Monday, it might just be Ben Rice ($4,000) in a left-on-left matchup. My vote would be for Jones. It’s a small sample, but the 26-year-old is hitting .350 with a .446 wOBA versus LHPs in 2024. Quintana surrendered four long balls in his last start, so whoever it ends up being has value.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Tyler O’Neill, Boston Red Sox at Colorado Rockies, $5,700 – Watching O’Neill against a soft-tossing LHP at Coors Field is what DFS dreams are made of. The slugger has been amazing in opposite-hand matchups this season, slashing .318/.439/.636 with a 188 wRC+ in 107 plate appearances. Ty Blach ($5,300) is the left-hander tasked with retiring O’Neill on Tuesday. If the southpaw’s 6.24 xERA is any indication, I don’t think that plan is going to go all that well for the Rockies.
Stud
George Springer, Toronto Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bay Rays, $4,500 – It’s unclear why a switch flipped with Springer back on June 25, but it definitely did. In the 22 games since, the veteran is slashing .372/.430/.782 with a 237 wRC+. Need a larger sample? For his entire career, Springer owns a .221 ISO and a 138 wRC+ against LHPs like the aforementioned Alexander.
Value
Lawrence Butler, Oakland Athletics vs. Houston Astros, $3,700 – Is anyone on the planet hotter than Butler at the moment? In his last 10 games, the outfielder is slashing an eye-popping .459/.512/1.000 with five home runs and 18 RBI. As such, he now calls the leadoff spot home when the Athletics are facing a right-handed starter. Jake Bloss ($7,200) will toe the rubber this evening. Bloss is a rookie that began 2024 in High-A. In his two starts at the MLB level, LHBs are hitting .350 off the 23-year-old.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $225K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
