MLB DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Sunday (6/19)

This week hasn’t been great for me, but Saturday was! I always do better when I write these articles because it forces me to dive deeper into these pitchers and lineups. Like anything in life, the more homework you do, the better you’ll be! I hope you succeed when you read these articles, too, because I work hard to give you guys some good research. With that said, let’s look at the arms for this Sunday slate!

Starting Pitcher Rankings

Starting Pitcher Strategy

After some big-name pitchers yesterday, we have an ugly pitching pool today. Three of our recommendations will make you wince, but all of them are in fantastic spots. With that said, one of the most reliable pitchers in baseball is on this card, and he’ll be our first write-up of this article!

Cash Game Recommendations:

Sandy Alcantara (MIA) at NYM

Alcantara broke out last season as Miami’s best pitcher, but he’s moving into NL Cy Young consideration with his ridiculous 2022 campaign. The right-hander has a 1.68 ERA and 0.96 WHIP this season. His most intriguing asset in DFS is his length, throwing at least seven innings in seven straight starts. He’s also got a 0.81 ERA and 0.74 WHIP in that span and should benefit from pitching in a spacious ballpark like Citi Field.

Brady Singer (KC) at OAK

Singer has been inconsistent this season, but no one is inconsistent against Oakland. This is simply the worst lineup in baseball, ranked bottom-three in runs scored, OBP, OPS, xwOBA, and wOBA. We love that with Singer’s recent form, allowing three runs or fewer in five of his last six starts. His one dud against Houston has killed his averages, but a 3.06 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 9.2 K/9 rate in his other eight appearances is an extremely encouraging sign.

GPP Recommendations:

Alex Cobb (SF) at PIT

Cobb’s numbers won’t jump off the page, but he’s got some positive regression headed his way. The right-hander has a 2.67 xFIP this season and a 29 percent K rate. That means he’ll get better soon and it could start against Pittsburgh. The Pirates rank 29th in runs scored, 28th in OPS, and 27th in wOBA.

Dane Dunning (TEX) at DET

The statistics for Dunning won’t back this play but facing Detroit is a treat. The Motor City Kitties have the fewest runs in baseball, and they’re about a month of scoring away from catching the second-lowest team. That shows how bad they are, averaging fewer than three runs per game. Dunning should be able to hold down a lineup like that, scoring at least 13 DraftKings points in eight of his 13 starts. That’s all he needs to provide value at this price, and that seems like a guarantee in this magical matchup.

Top Lineup Stacks

New York Yankees (vs. Yusei Kikuchi)

• Road (Rogers Centre)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9 Runs/NYY -140

Any lefty facing the Yankees is a disaster. The Bronx Bombers send out a righty-heavy lineup, including gems like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres, Josh Donaldson, and DJ LeMahieu. That has the Yanks projected for five runs, with Kikuchi collecting a 4.80 ERA and 1.54 WHIP this season.

San Diego Padres (vs. Antonio Senzatela)

• Road (Coors Field)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 12 Runs/SD -130

We had San Diego in here on Saturday, and we’re going right back to the well. This team has the best road record in baseball, scoring 41 total runs over the last four games. That’s scary in a place like Coors Field, especially since they face a pitcher with a 4.79 ERA ad 1.81 WHIP. If Antonio Senzatela posts a 1.81 WHIP in this game, the Padres will have another double-digit night!

Milwaukee Brewers (vs. Mike Minor)

• Road (Great American Ballpark)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 10 Runs/MIL -130

I love using Milwaukee against lefties. This lineup always has a bunch of cheap bats, and it’s hard to understand why. They have a group of righty mashers like Willy Adames, Hunter Renfroe, and Andrew McCutchen and should do damage in GAB. Mike Minor has been far from menacing, too, amassing a 5.32 ERA since 2020.

Core Studs

• Using Judge doesn’t need much explanation. This guy is leading baseball with 26 dingers and is homering every other game at this point. That’s terrifying news for a lefty like Kikuchi, providing even better splits with the platoon advantage in his favor.
• Machado in Coors Field sounds magical. He’s one of the league leaders with 11 DraftKings points per game, providing one of the best power-speed combos in the game. That’s rough news for a guy with a 1.81 WHIP, particularly in a hitter’s haven like Coors Field.
• This is a bit risky, but Big Sal is starting to turn his season around. The catcher who pounded 48 homers and 121 RBI last season has a .314 AVG, .686 SLG, and 1.038 OPS over his last 13 games. That looks even better since he faces a lefty, with Salvy posting a .994 OPS against them since 2020.
• Garcia has an ugly strikeout rate, but this guy is a counting stats machine. He’s going to flirt with a 35-25 season, providing 12 homers and 10 steals so far. That makes him a great play, and we obviously love that he faces a pitcher who has posted a 5.37 ERA and 1.53 WHIP since 2015.
• Renfroe is one of the best power bats in baseball, and we always adore him against left-handers. The righty smasher has a .347 OBP, .537 SLG, and 884 OPS against southpaws since 2020.

Value Plays/Punts

• Joc Jams has been crushing righties throughout his career, and this is another spot for him to go off. Pederson has a .589 SLG and .947 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor this season. Facing a guy with a 5.79 career ERA and 1.67 WHIP makes Joc tough to avoid.
• Gleyber has quietly had a bounceback season for the Bronx Bombers, and he’s one of the only guys that’s a good value. He’s got a .545 SLG, and .865 OPS over his last 45 games played and has an absurd .969 OPS against left-handers this year.
• McCutchen and Renfroe are my favorite two-man stack of the day. Both of these guys are way too cheap in this majestic matchup, and it’s hard to understand why when looking at their splits. Cutch has compiled a .377 OBP, .558 SLG, and .935 OPS against southpaws since 2020.
• Rodgers had his average below .100 after the opening month, but he’s been one of the best players in baseball since then. In fact, Brenden has a .302 AVG, .481 SLG, and .838 OPS since May 1. His numbers against lefties are even more impressive, accumulating a .914 OPS against them since his call-up. Blake Snell has been far from impressive, too, posting a 5.03 ERA and 1.36 WHIP.
• I had trouble thinking of a fifth hitter, but Arraez is being overlooked. This guy leads the league with a .353 AVG and is doing severe damage atop this Twins lineup. Facing Merrill Kelly is not worrisome, producing a 6.35 ERA and 1.71 WHIP over his last seven starts.

Hitter Strategy

If we’re going to save salary by stacking the Brewers, we can do whatever we want. We also have a ton of value pitchers that we love, and it will make lineup construction simple. Starting your build with those righty Brewers bats is the way to go, and then you should pair them with some Coors Field guys. That way, you can pick any of the pitchers mentioned above and maybe include a few expensive Yankee bats as well!

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Whether you’re new to fantasy baseball or a seasoned pro, our Fantasy Baseball 101: Strategy Tips & Advice page is for you. You can get started with our Sabermetrics Glossary or head to a more advanced strategy – like Maximizing Your Potential in Multi-Lineup Contests – to learn more.

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