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Fourteen games are on the MLB schedule, and seven of those matchups are featured on the main DFS slate on DraftKings, which will showcase the nightcap on Monday, July 4. The St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves will open up a four-game series, and that should be one of the best games of the night featuring a pair of teams creeping up to the top of their respective divisions.
Below is a preview of the top DFS pitchers and hitters along with a couple value plays to consider as you work out your lineup.
Top Pitchers
Alek Manoah, TOR vs. OAK ($9,300) — The Toronto Blue Jays starter is putting together a fantastic season in Year 2 of his MLB career with a 2.09 ERA over 15 starts this season. Manoah allowed 3 runs (2 earned) over 7 innings in a loss to the Boston Red Sox in his last time out, and he will get a matchup with the Oakland Athletics offense that ranks No. 29 in runs per game (3.2).
Kyle Wright, ATL vs. STL ($9,200) — In his first full season as an MLB starter, the Atlanta Braves starter has a 3.03 ERA heading into start No. 16. He gave up 1 run over 7 innings in a win over the Philadelphia Phillies, and the St. Louis Cardinals offense scores 4.7 runs per game, which is the eighth-most in the MLB.
Top Hitters
Ronald Acuna Jr., ATL vs. STL ($6,000) — The Braves outfielder has battled through some injuries this season but returned to the lineup over the weekend where he recorded multiple hits in two of three games against the Cincinnati Reds. Acuna has a .287 batting average with 7 home runs and 18 RBIs this season.
Dansby Swanson, ATL vs. STL ($5,900) — The Atlanta shortstop drove in 46 runs in 2022 and homered 14 times. Swanson has a .301 batting average and went 0-for-4 on Sunday after recording 7 hits combined in his previous two games against the Reds.
Value Pitcher
Dakota Hudson, STL vs. ATL ($6,900) — The Cardinals pitcher will go into Monday’s game with a 3.83 ERA over 15 starts this season. His strikeout numbers are way down with a 5.0 K/9, but the Braves continue to strike out a ton with 9.4 K’s per game.
Value Hitter
Jose Abreu, CWS vs. MIN ($3,900) — The Chicago White Sox first baseman is on quite the hot streak at the plate, going into Monday with an eight-game hitting streak with multiple hits in half of them. Abreu will get a matchup with Minnesota Twins starter Dylan Bundy, who has a 4.71 ERA over 13 starts in Year 1 with the organization.