Covering The Bases: MLB DFS Picks Today for Sunday 7/6

by Justin Van Zuiden (stlcardinals84) Last Updated 2025-07-06 14:30:45 Premium Content Part of the product MLB DFS

Long-time grinder, Justin Van Zuiden (aka stlcardinals84), is here to cover the bases for the upcoming MLB DFS slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Whether you are looking for the top pitchers or the best stacks, Cards has you covered with an extensive deep dive into his favorite MLB DFS picks.

Happy Sunday, Grinders! I hope you are enjoying the long 4th of July weekend! This Sunday brings us a very small 7-game main slate on DraftKings, while FanDuel has added the CHW/COL game at Coors Field to make it an 8-game slate over there. This is actually a mirror case of what we saw 2 weeks ago with a small Sunday slate, and it is another time I wish that DK would have included Coors on a Sunday slate. The context of the slate is much more interesting with the Coors game factored in. Alas, this is what we have to deal with, and everyone has the same player pool!

On a side note, this is my first full day back from vacation. Thanks to Cheese for filling in for a couple of days while I was out. I don’t know about all of you, but the first day back from vacation is often quite brutal for me. I’m exhausted and need a “vacation from the vacation” after spending 10 days on the road with a couple of teenagers. A nap surely awaits once I complete this article.

You can see on our MLB weather page that we have a relatively quiet weather day, so it should be all systems go for lineup building. As a general reminder, we know that Sundays can often offer some weird lineups, especially since teams may be more likely to give players days off with day games in the heat. Be sure to keep an eye on our MLB starting lineups page, and we’ll keep you covered as the lineups are posted throughout the morning hours.

Let’s dig in and see what this small Sunday slate has to offer!

Editor’s Note: Looking for more places to play? Check out our Underdog Fantasy promo code and PrizePicks promo code, two of the best DFS sites available today.

Sunday Pitching: MLB DFS Picks on FanDuel & DraftKings

TOP TIER PITCHERS

Tarik Skubal vs. Guardians
Garrett Crochet vs. Nationals
Zack Wheeler vs. Reds
Max Fried vs. Mets
Joe Ryan vs. Rays

Well then! I have returned to a slate full of fun pitching options, which feels like a ridiculous amount of riches on a smaller main slate. As usual, let’s begin with a look at the 2025 data:

Skubal – 2.15 ERA, 2.35 xFIP, 33.4% K, 3.4% BB
Crochet – 2.34 ERA, 2.71 xFIP, 31.5% K, 7.0% BB
Wheeler – 2.27 ERA, 2.63 xFIP, 32.9% K, 6.1% BB
Fried – 2.13 ERA, 3.24 xFIP, 23.7% K, 5.1% BB
Ryan – 2.75 ERA, 3.57 xFIP, 28.2% K, 5.2% BB

The easiest cuts from my player pool today are Max Fried and Joe Ryan. They don’t come at a massive discount from the other aces, and their profiles just don’t match up with the top options. It’s a good reminder that we need to consider each slate within its own context. On a different slate, Fried or Ryan could easily be your SP1. That’s just not the case today. Fried is way below the others in terms of strikeouts, while Ryan has the highest xFIP of the group and has an average matchup at best. I just can’t see myself using them (again, in the context of this specific slate). That’s the beauty of DFS.

That leaves us splitting hairs among 3 of the best pitchers in the game. Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet, and Zack Wheeler all have 31%+ strikeout rates on the year. They all have ERA and xFIP marks in the 2s for the season. It’s a spectacular trio. Can today’s matchups provide any clarity?

Guardians vs. LHP (for Skubal) – .271 wOBA (30th), .106 ISO (28th), 8.1% BB (17th), 24.4% K (9th)
Nationals vs. LHP (for Crochet) – .302 wOBA (14th), .138 ISO (16th), 7.2% BB (27th), 22.5% K (17th)
Reds vs. RHP (for Wheeler) – .325 wOBA (7th), .158 ISO (13th), 8.8% BB (13th), 22.9% K (6th)

The best matchup clearly belongs to Skubal. The Guardians have lost 9 games in a row. They have been shut out in 5 of those games. They rank dead last in the league in team wOBA against LHP. If we just ignore ownership and salary, Skubal is your SP1.

Once we filter salary into the equation, though, circumstances start to change. Skubal is $12,000 on DK. Crochet is $10,500 on DK. Wheeler is $10,000 on DK. Given that there really isn’t a whole lot separating these pitchers, I’ll take the discount down to Wheeler. You can do a lot with that extra $2,000 of salary. The discussion is different on FD, where Skubal is $11,000 and the others are $10,900 and $10,800, respectively. The obvious answer would just be to play Skubal on FD, but more ownership will also follow because of the limited salary differential. As such, I still like Wheeler as my GPP SP1 over there.

I am ranking this tier as Wheeler > Skubal > Crochet, but I would likely still play Skubal in cash games (especially on FD). Wheeler is my favorite tournament option. Keep in mind, though, that all 3 of these pitchers are very much viable in any format, and they are clearly the best pitchers available. My attempt to provide some distinction among them is largely an exercise in personal preference and splitting hairs. They’re all great.

SECONDARY PITCHING OPTIONS

Want to read more? Sign up for Premium!