MLB DFS Playbook June 30: Top Plays for DraftKings and FanDuel
Published: Jun 30, 2023
Hello and welcome to the MLB DFS Playbook for June 30! We have a big 12-game slate on both DK and FD on our hands today. We have a 7:05 pm ET start time, so you have plenty of time to get those lineups made! Make sure to check out all of our amazing MLB DFS tools as they are always worth going through before building your lineups as are the Vegas Odds. However, as I am sure you have figured out by now, the new playbook will be a one-stop shop that includes everything from easy-to-read player write-ups and suggestions to MLB Weather Reports to lineup construction tips to our best value plays for DraftKings and FanDuel. You will be given core plays around which to build your lineups, DFS stacks to consider for GPP tournaments and key statistics to help you in your DFS research. Let’s dive in!
MLB DFS Playbook June 30
MLB Weather Updates
Minnesota Twins vs. Baltimore Orioles (possible rain)
Detroit Tigers vs. Colorado Rockies (possible rain)
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Kansas City Royals (possible rain)
New York Yankees vs. St. Louis Cardinals (possible rain – biggest risk right now)
Games that appear to have a decent wind blowing out:
None.
Games that appear to have a decent wind blowing in:
None.
DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
Big Slates like this can be overwhelming. You can look at any position and see a million different routes that seem like options, but have to find a way to limit that down. On the bright side, roster percentages are less of a concern as ownership is more spread out. Shane McClanahan is the top priced arm on this slate and the Detroit Tigers come in as the top projected offense (That feels weird saying). Let’s dive into it all!
Recommended DFS Starting Pitchers
Top Options for Strikeouts
Shane McClanahan, Tampa Bay Rays
Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers
Best Odds for a Win
Bobby Miller (Los Angeles Dodgers -218)
Michael Soroka (Atlanta Braves -192)
Jon Gray (Texas Rangers -160)
Favorite Starters to Use for DFS Lineups
Shane McClanahan, Tampa Bay Rays
McClanahan has been the best pitcher in baseball this season with an 11-1 record, 2.23 ERA, and 100 Ks across 93 innings of work. Seattle is a good matchup that he can take advantage of, the scary part is that he is coming off a short start in which he left with back tightness. I don’t think they would pitch him today if they felt like it was still an issue though.
Bobby Miller, Los Angeles Dodgers
Miller has gotten shelled in his last two starts, which is a bit scary for today, but I am willing to take the gamble at this price against the Royals. He pitched great in his first four starts and the Dodgers are one of the biggest favorites on the board today, which the Royals are the worst team in baseball.
Osvaldo Bido, Pittsburgh Pirates
Bido has pitched well through three starts with a 3.45 ERA and 18 Ks across 15.2 innings of work. He has scored at least 13.4 dk points in each of his starts. He has faced pretty low-tier opponents thus far, but on the bright side he gets another one today in the Brewers.
Recommended DFS Hitters
Highest Expected Run Totals
6.15 – Detroit Tigers
5.37 – Colorado Rockies
5.26 – Los Angeles Dodgers
Favorite Hitters to Use for DFS Lineups
Shohei Ohtani, 1B/OF, Los Angeles Angels
Ohtani is outrageous. He is hitting .366 with SIX home runs and a steal over his last 10 games, not to mention 20 total R/RBI in that span as well. He is now hitting .309 on the year with 29 home runs and 11 stolen bases. He is too good. He is worse against lefties, but still crushes them and Tommy Henry is bad. Ohtani is an elite play on a daily basis right now while he is cooking like this.
Eduardo Escobar, 2B/3B, Los Angeles Angels
Escobar has looked pretty good in an Angels uniform so far (shocker someone leaves the Mets and does good, a story as old as time, but I digress), going 6-16 (.375) with a triple and five runs scored. He was horrible when playing at Citi Field this year, but he doesn’t have to worry about that anymore. He has an .859 OPS against lefties this season, compared to a .589 mark against righties.
Ezequiel Tovar, SS, Colorado Rockies
Tovar is hot right now, hitting .375 with a .990 OPS over his last 10 games. He has two bombs, a steal, and 15 total R/RBI in that span and has been hitting 2nd in the Rockies lineup on a consistent basis. He has been far better at home this year with a .287 average and .789 OPS, compared to .242 and .665 on the road, respectively.
Jazz Chisholm Jr., OF, Miami Marlins
Jazz has been incredible since coming off IL, scoring 23, 14, and 14 DK points across three games by going 5-12 with two home runs, five RBI, and four runs scored. He now has 9 home runs and 14 steals on the year with 41 total R/RBI across 42 games. Tonight he faces Michael Soroka, who has been awful this year in his two starts in the Majors, giving up 12 hits, three bombs, and nine runs in 9.2 innings (8.38 ERA and 1.86 WHIP).
Harrison Bader, OF, New York Yankees
Bader has spent a ton of time on the IL this season, but he’s been fantastic when he’s been on the field. He is hitting .268 with six home runs, seven steals, and 41 total R/RBI across 35 games. He is hitting .347 on the road this year with a .972 OPS, compared to a .216 average and .645 OPS at home this season. He faces Matthew Liberatore, who has a 5.60 ERA and 1.65 WHIP through 27.1 innings.
Player Pool
| $ Tier | SP | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Shane McClanahan  $11,000 |  Freddie Freeman $4,200 |  Marcus Semien $3,700 |  Gunnar Henderson $3,300 | Corey Seager $4,200 | Shohei Ohtani $4,600 |
 Matt Olson $4,000 |  Nolan Arenado $3,200 | Mookie Betts $4,100 |  Mike Trout $4,000 | |||
| Adolis GarcÃa $4,000 | ||||||
| Medium |  Freddy Peralta $9,200 |  Christian Walker $3,400 |  Ryan McMahon $3,500 | J.D. Davis $2,900 |  Willy Adames $3,000 |  Jazz Chisholm $3,400 |
| Bobby Miller $9,800 |  Nathaniel Lowe $3,100 | Ezequiel Tovar $3,000 | Eloy Jiménez $3,200 | |||
 Harrison Bader $3,100 | ||||||
| Low |  Luis Severino $7,500 |  Joey Gallo $2,500 |  Andy Ibáñez $2,800 |  Eduardo Escobar $2,500 | Jordan Westburg $2,700 | Michael Harris $3,000 |
| Brendan Donovan $2,700 |  Brett Baty $2,400 | Anthony Volpe $2,600 | Giancarlo Stanton $2,900 | |||
 Drew Waters $2,400 |
Stacks
| Angels | Eduardo Escobar | Mike Trout | Shohei Ohtani | Hunter Renfroe |
 DraftKings | 3300 | 6300 | 6500 | 4700 |
| Fanduel | 2500 | 4000 | 4600 | 2900 |
| Tigers | Spencer Torkelson | Andy Ibáñez | Matt Vierling | Jake Rogers |
| DraftKings | 4000 | 3000 | 3500 | 4000 |
| Fanduel | 3100 | 2800 | 3100 | 3000 |
| Rockies | Elias DÃaz | Jurickson Profar | Ezequiel Tovar |
| DraftKings | 4400 | 4000 | 3800 |
| Fanduel | 3300 | 3300 | 3000 |
| Dodgers | Mookie Betts | Will Smith | Freddie Freeman |
| DraftKings | 6100 | 5800 | 6000 |
| Fanduel | 4100 | 3800 | 4200 |
| Rangers | Nathaniel Lowe | Adolis GarcÃa | Marcus Semien | Corey Seager |
| DraftKings | 4400 | 5600 | 5900 | 6000 |
| Fanduel | 3100 | 4000 | 3700 | 4200 |
Player News
Daulton Varsho picked up three hits, three RBI and a homer in a win over the Angels on Thursday.
Varsho has only played in seven games this year, but they’ve been seven good ones. He’s homered three times already, and his slugging percentage is a remarkable — and entirely unsustainable — .727 over 22 at-bats. Varsho has been a mediocre offensive player in his two seasons with the Blue Jays, but it’s possible at the age of 28 he’s having a breakout campaign. Far from a guarantee, but possible.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in a loss to the Blue Jays on Thursday.
Ward, 31, gave the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run homer off Chris Bassitt in the first inning. He’s now gone deep in two of his last three games, and it ‘improves’ his slash to .181/.224/.391. Ward has been one of the most hot/cold players players in the sport over the last few years, so fantasy managers who can afford to make some roster moves may want to look at Ward while the going is good.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. picked up three hits and scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Angels on Thursday.
Guerrero also drew a walk. It gives the first baseman multiple hits in back-to-back games, and it’s the third time in May that he’s reached that mark. That’s helped raise his average from .268 to .295, and the only thing fantasy managers can be disappointed with is his .432 slugging percentage. That number should continue to climb as the season unfolds, but Vladdy Jr. has had some inconsistent seasons when it comes to power production.
Chad Green picked up his first save of 2025 with a scoreless ninth against the Angels on Thursday.
Green got the save after Jeff Hoffman worked in back-to-back games — and struggled — in the first two contests against the Angels. He struck out two and looked the part while needing just nine pitches to get through the inning. Hoffman should remain the closer, but Green is on his tail if the struggles were to continue.
Chris Bassitt allowed five runs — four earned — while working six-plus innings against the Angels on Thursday while picking up a win.
Bassitt allowed three runs over the first two innings on a pair of homers, but settled down over his next four frames. He came out to work the seventh, but ended up being charged for two more runs after leaving the contest. The 36-year-old veteran has forged a 3.35 ERA and outstanding 49/8 K/BB ratio over the first quarter of the season, but this wasn’t him at his best. He’ll get the Rays next week if the rotation order stays the same for Toronto.
José Soriano allowed three runs over five innings while not factoring in the decision Thursday against the Blue Jays.
Soriano left with a 4-3 lead, but it was erased quickly after his departure. The 26-year-old was not exactly dominant in his outing with eight hits allowed and four free passes, but he did strike out six to help balance things out a smidgen. Soriano takes an even ERA of 4.00 into a scheduled start against the Padres in San Diego on Tuesday. There should be better options for that one.