DFS MLB Lineups for June 24, 2017 at Draftkings.com & Fanduel.com
For this daily fantasy baseball season, each day there’s a good slate of DFS MLB games, we’ll be writing up a group of pitchers and hitters that we’re considering for our cash and GPP lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel. We’ll also provide a list of stacks to consider, MLB start times, starting pitchers, and game run totals to give you a good idea of where the fantasy goodness might come from on a given night. As with any DFS sport, the advice below is relevant for fantasy purposes. A player or team might be better or worse from a fantasy perspective than they are in real life due to matchup, price, park factor, etc. This is important when constructing a roster. And if you’re looking for a new way to play DFS, be sure and give BOOM Fantasy a try!
We’re focusing on the small 7 game late slate with this article and the first thing you’ll notice is that it’s a Kershaw day. The only thing is, Kershaw has looked like a mortal over the last month or so. So much so, that Robbie Ray is just $200 cheaper than Kershaw on DraftKings. There’s also two other aces taking this hill in Jacob deGrom and the returning from the DL, Lance McCullers. It’s odd to have four top line starters (not to mention Johnny Cueto and David Price) to choose from on such a short slate. This should a ton of fun tonight deciding how to spend your salary. I’ll be watching DFS Twitter and browsing the articles to see if people are still going all in on Kershaw. If so, I’ll likely pivot to Ray, deGrom, or McCullers and hope Kershaw comes in 4th of the group. If people are recommending a Kershaw fade, then I’ll go ahead and make sure I’ve got more exposure than the field. This Rockies team can be had away from Coors, especially by lefties. – Matt
A quick reminder while playing DFS MLB, don’t forget baseball is a game of variance. You can make a really solid lineup and still fall short of the cash line. Even Clayton Kershaw can get lit up, and Mike Trout can still go 0 for 4. Baseball is funny like that. Trust the process and know that if you’re playing quality lineups, you’ll be a winner in the long term.
Another thing to remember outside of making sure your player is in the lineup, is to always check the weather. Always. Make this something that is part of your basic routine. Baseball games can get postponed! Your players receive no points from postponed games!
6/24/17 MAIN SLATE DFS MLB TOURNAMENTS
DraftKings Saturday Slugfest: $40 buy-in, $160k guaranteed
DraftKings Perfect Game: $333 buy-in, $110k guaranteed
DraftKings Rally Cap: $8 buy-in, $60k guaranteed
FanDuel Monster: $555 buy-in, $100k guaranteed
FanDuel Grand Slam: $33 buy-in, $30k guaranteed
FanDuel Rally: $7 buy-in, $40k guaranteed
Best DFS MLB Pitchers for June 24, 2017
Clayton Kershaw vs. COL ($12.5k DraftKings, $12.3k FanDuel)
When they leave the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado Rockies leave their ski masks behind and are exposed for the overrated offense that they are, which is why Clayton Kershaw should have yet again another dominant night. Away from Coors Field, the Rockies .727 OPS through 38 games ranked 18th among MLB teams. That may be an above-average mark for a National League team, but they are facing a future first ballot Hall of Famer. Kershaw is 10-2 with a 2.61 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 103.1 innings over 15 starts this season. Without many options to choose from, it is not a bad idea to go with the best.
Gerrit Cole @ STL ($8.0k DraftKings, $8.4k FanDuel)
It’s been a pretty subpar year for Gerrit Cole on the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates, but he has turned things around in his past two starts, giving his team seven innings of one-run ball in each of them, picking up wins over the offensively-savvy Milwaukee Brewers and Colorado Rockies. Sure, the Cardinals offense is average, putting up 4.34 runs per game, which is nearly identical to the MLB-wide pitcher ERA but when Cole is on, the former first overall pick is one of the top pitchers in the game.
Jacob deGrom @ SF ($11.4k DraftKings, $10.3k FanDuel)
When he is on, deGrom can be one of the top pitchers in baseball and while he is piecing together a productive yet underwhelming year (6-3, 3.94 ERA, 106 strikeouts, 89 innings pitched in 14 starts), today’s start is one deGrom could potentially dominate. The righty, who has allowed one earned run over his past two starts spanning 17 innings, faces the feeblest of offenses, the Giants, amid California’s June gloom where the Marine Layer clouds stunt team’s offenses. Through 32 games, the Giants had a .625 OPS at home, which was by far the worst in the majors. Capitalize off that weakness.
Other pitchers to consider: Robbie Ray, Jacob deGrom
Best DFS MLB Hitters for June 24, 2017
Paul Goldschmidt vs. PHI ($5.6k DraftKings, $4.8k FanDuel)
Coming into Friday, Goldschmidt was on a hot streak, batting .429 with three home runs over the last week. He clobbers right-handed pitching (.350 batting average, 16 home runs, 1.132 OPS in 203 at-bats) and he especially hits well at home with an OPS over 1.200 at Chase Field. At the start of his team’s game tomorrow, the temperature could be over 100 degrees, and he is facing a rookie named Ben Lively, who owns a 4.88 FIP in four career MLB stats and really doesn’t strike many batters out.
Jackie Bradley Jr. vs. LAA ($4.0k DraftKings, $3.4k FanDuel)
Bradley Jr. might be one of the streaky hitters in baseball, but he always seems to have a month where he is red hot. This year, that month has been June. Through 20 games in June, he was batting .347 with three home runs and a 1.003 OPS. He’ll have Fenway Park to his benefit, and he will face a subpar JC Ramirez, who has allowed 4.5 runs in under five innings over his last four starts. Surrounded by talent, Bradley could have plenty of runners to knock in.
Wil Myers vs. DET ($4.3k DraftKings, $3.5k FanDuel)
Myers could be the spark that ignites the Padres offense today. He hits righties well (12 home runs, .828 OPS in 211 at-bats) and came into Friday riding a nine-game on-base streak which should serve him well with northpaw Anibal Sanchez, who is taking the hill for the Diamondbacks. Sanchez has had a rough go in 2017; he owns a 7.96 ERA in 26 innings this season, primarily in relief. Sanchez’ prospects are not too promising seeing how he went 5-12 with a 6.04 ERA in 26 starts last season. The only issue with stacking is the Padres offense in itself is weak and the game is at pitcher-friendly Petco Park. Still, it is worth a shot to take a chance on the Padres best hitter.
Other hitters to consider: Jake Lamb, Mitch Moreland, Xander Bogaerts, Derek Fisher, Joc Pederson, Hanley Ramirez, Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve, Josh Reddick, Franchy Cordero
6/24/17 DFS MLB STACKS
Red Sox vs. JC Ramirez
June has been dreadful for the Angels right-hander. He has allowed 18 runs in 19 innings over four starts and the opposition is hitting .333 off of him. Pitching at hitter-friendly Fenway Park, he faces a statistically average Red Sox lineup (.750 OPS), but there are more appealing in fantasy than their final line appears because third base has been a black hole offensively for them this season. Xander Bogaerts, Mitch Moreland, Xander Bogaerts and Andrew Benintendi are the team’s top hitters against right-handed pitchers, albeit Jackie Bradley Jr. has really heated up at the plate over the past month (OPS over 1.000 in June headed into last night).
Astros vs. Sam Gaviglio
Gaviglio has enjoyed some success in his first handful of MLB outings (3-1, 3.43 ERA in eight career outings, including seven starts), but that should not last for a long time. His 5.83 FIP and 5.7 K/9 IP are indications that he is hittable and can get hit hard. Of course, the Astros, who may have the best offense in baseball, went into Friday night leading the league in runs scored (408), home runs (118) and OPS (.826). If anyone can expose a hittable right-handed pitcher, it’s just about anyone in their lineup. Watch for Gaviglio’s ERA to balloon tomorrow.
Diamondbacks vs. Ben Lively
Lively is entering hostile territory today, and the desert might leave him out to dry. Lively has fanned just 11 batters in 27 innings this season. Sure, his 3.33 ERA in four career MLB starts is solid, but his 4.88 FIP indicates it is not sustainable, and the weather forecast certainly favors the Diamondbacks. But the home team probably doesn’t need much help anyways since they’re a quality hitting team at home. They’re averaging about 6.5 runs per game at Chase Field this year and owned an .886 OPS through 35 home games. Nearly anyone in their lineup would be a solid pickup tomorrow.
Other Stacks to consider:
Padres vs. Anibal Sanchez
