Somehow, it’s already the final Monday of July.
We’re getting into the nitty gritty of the MLB season, folks, and specific to this evening, we’ve got ourselves a seven-game featured slate on DraftKings.
Here are a few must-start picks for your lineups:
- Cubs SP David Peterson ($6,000) at Cardinals
- Astros OF Yordan Alvarez ($6,500) at Angels
- Red Sox 2B/3B Anthony Siegler ($3,300) at Athletics
Set your DraftKings MLB DFS lineups here: MLB $200K Knuckleball [$50K to 1st]
SP David Peterson, Chicago Cubs at St. Louis Cardinals, $6,000
I know this isn’t a “values” article, but I do truly think you need some exposure to Peterson on Monday night. Usually, that would be an odd thing to say about the cheapest pitcher on the board, yet in this case, that’s one of Peterson’s biggest strengths. Here’s what I said last week before the lefty’s outing against the Tigers:
“I know it’s difficult to look at Peterson’s 6.45 ERA and see value, but I swear that the veteran left-hander hasn’t been that bad this season. In all honestly, Peterson’s just been super unlucky. Of the 110 pitchers who have thrown at least 80 innings so far in 2026, Peterson’s 59.0% strand rate is the lowest of the bunch. That’s probably got something to do with the fact that Peterson’s opponent BABIP is .391 with runners on base, compared to a more normal sounding .289 with the bases empty.”
Well, normalization hit for all of us in a big way that Tuesday evening, as Peterson went out and tossed 6.2 scoreless innings and earned 24.6 FPTS. I’m not saying that’s going to necessarily happen again this time around, however, it’s not like this is the most difficult matchup in the world.
Since the All-Star break, the Cardinals are slashing .223/.296/.295 as a team. In that same span, St. Louis ranks dead-last in home runs (4) and ISO (.071), along with sitting 28th in wRC+ (69). The Cardinals had been a nice, surprising story all season long, but they appear to be crashing back down to Earth.
OF Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros at Los Angeles Angels, $6,500
This is one of those slates where there aren’t a ton of obvious places to pay up. As such, it’s also a slate where there are many opportunities to save. With that being the case, you should have no issue finding the salary to get Alvarez into a few lineups on Monday.
There’s not much left to say about the All-Star. Alvarez is healthy and in the midst of a career season. He enters tonight’s contest in Los Angeles in possession of 100th percentile marks in expected batting average (.334), expected slugging rate (.711) and expected wOBA (.473). I guess it helps when Aaron Judge is on the shelf, but Alvarez has been the undisputed best hitter in baseball throughout 2026. Walbert Urena ($8,300) has also been impressive, yet Alvarez is matchup proof at this point.
2B/3B Anthony Seigler, Boston Red Sox at Athletics, $3,300
In 2025, Seigler’s first taste of MLB action with the Brewers didn’t go so well. However, the switch-hitting infielder is having a much better time in 2026. In 115 plate appearances with the Red Sox this season, Seigler is hitting .265 with a 112 wRC+. He’s especially had success when facing right-handed opponents, as he’s slashing .284/.354/.459 with a .356 wOBA. The sample sizes aren’t massive, but when you add in Seigler’s recent promotion to the leadoff spot, it’s hard to ignore the former first-round pick at this modest price tag.
Tonight’s matchup is great, too. Not only is this game taking place at the exceedingly hitter-friendly confines of Sutter Health Park, but Jack Perkins ($6,500) is on the mound for the A’s. The club is trying to turn Perkins into a starter, but it’s not really working. The right-hander owns a 7.67 ERA in his seven starts, while he’s also surrendering 2.27 home runs per nine in those outings.
