FanDuel MLB DFS Picks: Wednesday 7/9/25

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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

Kris Bubic ($10,300)

Kris Bubic is the lone pitcher with a five-figure salary tonight, and he's comfortably my SP1. The southpaw carries a 2.36 ERA and 25.6% strikeout rate into tonight's start against a Pittsburgh Pirates team that ranks dead-last in wRC+ (68) versus left-handed pitchers. Bubic has reached 40 FanDuel points (FDP) in 10 of 17 starts this season, climbing past 50 FDP three times.

There have been some hiccups of late, though. Bubic has surrendered multiple earned runs in five straight starts after doing so just three times in his first 12. But two of his five best whiff games have come in the last four outings, and he's rocking a 14.1% swinging-strike rate on the year. His 92 Stuff+ and 105 Location+ (two pitch-modeling metrics where league-average is 100) over this five-game stretch are right in line with his season-long marks (94 Stuff+, 105 Location+).

As such, I'm comfortable allocating the bulk of my salary toward Bubic in such a good matchup. With the Pirates showing the second-highest strikeout rate (27.1%), Bubic could flirt with double-digit Ks. He's reached eight strikeouts six times this season and carries +230 odds to reach that mark tonight.

Lucas Giolito ($9,700)

Our MLB DFS projections aren't as bullish on Lucas Giolito as I am tonight. But Giolito's been cooking lately, pitching to a 0.83 ERA and averaging 45.2 FDP across his previous five starts. That run prevention won't hold, but a home date with the Colorado Rockies shouldn't have us fearing regression just yet.

Colorado's shown some life in recent weeks, but they're still 24th in wRC+ (88) against righties since June 1st. The Rockies own the league's highest strikeout rate (26.2%) for that split during that stretch, and they continue to struggle mightily away from Coors Field. Against right-handed pitchers on the road, Colorado has a .206 team batting average and 28.8% strikeout rate. We just saw Brayan Bello rack up 10 Ks against them last night, finishing with 61 FDP in a complete game effort.

Giolito has started to flash the strikeout stuff, too. He's punched out 31 hitters over his last five starts, inducing double-digit whiffs three times. Considering how well Lucas Giolito has pitched in recent weeks -- and how much the Rockies have struggled away from Coors -- I'll have exposure to the Red Sox righty, even at an inflated salary.

Dylan Cease ($9,000)

Dylan Cease has had an up-and-down season, and tonight's home date with the Arizona Diamondbacks (fourth in wRC+ vs. RHP) is far from ideal. But even with his 4.62 ERA, Cease has to be considered on a slate like this. An inflated BABIP (.328) and barrel rate (9.7%) have hurt the run prevention, though the ERA indicators (3.52 xERA, 3.39 SIERA) are still rock-solid.

Still, Cease's biggest draw is his strikeout upside. The righty has the fifth highest K/9 (11.19) in all of baseball, and he's second behind only Tarik Skubal in swinging-strike rate. Walks are still an issue, but we're closing in on his fifth straight season flirting with a 30% K%. That upside doesn't grow on trees; tonight, it grows via a $9,000 salary on FanDuel.

In larger tournaments, that's hard to pass up when there's not a typical ace at the top of the player pool. And while the matchup is rough, Cease quelled the Snakes in 2024. He allowed just four runs over 13 2/3 innings against them last season, racking up 16 strikeouts.

Our MLB DFS Projections peg Cease for a slate-leading 33.7 FDP -- the upside is real.

Brandon Walter ($8,500)

Brandon Walter is pretty clearly the slate's top pitcher at salary, but there's an argument he's even the top option overall. We project him for 32.1 FDP (3.78x value) against the Cleveland Guardians -- one of the softest matchups for opposing lefties. Though Walter's failed to clear 15 FDP in two of his last three starts, he's gone for 30-plus in four of six on the season. Given the matchup, Walter could add to that total tonight.

The Guardians have the league's third lowest wRC+ against left-handed pitchers. But unlike in year's past, Cleveland's whiffing a ton in 2025. They have the seventh highest swinging-strike rate in all of baseball and the ninth highest K% (24.2%) versus southpaws. Since the beginning of June, the Guardians have the MLB's lowest team batting average (.207).

Walter could do well with that. Though his K% is only 22.8%, he sports a spotless 1.4% walk rate and is in the 95th percentile for average exit velocity (86.2 mph). In such a good spot, Walter is my go-to value arm in hitter-heavy DFS lineups.

Stacks to Target

Red Sox

Players to Target: Jarren Duran ($3,500), Wilyer Abreu ($3,400), Roman Anthony ($3,000), Abraham Toro ($2,800)

The Boston Red Sox have the slate's highest implied total (5.9) up against the pitcher with the second-highest ERA among today's probables.

That pitcher? Antonio Senzatela -- a right-hander rocking a mere 11% K% on the year. He's permitted at least for runs in 10 of 17 starts this season, with a good chunk of that damage coming on the road (where he has a .441 wOBA against).

Boston has several strong options against this split with Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, and Abraham Toro all clear of a .825 OPS versus righties.

Braves

Players to Target: Ronald Acuna Jr. ($4,200), Matt Olson ($3,600), Jurickson Profar ($3,000), Drake Baldwin ($2,700), Michael Harris ($2,500)

The Atlanta Braves have struggled mightily of late, but I'm still on them ahead of tonight's Sacramento showdown with Mitch Spence. The Athletics' temporary grounds are tied with Coors Field as the best hitting venue in baseball, according to Statcast park factors. It's a park Spence has pitched to a 5.65 ERA at this season.

Spence has yielded a .386 wOBA to lefty hitters, and that's where we should start with the Braves. Matt Olson, Jurickson Profar, Drake Baldwin, and Michael Harris II are all intriguing options here, and we can certainly consider Ronald Acuna Jr. if he suits up.

Athletics

Players to Target: Brent Rooker ($3,400), Nick Kurtz ($3,300), Lawrence Butler ($3,200), Tyler Soderstrom ($3,100), Jacob Wilson ($3,000)

Bryce Elder is the gift that keeps on giving for opposing offenses. The righty has allowed 22 runs over his last four starts, letting up 33 runs, 11 walks, and 7 homers in just 15 2/3 innings. He's up to a 5.92 ERA on the season -- backed up by an ugly 6.00 xERA.

That sets the Athletics up for another big night following their 10-run showing in last night's season-opener.

Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, and Lawrence Butler all showed out with homers yesterday, and they're intriguing DFS options again tonight. Those are three of the Athletics' five top options against righties by OPS, joined by Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson -- the latter of which exited last night's game in the 1st inning.

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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.