This Friday has a full slate of games, so it's time to build some lineups. With several different contests being offered on DraftKings, you'll have lots of different lineup options. For our purposes, the following picks have been made for contests running all day.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 6/16/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on DraftKings.
You can read our FanDuel DFS lineup picks as well. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @TroyKlauder.
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DFS Lineup Stacks to Target on DraftKings
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Tim Adleman (RHP)
Reds starter Tim Adelman is an easy target on Friday at home against the Dodgers. He's got a 4.34 ERA on the year with an even worse 5.01 FIP, suggesting that he's actually been lucky thus far. Great American Ballpark is one of the best hitters' parks in the league, so Dodgers bats will have lots of opportunites for some runs. Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger are elite hitters that you can't go wrong with, while Yasmani Grandal and Logan Forsythe are cheaper options. Any hitter in the Dodgers lineup is a good idea for your lineups on Friday.
Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Eddie Butler (RHP)
Cubs starter Eddie Butler has not lived up to his potential on the Cubs, posting a 4.03 ERA through six starts. He has an awful 12.1% walk-rate with a poor 16.9% k-rate, so Pirates hitters are looking to have a field day against him. Gregory Polanco is insanely cheap for what he can do, and using him in combination with Josh Harrison or Josh Bell can pay off big time.
DFS Starting Pitchers to Consider on DraftKings
Aaron Nola, PHI vs. ARI - $6,800
If you're only looking at his earned run average, Phillies starter Aaron Nola may seem appropriately priced, but his underlying metrics suggest that he's a much better pitcher than just what his ERA says. Nola has a strong 21.9% K-rate and a 7.5% walk-rate, leading to a 3.76 FIP, which is a more accurate representation of his abilities. He faces a Diamaondbacks lineup that appears far more scary than it actually is - the Dbacks are actually dead last in wOBA on the road, meaning that their home park massively inflates their numbers. On the surface, Nola seems like somebody you would want to avoid, which makes him a fantastic contrarian play for a cheap price.
Sean Newcomb, ATL vs. MIA - $6,500
Braves rookie Sean Newcomb was very impressive in his first career start in the majors on Saturday, going 6 1/3 scoreless innings with seven strikeouts and two walks. Newcomb was a top prospect for the Braves, posting huge strikeout numbers in the minors, and now takes on the Marlins on Friday. Miami is an average lineup, with a .320 wOBA against right-handers, so Newcomb shouldn't have a problem with them if he pitches the same way he did against the Mets. Newcomb has a ton of upside for his low price.
DFS Infielders to Consider on DraftKings
Catcher (C)
Evan Gattis, HOU vs BOS - $3,600
Instead of going dumpster diving trying to find a serviceable catcher for cheap, try going with Evan Gattis on Friday. He's not too expensive, but can still do some damage at home against Drew Pomeranz. Gattis has hit lefties better than righties throughout his career, with a 115 wRC+ against southpaws. The Astros have one of the best lineups in baseball, so there will be plenty of RBI and run chances for Gattis if he's in the lineup.
First Base (1B)
Eric Thames, MIL vs. SD - $4,000
Eric Thames is heating up again for the Brewers, as he has homered in his last two games, putting him at 18 dingers for the season. He is facing Padres starter Miguel Diaz, who is an absolutely horrible pitcher. Diaz has a 6.92 ERA and is not suited for a starting job, especially in one of the best hitters' parks in baseball in Milwaukee. Thames is going to crush him.
Second Base (2B)
Jose Pirela, SD @ MIL - $3,800
Ever since being quietly called up by the Padres, Jose Pirela has been ripping the ball, batting an insane .441 in nine games with two homers. He is the Padres new leadoff hitter, which will provide him with plenty of potential to put up fantasy points. He faces Brewers starter Junior Guerra, who has been outperforming his peripherals by a ton this year, as he has a 5.49 FIP and a 5.42 xFIP. Regression is going to hit Guerra hard at home in Milwaukee, and Pirela should get in on the action.
Shortstop (SS)
Taylor Motter, SEA @ TEX - $2,500
Taylor Motter has struggled mightily as of late, but is a great value play on Friday because of his matchup. Motter has a nice power/speed combo, with six homers and eight steals, and his poor batting average is being dragged down by a crazy-low .238 BABIP. With some positive regression, Motter won't look nearly as bad. His opposition, Rangers starter Tyson Ross, had a 7.71 ERA in his minor league rehab and really does not seem major league ready. Texas is a great hitter's park, so at this cheap of a price, Motter is tough to ignore.
Third Base (3B)
Jose Ramirez, CLE @ MIN - $4,000
Jose Ramirez is having an outstanding five-category fantasy season, batting .290 with a .836 OPS, putting up nine homers, six steals, 36 runs, and 30 RBI. On any given night he can contribute in a multitude of ways. He will face off against career minor leaguer Nik Turley, who got shelled in his first career start his last time out. Ramirez and the Indians are going to run up the score on him.
DFS Outfielders to Consider on DraftKings
Kevin Pillar, TOR vs. CHW - $3,400
Leading off for the Blue Jays, Kevin Pillar is a steal at this price. He can rack up fantasy points out of Toronto's top slot, especially against a left-hander, who Pillar has an extreme split advantage against. Pillar has a 150 wRC+ against lefties this season, so he's destroying them, while he has just a 77 wRC+ against right-handers. Jose Quintana, his opposition, has gotten thoroughly wrecked this year, with a 5.30 ERA, so Pillar and the Jays can have a great day on Friday.
Aaron Altherr, PHI vs. ARI - $3,900
Aaron Altherr has spazzed in the last week, putting up a .893 OPS with two home runs, and is batting third in the Phillies lineup against Patrick Corbin. Corbin has a 5.38 ERA and should be no trouble for Altherr, who is batting .281 with 11 homers on the year. He's a great mid-tier priced bat to consider for your lineups.
Jason Heyward, CHC @ PIT - $3,500
Jason Heyward might not be the most exciting fantasy option, but if you're looking for a solid contribution for cheap, he's your guy on Friday. Heyward faces Pirates starter Trevor Williams, who has a 5.13 ERA. The Cubs lineup can score plenty of runs off of Williams, and Heyward should be involved in a few.
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