MLB DFS DraftKings.com & FanDuel.com Lineups & Picks for June 21, 2018
There are seven games on the main MLB DFS slate for Thursday, 6/21/18. Below is a list of our best MLB DFS picks for pitchers, hitters, and stacks to target in Cash and GPP lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel. The info below can also be used for creating 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 Jose Altuve can go 0-for-4 on a given night, and Max Scherzer can get lit up by a weak 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. If a game gets rained out, your player gets zero points!
*The White Sox-Athletics game has been postponed
*Watch the forecast in Cincinnati before deploying Reds or Cubs players tonight.
6/21/18 MLB DFS TOURNAMENT PICKS
Slugfest: $40 entry, $175k guaranteed (DraftKings) – $20,000 to 1st!
Rally Cap: $8 entry, $140k guaranteed (DraftKings)
Grand Slam: $55 entry, $100k guaranteed (FanDuel) – $25,000 to 1st!
Rally: $9.99 entry, $100k guaranteed (FanDuel) – $20,000 to 1st!
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Best MLB DFS Pitchers for June 21, 2018
Max Scherzer vs. BAL ($14.5k DraftKings, $12.2k FanDuel)
Despite his justifiably lofty price tag, Max Scherzer should be the starting point for building lineups on tonight’s seven-game slate. The best SP in baseball this year faces the worst offense in the Orioles. They rank dead last in batting average (.214) and runs scored (69) over the last 30 days. Scherzer leads all qualified pitchers with a 13.59 K/9 ratio and 1.95 FIP, while the O’s are posting the seventh-highest K-Rate (24.8%) against RHPs this season. Current Orioles are 34-for-164 (.207) with a whopping 66 Ks (40.2% K-Rate) in their careers against Scherzer, leading to a lofty projection of 30.6 DK points for the Nats ace, according to models on RotoQL.
Tyler Skaggs @ TOR ($10.7k DraftKings, $9.0k FanDuel)
Tyler Skaggs is crafty enough to keep hitters off balance, as he’s mixing his pitches to post a career-high 9.68 K/9 ratio and 11.2% swinging strike rate this season. Toronto is posting a collective 19.3% line drive rate when facing lefties and is less likely to do much damage against a capable LHP with Josh Donaldson (calf) still a few days from returning. Skaggs is 5-1 with a 2.27 ERA and 4.45 K/BB ratio on the road this season.
Madison Bumgarner vs. SD ($9.4k DraftKings, $8.6k FanDuel)
He’s yet to flash his upside over his first three starts of the season, but Madison Bumgarner is likely to return to form sooner rather than later. Tonight is a night to pay up for pitching, and Bumgarner is a viable alternative if you can’t roll with Scherzer and Skaggs. San Diego is posting the second-lowest wOBA (.290) and the highest K-Rate (25.8%) in the Majors this year. Meanwhile, Bumgarner has dominated with a 9.68 K/9 ratio and .198 BAA over his last 13 appearances against the Giants’ divisional rivals. Once his control returns, we should see higher strikeout numbers and a reduced HR/9 ratio from the Giants ace.
Zack Godley @ PIT ($7.2k DraftKings, $7.9k FanDuel)
Zack Godley is one of the few value options worth considering in one of the SP slots on DK tonight. He’s coming off consecutive eight-strikeout efforts and could exceed value once again. He could also potentially earn a win if the D’Backs tag vulnerable RHP Ivan Nova. Godley has been solid as long as he’s kept runners off base. The opposing Pirates are only hitting .240 with a collective .309 wOBA over the last 30 days.
Other pitchers to consider: Carlos Martinez, Kyle Hendricks (weather pending)
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Best MLB DFS Hitters for June 21, 2018
Matt Carpenter @ MIL ($4.4k DraftKings, $4.0k FanDuel)
After a very slow start to the season, Matt Carpenter has found his groove atop the Cardinals lineup with 4 HRs and a .304 batting average over the past week. He drew three walks yesterday to raise his BB-Rate to 12.9% this season. Tonight, he faces a RHP in Junior Guerra who is walking 10.3% of lefties this season. Guerra is also coughing up a 12.4% HR/FB ratio to LHBs, and Carpenter is 5-for-11 in a small sample of at-bats against the 33-year-old starter. – Milwaukee has pushed Guerra back and is starting LHP Brent Suter instead. Carpenter is 4-for-11 with a HR off Suter and is still worth a look with a projection of 8 DK points (on RotoQL) on the road tonight, where he’s been far more effective with a .389 wOBA and 147 wRC+ this season.
Adam Eaton vs. BAL ($4.2k DraftKings, $3.9k FanDuel)
Orioles RHP Kevin Gausman has been better against the platoon this season but still doesn’t match up well against Washington’s lefty-heavy lineup. A Nats stack would begin with their leadoff man, Adam Eaton. He is starting to find his stride again after missing significant time with a fractured ankle. He’s 11-for-34 (.324) over his last nine appearances, and while he isn’t flashing much category juice, he could score a few runs if Gausman continues to struggle.
Jon Jay @ PIT ($4.2k DraftKings, $3.4k FanDuel)
The top of the Diamondbacks order represents an appealing combination of stacking options tonight with Jon Jay likely leading off. We could see Jake Lamb bat third and David Peralta clean up to attack RHP Chad Kuhl. The Pirates starter is posting a 5.20 FIP with a 41.4% hard contact rate when facing the platoon this season this season. Kuhl is giving up a 1.37 HR/9 ratio, so the red-hot Paul Goldschmidt is also worth a look, but Jay is arguably the safer bet with 15 hits over his last eight appearances for Arizona.
Other hitters to consider: Paul Goldschmidt, Christian Yelich, Juan Soto, David Peralta, Kyle Schwarber, Marcell Ozuna, Ben Zobrist, Luis Valbuena, Joe Panik, Yairo Muñoz
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MLB DFS Stacks to Consider for June 21, 2018
Nationals vs. Kevin Gausman (Orioles)
Cubs vs. Matt Harvey (Reds) – Weather Pending
Diamondbacks vs. Ivan Nova (Pirates)
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