Welcome to the MLB DFS Playbook for June 20! We’ve got a nice 11-game main slate tonight and an array of starting pitchers at varying pricing tiers, so lineup construction is going to be key. Obviously, everyone is going to run to this Colorado Rockies/Cincinnati Reds game, so be careful with how you build the roster. Cash games allow you to run with the herd, but if you’re looking to bink a GPP tournament, you’re going to have to find ways to differentiate yourself from the rest of the pack. Find that low-owned stack, pick the right pitchers and the world is your oyster. As always, let me remind you, as you move through today’s DFS Playbook, be sure to check in with our MLB DFS Tools, take in the daily MLB projections, follow the MLB DFS Ownership projections and maybe even take our MLB DFS Lineup Generator for a spin. With so much knowledge at your fingertips, it’s going to be tough to not see green no matter if you’re playing cash games or GPP tournaments. 

 

 

MLB DFS Playbook: June 20

MLB Weather Updates

OAK/CLE – low chance of rain, but wins blowing in from right at 10 mph

COL/CIN – potential showers early which could cause a delay but they should get this game in. Wins coming in from left and could go from left to right at 10-15 mph

DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts

There are obviously multiple ways to go and it all starts with what you want to do for pitching. There are two pay-ups I am looking at but don’t want to use both in the same lineup if playing on DraftKings. FanDuel makes it easier to pay up for a starter and that’s usually what I like to do, especially for cash games. For GPP lineups on FanDuel, I’ll take a shot at a mid-priced player but rarely pay all the way down unless I’m all-in on the player. Today’s pay-down I good, but I won’t go below mid-tier on FanDuel. On DraftKings, I may actually fade the top-priced guys because I don’t think there’s much of a scoring difference between them and the mid-priced guys. I can also go with two mid-priced guys or one mid and my pay-down. I’ll happily use two mids for both cash and GPP tournaments but more likely is me using one mid and my pay-down. Once I get those settled, I’ll find my top pay-up hitter for the night, lock him in, find two favorite value-plays, set them up with mini-stacks (two-man stack) and then figure out the budget for remaining players.

Recommended DFS Starting Pitchers

Top Options for Strikeouts

Best Odds for a Win

Side note: LHP Ken Waldichuk is opening for the Oakland Athletics tonight, but it will be RHP Luis Medina handling the bulk innings.

Bullpens Most Likely to Blow Your Starters’ Win & Boost Your Stacks

Side Note: Most overused bullpens in the last week are the Giants (36.1 IP), Tigers (33.0), White Sox (28.0), Twins (28.0), Rangers (28.0), Rockies (28.0).

Favorite Starters to Use for DFS Lineups

Nathan Eovaldi, Texas Rangers

As you will see in the grid below, my two favorite options to pay up are Eovaldi and Gerrit Cole. Both are in great spots tonight as their respective opponents have been weak against righthanded pitching and both opponents have also been struggling over the past week. Pricing is similar, but I’ll pay up a few extra bucks for Eovaldi as we know he’s going to get the proper run support and has better odds for the win. Cole may whiff a couple of more batters, but we’re not looking at that much of a differential. I like paying the extra few bucks here.

Marcus Stroman, Chicago Cubs

He’s thrown six-straight quality starts and nine in his last 10 outings. He just saw Pittsburgh last week which I never like, but considering the Pirates are sitting on a .269 wOBA with a .130 ISO and 23.6-percent strikeout rate over the past week, I’m happy to use Stroman in both cash and GPP tournaments. 

George Kirby, Seattle Mariners

Kirby has had a couple of hiccups, but he’s also allowed three or fewer runs in 10 of his last 12 outings. He doesn’t walk guys and with the hits he does allow, he manages to minimize the damage with relative ease. He blanked the Yankees in Seattle back on May 31 and New York’s lineup has not gotten any better since that game. In fact, they look significantly worse, posting a .268 wOBA with a 25-percent K-rate over the past week.

Aaron Civale, Cleveland Guardians

Here is my pay-down for the night and the lowest I will go for pitching. He’s a great option as your second starter on DraftKings and given how crazy the pitching prices are on FanDuel, I may even utilize him in a single-entry GPP contest over there. The A’s have lost five-straight games, they’re striking out 31.8-percent of the time over the past week and that comes with a .258 wOBA and 0.85 ISO. Sure, the A’s can screw us from time to time, but the risk is definitely worth the potential reward. 

 

 

Recommended DFS Hitters

Highest Expected Run Totals 

Favorite Hitters to Use for DFS Lineups

Josh Naylor, 1B Cleveland Guardians

As stated above, the A’s are using Ken Waldichuk as their opener which means Naylor might not even see him. Instead, he gets Luis Medina who is allowing lefty bats to post a .368 wOBA against him. Naylor has an .844 OPS with a .353 wOBA against righthanded pitching and the price tag is definitely helpful for your roster construction.

Jonathan India, 2B Cincinnati Reds

Hits in three-straight games and in seven of his last nine. In that span, he’s got four home runs and eight RBI. He’s batting third against a tomato can like Noah Davis and the Reds are cruising right now playing at Great American Smallpark.

Ryan McMahon, 3B Colorado Rockies

He’s riding an 11-game hit streak where he’s slashing .381/.480/..690 with three home runs and six RBI. Even though Brett Lively has some reverse splits and is seemingly keeping left-handed hitters down, I feel like you need to back the hot bat, especially in this ballpark and at this price. 

Lane Thomas, OF Washington Nationals

Another hit hitter here as Thomas is riding a seven-game hit streak where he is batting .379 with two home runs and four RBI. He’s got Jordan Montgomery tonight and has been mashing lefthanded pitching this year with a 1.064 OPS and .449 wOBA. He also hits atop the Nats lineup so you know you’re getting the at-bats you need.

Player Pool

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Stacks

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