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Hello there, MLB DFS grinders! We have a split Saturday slate and the focus of this article will be on the 8-game afternoon slate for DraftKings while mentioning plays for the split afternoon FanDuel slates. 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 1:05 PM on 6/19/2021. 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
Pablo Lopez vs. Chicago Cubs ($8,400 FD, $9,200 DK)
The Cubs have been one of the worst teams when it comes to hitting right-handed pitching which ultimately makes Pablo Lopez a very solid all-around option on this slate. The Cubs rank 26th on the year against righties and are ranked 30th when it comes to facing this handedness over their last 14 days (.185 average) while having the second-most strikeouts to right-handed pitchers over that 14-day span. Despite having a 2-4 record, Lopez has actually pitched pretty well this year as he has a 3.12 ERA and is sporting a K/9 rate of 9 while sporting a 24.5 strikeout rate. The Cubs have six batters who all sport a strikeout rate that is greater than 21% so Lopez carries upside in this matchup.
Alek Manoah vs. Baltimore Orioles ($9,200 FD, $8,100 DK)
Another pitcher that is moderately priced on both sites that also carries upside in his matchup is Alek Manoah. In just four starts this season, Manoah has allowed a total of six earned runs in 21.1 innings pitched and is sporting a 2.66 ERA. He has dominated right-handed batters as he has held them to just a .130 batting average and a .190 wOBA but has struggled more against lefties as he has allowed them to hit .286 against him. The Oriolesols have a predominantly right-handed heavy lineup which bodes well for Manoah and five of their batters have a strikeout rate greater than 21% so if he can navigate around the lefties, he could have a pretty easy day on the mound.
Others to consider: Aaron Nola vs. San Francisco Giants, Kolby Allard vs. Minnesota Twins
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MLB DFS "Bats Worth Paying For"
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B/3B, TOR @ BAL ($4,700 FD, $6,100 DK)
Vlad is one of the top players on the entire slate and is priced way up there but he is still worth spending up for on this slate. Dean Kremer will be on the bump for Baltimore and he is allowing righties to have a .234 ISO and a 41.6% flyball rate against him. Kremer throws his fastball over 50% to righties and Vlad hits this pitch well as he has a .395 ISO and .503 XwOBA against that specific pitch type.
Rafael Devers – 3B, BOS @ KCR ($4,100 FD, $5,600 DK)
Devers is a big bat that could go lower owned in tournaments and the matchup against Brad Keller looks to be a good one for Devers. On the season, Devers has an ISO of .319 against righties and he leads the entire Boston lineup with 14 home runs off of that handedness. Devers has an ISO that is greater than .300 against both of Keller's fastball and sinker pitch types and Keller throws these pitches over 60% of the time to lefty batters.
Juan Soto – OF, WSH vs. NYM ($4,000 FD, $4,700 DK)
Juan Soto has been raking against lefties this year and this looks to be a great matchup for him against David Peterson. Peterson is allowing lefties to hit for .327 on the season and Soto is sporting a .345 ISO and .509 XwOBA against the reverse split. Peterson throws his fastball and sinker to lefties over 50% of the time and Soto profiles well against these pitch types as he has a .261+ ISO and a .431+ XwOBA to both pitches.
MLB DFS Values
James McCann – C, NYM @ WSH ($3,000 FD, $3,800 DK)
McCann has always been one known for hitting splits well and he provides some pop for this Mets lineup when it comes to facing off against lefty pitchers. John Lester will be on the bump for the Nationals and right-handed batters have a .204 ISO against him this year. McCann has a .281 ISO against lefties (highest on the team) and is producing a 59.6% hard-hit rate which is pretty high so if he can get one of Lester's fastballs down the middle, he could certainly take one for a ride.
Ryan Zimmerman – 1B, NYM @ WSH ($2,700 FD, $4,400 DK)
Zimmerman is more of a value play over on FanDuel as he is under the 3k price point but he is always up for consideration when he is facing off against a lefty pitcher. David Peterson will be on the hill for the Mets and right-handed batters have an ISO of .202 against him while Zimmerman has the second-highest ISO on the team against left-handed pitchers (.286).
Kevin Pillar – OF, NYM @ WSH ($2,700 FD, $2,800 DK)
Pillar could be a cheap value play if you're wanting to get exposure to the Mets lineup. He is more of a tournament type of play but carries a .192 ISO against left-handed pitchers and profiles well against Lester's cutter as he has an ISO of .857 which is a pitch that Lester throws 33.57% of the time to righties.
Also Recommended: Joe Panik vs. Dean Kremer, Kelvin Gutierrez vs. Martin Perez, Ramon Laureano vs. Domingo German (DK)
MLB DFS Hitter Stacks
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Dean Kremer
Toronto will be a very popular option on this slate and rightfully so. Dean Kremer will be on the mound for Baltimore and he has a 6.65 ERA and both sides of the plate have hit him this year as he has allowed lefties to hit .286 against him while righties have hit .299 against him this season. This Blue Jays team features five batters who all carry an ISO above .185 and the usual suspects are all in play like Vlad, Bichette, Semien while also considering Biggio and Panik.
Washington Nationals vs. David Peterson
The Nationals have some upside in this matchup against David Peterson and could go a tad overlooked. Peterson has coughed up the long ball eight times this season to right-handed batters and the Nationals can roll out a very right-handed heavy lineup which doesn't work in his favor. As a team, the Nationals lineup sports an ISO of .202 against lefties and has seven batters that carry a hard-hit rate that is greater than 36%. Locking in Trea Turner, Ryan Zimmerman, Yan Gomes, and Juan Soto would be where to start while mixing in Starlin Castro or Josh Harrison as lower owned options.
Other recommended stacks: Kansas City Royals vs. Martin Perez, Cleveland Indians vs. Wil Crowe, Boston Red Sox vs. Brad Keller
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