MLB DFS Picks Today: Daily Fantasy Baseball Strategy and Tips For FanDuel, DraftKings (6/17/25)

June 17, 2025

Jamie's top DraftKings and FanDuel MLB DFS picks for today, Monday, 6/17/25. His favorite daily fantasy baseball lineup sleepers and value picks for DFS on DraftKings and FanDuel.

A lot happened last night despite there being only seven games on the main slate. Shohei Ohtani pitched for the first time in 663 days, the Yankees lost 1-0 to the Angels, and my cover boy Jose Altuve homered despite a midday pitching change that diminished the Astros' righties upside.

Tonight we get our full Tuesday slate with 12 games, which is highlighted by Rafael Devers making his first start for the San Francisco Giants. He immediately gets a good matchup, so let's dive in and see how we're going to build. As always, our staff will be working hard in the RotoBaller Discord to help you bring home some green.

This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 6/17/2025, with the slate starting at 7:05 p.m. EDT. The lineup picks will showcase elite players, mid-priced options, and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. Monitoring injury news and today's MLB starting lineups is always essential.

DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks

Robbie Ray, SF ($10,300 DK/$10,700 FD)

Robbie Ray has been simply amazing in his second year with the Giants. He has a 2.55 ERA which is supported by a 2.98 FIP, and his 40.3% GB rate is the best he's posted since 2017 when he was with Arizona. In addition, he's striking out batters at a 28.1% mark with a 13.8% swinging strike rate.

The Guardians have rarely been a team to target for strikeouts, but they oddly have the ninth-highest K rate against LHP this season. They also rank 24th in wOBA in that split and have an IRT barely over three runs tonight. Ray is a rock-solid start to cash lineups and easily has the K upside for GPPs, even at ownership.

Will Warren, NYY ($7,500 DK/$8,200 FD)

Will Warren is the easiest click of the night in cash. Yesterday, I wrote up Clarke Schmidt as the top play against the Angels, and he (for the most part) came through. The K department was barren (he only struck out three), but Warren is an even better play for this with a 28.9% K rate.

Will Warren, Wicked 84mph Sweeper. 🤢

21 Inches of Horizontal Break pic.twitter.com/TxeWJaA8Ax

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 12, 2025

Warren isn't just striking out guys either, and there are plenty of indications that he's starting to mold into the prospect he's been touted as. His 4.86 ERA is not real, as he's got a 3.23 FIP and 3.22 xFIP. He's also inducing a ton of ground balls and is doing a good job of keeping the ball in the park (0.86 HR/9).

As I mentioned yesterday, the Angels are a prime target for right-handed pitchers. They have the highest K rate in that split, and it's not close. In addition, they also rank 28th in ISO against RHP. Warren is far too cheap on both sites.

Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):

• Bryan Woo, SEA ($9,500 DK/$9,300 FD)
• Matthew Liberatore, STL ($7,700 DK/$9,100 FD)

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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks

Rafael Devers, SF ($5,200 DK/$3,800 FD)

Let's get this party started! Rafael Devers will make his San Francisco debut tonight, and I think it's highly possible we see some immediate fireworks by the bay. The former Red Sox star will get a fresh start on the West Coast, and he brings a .968 June OPS and 58 RBI (third in the majors).

Slade Cecconi will take the bump for Cleveland, and while his 9.95 K/9 is solid, there are some key attack points here. He cannot keep the ball in the park, as evidenced by an insane 18.2% HR/FB rate. He also has a 33% GB rate, and his 86% strand rate indicates a strong run of good luck.

Devers is playing in a big park now where wind has a minimal impact, but so did Barry Bonds. Devers has been beating on RHP this season too, with a .399 wOBA and .286 ISO against them. I may even place a fun homer bet on Devers tonight.

Gunnar Henderson, BAL ($4,900 DK/$3,200 FD)

Baltimore continues to flounder in last place in the AL East, but it's certainly not on Gunnar Henderson. He's hitting a scorching .381 in June, and has six multi-hit games in the month as well. Tonight, he gets to play in the Yankees' Triple-A park in Tampa, which has the same dimensions as Yankee Stadium, a paradise for lefty bats.

Gunnar Henderson surprisingly entered tonight 7th on the Orioles in plate appearances with RISP.

After this RBI single, here’s what Henderson has done with RISP this season:

.302 BA
.362 OBP
.512 SLG
.873 OPS pic.twitter.com/skoAu0pcmu

— Jacob Calvin Meyer (@jcalvinmeyer) June 12, 2025

Henderson has a .394 wOBA and .251 ISO against RHP this season, and he's a fun BvP play against Zack Littell as well. It's a small sample size, but Henderson has seven hits in 15 at-bats against Littell with two homers and a 2:3 K:BB ratio.

Carlos Correa, MIN ($3,600 DK/$2,600 FD)

I'm pretty zeroed in on Henderson as my main SS, but Carlos Correa is certainly in play at an even cheaper price (as are the Twins' righties in general). Correa no longer has the upside of some of his fellow big-name shortstops, but he's a key piece in the middle of the Minnesota lineup.

Andrew Abbott is having an All-star caliber year for the Reds with a 1.87 ERA and a 26.1% K rate, but there are chinks in the armor. His 89% strand rate is ridiculously unsustainable, and his xFIP is over two runs higher than his ERA. A 28.9% GB rate also won't play at the major league level long term.

Correa's upside is meh, but he still mashes lefties. This year, he has a .398 wOBA and .286 ISO against southpaws, which is not in line with his price tags.

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): 

• Bobby Witt Jr., KC ($5,500 DK/$3,800 FD)
• Jazz Chisholm Jr., NYY ($5,100 DK/$3,500 FD)
• Ryan Jeffers, MIN ($3,600 DK/$2,700 FD)

DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks

Aaron Judge, NYY ($6,600 DK/$5,100 FD)

Probably the biggest decision tonight will come in the form of "to Yankee or not to Yankee." Against Kyle Hendricks, they SHOULD be the top stack. However, it can't be ignored that they've only scored five runs in their last five games, and even Aaron Judge has proven himself to be human in that span.

Despite all that, it's vital to note that Hendricks is on the mound for the Angels. He's struck out only 5.58 batters per nine and has a 4.96 xFIP. Even with their slump, the Yankees' IRT of 5.5 runs is by far the highest on the slate, and Judge should be the cornerstone play of any Yankee stacks you put together.

Ronald Acuna Jr., ATL ($6,300 DK/$4,200 FD)

If you're torn on spending this much for a Yankee hitter right now, Ronald Acuna Jr. is arguably right in line with Judge. He's certainly hitting the ball much better than Judge in the last five, but he'll face a tougher opponent in David Peterson and his 2.49 ERA.

The Atlanta superstar has come out firing since he made his debut on May 23, as he's posted a 1.179 OPS with 13 RBI and 10 extra-base hits. He's also doing well in the platoon split with a .380 wOBA and .230 ISO against LHP, and he stole his first base the other day.

Josh Smith: 11-for-26 (.423 AVG), 5 XBH, 9 R
Ronald Acuña Jr.: 13-for-21 (.619 AVG), 3 HR, 8 R

Your @Chevrolet AL and NL Players of the Week! pic.twitter.com/VxltmwKEby

— MLB (@MLB) June 16, 2025

Trent Grisham, NYY ($4,200 DK/$3,100 FD)

The honeymoon seems to be over for Trent Grisham as his average has dropped to .243, and he has only three homers since May 12. However, Grisham continues to hit atop the Yankee lineup and is a lefty bat aiming at the short RF porch, which makes him one of the better outfield values tonight.

I already mentioned Hendricks' shortcomings in the Judge blurb, but he's been even worse against lefties. Since the beginning of last year, Hendricks has allowed a .370 wOBA and 1.86 HR/9 to LHB with only a 14.5% K rate. Fingers crossed, but I'm in on the Yanks.

UPDATE:  Trent Grisham is not starting, and Jasson Dominguez is leading off.  His upside is far higher than Grisham's leading off.

Others To Consider (CASH/GPP): 

• Byron Buxton, MIN ($5,800 DK/$3,600 FD)
• Juan Soto, NYM ($5,400 DK/$3,700 FD)
• Cody Bellinger, NYY ($4,600 DK/$3,300 FD)

DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks

1. New York Yankees vs Kyle Hendricks

All right, I've laid it all out there, and now a decision must be made. The Yankees' IRT, the park factor, and the matchup against Hendricks are just too much to ignore. Yes, they're struggling, but the Yankees are still first in the league in ISO against RHP, so giddy up.

Favorite Combo: Grisham, Judge, Bellinger, Chisholm Jr.

2. Baltimore Orioles vs Zack Littell

The Orioles head to Tampa and will get to play in "Yankee Stadium South." Littell has allowed a whopping 18.4% HR/FB rate this season with only a 16.7% K rate. Baltimore has a lot of lefties to attack with.

Favorite Combo: Holliday, Henderson, O'Hearn, Cowser

3. Minnesota Twins vs Andrew Abbott

Abbott is a high-K pitcher to aim at, but his 89% strand rate and 28.9% GB rate invite blowups. The Twins get a big-time park boost heading into Cincinnati, and I think their 4.1 IRT is too low. If the field is afraid of an IRT that low, we could have some leverage here.

Favorite Combo: Buxton, Jeffers, Correa, Castro

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