MLB DFS Playbook June 6: Top Plays for DraftKings and FanDuel
Published: Jun 06, 2023
Welcome to the MLB DFS Playbook for June 6 and happy Elly De La Cruz Day! Now I’m not saying you lock the Cincinnati Reds shortstop into your lineup just yet, but at the minimum price, he’s going to be super-chalky even with a somewhat tough match-up. With Coors Field on the slate, you know you’re going to have to find some MLB DFS bargains (check out the MLB DFS Value Plays) and De La Cruz is probably going to be where everyone lands. Personally, I have another bargain shortstop in mind, but I won’t give it away just yet. Juicy 12-game slate, so let’s get to it! And, 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 6
MLB Weather Updates
CHW/NYY – Rain in the afternoon that should taper off by game time; winds blowing out to right at 10-15mph
NYM/ATL – Rain during the day but expected to clear up by game time with a possibility of a slight delay
SF/COL – Rain during the afternoon which could cause an early delay but not enough concern for postponement.
DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
It’s a Coors night, so we have to start there with which lefty bats from the Giants we are thinking about against Dinelson Lamet. We also have John Brebbia only serving as an opener for San Francisco and lefty Sean Manaea will handle the bulk work. Not that we are hyped about using any of these Rockies bats, so we don’t expect to over-invest in Coors and can look for some decent pitching. We’ve got a few nice options to pay up tonight, so expect to use at least one of them for all of your DK lineups and your cash games on FanDuel. The mid-tier has an option or two to look at for your second DK starter and potential GPP contest on FD, but paying down any further is going to come with some major risk. Once We have our pitching locked in, which I believe I do, then we can start looking at those big bats…especially from the Dodgers tonight.
Recommended DFS Starting Pitchers
Top Options for Strikeouts
- Mitch Keller vs Oakland Athletics
- Kevin Gausman vs Houston Astros
- Joe Musgrove vs Seattle Mariners
- Clarke Schmidt vs Chicago White Sox
- Logan Gilbert vs San Diego Padres
- James Paxton vs Cleveland Guardians
- Freddy Peralta vs Baltimore Orioles
Best Odds for a Win
- Kevin Gausman vs Houston Astros (-105)
- Mitch Keller vs Oakland Athletics (+115)
- Tommy Henry vs Washington Nationals (+135)
- Tony Gonsolin vs Cincinnati Reds (+135)
- Bryce Elder vs New York Mets (+145)
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Bullpens Most Likely to Blow Your Starters’ Win & Boost Your Stacks
- Seattle Mariners – 8.24 ERA (last 7 days)
- Washington Nationals – 7.94
- Kansas City Royals – 7.52
- Cincinnati Reds – 6.65
- Los Angeles Dodgers – 6.19
Side Note: Most overused bullpens in the last week are the Red Sox (31.2 IP), Blue Jays (28.1), Padres (27.0), Athletics (26.2) and Pirates (24.0)
Favorite Starters to Use for DFS Lineups
Mitch Keller, Pittsburgh Pirates
Everything about this match-up screams “START ME” for Keller and I have no problem locking him into my lineups as my primary starter for all contests, regardless of site. The righthander is coming off two of his worst starts to the season but still averaged eight strikeouts per game. Now that he’s back at home where he has a 2.18 ERA with a 38:5 K:BB over 33 innings, he’s going to tear through Oakland. Remember, the A’s have the worst team wOBA against righties (.277) with a 26.3-percent K-rate. Yum!
Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners
I’m a huge Gilbert fan, but he’s definitely more of a contrarian GPP play tonight, going against a Padres team that can be explosive when they get going. Over the past week, they’ve posted a mediocre .297 wOBA with a 24-percent strikeout rate, so I don’t mind spending the money for Gilbert, but that top end of the lineup could blow up his game very easily if he is off in any way tonight.
Joe Musgrove, San Diego Padres
On the other side of this Padres/Mariners contest, Musgrove looks like a fantastic option. He’s allowed just one run over his last two starts (12.1 innings) and while he’s still walking too many guys, he is working his way out of jams and minimizing any potential damage. Seattle has just a .300 wOBA against righties which comes with a 25.6-percent strikeout rate and over the past week, those numbers look even worse.
Recommended DFS Hitters
Highest Expected Run Totals
- 6.68 – San Francisco Giants vs Dinelson Lamet
- 5.89 – Colorado Rockies vs John Brebbia/Sean Manaea
- 5.49 – Los Angeles Dodgers vs Luke Weaver
- 5.47 – Atlanta Braves vs Carlos Carrasco
- 5.20 – Arizona Diamondbacks vs Jake Irvin
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Favorite Hitters to Use for DFS Lineups
Will Smith, C Los Angeles Dodgers
The catcher position is typically where I like to pay down and not worry, but when you’re playing in Great American Smallpark and you’re facing a tomato can like Luke Weaver, you pay up for that Dodgers stack and that stack, most definitely, includes Smith. If I have to quote power numbers for Smith then you don’t even deserve to use him. Move along.
LaMonte Wade Jr. Jr., 1B San Francisco Giants
One of the most unheralded first basemen in DFS and the only reason I would even think about deviating from locking in Freddie Freeman as part of my Dodgers stack. But economically, Wade fits in beautifully today, especially from the leadoff spot against Dinelson Lamet at Coors Field. The dude’s rocking a .929 OPS and .409 wOBA against right handed pitching and…oh yeah…Coors. And if Ben Wisely is batting ninth, I am loving the 0-1 mini-stack in this Giants lineup tonight.
Max Muncy, 3B Los Angeles Dodgers
Super-juicy numbers against righthanded pitching, it’s Luke Weaver and it’s at Great American. I’m locking in the mini-stack with Smith and then seeing where the rest of my lineup goes to see if J.D. Martinez has a home here as well.
Tucupita Marcano, SS Pittsburgh Pirates
While everyone races to add Elly De La Cruz because he’s bating clean-up, I’ll take the contrarian pay-down with Marcano who should be in the leadoff spot again tonight against James Kaprelian and his 8.12 ERA. The lefty-swinging shortstop has an .867 OPS with a .371 wOBA with a much more proven track record than De La Cruz and he’s only $100 more.
Pavin Smith, OF Arizona Diamondbacks
Perhaps I have an affinity for left-handed leadoff hitters today because I’m bargain-shopping in the outfield and Smith is in a very nice spot against Jake Irvin who has looked shaky, at best this season. I’ll admit there’s nothing exciting about his game overall, but Irvin is allowing a .405 wOBA to lefthanded hitters this season and that should play in our favor in tonight’s match-up.
Player Pool
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Stacks
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