DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Saturday 8/7/21 - Main slate

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Pitchers

Yu Darvish FD - P 9000 DK - SP 10100
Opponent - ARI (Taylor Widener) Park - SD
FD - 42.9 DK - 24.32

His last three outings or so have been a bit rough, but Darvish is still one of the better pitchers in the game and has had a strong season overall. He is still striking out batters at a closet 30% rate and has mostly been able to limit the walks. He is a massive -260 opening favorite against the Diamondbacks who lack much punch in the lineup. And he’s pitching at home in one of the better pitchers parks in baseball. Everything is lining up for Darvish to be the cash game play on Saturday evening.

Charlie Morton FD - P 8700 DK - SP 9400
Opponent - WSH (Josiah Gray) Park - ATL
FD - 38.65 DK - 21.39

Morton has quietly been one of the stronger and consistent pitchers over the last few seasons. Though he has made a few different stops along the way, the results have been mostly the same, which is to say, good. This season he is striking out more than 10 batters per nine and still induces groundballs at a 47% which is close to elite. He is a -214 home favorite in this one and way too cheap on FanDuel.

Catcher/First Base

Ji-Man Choi FD - 1B 3000 DK - 1B 4700
Opponent - BAL (Spenser Watkins) Park - BAL
FD - 13.12 DK - 9.82

The Rays are in one of the best spots on the slate against Spenser Watkins and the Orioles. Choi is projected to hit second in the lineup for a team coming in over six implied runs. You love to see it. Choi strikes out almost 30% of the time, but he also walks at a 15% rate and gets on base about 36% of the time. Watkins has really struggled in the majors and the swing and miss stuff isn’t a problem for Choi here.

Joey Votto FD 4100 DK 6100
Opponent - PIT (Mitch Keller) Park - PIT
FD - 13.71 DK - 10.29

Votto is very expensive so this is a tougher sell, but it is hard to argue with what the guy is doing this season. He is having an amazing bounce-back season with 22 home runs and an OPS well over .900 at this point. It is his best season since 2017 and frankly not a turnaround I think most people thought was coming here. The Reds are playing in the second-best hitters park in baseball and have 6.2 implied runs coming in against Keller.

Second Base

Brendan Rodgers FD 3500 DK 3800
Opponent - MIA (Jesús Luzardo) Park - MIA
FD - 13.15 DK - 10.13

This isn’t the best ever spot in Coors on Saturday, but Rodgers is coming way too cheap on DraftKings considering he is likely to hit second in the lineup. He has been competent hitter this season with a lower-.800s OPS and nine home runs.He puts the ball in play around 73% of the time and that will play well here against Luzardo.

Mike Moustakas FD 2500 DK 6200
Opponent - PIT (Mitch Keller) Park - PIT
FD - 14.3 DK - 10.72

After an extended absence, Moustakas is back in the Reds lineup and completely mispriced on FanDuel. He should be slotting back into the fifth slot for Cincinnati, and they are already one of the more potent lineups in the game. When he has been healthy, Moustakas is around an .800s OPS guy who is very tough to strike out. The power isn’t likely to get back to the 2019 levels, but again he is simply too cheap on FD.

Shortstop

Corey Seager FD 3000 DK 5200
Opponent - LAA (Jaime Barria) Park - LAA
FD - 13.88 DK - 10.48

Seager is coming way too cheap on FanDuel and should be around the middle of the Dodger order here on Saturday. He is having something of a down year this time around and has dealt with injuries as well. But this is still a lethal bat when on in the middle of a potent Dodger lineup. I like the FD price, but can be talked into it on DK as well because the matchup against Barria is a good one.

Trevor Story FD 4300 DK 5600
Opponent - MIA (Jesús Luzardo) Park - MIA
FD - 16.79 DK - 12.76

There is still a game in Coors today and the run lines there are always worth tuning into because the ball, of course, just flies out of the stadium. And Story is in a great spot here facing off against the lefty Luzardo. For his career, Story has tuned up southpaws to a .991 OPS and 143 wRC+, both elite numbers which go up even more at home where he has a 1.100 OPS in that split for his career.

Third Base

Ryan McMahon FD 3700 DK 4300
Opponent - MIA (Jesús Luzardo) Park - MIA
FD - 12.84 DK - 9.72

He is in the wrong side of his split but is too cheap on DraftKings especially. Luzardo has struggled this season and has an ERA over 6.00 with a 4.65 xFIP. McMahon is coming right in the middle tier on both sites and will make for a strong play if he is in the middle of the order in this game.

Joey Wendle FD 2500 DK 4900
Opponent - BAL (Spenser Watkins) Park - BAL
FD - 10.96 DK - 8.51

Wendle is a pretty ho-hum bat all things considered but is coming cheap on FanDuel projecting to hit around fifth in the lineup. He is tougher to strike out and makes contact more than 70% of the time. There is a little bit of power in the bat, but his real value comes from getting a good matchup against Watkins while not being overly expensive. It is a little closer on DraftKings.

Outfield

Nelson Cruz FD - OF 3500 DK - OF 5500
Opponent - BAL (Spenser Watkins) Park - BAL
FD - 14.58 DK - 10.91

There have been a bunch of Rays in the picks today because the team is just in a tremendous spot against a very weak arm in Watkins. With some injuries in Tampa, there has been some lineup shuffling, but Cruz should be hitting in the third slot again. Between the Twins and the Rays, Cruz has 28 home runs on the season and a .368 wOBA. While better against lefties, I am not counting him out on the opposite side of his platoon in this one for sure.

Nick Castellanos FD 3500 DK 4200
Opponent - PIT (Mitch Keller) Park - PIT
FD - 14.38 DK - 10.88

Like Moustakas, Castellanos is back in the lineup for the Reds after missing time with the injury. He has been excellent when healthy this season with a .949 OPS which would be the best of his career if the season ended today. He is also on pace for his best power season with 18 home runs. This is a good matchup against Keller who has struggled on the major league level despite being a better prospect.

If Tommy Pham (FD $3000 DK $4200) is back near the top of the order then he is a good FD play.

Keep an eye on where Garrett Hampson (FD $3000 DK $2600) hits in the lineup as well.