DFS MLB Lineups for June 29, 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!
Well, swing and a miss on the Strasburg and Stroman fades. However, I did find my way to Matz, Ryu, and a few shares of Castillo and since we were heavy on the Astros, it turned out to be a nice night. As a quick reminder, we write this column the night before in order have it up bright and early the day of the slate so you can start your prep. With that, please remember to keep up with the news throughout the day. Injuries get announced. Guys get scratched. Managers give guys days off. Ok. Let’s rock and roll. Tonight we have 8 games on the main slate led by Clayton Kershaw and Chris Archer. Either guy could end up with the top raw point score tonight which leave the decision of whether to just go with Archer and save the $2k on DK. I’ll be looking at Happ, Lamet, Taillon, and maybe even a dart or two with Homer Bailey as my SP2 (Bailey is free on DK). As for bats, I have some interest in the Blue Jays and Yankees, and will probably make a hedge stack or two against whichever SP2 I settle on tonight. Good luck and hope to see you above the cash line. – 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!
6/29/17 MAIN SLATE DFS MLB TOURNAMENTS
DraftKings Grand Slam: $444 buy-in, $250k guaranteed
DraftKings Fastball: $33 buy-in, $200k guaranteed
DraftKings Four Seamer: $4 buy-in, $90k guaranteed (20 Entry Max)
FanDuel Home Run: $150 buy-in, $200k guaranteed
FanDuel Monster: $333 buy-in, $60k guaranteed
FanDuel Squeeze: $4 buy-in, $150k guaranteed
Best DFS MLB Pitchers for June 29, 2017
J.A. Happ vs. BAL ($8.7k DraftKings, $8.4k FanDuel)
It’s not that Clayton Kershaw and Chris Archer are unappealing at the top of the board tonight, just that they are very expensive and really restrict the type of bats you can roster. Happ is an affordable option with a very solid floor, as he’s seemingly regained his form with 3 great outings in a row. The crafty lefty now faces an Orioles team that ranked dead last in the A.L. with a .224 batting average against lefties last year and current O’s are a combined 32-for-153 (.209) with a notable 46 K’s in their careers against Happ.
David Price vs. MIN ($7.7k DraftKings, $9.1k FanDuel)
This price tag is temptingly low for Price on DK, especially when you consider his Red Sox are heavily favored at home with struggling RHP Kyle Gibson starting for Minnesota. Current Twins are hitting .217 with more K’s (30) than hits (26) and a weak collective .263 wOBA in their careers against Price and posting a modest .309 wOBA with a .140 ISO Mark against lefties in general this season. Price has actually been better over 2 starts at Fenway this year and still has plenty of upside when he’s on.
Dinelson Lamet vs. ATL ($7k DraftKings, $8.1k FanDuel)
Lamet has been an excellent strikeout pitcher at the Minor League level and he burst onto the scene in the MLB with 16 K’s over his first 2 outings, hit a rough patch, and has bounced back nicely. He was able to post Quality Starts against the Brewers and Tigers and he should be able to keep rolling at spacious Petco Park against a below-average Braves offense. The 24-year-old Dominican native pitched very well in his home park at the AAA level this year and will learn to use Petco to his advantage.
Other pitchers to consider: Clayton Kershaw, Chris Archer, Jimmy Nelson, Jameson Taillon
Best DFS MLB Hitters for June 29, 2017
Aaron Judge @ CWS ($5.7k DraftKings, $4.9k FanDuel)
The Yankees could really tee off tonight in a ballpark with a decently high HR Factor, not that Judge needs to hit cheapies to add to his league-leading total. With 27 homers and a 1.144 OPS on the season, the big rookie shows no signs of slowing down and he’s worth the money ahead of a plus matchup against homer-prone veteran James Shields, who allowed a 2.30 HR/9 ratio when facing RHB last season. Shields was tagged for 3 HRs in his last outing against Oakland and has given up a bomb in all 5 of his appearances this year.
Ryan Braun @ CIN ($4.6k DraftKings, $4.0k FanDuel)
With Braun back in the lineup, the Brewers are a much more formidable offensive team and that spells trouble as Homer Bailey makes his 2nd start of the season. After posting a career-worst 6.65 ERA over 6 outings last year, the 31-year-old was tagged for 8 runs over just 1.2 innings in his season debut last Saturday. Braun homered last night and has tagged the ball plenty since his return. He’s seen plenty of Bailey and is 12-for-37 (.324) with 2 HRs in his career against the familiar foe.
Mitch Moreland vs. MIN ($4k DraftKings, $3.4 FanDuel)
Moreland has been hitting like an elite 1B while outplaying Hanley Ramirez for most of the season and frankly he should be priced much higher given his floor-ceiling combination in plus matchups. The LHB is 6-for-19 with 3 HRs over his last 4 appearances and faces a RHP in Kyle Gibson, who brings a 6.23 ERA and 1.83 WHIP into this tough road test. Moreland is hitting .290 with a .370 wOBA at Fenway this year and Gibson is giving up a 39% Hard Contact Rate when facing the platoon. Moreland is never highly owned, making him an even more attractive option.
Other hitters to consider: Cody Bellinger, Gary Sanchez, Eric Thames, Travis Shaw, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Pillar, Melky Cabrera, Tyler Wade, Miguel Sano, Manuel Margot
6/29/17 DFS MLB STACKS
Yankees vs James Shields
Even if you can’t afford Judge as the highest-upside addition to this stack, there are plenty of Yankees worth consideration against Shields, who has consistently been one of the most vulnerable SPs in baseball for 2.5 seasons. Lefties are 12-for-57 with 4 HRs off Shields already this year, so feel free to use Brett Gardner, Didi Gregorious and even Jacoby Ellsbury as he works his way back from a concussion. Gary Sanchez is an elite H2H option because of his position and we should finally see what young LHB Tyler Wade can do in a plus matchup.
Blue Jays vs Ubaldo Jimenez
One of the most prototypical targets in DFS circles because of his tendency to implode, Jimenez is struggling at home and away with a 7.26 ERA on the year. He’s posted a 4.82 ERA over his last 5 appearances at Rogers Centre and has been lucky to avoid further damage in those outings. While Josh Donaldson is struggling, you can expect him to pick it up eventually and a matchup like this is a prime opportunity. Toronto manager John Gibbons is shuffling the lineup to try and spark things, so keep an eye out for values such as Ezequiel Carrera or Kevin Pillar to move up in the order along with backstop Russell Martin.
Other Stacks to consider:
Red Sox vs. Kyle Gibson
Marlins vs. Seth Lugo
Dodgers vs. J.C. Ramirez
