MLB DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Saturday (6/18)

I was really disappointed to see the NBA season end on Thursday, but it’s MLB’s time to shine. I’ve had a good read on things recently, with my season-long leagues cruising along. The DFS has been up and down, but that’s how DFS works. With that in mind, let’s kick things off with some pitchers!

Starting Pitcher Rankings

Starting Pitcher Strategy

This is a fascinating slate for pitching. We have some high-end starters in incredible spots and some cheaper guys in even better situations. I prefer the lower-end guys because it allows you to do whatever you want from a hitting perspective. With that said, the first two recommendations are two of the safest bets on the board, so let’s start there!

Cash Game Recommendations:

Justin Verlander (HOU) vs. CWS

Verlander has always been one of the best pitchers in baseball, and he’s one of the frontrunners for the AL Cy Young this season. The right-hander has a 1.94 ERA and 0.81 WHIP this year, striking out 78 batters across 78.2 innings. His consistency is one of the most important factors, throwing at least seven innings in three straight starts. He should duplicate that against a struggling Chicago lineup, with JV entering this matchup as a -230 favorite.

Aaron Nola (PHI) at WAS

Not many people are talking about Nola, and it’s hard to understand why. This has been one of the best pitchers in the NL, providing a 3.42 ERA and 0.89 WHIP while striking out 91 batters. That WHIP and K total are both Top-5 in baseball, and he should keep it going against Washington. The Nationals rank 24th in wOBACON and 20th in runs scored. That has Nola entering this matchup as a -210 favorite.

GPP Recommendations:

Jeffrey Springs (TB) at BAL

The Rays always find diamonds in the rough, and they’ve certainly done that with Springs. The Tampa lefty has a ridiculous 1.45 ERA and 0.91 WHIP this season. He’s allowed three runs or fewer in every outing, and it’s clear the Rays will never leave him out there to dry. Facing Baltimore is beautiful, too, with the Orioles ranked 23rd in OBP, 24th in wOBA, and 25th in OPS.

Taijuan Walker (NYM) vs. MIA

Walker had one bad start earlier this year but has been amazing outside of that. In fact, Taijuan has a 2.22 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across his other nine starts. You’d usually see that from a $9K player, and we love it since Walker had a season-high 10 Ks in his most recent outing. Getting to face Miami at home is a treat, with the Marlins owning one of the worst offenses in baseball. Taijuan enters this matchup as a -200 favorite, with Miami projected for just 3.5 runs.

Top Lineup Stacks

San Diego Padres (vs. German Marquez)

• Road (Coors Field)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 11 Runs/SD -140

Stacking Coors Field is always a profitable endeavor. This has been the highest-scoring ballpark since it opened, and it’ll remain that way forever. That’s why we always have the highest totals, with San Diego projected for six runs in this spot. German Marquez is not someone we want to avoid either, with the righty registering a disastrous 6.09 ERA and 1.51 WHIP.

Tampa Bay Rays (vs. Kyle Bradish)

• Road (Camden Yards)
• Value: High
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 8 Runs/TB -170

Tampa is always one of my favorite stacks on the board. This offense is undervalued because they never have any big-name players. It’s still one of the most effective lineups in baseball, though, and they should do damage against Kyle Bradish. The Orioles righty has a 6.86 ERA and 1.67 WHIP this season, allowing five runs in this matchup two weeks ago.

Colorado Rockies (vs. Nick Martinez)

• Home (Coors Field)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 11 Runs/SD -140

Let’s keep the Coors Field stack rolling with the home team. Colorado always plays better in Coors Field, projected for 5.5 runs in this spot. They have 10 runs across six innings on Friday, and it’s always a scary spot for opposing pitchers. That’ll surely be the case for Martinez, maintaining a 4.54 ERA and 1.45 WHIP for his career.

Core Studs

• Yordan is simply one of the best hitters in baseball. His worst year is an .834 OPS, and he’s got one above 1.000 this year. We love that since he gets to bat from the left side against Johnny Cueto, who’s got a 4.38 ERA and 1.34 WHIP since 2020.
• Big Pete knocked in a grand slam on Friday, and that’s the guy we’ve been seeing for weeks. He’s got a .316 AVG, .404 OBP, .663 SLG, and 1.067 OPS over his last 26 games. We obviously don’t mind that he faces an inexperienced Braxton Garrett from the left side, either.
• Martinez is second in the AL with a .351 AVG, and he’s quietly been going nuts all year. He’s been even hotter recently, totaling a .420 OBP, .674 SLG, and 1.094 OPS over his last 11 games.
• Using Blackmon at home against right-handers is a recipe for success. He’s flirting with a 1.000 OPS in both of those circumstances since 2019, and we already discussed how we want to exploit Nick Martinez. Charlie is scorching right now, too, accruing a .341 AVG, .636 SLG, and .992 OPS over his last 10 games.
• The Rays offense is struggling right now, but Choi has been their best bat. The Korean has a .333 AVG, .389 OBP, .563 SLG, and .951 OPS over his last 14 games played. That’s no surprise when looking at his splits, with Choi compiling a .362 OBP and .814 OPS against righties since 2020. If you’re stacking Tampa, Choi needs to be part of it.

Value Plays/Punts

• Pham has some of the best hard-hit rates in baseball, and the results are finally starting to turn around. The Hawaiian has a .313 AVG, .373 OBP, .563 SLG, and .936 OPS over his last 20 games. That’s fantastic in this matchup, with Jason Alexander accumulating a 1.74 WHIP in his rookie season.
• Cronenworth is one of the hottest hitters in baseball, and he should keep cruising in Coors Field. The lefty masher has a .408 AVG, .508 OBP, .755 SLG, and 1.264 OPS over his last 13 games. We’re obviously not worried about Marquez from the right side because Cronenworth has crushed righties throughout his career.
• Ruf has always been a favorite of mine when the Giants face a lefty. The big man has a .377 OBP and .938 OPS against southpaws since 2020. Jose Quintana‘s regression is coming around, too, registering a 5.72 ERA and 1.74 WHIP over his last five starts.
• Gorman is another gem of a find for the Cardinals. He was one of the top prospects coming into the season, posting a 1.055 OPS at Triple-A this season. He’s got a .775 OPS this year and should succeed against Kutter Crawford‘s 5.74 ERA and 1.79 WHIP.
• There is nothing that Baez has done this season that will make you want to use him, but this guy is too good to be this cheap. He was a 30-20 player at one point and can provide double-digit fantasy points on any given night. It seems more likely in this matchup, with Baez bludgeoning lefties to the tune of a .900 OPS since 2019.

Hitter Strategy

There’s a ton of value on this slate. It’s usually tough to find the right balance between hitters and pitchers, but you can go wherever route you want today. I prefer to go with one stud pitcher and one cheap one. That way, we can stack the Coors Field game and get some of the bats from the Tampa game. There are also some sneaky stacks, including the Cardinals, Giants, Tigers, Reds, Astros, Mariners, and Dodgers.

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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.