MLB DFS Picks & Underdog Player Props: Saturday (7/18)

After nearly a week-long break, MLB DFS contests are back for Saturday, July 18th. DraftKings' Featured Slate kicks off at 3:05 PM ET and includes eight games, while FanDuel's Main slate starts at the same time but covers seven games, excluding the Pittsburgh vs. Cleveland matchup Source.

Saturday's Top Pitching Picks

Jesus Luzardo ($9,800 DK, $10,600 FD)

Jesus Luzardo has seen his on-field production catch up to his strong underlying data recently. He boasts a career-best 50.5% groundball rate and a 29.4% strikeout rate. Since June 9th, Luzardo has posted a 1.45 ERA and 1.73 FIP across six starts, recording 56 strikeouts in 37.1 innings. All six of these recent starts have yielded at least 30 points on FanDuel Source.

Joey Cantillo ($8,000 DK, N/A FD)

Joey Cantillo has demonstrated a high strikeout upside with six starts this season featuring seven or more strikeouts, five of which occurred in his last seven outings. Three of his last six starts saw him hit nine strikeouts. Cantillo has also been effective in limiting runs, not allowing more than two earned runs in his last six starts, bringing his season ERA down to 3.56 Source.

Brandon Pfaadt ($6,300 DK, $7,900 FD)

Since his return from the minor leagues, Brandon Pfaadt has had three solid starts, winning all three games and allowing only three earned runs over 15.2 innings. While his strikeout numbers have been modest (10 strikeouts in these starts), his low price point combined with consistent FanDuel scores of at least 22 points in his recent outings makes him a viable option Source.

Suggested Lineup Stacks

Kansas City Royals

The Royals are matched up against Griffin Canning, whose 1-7 record and 6.47 ERA are worse than his 4.68 xERA and 4.72 FIP suggest. While Canning's ERA is among the bottom 10 for pitchers with at least 50 innings, the Royals' offense is nearing full strength with Vinnie Pasquantino back, though Maikel Garcia is still out Source.

• Bobby Witt Jr.: A top consideration for any Royals stack. Despite only 13 home runs, his career-best 53.3% hard-hit rate indicates strong contact. His DraftKings salary is $6,600 and FanDuel is $3,800.
• Jac Caglianone: After a hot mid-June, Caglianone has one home run in his last 17 games but still has three doubles and a triple in that span. As a left-handed hitter, 23 of his 32 extra-base hits this season have come against right-handed pitchers like Canning. He's priced at $4,600 on DraftKings and $2,800 on FanDuel.
• Isaac Collins: A budget-friendly option at $2,500 on DraftKings and $2,800 on FanDuel. Collins has an .803 OPS in home games, where four of his five home runs have occurred. Today's game is at Kauffman Stadium.

Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies face left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea. Despite their struggles against left-handed pitching this season (.664 team OPS), several Phillies batters have a history of success against Manaea Source.

• Bryce Harper: Harper has a career .822 OPS against left-handed pitchers, though it's fallen to .648 this season. He's 7-for-21 (.333) against Manaea with three extra-base hits, including a home run. His salary is $5,400 on DK and $3,700 on FD.
• Alec Bohm: Bohm has gone 6-for-18 (.333) against Manaea, with two extra-base hits, including a home run. His home OPS this season is .724, significantly higher than his .545 road OPS, and today's game is in Philadelphia. Bohm is $2,800 on DK and $2,700 on FD.
• Edmundo Sosa: Sosa excels against left-handed pitchers, with a career OPS of .788 against them compared to .666 against right-handers. He's 7-for-16 (.438) against Manaea with five extra-base hits, including a home run. He costs $2,500 on DK and $2,600 on FD.

Core Studs

Consider these higher-priced players for their consistent production:

• Michael Harris (OF, $4,700 DK, $3,200 FD)
• Bryan Reynolds (OF, $5,600 DK, N/A FD)
• Junior Caminero (3B, $6,200 DK, $4,000 FD)