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The MLB has 13 games scheduled to be played on Thursday, July 7, and 10 of them are featured in the main DFS slate on DraftKings with the first of the bunch getting started at 7:05 p.m. ET.
Below is a preview of the top DFS pitchers and hitters along with a couple value plays to consider before you submit your lineup.
Top Pitchers
Gerrit Cole, NYY vs. BOS ($10,200) — The New York Yankees starter is the most expensive pitcher of the night heading into a matchup with the Boston Red Sox. Cole is putting up another big season with a 7-2 record and 2.99 ERA, and his 117 strikeouts rank fifth in all of baseball.
Dylan Cease, CHW vs. DET ($9,800) — The Chicago White Sox will make start No. 17 this season and is having a great year with a 2.51 ERA. His 125 strikeouts rank third in all of baseball, and he allowed 2 earned runs over his last seven starts, a span of 39.1 innings of work.
Top Hitters
Shohei Ohtani, LAA vs. BAL ($6,300) — The Los Angeles Angels star leads the team with 53 RBIs and smashed 18 home runs with a .344 on-base percentage. The Angels offense has been struggling, and Ohtani has just 3 hits over the last six games, a span of 21 at-bats. He will face Baltimore Orioles starter Jordan Lyles, who has a 4.70 ERA through 16 starts.
Willson Contreras, CHC vs. LAD ($6,200) — Be sure to check the injury reports prior to game time because the Chicago Cubs catcher has not played since Monday with an injury to his hamstring. Contreras is putting together a solid season with a .274 batting average with 35 RBIs and 13 home runs in 2022. If he is healthy enough to return, he will get a matchup with Los Angeles Dodgers starter Tony Gonsolin, who has a 10-0 record and 1.54 ERA.
Value Pitcher
Jordan Lyles, BAL vs. LAA ($6,900) — The Baltimore Orioles starter could be in a solid position to put together a strong fantasy start. He will face an Angels offense that has not scored more than 5 runs in any of their last 12 games, and no team strikes out more than them with 9.7 K’s per game.
Value Hitter
Daulton Varsho, ARI vs. COL ($4,200) — The Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder went 0-for-4 at the plate in yesterday’s game, but he had been hitting well at the plate recently. Varsho went into that matchup hitting 8-for-16 over the previous five games with 2 home runs and 9 RBIs over that stretch. He will see Colorado Rockies pitcher Austin Gomber, who has a 6.53 ERA this year.