There's a rather limited MLB DFS slate on Thursday with just 10 games on the schedule, but the lack of quantity is offset by the high quality of players available. Stars such as Fernando Tatis Jr., Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger and Wander Franco are slated to be a part of the MLB DFS player pool, giving daily Fantasy baseball managers lots of quality options. But rostering several of these big-name players means you'll also have to search for value elsewhere on sites like FanDuel and DraftKings.
Thus, you should look for low-cost, high-reward players who can help you comply with the MLB DFS salary cap. Perhaps someone like Edouard Julien of Minnesota could help with that as he's hitting a blistering .652 during his active seven-game hitting streak. What other bargains are available for MLB DFS lineups? Before submitting any MLB DFS picks for Thursday, be sure to check out the MLB DFS advice, strategy and projections from SportsLine daily Fantasy expert Mike McClure.
McClure is a daily Fantasy pro who has won more than $2 million in his career. And when it comes to daily Fantasy baseball, McClure is at his best. Recognized in the book "Fantasy Football (and Baseball) for Smart People: How to Turn Your Hobby into a Fortune" as a top MLB DFS player, McClure's proprietary projection model simulates each game 10,000 times, taking factors such as matchups and recent results into account. This allows him to find the best values on every site.
On Wednesday, McClure highlighted Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna as one of his top DFS picks. The result: Ozuna went 1 for 3 and hit a solo home run, returning 14 points on DraftKings and 18.7 points on FanDuel. Anybody who included him in their lineups was well on the way to a profitable day.
Now, with the 2023 MLB season rolling on, McClure has locked in his top MLB daily Fantasy picks for Thursday, July 20. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
McClure's top MLB DFS picks for Thursday
One of McClure's top MLB DFS picks for Thursday is Padres third baseman Manny Machado ($5,200 on DraftKings and $3,800 on FanDuel). Machado had an underwhelming first half of the year by his standards but he's done a 180 since then. Since the start of July, the six-time All-Star has a slash line of .327/.431/.836 with nine homers and 21 RBI in just 14 games.
He and the Padres face Toronto starter Chris Bassitt on Thursday in a 1:07 p.m. ET local start. Opposing batters have teed off Bassitt in day games this year as his batting average against is .370 in these contests compared to .193 in night starts. Additionally, Machado has previous success against the veteran RHP as Machado had a two-run home run off Bassitt when they last faced each other in July 2022.
McClure's MLB DFS strategy includes rostering Giants 1B/3B Wilmer Flores ($3,100 on DraftKings and $2,700 on FanDuel). Flores has started the second half of the year on fire, with a .429 average since the All-Star break. He has three home runs over his last three games and his batting average sits at .291 after beginning July at .255.
Playing the splits is always a tried and true MLB DFS strategy, and the splits favor Flores on Thursday. He faces Reds LHP Andrew Abbott, and Flores' OPS is 130 points higher versus lefties than righties. Likewise, Abbott has struggled against RHBs like Flores, allowing a .674 OPS to them as opposed to a .417 OPS to LHBs. Also, Cincinnati ranks fourth-worst in the NL in team ERA, so Flores could find success against any Reds pitcher that takes the mound. See who else to pick right here.
How to set your MLB DFS lineups for July 20, 2023
McClure is also targeting an undervalued player who is set to explode for huge numbers on Thursday. The stars are aligning for him to return tournament-winning value and he comes at a price that won't break the bank. You can only see who it is here.
So what are the top MLB DFS picks for Thursday? Visit SportsLine now to see DFS millionaire Mike McClure's complete player pool and picks for FanDuel and DraftKings, and cash in big on MLB DFS.
