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The MLB slate is split on DraftKings, but that's not to say it's even. My friends will have some nine-game early slate tidbits for you. This is going to focus on the six-game nightcap. Coors is on this slate. So are two aces, two faux-aces, and a resuscitated Kohl Stewart. Where do we start? With the weather, of course!
The biggest chance of rain is in Atlanta. At worst, it might cause a delay, but the game should finish without issues. The starting pitchers may be a little risky. Just make sure to keep an eye on the weather if you have pitchers from that game. The wind is blowing out to left-center in Yankee Stadium, so that should be fun. That game could play like Coors considering the "quality" of pitchers on the mound.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 6/5/2021. The lineup will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also check out today's FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. It’s also important to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, contact me on Twitter.
DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Jacob deGrom - NYM at SD ($11,100)
I don't even know how you quantify what deGrom is doing right now, but I'll try. He threw 10 consecutive pitches over 100 mph in a game against Arizona last week. His 0.71 ERA is the lowest by a pitcher qualifying for an ERA title entering June since 1964. Yes, that was before they lowered the pitching mound from 15" to 10" Can you imagine deGrom throwing off a 15-inch mound? Seriously? He has 82 strikeouts (in just 51 innings, mind you) to just seven walks on the season. Of the four runs he has allowed on the season, three of them have come via home run. The 0.57 WHIP means he's not leaking points that way either. The only gripe about deGrom is the lack of run support and the fact that the Mess wont let him go really deep into games anymore. deGrom has only gone past six innings twice in eight starts. Still, I challenge you to find a better option. His low mark on the season is 22.9 DraftKings points. We should see another big game tonight.
Eduardo Rodriguez - BOS at NYY ($6,600)
You have to go all the way back to April 30 to find the last time the Yankees scored more than four runs against a left-handed starter. Only Robbie Ray gave up more than three runs during that span. The Yankees can't hit lefties right now. Rodriguez has had a rough go of it so far and it has depressed his price. However, a dig into Statcast suggests that Rodriguez has been the victim of a ton of bad luck. His xERA is a much more manageable 3.55 while his walk rate is the lowest of his career. He induces a lot of ground balls with just a 11-degree launch angle and doesn't allow a lot of hard contact. Add in Eduardo's 3.87 ERA in 18 career starts against the Yankees and 3.96 ERA in nine starts at Yankee Stadium and we have a recipe for a nice bargain tonight.
Other Options: Joe Musgrove($8,700), Yusei Kikuchi (8,200), Kohl Stewart ($4,800)
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DraftKings DFS Infielders
Victor Caratini - C, SD vs. NYM ($2,200)
Yep. I realize who he's facing. However, what Caratini, a journeyman by any means, has done against deGrom defies logic. Caratini is 4-9 with two homers and four RBI in his career against deGOAT. Only one player (Giancarlo Stanton with four) has more homers than Caratini against deGrom. 16 players are tied with him, of which six are no longer on major league rosters. It's a short list that Caratini is on, and only three of those other 16 did it in fewer at bats (Mitch Garver in 2 AB, Mark Teixeira in 7 AB, Keon Broxton in 6 AB). When you're talking maximum potential for minimum investment, Caratini gives you a shot at that.
Matt Olson - 1B, OAK at COL ($5,100)
Olson is averaging a home run every 19 at bats against left-handed pitching in his career. His average against lefties has also been much better the last couple of seasons. He his lefties better than righties in the truncated 2020 season and is hitting .260 against southpaws this year. This is one of those places where I'll chase Coors since Kyle Freeland has struggled there the last couple of seasons. He's still inducing ground balls, but his walk rate is nearly triple last year's and is more than double his career rate. That spells trouble.
Zach McKinstry - 2B, LAD at ATL ($2,800)
McKinstry was starting to get hot when he went down with an oblique injury and missed over a month. The first few games back were uneventful, but it is worth noting that he is playing nearly every day for the Dodgers, who are still battling a slew of injuries. While Charlie Morton still induces a lot of ground balls, his walk rate, exit velocity, and hard hit rate are slowly climbing in his age 38 season. I don't expect a home run out of McKinstry here, but he could be in for some extra bases with that speed of his.
Josh Fuentes - 3B, COL vs. OAK ($4,000)
Oh look! Fresh meat! Cole Irvin makes his first career start at Coors Field tonight and the Rockies have to be licking their chops. The Rockies are crushing lefties this year with a .274 average on the season. Fuentes is a career .284 hitter against southpaws and is smacking them to the tune of .367 this season. Virtually every pitch Irvin throws Fuentes hits well with the exception of the slider. We should see some crooked numbers tonight.
Gleyber Torres - SS, NYY vs. BOS ($3,900)
My go-to not-so-free space at SS is facing deGrom tonight. I can find better ways to waste money, so that's a fade for me. Gleyber gets some wind in his favor and is facing Eduardo Rodriguez. Gleyber hits lefties better anyway. He has has some success against this particular lefty with a .333 average, two homers, seven RBI, and four walks in 19 plate appearances. We should see a crooked number out of Gleyber tonight.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Charlie Blackmon - OF, COL vs. OAK ($5,200)
You don't carry a career batting average north of .300 without being able to hit every kind of pitcher. Blackmon hits an even .300 against lefties in his career. After a disastrous start to 2021, Blackmon now has nine hits in his last five games with a homer and seven RBI. There's more coming. Once Blackmon gets on one of his hot streaks, he can go on for weeks. Unlike Fuentes, Blackmon hits sinkers and sliders very well, which are Irvin's primary secondary pitches to lefties.
Cody Bellinger - OF, LAD at ATL ($4,400)
This price on Bellinger is way too low. He hasn't been held scoreless since his return to the lineup on May 29 and has driven in seven runs in the last two games. That slow start to 2021 before his leg injury is a distant memory. Bellinger was routinely priced in Mookie territory all of last season. Enjoy this discount while it lasts. His price wont be this low for much longer.
Hunter Renfroe - OF, BOS at NYY ($3,200)
Renfroe is hitting .394 with two homers and five RBI over the last ten games. That's good enough for a 10.1 DraftKings point average in those games. Like Gleyber, he gets the wind at his back. Renfroe has played two games against Jameson Taillon is his career, and it's safe to say Renfroe has got the better of the deal. He is 3-6 with a double, a homer, and a pair of RBI against him.
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Charlie Morton
- Colorado Rockies vs. Oakland Athletics game stack
- Seattle Mariners vs. Alex Cobb
- Sneaky Stack: Chicago Cubs vs. Kevin Gausman
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