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Hello there, MLB DFS grinders! The focus of this article will be on the 4-game afternoon slate for both DraftKings and FanDuel. We have some good pitching options and good stacks to consider so let's dive on in and find the best plays for both your cash game and tournament lineups.
While most of our MLB DFS coverage here at RotoBaller is geared towards the main slate, I wanted to give you some of my favorite pitchers and bats for these early games that will help you cash in tournaments and cash game contests. I'll highlight my favorite pitching options here first and then give you some hitters at each price tier to consider as well as my favorite teams to stack up! You can read our DraftKings DFS lineup picks for the main slate and FanDuel DFS lineup picks for the main slate as well.
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the DraftKings and FanDuel slates beginning at 1:15 PM on 6/30/2021. Be sure to also check out all the MLB player news, including late scratches, and the projected and confirmed daily MLB lineups for each DFS slate. You can also check out today's MLB DFS lineup picks for the main slate here, and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. Let's get to it!
MLB DFS Pitchers
Jon Lester ($6,200 FD, $8,900 DK)
There is a big pricing discrepancy on Lester as he is over 2k cheaper on FD than he is on DK. The Rays have struggled against lefties all season long as they are batting .225 as a team and lead the major leagues with 316 strikeouts against this specific handedness. Even when scaling down to a smaller sample size (last 14 days), the Rays are second in the majors with 50 strikeouts against this handedness and they have seven batters in their lineup that sport at least a 21% strikeout rate.
Jon Gray ($8,000 FD, $7,900 DK)
Normally you want to target pitchers with hitters when they play in Coors but when Gray is on the mound, it's a different story. Gray has a 3.25 ERA and opponents are hitting .167 against him when he is pitching at home but when he is on the road, Gray has a 5.32 ERA and opponents are slashing .330 against him. He is at a very solid price point on both sites and faces a Pirates team that has a team ISO of .139 against right-handed batters while also featuring a lineup that has six batters with a strikeout rate that is at 21% or greater and it doesn't help that German Marquez just carried a no-hitter into the top of the ninth in last night's game against Pittsburgh!
Others to consider: Jake Arrieta vs. Milwaukee Brewers
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MLB DFS "Bats Worth Paying For"
Trea Turner – SS, WSH @ TBR ($4,400 FD, $5,900 DK)
Turner has been extremely consistent this season and is one of the safest and best spend-up options on this slate. He has recorded a hit in 10 out of his last 13 games played and has managed to score a run in 12 straight games. Wacha has actually gotten hit harder by right-handed batters as they sport a .237 ISO against him which only bodes well for a guy like Turner who has a .188 ISO, .290 batting average, and 10 home runs against right-handed pitchers.
Ryan McMahon – 2B/3B, COL vs. PIT ($4,300 FD, $5,200 DK)
There's a lot to like about Ryan McMahon in this matchup against Chad Kuhl. Lefties have an ISO of .203 against Kuhl and McMahon has a .223 ISO and a 48.8% hard-hit percentage against right-handed pitchers this year. Kuhl throws his slider and sinker for a combined 70% of the time against lefty batters and McMahon profiles really well against his slider as he has a .256 ISO and a .526 XwOBA against this specific pitch type.
Kyle Schwarber – OF, WSH @ TBR ($4,200 FD, $5,300 DK)
The hot streak continues for Schwarber and he looks to be at a solid price point on both sites especially for how well he has been swinging the bat. Schwarber has hit 12 home runs over his last 10 games and leads the Nationals with 23 home runs against right-handed pitchers. He has a .405 ISO and a 43.4% HR/FB percentage against right-handed pitchers this year and is someone that is tough to fade during this hot stretch.
MLB DFS Values
Josh Rojas – 2B/OF, ARI @ STL ($3,300 FD, $3,000 DK)
Rojas has now hit safely in four out of his last five games played and has recorded three multi-hit performances during that span as well. He is definitely under-priced over on DK as he is averaging over 11 DK points per game over his last five games played and should see plenty of at-bats as he usually is placed at the top of the Arizona batting order.
Kevin Newman – SS, PIT @ COL ($3,000 FD, $3,200 DK)
If you're needing a solid value play on this slate especially for your cash game lineups, look no further than Kevin Newman. Newman is a steal on DK as he is in the low 3k range and this is a very cheap price point for someone playing at Coors Field. Newman has recorded multi-hit performances in two out of his last five games played and profiles well against Gray's fastball as he makes contact over 90% of the time to his fastball pitch type.
Dylan Carlson – OF, STL vs. ARI ($2,600 FD, $3,600 DK)
Carlson is starting to get going at the plate as he has recorded a hit in seven out of his last nine games played and has multi-hit outings in three of those games. He has managed to score a run in five straight games and he looks to be a great value on both sites if he's finding ways to get on base and score.
Also Recommended: Yonathan Daza vs. Chad Kuhl, Omar Narvaez vs. Jake Arrieta
MLB DFS Hitter Stacks
Washington Nationals vs. Michael Wacha
The Nationals are on fire offensively as they have a team average of .289 and 20 home runs against right-handed pitching over their last 14 days played. The matchup for Wacha is a tough one as the Nationals only have three batters that have a strikeout rate that is greater than 21% and they have six batters that have a hard hit percentage that is above 36%. The top of the lineup is all in play with the focus going towards Schwarber, Turner, and Soto.
Colorado Rockies vs. Chad Kuhl
Last night was very exciting for Colorado as Marquez carried a no-hit bid into the ninth inning while their offense managed to put eight runs on the board as well against Pittsburgh. Chad Kuhl will be on the bump for the Pirates and he has gotten roughed up this season as he is 2-4 with a 5.05 ERA and lefties have done the most damage to him as they have a .278 average against him while also sporting a .203 ISO as well. Some guys to consider for your Rockies stack would be, Ryan McMahon, Charlie Blackmon, Raimel Tapia while also looking at Trevor Story, Yonathan Daza, and CJ Cron.
Other recommended stacks: Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Kwang Hyun Kim, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Riley Smith
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