MLB DFS DraftKings.com & FanDuel.com Lineups & Picks for June 2, 2018
Welcome back to another Saturday of MLB DFS. We’re back for another full slate of MLB DFS games scheduled for Saturday, 6/2/18. The main slate on DraftKings includes eight games starting at 7:15 p.m. EST, while FanDuel’s main slate also includes eight starting at the same time.
For today, we’re listing our top MLB DFS picks at pitcher, hitter, and stacks to target in Cash and GPP lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel. The info below can also be used for crafting your daily fantasy baseball strategy at FantasyDraft.
Please note the advice below is relevant for daily fantasy purposes. A player or team might be better or worse from a fantasy perspective than in real life due to matchup, price, and lots of other factors. This is important to consider when constructing a roster. Remember that more than in other sports, variance is a huge part of baseball. Even Mike Trout can go 0-for-4 on a given night, and Max Scherzer can get lit up by an unsuspecting team.
Weather can also play a huge role in MLB DFS on a nightly basis, and lineups are constantly shifting. So always, always check the starting lineups and weather reports when playing for an MLB slate.
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Best MLB DFS Pitchers for June 2, 2018
Chris Archer @ SEA ($8.5k DraftKings, $8.8k FanDuel)
Archer may never achieve the potential Tampa sought from him after his meteoric rise in the pitching ranks. But against a Robinson Cano-less Mariners team, at Safeco Field, Archer is in play for me. The former Cy Young candidate is playing well lately, making it through at least six innings in each of his last three outings. Over that span, which amounted to 18.2 innings, Archer allowed just one earned run while racking up 18 strikeouts, including seven in his last outing.
To be fair, Seattle is playing quite well as of late, winning 10 of their last 13. However, they split a four-game series with the Rangers at home prior to this series. As such, I do believe they aren’t on the most solid ground right now. While Seattle doesn’t strike out a lot (fourth-lowest per-game rate in the league), Archer gets the pitcher-friendly ballpark and has a nasty slider. I like his chances, and though he’s a better option in GPPs, he can be rostered in Cash given his veteran prowess.
Vince Velasquez vs. SF ($9.4K DraftKings, $8.4k FanDuel)
Sticking to the theme of not going with the super chalky guys, I actually like Vince Velasquez today. The Phillies starter has struggled a bit of late, failing to reach six innings in each of his last few games. It is important, however, to point out the nature of his early exit in his last outing. Through five innings, Velasquez had a no-hitter brewing. Then, he allowed two runs on three hits and was abruptly yanked.
This San Francisco team offers little in the way of scoring runs, as they rank eighth in fewest runs per game this season. From a different angle, the Giants are striking out at the fourth-highest per-game average in the league. Velasquez has 15 strikeouts over his last two starts, which totaled 10 innings. I’ll let you do the math on the K/9. He also has a 40% lower ERA on the road than at home. Roster Velasquez wherever you feel comfortable. He’s Cash and GPP viable across the industry.
Caleb Smith @ ARI ($9.0k DraftKings, $8.1k FanDuel)
May was a shift in the right direction for Smith. Now, he hopes to begin June the same way. He ended May it with a seven-inning, one-run gem against the San Diego Padres. Today, he’ll face the Diamondbacks, who should probably send out a search party for Paul Goldschmidt at this point. They’re striking out at the fifth-highest per-game rate this season and are 28-27 after starting the season on a major hot streak. But the strikeouts aren’t a fluke. They struck out more than nine times per game last season too.
Therefore, Smith has strikeout upside in this one. He’s flashed it before this season, with eight strikeouts against the Mets and Cubs, nine against the Rockies, and 10 against the Brewers. He’s never faced this D-Backs team (Steven Souza is the only hitter who has faced him), and I think that gives him an edge. Smith is extremely appealing in tournaments and Cash games, alike, where he gets you strikeout upside that could put his score up there with the more expensive pitchers. Fire away, especially on DraftKings where he’s a bit pricier. But you need two pitchers; consider pairing Smith with Velasquez to unlock some real strikeout potential in GPPs.
Zack Greinke vs. MIA ($10.7k DraftKings, $9.1k FanDuel)
On the flipside in the Miami-Arizona game, Greinke is a solid ace you can get behind. He’s safe in Cash because he carries a high strikeout floor, and the Marlins are the Marlins. They’re scoring the fewest runs per game in the MLB and striking out at a slightly above average rate. Greinke, meanwhile, has been dominant at home this season. He’s allowing hitters to achieve just a .184 BA. And at Chase Field, he’s racked up 37 strikeouts in 37.1 innings, which has assisted in his 2-0 record there. He’s 1-4 on the road. I’ll take Greinke in GPPs and Cash games. He’s very reasonable on FanDuel, while he doesn’t completely break the bank on DraftKings. Sure, Caleb Smith could spin a gem and out-duel Greinke. But I believe there’s a stronger likelihood of Greinke being the winner in this one.
Other pitchers to consider: Walker Buehler, David Price, Andrew Suarez, Justin Verlander, Jacob DeGrom (weather risk)
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Best MLB DFS Hitters for June 2, 2018
Max Muncy @ COL ($4.3k DraftKings, $3.1k FanDuel)
Max Muncy is terribly underpriced at FanDuel, considering he’s facing German Marquez at Coors Field—a right-handed pitcher he has taken yard in two at bats. This season, Marquez has allowed lefties to hit home runs at nearly twice the rate of righties, and he’s averaging about a home run per seven innings at Coors. That isn’t an astonishingly high figure, but Muncy has never played at Coors. Still, he is responsible for one of six home runs Marquez has allowed this season. He’s GPP only for me at DraftKings due to his cost. However, at FanDuel, I think he’s an excellent way to take on some savings in Cash games, though you can feel more comfortable rolling with him in GPPs. His two home runs over the six games prior to the Dodgers series in Colorado also suggest he’s a hot right now.
Scott Schebler @ SD ($3.5k DraftKings, $3.0k FanDuel)
I get it; you don’t like the lefty-lefty matchup here. It’s OK. Eric Lauer is awful against batters of either handedness, allowing a .952 OPS and 1.005 OPS to lefties and righties this year, respectively. Schebler lands in the no. 2 spot for top batter matchups on RotoQL. And even though he is left-handed like Lauer, the Reds outfielder is a game removed from taking Patrick Corbin (a fellow lefty) deep. Schebler is a cheap option in the bottom-middle of the Reds lineup. I’m fine with that, as I expect Cincinnati to have a big game overall. (You’ll find them listed in the stacks below.) And in his last outing, Lauer got battered to the tune of five runs over 2.1 innings. I’ll take a heating-up Schleber over a dreadful lefty in this one.
Eric Hosmer vs. CIN ($4.0k DraftKings, $3.5k FanDuel)
Matt Harvey is trying to pick up the pieces of his once-promising career. But Eric Hosmer stands in the way. The Padres first baseman is a perfect 4-for-4 against Harvey, including a double, an RBI, and a walk, for good measure. Harvey is fresh off a rough outing in Colorado in which he allowed four runs without seeing the sixth inning. Hosmer, meanwhile, finished May with eight hits in his last 11 at bats. He’s also boasting a .904 OPS against right-handed pitchers on the season. You can get him at a reasonable price, with a reasonable floor. He’s Cash and GPP viable, though I prefer the latter given his upside is limited at Petco Park. That said, you can get leverage with Hosmer, as he’s rarely a tournament target given his not-so-minimal price and lack of flare.
Wilson Ramos @ SEA ($3.5k DraftKings, $2.9k FanDuel)
Ramos is on fire; he’s in the last game of the slate; he gets to face a lefty. Ramos has compiled a nice season after a dreadful start. With two hits in two career at bats against Marco Gonzales, he seems to have figured something out. He’s also managed to hit safely in 11 straight games, notching 17 hits in that span. He’s also hit six home runs on the road this season, compared to just one at home. And one more thing: he’s extremely cheap on FanDuel and more than reasonable at DraftKings. Given his hot streak and the fact that I love rostering guys in the late game when it’s right, you can roster Ramos in GPPs across the industry. He’s also Cash-viable given the lack of depth at the position, but I am more inclined to roster him in Cash at DraftKings.
Other hitters to consider: Andrew Benintendi, Scooter Gennett, Mike Trout, Eugenio Suarez, Yasiel Puig, Anthony Rizzo, Matt Kemp, Justin Bour, Justin Upton, Joey Votto, Nolan Arenado, Brandon Belt, Trevor Story, Brandon Nimmo
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MLB DFS Stacks to Consider for June 2, 2018
Reds vs. Eric Lauer (Padres)
Padres vs. Matt Harvey (Reds)
Dodgers vs. German Marquez (Rockies)
