MLB DFS DraftKings.com & FanDuel.com Lineups & Picks for June 17, 2018
Happy Sunday, DFSers. We’re back for another full slate of MLB DFS games scheduled for 6/17/18. The main slates on both DraftKings and FanDuel kick off at 1:05 p.m. EST. We’ve got 10 games in play at DraftKings, while FanDuel’s main slate features nine.
For today, we’re listing our MLB DFS best 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.
6/17/18 MLB DFS TOURNAMENT PICKS
Full Count: $55 entry, $250k guaranteed (DraftKings) – $50,000 to 1st!
Rally Cap: $8 entry, $125k guaranteed (DraftKings) – $20,000 to 1st!
MLB Grand Slam: $66 entry, $150k guaranteed (FanDuel) – $30,000 to 1st!
MLB Squeeze: $4.44 entry, $100k guaranteed (FanDuel) – $10,000 to 1st!
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Best MLB DFS Pitchers for June 17, 2018
Joe Musgrove vs. CIN ($8.5k DraftKings, $7.6k FanDuel)
Musgrove takes the mound at home today against the Cincinnati Reds, a bad baseball team. The Reds are 25-45 on the season, and they’ve lost the first two games of this series, scoring four runs on 14 hits. Musgrove has walked away with a win in three of his last four home games, and, in two of those, he shut down divisional competitors in the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals (to the tune of a combined one earned run and 13 strikeouts over 14 innings). The Reds are 7-23 in divisional matchups, while Musgrove is 2-0. He’s one of the most cost-effective plays on the slate, and you can feel comfortable rostering Musgrove in GPPs and Cash games.
Lance McCullers @ KC ($11.3k DraftKings, $8.8k FanDuel)
McCullers is the second-most expensive pitcher on the slate, but his matchup makes me more likely to roster him than Aaron Nola, who’s most expensive. In fact, I’m fading Nola, who struggles with his K-rate on the road. But we’re here to talk about McCullers. He strikes out batters at a slightly higher rate away than at home; his K/9 is just above 9 on the road and just below 9 at home. Though the Royals don’t strike out much, they also win at a low rate (the second lowest in baseball). Kansas City is 22-48 on the season, and McCullers has that Astros offense at his back. McCullers could very possibly be the top scorer at the pitching position on the slate. As such, he’s viable in Cash games and GPPs, especially on FanDuel where he is very reasonably priced.
Chase Anderson vs. PHI ($7.7k DraftKings, $6.2k FanDuel)
After spinning a gem against the Cubs last week, Anderson will look to build off that 1-hit, 7-inning outing today against the Phillies. Now, game-log watchers could jump on the train; he hasn’t been particularly good overall this season with a 4.13 ERA and a 5-5 record. However, the Phillies strike out at the highest per-game rate in the MLB, and I happen to believe that the RHP’s last outing could be a sign of him finding his stride. After all, he’s now 2-0 in his past three home games, and the Phillies are 4-6 over their last 10. Many will go Nola here, which could further drive down Anderson’s ownership. Anderson is cheap enough where you can pay off his salary without a high-K performance. But I’d recommend sticking to GPPs, especially on FanDuel.
James Shields vs. DET ($5.6k DraftKings, $6.9k FanDuel)
I have to admit I didn’t see this James Shields season coming. Sure, he’s 2-7 with a 4.63 ERA, but he’s not playing that poorly; he just plays for the Chicago White Sox. Shields has actually been decent at home this season. He’s scored at least 16 DraftKings points in each of his last four home starts, averaging more than five strikeouts per game across that span. Not bad for a guy priced at the bottom of the position. While the Tigers have long been synonymous with offensive prowess, this season they are ranked 17th in runs and second to last in home runs. The Tigers have won four straight, and they may very well beat the struggling White Sox. But Shields’ recent home performances make me willing to take a shot at him in GPPs, but only on DraftKings. You can do much better on FanDuel.
Other pitchers to consider: Blaine Hardy, Jon Gray, Trevor Richards, Julio Teheran, CC Sabathia
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Best MLB DFS Hitters for June 17, 2018
Carlos Gonzalez @ TEX ($4.0k DraftKings)
You can’t play him on FanDuel’s main slate, but “Cargo” is a very appealing late-game option at DraftKings for a few reasons. First of all, Yovani Gallardo’s ERA is above 30 in a short amount of action this season. Second, the Texas heat shouldn’t hurt Gonzalez’s ability to drive the ball long. And lastly, his OPS is 33% higher against righties than lefties. No one else on this Rockies team has quite as dynamic of splits (even Charlie Blackmon), but I have little doubt the whole squad will put in some work today. Though Gonzalez bats down in the order, he’s cheap enough where you can afford him, while he’s not so cheap that everyone will flock to him. The majority of DFS players will likely look higher in the order today, but Gonzalez has put together quite the month so far, slashing .357/.474/.831. The matchup is too good for me not to work him into GPPs.
Eric Thames vs. PHI ($4.6k DraftKings, $3.3k FanDuel)
Thames has just seven home runs this season, a far cry from the power-streak he went through in 2017. But he still has power, and he’s still playing in Milwaukee. Today, he gets the hard throwing righty Aaron Nola, who has drastic K/9 home/road splits. While his K/9 is above 10 at home, it’s just 7.5 on the road. I think Nola will be popular, but I’m staying away. Meanwhile, Thames will likely be very unpopular, considering his lackluster season. But he hits RHPs to the tune of a .956 OPS this year, compared to a .695 OPS against lefties. He’s also hit all seven of his home runs against righties, five of which came at home. He’s a mega-leverage play on DraftKings where his salary, coupled with his struggles, will price almost everyone out. That makes him GPP only there, and a deep play at that. On FanDuel, there’s opportunity cost associated with rostering him, but that salary is incredibly low for a guy who has the ability to go long, potentially multiple times. What’s more, Thames is 3-for-6 lifetime against Nola with two doubles.
Matt Davidson vs. DET ($3.5k DraftKings, $2.7k FanDuel)
I’ll be the first to say I never like rostering Davidson due to his boom/bust tendencies. But today he faces Blaine Hardy, a left-handed pitcher who, in three showdowns, has allowed a double and a home run to Davidson. The Sox righty has hit four home runs in 41 at bats against lefties, while slashing .171/.346/.488. Wait, but that isn’t good, right? Back to the boom or bust line: Davidson’s four home runs against lefties came across a total of seven hits. Yes, four of his seven hits against lefties this season have left the yard. Hardy isn’t a bad pitcher, but he also isn’t very good. And his 2.70 home ERA looks incredible compared to his 4.91 ERA on the road. The Sox should get to Detroit’s pitching in this one, and I think Davidson has major upside given his power. He’s a GPP only option, but he’s cheap enough to work into your lineups.
Greg Bird @ TB ($4.0k DraftKings, $3.1k FanDuel)
Wilmer Font is allowing a home run in every 10 at bats against lefties this season. The Yankees happen to have a few that could bump up that rate. You could go with Didi Gregorius, a guy I also like, or pay up for Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton, both quality options. But I’m most interested in Greg Bird, a lefty who has some serious power. In 56 at bats against RHPs this season, Bird has 12 hits, and nine of those hits went for extra bases, including three home runs. That gives the Yankees slugger some nice upside against the struggling Font, who is allowing lefties to hit for an OPS of 1.082 this season on 17 hits (including five home runs) across 48 at bats. Again, it’ll be hard to go wrong with Yankees today, but Bird combines reasonable cost with massive power. He’s a GPP play for me on both sites, while the Yankees’ matchup gives him a good argument for viability in Cash, where I’ll have some exposure.
Other hitters to consider: Charlie Blackmon, Nolan Arenado, Brett Gardner, Didi Gregorius, Aaron Hicks, Manny Machado, Adam Eaton, Daniel Murphy, Juan Soto, Logan Morrison, Jose Ramirez, Freddie Freeman, Austin Meadows, Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson, Christian Yelich, Shin-soo Choo
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MLB DFS Stacks to Consider for June 17, 2018
Nationals vs. Sam Gaviglio (Blue Jays)
Rockies vs. Yovani Gallardo (Rangers)
Yankees vs. Wilmer Font (Rays)
Braves vs. Jordan Lyles (Padres)
