Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: Best MLB DFS DraftKings Lineup for July 1

There's several reasons to love the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday if you're a DraftKings player. It starts with the Mariners hitters' familiarity with and success against San Diego Padres starting pitcher James Shields. There's a total of eight guys on the Mariners roster who have had at least 12 at-bats against Shields. The current roster is hitting .305 against him.

Robinson Cano has had the most at-bats, and he's also done the most damage against Shields. Cano has had 112 plate appearances against Shields, and he's hitting .402 against the veteran right-hander with four home runs and 15 RBI. Among his 35 hits off Shields, 15 of them are extra-base hits.

Obviously Cano isn't having his best season. He's hitting just .238 and hasn't had a hit in his last three games. Still, a meeting with Shields could be the thing that snaps him out of his funk. For $3,600 in DK salary, Cano is a must-play.

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Taijuan Walker ($9,200) at San Diego Padres 

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

The Mariners also have a solid presence on the mound in the rapidly improving Taijuan Walker. The 22-year-old has steadily improved his ERA over his last seven starts, and he's won his last four. Walker also has 83 strikeouts in 85 innings pitched. The K's are a big reason he's averaged 27.1 fantasy points per game in his last six starts.

The Mariners Twitter account tweeted this on Tuesday night to remind anyone who hadn't seen how well Walker has been pitching:

San Diego is currently third in the majors in strikeouts, so there's reason to believe Walker would have a good chance to shine in a game in which he figures to get healthy run support. Perhaps Walker won't be a No. 1 starter, but he will be one heck of a second option for $9,200.

Take a look at the complete optimal lineup for Wednesday afternoon's games:

Position	Player	Opponent	SALARY
P	Johnny Cueto	Minnesota Twins	$10,900
P	Taijuan Walker	San Diego Padres	$9,200
C	Nick Hundley	Oakland Athletics	$3,400
1B	Edwin Encarnacion	Toronto Blue Jays	$4,500
2B	Robinson Cano	San Diego Padres	$3,600
3B	Kyle Seager	San Diego Padres	$3,600
SS	Jose Reyes	Boston Red Sox	$4,200
OF	Austin Jackson	San Diego Padres	$3,300
OF	Logan Morrison	San Diego Padres	$3,100
OF	Danny Valencia	Boston Red Sox	$3,500

Jose Reyes ($4,200) vs. Boston Red Sox

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

The Boston Red Sox send Rick Porcello to the mound on Wednesday, and the Toronto Blue Jays are happy about that.

Porcello hasn't exactly been a reliable arm for Boston with his 5.54 ERA and 1.38 WHIP. He's had seven starts this season where he's allowed at least four earned runs. As Porcello gets ready to take the mound against the majors' top-scoring team and fourth-most prolific home run hitting squad, signs point to a solid offensive output from the Blue Jays.

Jose Reyes is a good candidate to play the role of catalyst for Toronto's offensive efforts. He's 4-for-10 against Porcello in his career, and he's averaging eight FPPG this season. Toronto's speedy shortstop is the best pick for his position in the early games.

Edwin Encarnacion ($4,500) vs. Boston Red Sox

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

Continuing the attack on Porcello and the Red Sox, Edwin Encarnacion is another strong option. He's 7-for-18 against Porcello with an average of .389 against the 26-year-old right-hander. After a terrible start to the season, Encarnacion found his swing at the plate in June.

He hit .302 for the month with four home runs and 15 RBI. He's in position to continue his hot hitting at Boston and at Porcello's expense. Encarnacion's $4,500 price tag is fairly high for a player hitting just .241, but his recent hitting and Porcello's struggles make Encarnacion a fantasy stud on Wednesday.

Austin Jackson ($3,300) at San Diego Padres

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Last but not least is the Mariners' red-hot Austin Jackson. The 28-year-old outfielder is on a modest four-game hit streak but in that time, he's hitting a healthy .437. That hot streak coincides nicely with Shields' start.

Like many of his Mariners teammates, Jackson has hit Shields well. In 35 career at-bats, Jackson is hitting .343 against Shields. On Tuesday night, Jackson hit sixth in the lineup and went 2-for-4 with an RBI. If he stays in the sixth slot, he should have plenty of RBI opportunities.

At $3,300, Jackson should be the biggest bargain of the day.

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