Penned By: @Ryan_Humphries on Twitter/X and LineStar Chat.

• Rate LineStarApp on the App store and get a shoutout on Twitter from @LineStarApp official account!

• Have questions? Check out the LineStar Tutorial Wiki.

• LineStar’s 2025 MLB DFS Primer & Strategy Guide ⚾

Top DFS Offers 7/18/25 💸

Our editors found the top deals in sports-books so you don’t have to! Tapping below links will help support LineStar through an affiliate referral.

Offers for new users only, additional terms and conditions may apply — see operator site for full details. Must be 18+ (some states may require 21+) and be present in an eligible state; if you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.

LineStar MLB DFS & Prop Bet Shows 🎙️

Like, Subscribe, and Comment @ LineStar YouTube channel! You never know when we’ll shout you out or give you something cool. New episodes drop Mon-Fri feat. hosts Shannon Sommerville & Tyler Wiemann! Every episode is quick, informative, & easy to watch.

Main Slate Rundown 🏟

And we’re back! It’s only been five days since the All-Star Break began, but in the world of MLB, five days off feels like a brief eternity. The baseball action resumes in a big way with an 11-game Friday main slate. At the time of this writing, several teams have yet to confirm their starter for the first game of the second half, so we’ll be flying somewhat blindly with some of these matchups until every starter is announced. So, there is a bit more guesswork to be done from an analytical standpoint. Keep that in mind, as there may be pitchers, hitters, and stacks that will ultimately set up well this evening who won’t be mentioned in this newsletter, because the current matchups aren’t completely known! We should be back into the normal swing of things in a couple of days. Best of luck!

Quick Note: I am traveling to Atlanta today to attend the weekend Braves/Yankees series, so this newsletter is being written earlier than usual and will also be a bit shorter than usual!

Main slate match-ups with implied run totals and moneyline odds:

💣7/18 Dinger Report💣

Today’s Top Dinger Odds (sorted by LineStar projected HR odds)

Main Slate Weather Outlook 💨🌦️☁️

Check LineStar's MLB Daily Dashboard to see an overview of the most up-to-date game forecasts.

• ATH at CLE (7:10 ET, 8.5 O/U): Mid-70s temps with 5-10 mph winds IN from center.

• NYY at ATL (7:15 ET, 8.5 O/U): Hey, I’ll be here in the ballpark tonight! Rain chances spike right around first pitch with scattered showers and storms in the general area, but fade soon after. So, we’ll either get a late start (worst case scenario) or a normal nine innings. Mid-80s temps with light winds IN from right.

• BAL at TB (7:35 ET, 9.0 O/U): Rain should stay away from the ballpark today, but, as is often the case with summertime Tampa Bay weather, we’ll want to check the radar closer to first pitch to be sure. Mid-to-upper 80s with light winds OUT to right.

• MIN at COL (8:40 ET, 11.0 O/U): Low-end chance of a late start, but that’s about it. Temps around 80 degrees with 5-10 mph winds IN from left.

Pitchers to Consider ⚾

Spencer Strider (RHP), ATL | DK: $9k, FD: $10.2k | vs. NYY

After dealing with some injury woes and rehab since the start of the 2024 season, Strider has looked much more like his usual self over the last month. Spanning his previous six starts (36.2 IP), Strider has pitched to a 2.95 ERA, 2.55 xFIP, 1.09 WHIP, and 33.8% kRate. He has held opponents to a .205 average in that span despite opposing hitters acquiring a .293 BABIP, and his xFIP indicates that he’s been pitching even better than his sub-3 ERA would indicate. Strider has also been sharper at home this season, where he owns a 2.89 xFIP (versus a 4.16 xFIP on the road). He has had eight days off since his last outing, so he should be well-rested ahead of a challenging matchup tonight.

Outside of a couple of duds against the Cubs just before the break, the Yankees’ offense was putting up plenty of hits and runs on the board. Against RHPs over the last month, they’re 2nd in MLB with an .821 OPS and 3rd with a 128 wRC+. They have struck out a fair amount, at 22.5% (11th highest), in that stretch, but, other than that, they’ve been a tough offense for opposing pitchers to shut down. That being said, if Strider is on his A-game, he brings double-digit strikeout potential to the table, which could be enough to make up for the hits and runs he is likely to give up. If Max Fried, who is dealing with a blister on his left/throwing index finger, is confirmed as the Yankees’ starter tonight, he may be the more appealing SP option in this game. I wouldn’t say there is much of a “revenge” factor here, but Fried returning to Atlanta, where he played the first eight years of his career, could provide a narrative worth chasing.

Slade Cecconi (RHP), CLE | DK: $7.8k, FD: $8.9k | vs. ATH

Cecconi is another right-hander heading into the second half on the heels of some excellent form. Over his last six starts (34.2 IP), Cecconi has procured a 2.60 ERA, 3.59 xFIP, 1.18 WHIP, and 25.2% kRate. It has been tough for offenses to pile on any major damage on Cecconi, who has allowed more than three earned runs in just one of his ten starts.

The A’s can represent a tricky matchup at times, but they strike out a ton as a team and haven’t had the best results against righty pitching when playing away from their minor league ballpark in Sacramento. Against RHPs on the road L30Days (257 PAs), the A’s have posted a very average 98 wRC+ and .702 OPS alongside a monster 28.4% kRate. Progressive Field has been one of the more pitcher-friendly ballparks in MLB this season, so, as long as the nine-day layoff hasn’t built up too much rust on Cecconi, he is looking like a quality option on this slate and shouldn’t catch much ownership.

Sean Manaea (LHP), NYM | DK: $7k, FD: $8.8k | vs. CIN

There may be more SP value that opens up once all starters are announced, but at least on DraftKings, Sean Manaea will be fairly intriguing as an SP2 play. On FanDuel, I’d maybe be more inclined to spend the extra $100 by going up to the aforementioned Slade Cecconi. After rehabbing from elbow and oblique injuries, Manaea made his season debut in the Mets’ final game before the break this past Sunday. He came out of the bullpen to pitch 3.1 innings of relief on 65 pitches against the Royals, and he looked sharp from a strikeout standpoint. While he did allow five hits and a run over those 3.1 innings, he also struck out seven would-be batters… and the Royals are typically not a team that Ks very often. That represented a monster 46.7% kRate. I wouldn’t place too much stock in the 6.27 ERA that Manaea had across 18.1 IP in the minor leagues this year. His 3.61 xFIP tells us that he pitched considerably better than the ERA would indicate (while shaking off rust), and he also had plenty of swing-and-miss with a 26.1% kRate and 11.09 K/9 in his MiLB rehab innings. The main question here is how deep he’ll pitch into the game tonight. He is pitching on regular rest, but I can’t imagine that the Mets will let him go for more than 75-80 pitches. Everyone has a fully rested bullpen today, so we’re likely going to see a short leash on plenty of starters to begin with.

The Reds have been pretty middle-of-the-pack against LHPs lately. Over the last month against lefties, they’ve put up a very average .739 OPS and 103 wRC+ while putting up a 24.3% kRate (8th highest in MLB). It’s not an ideal matchup, but Citi Field is typically a very pitcher-friendly environment and, assuming he can get close to 80 pitches, Manaea is capable of paying off his modest [DraftKings] price tag.

Other Pitchers to Consider

Reminder: Several starters are not yet confirmed at the time of this writing.

Chriss Bassitt (RHP), TOR | DK: $8.1k, FD: $8.7k | vs. SF

Tyler Glasnow (RHP), LAD | DK: $8k, FD: $9.6k | vs. MIL

Reese Olson (RHP), DET | DK: $7.6k, FD: $8.3k | at TEX

Charlie Morton (RHP), BAL | DK: $7.5k, FD: $8.2k | at TB

Taj Bradley (RHP), TB | DK: $7.2k, FD: $8.5k | vs. BAL

Team Stacks to Target 🎯

Disclaimer: Stacking in MLB DFS is not a requirement but it is a very common strategy used to take down GPPs. This strategy is covered in more detail in the MLB DFS strategy guide linked in the header at the top of this newsletter. Check out the MLB StackFinder on LineStar.

Obligatory Coors Field Stacks

Minnesota Twins vs. Kyle Freeland (LHP), COL

Colorado Rockies vs. Chris Paddack (RHP), MIN

Non-Coors Stacks

Toronto Blue Jays vs. Justin Verlander (RHP), SF

There is just something special about the Blue Jays at home. They’ve been an underwhelming offense on the road this season, averaging just 3.85 runs/gm (23rd in MLB), but they’ve boasted 5.31 runs/gm at home (4th in MLB). Against RHPs at home since June 1st, Toronto has put up a .283 AVG, .835 OPS, .360 wOBA, .195 ISO, and 132 wRC+ while striking out just 16.5% of the time.

Justin Verlander is in the twilight of his career and heads in with a mid-5 ERA and 1.46 WHIP over his last five starts. Over the last month, he is in the bottom 5th percentile in average batted ball distance (209.1 feet) and has allowed a lofty 32.9% LineDrive%. The Giants’ bullpen has also been nothing special over the last month, and they’ve surrendered their fair share of homers lately as well.

Favorite TOR Bats: George Springer, Addison Barger, Vlad Guerrero Jr.

Bargain Bat: Nathan Lukes

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Quinn Priester (RHP), MIL

Quinn Priester heads into this game with some nice results over his previous six starts, but he has drawn a favorable schedule in that stretch. Going on the road to face the Dodgers will be a different story.

The Dodgers were not firing on all cylinders before the break, and have scored two runs or fewer in six of their last nine games. But, perhaps the additional rest over the last week will do this team some good as they get set to face a very middling pitcher in Quinn Priester. Throughout the season, the Dodgers have mashed RHPs at home to the tune of a .370 wOBA, .226 ISO, and 141 wRC+. Losing Max Muncy (knee) for an extended period stings, but, for the most part, the rest of this lineup is healthy. The Dodgers have easily been the No. 1 home offense in baseball, averaging 5.90 runs/gm, and guys like Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman have to bust out of their slumps eventually. Perhaps that begins tonight.

Favorite LAD Bats: Shohei Ohtani, Will Smith, Mookie Betts

Bargain Bats: Andy Pages, Hyeseong Kim

Low-Owned Stack That Just Might Work Out 🤔

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Tyler Glasnow (RHP), LAD

Every hitter in the projected Brewers lineup has a ≤ 6% pOwn%. Much like the home versus road Blue Jays, the Brewers have almost looked like a completely different team on the road. They’ve been fairly average at home (4.19 runs/gm) but have averaged an MLB-leading 5.41 runs/gm in road games. Against RHPs on the road L30Days, they’re rocking a .298 AVG, .810 OPS, .349 wOBA, and 125 wRC+ with a low 19.3% kRate.

Tyler Glasnow is, of course, an elite pitcher. But he has only just returned from a lengthy IL stint. His start on July 9th was his first since April 27th. That start also came against this same Brewers team [in Milwaukee]. While Glasnow looked sharp in that outing, allowing one zero earned runs on two hits and three walks across 5.0 IP, facing the same team in back-to-back starts can often backfire in the pitcher’s face. Glasnow should be pretty popular on this slate, especially on DraftKings, so there is plenty of leverage to be had by stacking a few Brewers bats. The Dodgers’ bullpen has also struggled to a 5.29 ERA over the last month, so if Milwaukee can knock Glasnow out of the game early, they could also post an offensive surge in the latter innings.

Favorite MIL Bats: Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang

Bargain Bats: Sal Frelick, Isaac Collins, Caleb Durbin

Note: I’ve got to hit the road, so I have to trim the one-off and bargain bat lists! We should be back to the normal format on Monday. For now, enjoy the return to baseball and have an excellent weekend!

Home Run Calls of the Day 💣

Make sure you’re following @LineStarApp on Twitter/X. Retweet the Home Run Calls of the Day tweet for your chance to win prizes!

🔥 Props AI 🔥

In LineStar’s ongoing mission to improve, innovate, and help you reel in some cash, we are introducing Props AI for MLB! This tool can help you find value and mispriced odds on player props from sportsbooks and, more specifically, for PrizePicks and UnderDog Fantasy!

Speaking of props, put the Props AI tool to use by signing-up for UnderDog Fantasy for a month of LineStar Premium (Promo code: LINESTAR). Plus deposit match for new customers.

Best of luck out there today, everyone!