DFS Pitching and Monkey Knife Fight Picks for 7/5

This will be my final DFS pitching article of the first half and it’s been a great first few months of the season. That’s evident by the fact that I’ve hit 13 of my last 21 MKF recommendations, despite losing my last two. So it’s time to bounce-back and start a new hot streak and I really feel like these pitchers will get us right back on track.

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DFS Cash Game Pitchers 

Justin Verlander, HOU vs. LAA 

DK ($12,000)   FD ($11,000) 

Is there any question that Verlander is the safest pitching option on the board? This Hall-of-Fame stud is in the midst of yet another brilliant season, pitching to a 2.86 ERA and 0.79 WHIP. That doesn’t even take into consideration his 34 percent K rate since the beginning of last season, as he’s clearly taking advantage of this swing-happy environment. Facing the Angels is a bit scary in terms of their elite K rate but their most potent bats happen to be righties like Mike Trout, Justin Upton and Albert Pujols. The only lefty bats that are scary are Tommy La Stella and Shohei Ohtani and La Stella just broke his leg.

JV has rolled through this lineup throughout his career too, generating a 3.10 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 26 starts against them while striking out more than a batter per inning. It’s also hard to argue with the fact that he enters this matchup as a –200 favorite.  

Clayton Kershaw, LAD vs. SD 

DK ($10,700)   FD ($10,200)  

We rarely go with two cash game pitchers but both of these guys are fantastic options. Kershaw may actually be the most dependable player on the slate, as he’s established a ridiculous floor. In fact, Kershaw has at least 26 FanDuel points in all but one start this season, throwing at least six innings in all 14 starts. That’s an incredible floor and it’s really a cash game dream. It’s not empty innings either, with Kershaw pitching to a 3.23 ERA and 1.07 WHIP while striking out nearly a batter per inning.

Those trends paired with this superb matchup makes him tough to fade in cash games, with the Padres ranking 27^th in K rate, 25^th in OBP and 24^th in xwOBA. If you look up ownership in the dictionary, you’ll see a picture of Kershaw standing over the Padres’ limp bodies. The Dodgers lefty is pitching to a 2.02 ERA and 0.98 WHIP in 36 starts against them while posting a K rate just shy of 30 percent.  

DFS GPP Pitchers 

Eduardo Rodriguez, BOS at DET

DK ($8,700)   FD ($8,100) 

I always include the pitcher facing the Tigers because they’re simply the worst offense in baseball. That’s evident by the fact that they rank 28^th in xwOBA, last in wOBA and 29^th in OPS, K rate and runs scored. That says a lot about the Motor City Kitties and they’ll likely enter this game very tired after playing three games in the last two days. Getting a superb matchup is all we can ask for with an inconsistent pitcher like E-Rod, as he’s got the capability to shut down any offense when he’s clicking.

We’re talking about a guy with a 4.23 career ERA and 4.01 FIP, which pairs beautifully with his 25 percent K rate since 2017. His one start against Detroit was a raving success this season too, allowing just one run across six innings while whiffing seven batters en route to 46 FanDuel points. Not to mention, Rodriguez enters this game as a projected –180 favorite.  

Dylan Bundy, BAL at TOR

DK ($8,100)   FD ($7,600) 

Alright, this one truly scares me to death but Bundy is the definition of a GPP pitcher. This is one of few guys who can record double-digit Ks and a major reason for that is because of this matchup. The Blue Jays currently rank 26^th in wOBA, 21^st in runs scored, 27^th in OPS and 22^nd in K rate. Those ugly strikeout numbers are what really makes Bundy an enticing option, with the Baltimore righty posting a 24.5 percent K rate since last season. He showed that sort of upside in his last game against Toronto, allowing two earned runs across 6.2 innings while striking out 11 Blue Jays. There’s also just as good of a chance that Bundy will get blown up across three innings though, so understand the risk before playing him.

DFS Cheap Pitchers of the Day 

Julio Teheran, ATL vs. MIA 

DK ($6,600)   FD ($7,500)  

Recent results will not make you want to use Teheran but this guy was special for the first two months of the year. In fact, Teheran pitched to a 2.92 ERA and 1.19 WHIP over his first 15 starts which actually included two gems against these Marlins. In those two games, Teheran pitched 12 scoreless innings while allowing just seven baserunners. That’s really no surprise when you consider the fact that the Marlins rank last in wOBA, runs scored and OPS. That’s why Teheran enters this game as a –200 favorite, which is all you can ask for from a guy this cheap in such a stellar matchup.  

Austin Voth, WSH vs. KC 

DK ($7,700)   FD ($6,400)  

This is certainly a risky DFS play but there are things to like about Voth. The first thing is his form, with the Nationals righty pitching to a 4.35 ERA and 1.16 WHIP over his first two starts. He also has 10 Ks across 10.1 innings and those are very good numbers from such a cheap player. It’s no fluke either, with Voth posting a 3.84 FIP at Triple-A since the beginning of last season. What really makes him attractive is this matchup, though, with the Royals ranking 23^rd in runs scored, 24^th in OPS, 27^th in xSLG and 25^th in both wOBA and xwOBA. Vegas likes Voth too, with Washington entering this game as a –190 favorite.  

Monkey Knife Fight Pick of the Day 

Zack Greinke Over 5.5 Strikeouts

It’s very rare that I don’t use someone from my DFS write-ups but this prop really made my eyes light up when I saw it. We’re talking about a pitcher with a 2.90 ERA and 0.94 WHIP facing a Rockies offense that ranks dead-last in road OPS. That doesn’t even take into consideration that Greinke has a 24 percent K rate since 2016 while facing a Colorado team that ranks 25th in K rate this season.

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