MLB DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Saturday (6/10)

This has been a frustrating week from a fantasy perspective. The wildfires in Canada have destroyed the air quality across the east coast, leading to multiple postponements. We’re praying that’s the end of it because it’s terrible for DFS and even worse for our health as humans! That does bring up an interesting point, though, because checking the weather is one of the most undervalued variables when playing MLB DFS. It’s the only major sport that really has cancellations from weather, and some of those decisions aren’t made until after we post our lineups. Just be sure to monitor the weather before every DFS slate!

Starting Pitcher Rankings

Starting Pitcher Strategy

This is one of the worst slates I can remember from a pitching perspective. I didn’t even want to recommend anyone for the cash game section because I don’t trust a single pitcher. With that said, we do have one of the hottest pitchers in baseball facing one of the worst teams. We’ll ride him as our sole cash game option, so let’s start there!

Cash Game Recommendations:

Michael Kopech (CWS) vs. MIA

Kopech has been one of the best pitchers in baseball over the last month. The right-hander has scored at least 46 FanDuel points in three of his last four outings, posting a 2.32 ERA, 0.71 WHIP, and 12.5 K/9 rate across his last five starts. That’s incredible from a player in this price range, and the matchup with Miami is far from menacing. The Marlins rank 25th in xwOBA, 24th in K rate, and 26th in runs scored.

GPP Recommendations:

Kodai Senga (NYM) at PIT

This is a risky recommendation, but no pitcher has a larger strikeout upside than Senga. The Mets rookie had a terrible start against Toronto in his most recent outing but generated a 2.79 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 11.8 K/9 rate across his previous four starts. We believe he can recapture that form against the Pirates, who have the second-fewest runs in baseball over the last month. They also rank 29th in K rate, and it’s a recipe for Senga to strike out double-digit batters.

Julio Teheran (MIL) vs. OAK

It’s hard to believe Teheran is in the league, let alone in one of my DFS articles. This former ace has thrown just 53 innings since 2019 but is amid a resurgence in Milwaukee. The righty has allowed two runs or fewer in all three starts, totaling a 1.56 ERA and 0.92 WHIP. That makes him tough to fade against Oakland, who rank last in almost every offensive metric since the start of last season. It’ll also make Teheran a -200 favorite in this spot, making him a heck of a value in this price range.

Jared Shuster (ATL) vs. WAS

The numbers from Shuster aren’t pretty, but he’s starting to get better. The Braves pitcher has allowed three runs or fewer in four consecutive starts, accruing a 3.68 ERA and 0.91 WHIP in that span. That’s one of the best WHIPs among all eligible starters in that stretch, and it’s hard to believe he remains so cheap in such a favorable spot. Not only is Shuster a -190 favorite, but Washington ranks 23rd in runs scored and 28th in xwOBACON.

Top Lineup Stacks

Colorado Rockies (vs. Ryan Weathers)

• Home (Coors Field)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 12 Runs/SD -120

The Rockies have one of the worst offenses in baseball, but they’re always a threat in Coors Field. This ballpark surrenders runs like a little league park, with Colorado projected to score nearly six runs in this spot. That makes them a heck of a pick with all the cheap players in this lineup, particularly against a pitcher with a 5.09 ERA and 1.53 WHIP.

Milwaukee Brewers (vs. Paul Blackburn)

• Home (Miller Park)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9 Runs/MIL-190

You could stack any team against Oakland and be successful. This club leads baseball with a 6.57 ERA, sending out bad starters every game. They have another one here, with Paul Blackburn providing a 6.00 ERA and 1.67 WHIP. That’s terrifying in a hitter’s haven like Miller Park, especially since Milwaukee has so many cheap bats to pick from.

Atlanta Braves (vs. MacKenzie Gore)

• Home (Truist Park)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 10 Runs/ATL -180

The Braves have the deepest lineup in baseball. This team ranks top-5 in nearly every offensive category, hitting a dangerous batter in every portion of this lineup. That’s terrible news for a pitcher like Gore, who’s got an ugly 1.42 WHIP. That has Atlanta projected to score five runs here, one of the highest team totals on the slate.

Core Studs

• Acuna is the best player in fantasy, and no one can convince me otherwise. This stud is leading off for the best lineup in the NL, providing 12 homers, 28 steals, and 53 runs scored. That doesn’t even consider his .332 AVG, sitting top-3 in three of those four categories. He also gets the platoon advantage against Gore here, generating a 1.001 OPS against lefties this year.
• If Tatis didn’t miss the opening month, he’d lead the league in almost every category. He’s up to 11 homers and seven steals across just 42 games, and he will be a candidate to flirt with 30-30. That makes him an elite option in Coors Field, facing a lefty with an ERA approaching 6.00 over the last month.
• J-Rod has struggled this season but is too good to be in this price range. This guy will be the AL Player of the Month at some point, and he’s showing flashes of getting out of it. Over his last 15 games, Rodriguez has a .365 AVG, .619 SLG, and .994 OPS. He also gets the platoon advantage against a southpaw who’s sporting a 1.40 WHIP.
• Walker has been a masher since being called up in Arizona, and he’s tough to avoid against lefties. The first baseman has a .385 OBP, .679 SLG, and 1.063 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor this season. That looks amazing since he faces a lefty with a 5.57 ERA and 1.35 WHIP.
• Yelich is quietly having a bounceback season in Milwaukee. The former MVP has seven homers, 16 steals, and 41 runs in the heart of this Milwaukee lineup, tallying a .449 OBP across his last 11 games. That makes him an easy play against this atrocious A’s pitching staff, getting to face a weak righty like Blackburn.

Value Plays/Punts

• Grichuk is not getting enough credit for what he’s doing in Colorado. This guy is in the heart of the Rockies lineup every day, amassing a .325 AVG, .386 OBP, and .842 OPS this year. He’s been much better at home throughout his career and also has a 1.090 OPS against lefties this year.
• Tellez has been in a slump, but his price is getting to a number we can’t overlook. The lefty masher still has a .797 OPS against right-handers this year. That’s what we’ve seen over the last three years, and he could start one of his homer binges against this Oakland pitching staff.
• Ozuna has been one of the best hitters in the NL over the last month. Over his last 29 games, Ozuna has a .378 OBP, .639 SLG, and 1.017 OPS. That makes it hard to believe that he remains so cheap, especially since he gets the platoon advantage against a struggling Gore.
• Henderson got off to a horrid start, but this youngster is starting to find it. Over his last 22 games, Gunnar has a .294 AVG and .901 OPS. He swiped two bags on Friday, which shows just how much potential this kid has. He’s also rocked righties since his call-up, registering a .836 OPS against them.
• The Yankees rarely ride young players, but Bauer has been impressive for them. Over his last 10 games, Bauer has a .417 OBP, .800 SLG, and 1.217 OPS. Those are unbelievable averages from such an affordable player, and he shouldn’t have any issues against a pitcher with a 5.46 ERA and 1.32 WHIP.

Hitter Strategy

There’s no doubt that this is one of the worst pitching slates of the season. That means we’ll have a ton of salary to work with when it comes to bats, and it should be easy to construct a build with whatever lineup you want. Stacking the Coors Field game is the obvious choice, but there are still plenty of offenses we love. Some of the other lineups we want to stack that we didn’t mention include the Cubs, Angels, Padres, Tigers, and Royals.

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