It's another full day of MLB action, meaning that you'll have several DraftKings contests to participate in. Most notably, the weather looks good for most of the country, so that's one variable you shouldn't have to worry about when setting today's lineup. Some very intriguing matchups today, paired with the return of a former Cy Young Award winner trying to make a comeback, will ensure that there are plenty of good lineup options on DraftKings.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball MLB lineup picks for DraftKings on 6/18/16. The DFS lineup picks will range from high-priced to low-priced options and identify options who will out-perform their expectations, including sleepers and value plays on DraftKings.
Editor's Note: RotoBaller offers the best Premium MLB Subscription - only $1.99 per week. All the tools you need to help win your seasonal and daily leagues: Hitter & Pitcher Streamers, Matchup Ratings for every player, Under-the-Radar Surgers for AVG, HR, Ks, plus daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Lineup Picks, Expert Lineups, Stacks and Avoids.
DFS Lineup Stacks to Target on DraftKings
Baltimore Orioles vs. R.A. Dickey (RHP)
Oriole hitters have crushed right-handers this season in terms of the long ball. That bodes well for a lineup stack today against Toronto's R.A. Dickey. Chris Davis has been hot over the last week and has two home runs and seven RBI in his lifetime against Dickey. Outfielder Hyun Soo Kim is hitting well over .300 against right-handers, so he makes a solid play today. Lefties Pedro Alvarez and Ryan Flaherty, along with Manny Machado are all good options for a stack.
Boston Red Sox vs. Adrian Sampson (RHP)
The Red Sox are still the top hitting team in the majors, making them a great option for a lineup stack on most occasions. Not only do they get a home matchup today, but they'll be facing Seattle's Adrian Sampson making his major league debut. Lefties David Ortiz, Travis Shaw, and Jackie Bradley Jr. should be ready to tee off on the rookie today. Other big hitters like Xander Bogaerts, Dustin Pedroia, and Mookie Betts will also look to get in on the action.
DFS Starting Pitchers to Consider on DraftKings
Zack Greinke, ARI at PHI - $13,000
After a rough start to the season, Greinke has rounded into the form that made him one of the most sought after free agents this past offseason. He enters today with six straight wins and has a fantastic o.78 ERA in the month of June. Although it's a road start, a matchup with the Phillies is a favorable one. Current Philadelphia hitters have a combined lifetime average of .183 against him. Greinke has to be considered the top pitching option today, just be prepared to pay the steep price.
Tim Lincecum, LAA at OAK - $6,100
First, a word of caution. Selecting Lincecum today is only for the very bravest daily fantasy players. Also, he is not recommended for cash games, but could actually be a very sneaky tournament option. Nobody really knows what to expect from the former Cy Young Award winner, but a good matchup against Oakland presents an opportunity to take a chance., especially for a price that's about as low as it gets for a pitcher. After an impressive showcase in front of major league teams, Lincecum went 0-2 in three minor league starts with Triple-A Salt Lake. However, he finished with a solid 2.65 ERA and 19 strikeouts. If you have the cap room and don't feel like taking a risk, then look at safer options such as Danny Salazar or Jon Lester.
DFS Infielders to Consider on DraftKings
Catcher (C)
Jonathan Lucroy, MIL at LAD - $4,000
Lucroy has been one of the best fantasy catchers this season, hitting .314 with 10 home runs. With a multi-hit game Friday night, he now has a seven-game hit streak. Lucroy is hot right now, hitting .364 in the last seven days. He's 2-for-5, including a home run, lifetime against today's starter Mike Bolsinger.
First Base (1B)
Paul Goldschmidt, ARI at PHI - $4,600
Goldie has been crushing lately, hitting .375 in the last week with two home runs, including one on Friday night. He has had some struggles on the road, but don't let that keep you from drafting him. He's hit the majority of his homers off righties, which he'll face today, and get to hit in Philadelphia's hitter-friendly park. You'll have to pay a bit, but there's plenty of value today to make up for the cap hit.
Second Base (2B)
Scooter Gennett, MIL at LAD - $3,600
Gennett's average is down a bit this year compared to his career average, but he's shown his value at times for DFS lineups. He's typically a tournament play since he usually doesn't find his way into many lineups. He makes for a good option today considering that he's got a .429 lifetime average in eight at-bats against opposing starter Mike Bolsinger. Gennett has struggled over the past week, but he's still hitting over .300 so far in the month of June.
Shortstop (SS)
Zack Cozart, CIN at HOU - $3,800
Cozart has been a very productive shortstop this season, and that should be the case today for daily lineups. He's hit well against lefties this season with an average of .286 and three home runs. Given his spot at the top of the order, he often garners consideration for daily lineups. However, he's really struggled so far in June, particularly over the last week, so that should keep his ownership down in tournaments. He did have a two-hit game Friday night, so maybe that will break him out of his June slump.
Third Base (3B)
Nick Castellanos, DET at KC - $4,000
Castellanos continues to surpass his career statistics this season, currently hitting .299 with 13 home runs. His career average is just .264, and his career high for homers in a season is 15, set in 2015. He picked up two hits Friday night, helping to break out of the slump he'd been in over the past week. Both his price and ownership have risen steadily this season, but with a .364 lifetime average against Edinson Volquez, you don't want to pass on him today.
DFS Outfielders to Consider on DraftKings
Lorenzo Cain, KC vs. DET - $4,000
Cain gets a good righty vs. lefty matchup today against Detroit's Matt Boyd. He's hitting .300 with a home run, a double, and five RBI lifetime off of him, and enters today with an average near .400 against all lefties this season. Cain's been hitting well lately and enters today with a three-game hit streak. Take advantage of the matchup and the combination of both contact and power.
Franklin Gutierrez, SEA at BOS - $3,400
Gutierrez doesn't have they type of season numbers that will jump off the page at you, but he can be very serviceable in daily formats when he's hot. He's coming off a monster game Friday in which he collected three hits, two of which were home runs, and had 6 RBI. With Friday's performance, he now has two straight games with double-digit fantasy points. His price tag makes it rather inexpensive for you to try to catch lightning in a bottle, but just beware that he's 0-for-8 lifetime against Rick Porcello.
Peter O'Brien, ARI at PHI - $3,000
O'Brien has struggled greatly since getting called up to the big leagues, but he may getting ready to break out and show the skill that he showed in the minors. The youngster had a big game Friday, racking up two home runs and 4 RBI. He now has three homers in four games, showing that he's definitely capable of being a good source of fantasy points thanks to his power. O'Brien is a very risky play for cash games, but take a gamble on him in tournament.
Full Season MLB & DFS Premium Pass
Get a Premium Pass for the entire MLB season - including the playoffs - for only $29.99. That's Premium access to over 10 tools, and over 20 valuable resources, for one incredible price. Here's a taste of what you get:
- DFS lineup picks and cheat sheets for FanDuel and DraftKings - seven days a week
- Three expert lineups: FanDuel, DraftKings, and Stack of the Day - seven days a week
- Top DFS value plays, avoids and injury updates - seven days a week
- Lineup tools: daily premium hitter and pitcher matchup ratings
All of this for just $29.99... it's simply the best deal around. No other site offers this type of deal. What are you waiting for?
Live Expert Q&A Chats - Every Weekday @ 1 PM and 6 PM EST (DFS)
Fantasy Baseball Chat Room
[iflychat_embed id="c-55" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]