Forget name-brand starpower—today’s must-starts were about diving deep into today’s numbers. After all, one must separate the sharp builds from the casual chaos. And be ever-so-selective with your foundation pieces. Lock them in. Let the others chase heatless hype, as it were. Let’s take a look at tonight’s main DFS contest, and I’ll hit you with my three must-start players for the slate.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $150K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]!
SP JP Sears, Athletics ($7,100)
JP Sears is a classic mid-priced punt-pitcher with upside. Over his last five starts he’s delivered three 20+ point outings, including back-to-back shutouts (11.2 scoreless innings, 10 strikeouts). In those two games he averaged 24.1 DK points and generated 18 total whiffs. His 4.22 expected ERA (xFIP) is significantly lower than his 4.76 actual ERA, suggesting he’s been a bit unlucky and has more strikeout upside than his record shows. Sears’ changeup and high-spin fastball are inducing swings and misses, and he’s handed enough left-handed bats to exploit.
A key part of his value is matchup: Atlanta’s lineup is one of the weakest in baseball. The Braves rank ninth-worst in OPS overall and eighth-worst against lefties, and even All-Star Ronald Acuña Jr. (.748 OPS last 10 games) is slumping. Atlanta has few dangerous hitters and often leaves pitchers to win. Sears, a right-hander, will face a team that often makes soft contact (and has cooled off at home this year). In short, Sears gets major strikeout potential (even double-digit Ks are plausible) against a feeble offense. At $7.1K he’s a relative bargain compared to elite aces; his strong peripherals and the Braves’ weakness make him a truly solid play. In a full-slate format, Sears stands out as a high-upside SP1 who you can build around.
2B Jorge Polanco ($3,600)
Jorge Polanco is a value-infielder who’s heating up at the right time, such that even at a bargain, he’s a must-start for me today. The veteran switch-hitter has 13 home runs and a .768 OPS on the season, showing legit power (he’s hit .252/.312/.456). Even better: Polanco is red-hot in July. Over his last 10 games he’s slashing .344/.393/.523 (0.916 OPS) and averaging 7.2 DraftKings points per game. He homered last night and has had two double-digit fantasy outings in his last five games. This surge is backed by underlying metrics (he’s hitting plenty of flyballs and barrels) and it coincides with a very soft matchup.
Seattle faces NYY starter Marcus Stroman, who has been battered this season: Stroman hasn’t made it past five innings in any start and has allowed 3+ runs in four of five outings. New York’s pitching as a whole has been putrid in July (8.06 team ERA in eight games). Meanwhile Yankee Stadium is surprisingly friendly to left-handed power (4th-most homer-friendly park to LHB). Polanco bats left-handed against Stroman (a righty) and has excellent plate discipline, so he should benefit from any mistakes. In short, Polanco brings multi-faceted value: a low $3.6K salary, recent red-hot production, solid season-long power, and a dream matchup. If you need a middle-infield or 2B/3B punt, Polanco is a must-start value — he’s one of the best bang-for-buck plays on the slate.
OF Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers ($4,000)
Wyatt Langford is back to rising-star status, and back to an excellent value in the outfield. The 23-year-old has already mashed 14 homers with a .235/.313/.426 (.739 OPS) slash line in 2025. More importantly, he’s locked in right now. In the Rangers’ recent series vs. the Angels he went 4-for-12 with a homer, a double, and four RBI (averaging 16.3 DK points over those games). His batted-ball metrics support the hype: Langford is barreling the ball at a 77th-percentile rate, and his Statcast expected batting average/slugging numbers actually exceed his current output, hinting that the production could climb even higher.
This weekend Langford has an ideal situation. Los Angeles’s pitching staff ranks seventh-worst in MLB ERA (both overall and at home), and Angel Stadium, while normally pitcher-friendly, has become rather homer-friendly of late. Opposing starter Jack Kochanowicz has been especially exploitable: he’s yielded 2+ runs in six of eight starts and is tied for 12th-most homers allowed in the AL. His pitches have a sub-0.7 HD% (sixth-percentile of exit velocity) – pitchers almost never miss or get lucky. Crucially, Kochanowicz throws a heavy sinker, and Langford has been his toughest matchup (Langford leads MLB in run value against sinkers).
Put it all together: Langford is an elite flyball power hitter ($4.0K is a mid-tier salary) facing soft pitching in a good park. Even with some slump earlier in the week, his current form and raw power make him a must-start. You can play him in a Rangers stack or solo; either way, Langford offers huge upside for his price. He’s one of the slate’s best value plays in the outfield.
