Best MLB DFS Picks Today: Top All-Star Game Showdown Value Plays for July 14

There’s no regular-season MLB slate tonight, but that doesn’t mean DFS players are sitting on the sidelines. The 96th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard takes over Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Tuesday, and DraftKings and FanDuel are both running single-game Showdown contests built around the American League vs. National League exhibition. First pitch is 8 p.m. ET on FOX, with Cy Young contenders Dylan Cease of the Blue Jays and Cristopher Sanchez of the Phillies squaring off to start.

Showdown slates flip the usual DFS math on its head — one Captain spot at 1.5x points, five flexible UTIL spots, and a shared salary cap across every player from both lineups. That means stacking bats who are locked into multiple plate appearances and mixing in a starting pitcher who racks up strikeouts before his night ends early. If you’re still weighing which DFS platform to use tonight, both DraftKings and FanDuel are offering Showdown contests for the exhibition. Here are five plays worth building around for tonight’s All-Star Showdown.

Dylan Cease, SP — American League (Blue Jays)

Cease enters the Midsummer Classic as one of the best strikeout arms in baseball, sitting at 6-4 with a 2.56 ERA and 148 strikeouts across 98.1 innings this season — good for second in the American League in punchouts. He ranked third in the majors in FanGraphs pitching WAR heading into the break, which is exactly why he earned the AL start over a stacked field of candidates.

In an exhibition setting, starters typically work one or two clean innings before giving way to the bullpen, so the appeal here isn’t innings — it’s swing-and-miss efficiency against a lineup that will see him for the first time all year. Cease’s 1.13 WHIP and ability to miss bats even in short stints make him a strong Captain or UTIL consideration if he’s able to log a couple of frames against the top of the NL order. Anyone still deciding between books for tonight’s action can check the current DraftKings promo code before setting a lineup.

Yordan Alvarez, DH — American League (Astros)

Alvarez has been the most productive hitter in the American League all season, slashing .318/.426/.633 with 31 home runs and 70 RBI. He’ll bat second for the AL tonight, meaning he’s ticketed for multiple early at-bats before any quick hooks come into play. That combination of premium contact skills and elite power makes him one of the safer building blocks on a slate that’s otherwise defined by short sample sizes.

Alvarez’s .426 on-base percentage also matters in a Showdown format — even a walk or hit-by-pitch keeps him on the bump for a potential run, and his raw power gives him one of the highest home run upsides in the National League park hosting the game. For those also betting the exhibition, the FanDuel promo code is worth a look alongside the DFS entry.

Junior Caminero, 3B — American League (Rays)

Caminero is slashing .279/.372/.555 with 28 home runs and 59 RBI, putting him third in the American League in homers heading into the break. He’ll hit cleanup for the AL and draws a matchup against Sanchez, a left-hander, giving the right-handed-hitting Caminero the platoon advantage right out of the gate.

He’s cooled slightly over his last week (four hits in his last three games), but the power is unmistakable — Caminero already has 28 homers this season after launching 45 a year ago, and lineup protection from Bobby Witt Jr. hitting behind him means he should see quality pitches to hit early in the game. Rays backers can also check the latest BetMGM promo code for tonight’s game props.

Kyle Schwarber, DH — National League (Phillies)

Playing in his home ballpark, Schwarber leads the National League with 32 home runs and carries a .254/.367/.560 line into the All-Star break. He’ll hit leadoff for the NL, guaranteeing him a look at Cease in the first inning with the Citizens Bank Park crowd behind him.

Schwarber’s calling card is pure power — his 32 homers rank second in all of baseball behind only Aaron Judge — and the short right field porch at his home park has always played to his strength as a pull-heavy left-handed hitter. Against a right-hander in Cease making his first career start in this ballpark, Schwarber is a logical Captain candidate for anyone building around a home run.

Ernie Clement, 2B — American League (Blue Jays)

Clement is the value play of the night, projected as the cheapest hitter in either starting lineup after making the AL squad for the first time. He’s quietly put together a strong season in Toronto, hitting .296/.318/.433 with eight home runs, 32 RBI and 42 runs scored — a high-contact profile that keeps his strikeout risk low even in an unfamiliar exhibition setting.

Batting ninth for the AL, Clement won’t offer huge power upside, but his ability to put the ball in play consistently gives him a stable floor at what should be a bargain price relative to the sluggers surrounding him in the lineup. Rostering him frees up salary to pay up at other spots. If you want to compare the full field of daily fantasy books before locking a roster, the DFS reviews hub breaks down every major platform.

Building Your Lineup

With a shared player pool and a hard salary cap across both rosters, the smartest Showdown strategy tonight is pairing one of the two starting pitchers with a mix of premium and value bats rather than overloading on stars. Alvarez and Schwarber both carry legitimate Captain-spot arguments given their power numbers and guaranteed multiple at-bats, while Caminero offers a cheaper path to similar upside against a left-handed starter.

Don’t ignore the ownership angle either — with only nine hitters in each lineup, popular Captain picks like Alvarez or Schwarber could get top-heavy in large-field tournaments, so pairing one of them with a lower-owned piece like Clement or a bullpen arm that enters in relief can help differentiate a GPP lineup. In cash games, prioritizing hitters at the top of each order who are guaranteed the most plate appearances before the exhibition wraps is the safest path to a solid score. Anyone tracking every angle of tonight’s exhibition can also browse the latest DFS promotions before building a second lineup.