The 2021 MLB Trade Deadline has passed and a record number of MLB all-stars changed teams this season as the best teams in baseball almost all made aggressive moves to improve their rosters. With lineups changing after an active deadline, MLB daily Fantasy players will have to stay on their toes for Saturday's action. However, there have been some reliably hot bats of late like Braves third baseman Austin Riley and Reds first baseman Joey Votto who will be available in the MLB DFS player pool.
Votto has nine home runs in his last seven games, while Riley has hit five home runs in his last four games. Both will be undoubtedly popular options for MLB DFS lineups. But with their prices surging as they continue to produce, where should you turn to find value for Saturday's action, and what other matchups and hot streaks should you be taking advantage of? Before locking in any MLB DFS picks for Saturday, 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 almost $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 Friday, McClure included Blue Jays outfielder George Springer as one of his top picks. The result: Springer went 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI to return 17 points on DraftKings and 21.7 points on FanDuel. Anybody who had him in their lineup was well on the way to a profitable day.
Now, with the 2021 MLB season rolling on, McClure has locked in his top MLB daily Fantasy picks for Saturday. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
McClure's top MLB DFS picks for July 31, 2021
One of McClure's top MLB DFS picks for Saturday is Dodgers first baseman Max Muncy at $5,600 on DraftKings and $3,900 on FanDuel. After two short, lackluster call-ups with the Athletics in 2015 and 2016, Muncy got the opportunity of a lifetime with regular at-bats for the Dodgers in 2018 and responded by hitting 35 home runs.
After following that season up with 35 more home runs to make his first all-star team in 2019, Muncy saw his OPS plummet to .720 during the shortened 2020 season. However, he's found his stride at the plate again in 2021 and enters Saturday's play with a .966 OPS and 22 home runs with 61 RBIs. He'll match up with Merrill Kelly on Saturday, who Muncy is 5-for-12 off of lifetime.
Part of McClure's optimal MLB DFS strategy includes rostering Cubs outfielder Ian Happ ($3,500 on DraftKings, $2,200 on FanDuel). The 2021 season has been an unquestionable struggle for Happ, with his OPS dropping from .866 a season ago to .626 through Friday's action. However, after the Cubs dismantled their roster, the pressure is on Happ to rebound and he's playing well of late.
Happ enters Saturday on a four-game hitting streak with a home run, a double and two RBIs. A .229 BABIP that is 78 points below his career average leaves at least some room for optimism. Happ is 2-for-6 off of Washington's Saturday starter Joe Ross in his life with a home run, and he's definitely been more comfortable against right-handed pitching this year, with the switch-hitter slugging nine of his 10 home runs from the left side.
How to set your MLB DFS lineups for July 31, 2021
McClure is also targeting an undervalued player who is set to explode for huge numbers on Saturday. 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 Saturday? 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.
