Jared Contestabile 
There are a few slates today, but I’ll be focusing on the main slate that starts at 7:05 ET. We have 12 games of action, and after a fun day yesterday, we are ready to get back at it! Let’s find ourselves some good spots to exploit!
MLB DFS Aces
Pablo Lopez vs Oakland Athletics
Not only is Lopez coming off of one of the best starts of his career (CG SO with 12 K, 4 H, and 0 BB), but he now faces a very vulnerable lineup in the A’s. Lopez has 9+ strikeouts in four of his last five starts, and we can talk all day about the Oakland lineup being one of the worst in MLB.
Oakland has a team K rate approaching 25% on the season, and the sky is the limit for Pablo here. Coming off some rest from the ASB, he hasn’t pitched since July 5th. He will be well-rested and ready to continue his recent dominance. He is my favorite pitcher on the board, and is quite a bit cheaper than Spencer Strider, especially on DK, where he is $2600 cheaper. Fire him up with confidence tonight!
George Kirby vs Detroit Tigers
My affinity for Kirby is well-documented. He has command that is about as good as any pitcher in MLB. He owns an 89/10 K/BB on the season, and although he isn’t an elite K guy, his efficiency gives him a ceiling as well.
Over his last three starts, he has allowed 2 ER or less in every single one with a 14/4 K/BB. That stretch was brutal too, as he faced Baltimore, Tampa Bay, and Houston. I’m expecting a big performance from him here against a Tigers lineup that has a 24% K rate and a team 86 wRC+ on the season.
He is unlikely to hit a monster strikeout total, but he should easily be able to get through 6 or 7 efficient innings and pay off his salary.
Kyle Gibson vs Miami Marlins
Kyle Gibson seems like he has been around for 100 years, and maybe he has. He is a veteran pitcher who has had his share of struggles this season. He finished the first half of the season with a phenomenal performance against Minnesota (7 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 11K).
Don’t expect that type of performance again, but he is more than capable of crushing his salary, especially on DK where he is just $6K. Miami is not a team that strikes out a lot (21.6% in 2023), but Gibson has the tools to keep them off balance. He is cheap and can help you afford some stacks I’m about to list below.
MLB DFS Stacks
New York Yankees vs Connor Seabold
Seabold has had a rough go of it in 2023, posting a 6.65 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, and just a 53/22 K/BB over 70.1 innings of work. Over his last two starts at home, he allowed 12 ER on 12 hits, including 4 HR with just a 7/2 K/BB in 10 innings of work.
Let’s be honest here, the Yankees suck and deserve to be in last place in their division. That said, there is still plenty of upside in this lineup, especially at Coors Field against one of the worst pitchers in MLB.
Giancarlo Stanton, Josh Donaldson, and Gleyber Torres have all been tearing the cover off the ball recently. We never know what we will get from Anthony Volpe, but I like him here as well. Anthony Rizzo has been in a brutal slump, but I’m all aboard the Yankees train here. After the Stanton HR last night, the bats went silent, but I don’t see that happening here again. Get yourself some Yankees and rake in the cash.
Atlanta Braves vs Lance Lynn
We all know Lynn can rack up strikeouts, but are we convinced that any pitcher on the planet can silence the Braves’ bats? Even if he finds a way to pile up some Ks, this is still the best offense in MLB, and Lynn has a propensity for getting shelled.
I’m banking on Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies, Matt Olson, Sean Murphy, Michael Harris II and company to take care of business here, and I’m hoping they will be low owned. Lynn still has a brutal 6.03 ERA and 1.42 WHIP on the season and has given up 22 HR. I’d be willing to wager that there is nearly zero chance that number remains at 22 after tonight.
San Fransisco Giants vs Johan Oviedo
Oviedo has shown some flashes of upside at times, but overall he is not a very good pitcher. Over his last two starts before the ASB, he gave up 13 ER in 11.2 innings of work against Milwaukee and the Dodgers. While the Giants clearly don’t have that type of lineup, there are quite a few good pieces that can do some damage.
Patrick Bailey, Wilmer Flores, JD Davis, and Joc Pederson are all fairly cheap and have some upside here. Michael Conforto left the game last night after being hit by a pitch, but seems to be OK. Don’t be surprised if he sits out, but if he is in the lineup I’m a fan here. Even the bottom of the order guys like Casey Schmitt, Brandon Crawford, and Luis Matos could be in play here. I’m not a fan of Oviedo and I think you can attack him for cheap tonight!
MLB DFS Summary
Hope everyone enjoyed the ASB, let’s get back to making some money!
Find the team in the Win Daily Discord channel and let’s chat about some plays!
Good luck and hope to see you in the green.
Check me out on Twitter @BigItaly42 and let me know who you are playing tonight! Always around to talk some MLB!
