FanDuel MLB DFS Picks: Monday 7/21/25

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Let's check out the top options on today's main slate.

Note: All MLB odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook. All stats come from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant unless noted otherwise.

Top MLB DFS Picks

Pitcher Breakdown

Shane Baz ($9,600)

Monday's aces have some pretty brutal matchups...elevating Shane Baz to my SP1 in a home date with the Chicago White Sox.

Baz has locked in after a slow start, pitching to a 2.75 ERA and averaging 41 FanDuel points (FDP) per game across his last six starts. Since June 1st, his 13.7% swinging-strike rate ranks ninth among qualified pitchers. We've seen that translate to big-time fantasy performances as he's notched at least 48 FDP in six of 19 starts this season.

That upside is back on the table against a White Sox lineup which has struggled against right-handed pitching. They're 29th in wRC+ (78) for that split on the season and have the league's lowest OPS (.626) against RHP since June 1st.

Our MLB DFS projections peg Baz for 32.3 FDP -- second among all main slate pitchers. His 7+ alternate strikeouts prop is one of our best MLB strikeout prop bets for Monday.

Jack Leiter ($8,000)

Given the gaudy matchups at the top of the position, I'll be heavy on the value arms for Monday's main slate. That includes righty Jack Leiter at home against the Athletics.

Leiter has been inconsistent, but he's flashed some of the tools which made him such a well-regarded prospect. The 25-year-old has registered a 110 Stuff+ in his sophomore campaign -- seventh-best among pitchers with at least 80 innings.

That hasn't always translated to strong results; his 4.37 ERA speaks for itself, and the xERA (5.03) suggests he's largely earned that ugly mark. Still, he's cracked 40 FDP three times this season -- all at home -- and has a high-upside matchup tonight. Since the beginning of June, the Athletics are 12th in OPS versus righties but have struck out at the second-highest clip (25.2%).

As such, Leiter is a strong target in large-field tournaments with so many high-powered lineups to consider.

Jacob Lopez ($7,700)

Opposite Leiter, Athletics southpaw Jacob Lopez also profiles as a value arm to consider. Based on his first-half results, the lefty may carry even more upside.

Across 55.2 innings, Lopez has recorded a 27.9% strikeout rate and pitched to a 3.54 xERA. He's been sharp as a starter, especially since moving into the rotation full-time in early June. Across his last seven starts, Lopez has recorded a 2.52 ERA and averaged 10.85 K/9. He's netted at least 25 FDP six times during this stretch, even eclipsing 45 FDP thrice.

I'm willing to buy into the (relatively) stable floor Lopez has shown of late, and we could certainly see the upside unlocked in this spot. The Texas Rangers are a putrid 28th in wRC+ (71) against left-handed pitchers this season -- something their home park won't help with tonight. Globe Life Field is dead-last in Statcast Park Factor for righties this season, perhaps helping mitigate Lopez's lackluster marks against right-handed hitters (.333 wBOA, 1.46 HR/9 allowed).

Lopez carries a 27.3 FDP projection, making him the second-best point-per-dollar value at the position (3.55x)

Stacks to Target

St. Louis Cardinals

Players to Target: Ivan Herrera ($3,700), Willson Contreras ($3,600), Masyn Winn ($3,400), Nolan Arenado ($3,300)

The St. Louis Cardinals are out west at Coors Field tonight, boosting their implied team total to a slate-leading 6.3 runs. In spite of their struggles with southpaws, there are still a few Cardinals worth rostering against lefty Austin Gomber's 7.36 home ERA.

Ivan Herrera might be my favorite play of the slate thanks to his .496 wOBA against left-handed pitchers. He's slugging an Aaron Judge-like .739 in this split.

Willson Contreras (.376 wOBA) has also mashed lefties, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Nolan Arenado. He's hitting .277 against lefties on the year and returns to his old stomping grounds at Coors Field. Arenado has a lifetime .982 OPS in Denver and has recorded 9 RBI across 12 games there as a Cardinal.

Tampa Bay Rays

Players to Target: Junior Caminero ($3,500), Yandy Diaz ($3,200), Brandon Lowe ($3,100), Jonathan Aranda ($2,900), Chandler Simpson ($2,800), Jake Mangum ($2,700)

The Tampa Bay Rays get a visit from Sean Burke (4.36 ERA) and the White Sox bullpen (3.92 ERA) tonight, so they're a lineup I'll want exposure to.

Jonathan Aranda (.392 wOBA vs. RHP), Yandy Diaz (.360), and Junior Caminero (.357) have consistently mashed righties in 2024 -- as has Brandon Lowe (.371), though he's dealing with a foot issue.

Outside of that core, Ha-Seong Kim and Jake Mangum have both performed well against right-handers while Chandler Simpson offers counting-stat upside in a leadoff role. He's been at the top of the Tampa order each of the past four games, exceeding 15 FDP in two of those.

Colorado Rockies

Players to Target: Jordan Beck ($3,500), Mickey Moniak ($3,400), Ryan McMahon ($3,300), Tyler Freeman ($3,200), Ezequiel Tovar ($3,200)

I don't love tying myself to the Colorado Rockies, but it's hard to ignore the top of their lineup against a recently promoted Michael McGreevy. The righty let up 10 runs across three starts last month, and one of his three 2024 starts actually came here at Coors. The Rockies put up three runs over 5.0 innings against him in that one, so there's not much reason to shy away from them this time around.

We're dealing with smaller samples here, but the current Colorado lineup does feature three players -- Tyler Freeman, Ezequiel Tovar, and Mickey Moniak -- with north of a 1.000 OPS against righties at Coors Field.

Ryan McMahon (.897 OPS) and Jordan Beck (.832) have also put up strong numbers in this split.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.