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Hello there, MLB DFS grinders! We have a split Wednesday slate and the focus of this article will be on the 6-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 2:10 PM on 6/16/2021. 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!
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MLB DFS Pitchers
Lucas Giolito vs. TBR ($10,000 FD, $9,900 DK)
Giolito has really settled in recently as he has turned out a quality start in four of his last five starts while managing to strike out at least nine batters in four of those games. The Rays have done well as a team against right-handed pitching but have recently struggled as they have a 29.1% strikeout rate against right-handed pitching over their last 14 days while also sporting a team ISO of .148 which is 21st overall. The Rays have eight batters who carry a strikeout percentage that is greater than 21% so this could be a really favorable matchup for Giolito and the White Sox.
Freddy Peralta vs. CIN ($9,200 FD, $10,300 DK)
Peralta is another pitching alternative to consider on this six-game slate. He has pitched against the Red twice this year and while he has only gone a combined 8.2 innings pitched, he has struck out 13 total batters which shows the upside against Cincinnati. He has been in great form this season as he has only allowed three or more runs in two of his 13 total starts while managing to have at least strikeouts in every start. The Reds do have a lot of pop as a team but they also have five batters that carry a strikeout rate that is greater than 36% so that is where the upside lies in this matchup.
Others to consider: Blake Snell @ Colorado Rockies, Brady Singer vs. Detroit Tigers
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MLB DFS "Bats Worth Paying For"
Matt Olson – 1B, OAK vs. LAA ($3,700 FD, $5,700 DK)
Olson is absolutely crushing the ball this year and has dominated right-handed pitching. So far this year, he is hitting .299 against that handedness while leading the A's with 10 home runs. Over his last 14 days, Olson is batting .407 against righties and looks to match up well against Canning as he has an ISO of .185+ and an XwOBA of .391+ against his three main pitches that he throws to lefty batters.
Trea Turner – SS, WSH vs. PIT ($4,100 FD, $5,100 DK)
If paying up at the shortstop position, look no further than Trea Turner. Turner has hit righties well this season as he has a .183 ISO and a .393 XwOBA against that handedness and De Jong is allowing righties to hit .273 against him and sport an ISO of .206. De Jong throws his fastball over 50% of the time to right-handed batters and Turner has a .217 ISO and a .407 XwOBA against this specific pitch.
Juan Soto – OF, WSH vs. PIT ($4,400 FD, $5,400 DK)
Soto is one of the best left-handed hitters in the game and the matchup against De Jong looks to be a really good one. Soto is sporting a .207 ISo and a .294 batting average against righties this season and De Jong is allowing lefties to have a .281 ISO and a 45.7% flyball percentage this year. One pitch that Soto profiles well against that De Jong throws is his knuckle-curve which he throws 32% of the time to lefties and Soto has a .297 ISo and a .428 XOBA against this specific pitch type.
MLB DFS Values
Yermin Mercedes – C, CHW vs. TBR ($2,700 FD, $4,800)
Mercedes makes for a great value play over on FanDuel where he is sub 3k while he is priced all the way up close to 5k on DK. Mercedes has done well against left-handed pitching this year as he is slashing .356 against that handedness while also having a .214 ISO as well. Ryan Yarbrough has allowed 10 home runs to right-handed batters this season and the White Sox do have some dangerous right-handed bats so if attacking Yarbrough, make sure to include Mercedes in your White Sox stacks.
Colin Moran – 1B/3B, PIT @ WSH ($2,500 FD, $2,800 DK)
Moran has been out of the lineup for a few days with back tightness but could be in line to start on Wednesday afternoon barring any injuries. Moran has been one of the better Pirates batters against right-handed pitching this year as he is hitting .320 with four home runs. Espino primarily throws two main pitches to lefty batters (fastball and knuckle-curve) and he allows lefties to have a flyball rate of 42.9%.
Bryan Reynolds – OF, PIT @ WSH ($3,000 FD, $3,300 DK)
One value play that really stands out is Bryan Reynolds. Reynolds is slashing .261 against right-handed pitchers this season but leads the Pirates with seven home runs off of this handedness. He is a major steal over on DK where he is just $3,300 and has been swinging a good bat as he has recorded a hit in four out of his last five games played with two of the games resulting in multi-hit performances.
Also Recommended: Kyle Schwarber vs. Chase De Jong, Andrew Vaughn vs. Ryan Yarbrough
MLB DFS Hitter Stacks
Oakland Athletics vs. Griffin Canning
While the A's struggle sometimes to hit for average, they make up for it with the long ball. They have four hitters that have at least seven home runs off of right-handed pitching and five batters that sport a .200+ ISO against that handedness. Canning has held his own against lefty batters this year but has coughed up eight home runs to the right side of the play and the A's have plenty of right-handed bats that can do damage at the plate. Mark Canha and Sean Murphy are two A's batters that immediately jump out at me from Oakland while also consider Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, and Seth Brown to round out an A's stack.
Washington Nationals vs. Chase De Jong
Both sides of the plate have gotten to De Jong this season and the Nationals certainly have some bats that could pop off on this afternoon slate. De Jong has allowed .200+ ISOs to both sides of the plate and he is sporting a 45.8% fly ball percentage on the season. Washington only has three guys in their lineup with a strikeout rate that is greater than 21% but they do have five batters that have a hard hit percentage that is greater than 36%. The usual suspects for the Nationals are in play like Turner, Soto, and Schwarber while also looking at Josh Bell and Josh Harrison as well.
Other recommended stacks: San Diego Padres vs. Kyle Freeland, Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Paolo Espino, Chicago White Sox vs. Ryan Yarbrough
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