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The first day of MLB games following the All-Star Break will feature a six games played throughout Thursday, July 21. The main DFS slate on DraftKings features just three afternoon matchups, so the player pool will be incredibly small, and finding value is that much more important.
Below is a look at the top pitchers and hitters available along with some value plays to consider before submitting your DFS lineup.
Top Pitchers
Cristian Javier, HOU vs. NYY ($9,500) — The Houston Astros starter will head into Thursday’s start against the New York Yankees with a 6-5 record and 3.22 ERA and put up huge fantasy numbers heading into the break. Javier struck out at least 7 batters in his previous four outings with an average of 11 K’s per game over that span.
Jon Gray, TEX vs. MIA ($8,600) — The Texas Rangers pitcher has a 3.71 ERA and 6-4 record through 16 starts in Year 1 with the organization. He is coming off a fantastic start heading into the break, throwing 7 scoreless innings on 1 hit and no walks with 9 strikeouts as he gets ready for a matchup with the Miami Marlins.
Top Hitters
Aaron Judge, NYY vs. HOU ($6,300) — The Yankees slugger is the most expensive hitter on the slate after putting together a fantastic first half of the season. Judge crushed a league-high 33 home runs and is tied for third in RBIs heading into Game 1 of Thursday’s doubleheader.
Jose Altuve, HOU vs. NYY ($6,000) — The Astros second baseman will enter the second half of the season with 17 home runs and 33 RBIs through 74 games in 2022. Altuve has been excellent at getting on base with a .275 batting average and .368 on-base percentage.
Value Pitcher
Pablo Lopez, MIA vs. TEX ($7,700) — The Marlins starter put together two strong seasons in a row, and that has continued in 2022. Lopez made 18 starts through the first half of the season and will enter Thursday with a 2.86 ERA. He allowed just 4 runs over his previous three starts, a span of 16.1 innings of work.
Value Hitter
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, NYY vs. HOU ($3,400) — The Yankees shortstop does not provide much pop at all in terms of power with 0 home runs through 82 games, but Kiner-Falefa has a high floor because of his ability to pick up hits. He has a hit in the last seven games he appeared in and recorded 3 RBIs over the final two games prior to the break.