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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on June 18th, 2019. Austyn Varney's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Welcome to Tuesday baseball on DraftKings. We have a huge slate on our hands that will start at 7:05 and includes 15 games. We have arguably the best DFS pitcher on the planet in Verlander and he's in a decent match-up. We also have some very affordable pitchers that are in great match-ups. Patrick Corbin is way too cheap on DraftKings and it'll be hard to stay away from him. We have five offenses that are projected for over five runs, so we have our work cut out for us.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 6/18/19. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like FanDuel, and other sports too.
If you have any questions or comments, contact me on Twitter @varneydfs.
DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Patrick Corbin WAS vs. PHI ($8,200)
This simply comes down to price. Patrick Corbin has been extremely impressive this season and should never be priced down to $8,100. The Phillies have a bit of boom in their lineup, but strikeout 28% of the time and can be had vs left-handed pitching. Corbin on the other hand, strikes out nine betters per nine and has held both righties and lefties to under a .311 wOBA. The Phillies are a good offense, but Corbin is just as good of a pitcher and will have success if on his game.
Jack Flaherty STL vs. MIA ($8,700)
Jack Flaherty and the Cardinals host the Marlins tonight, who currently hold the third lowest implied team total on the slate. Flaherty is a guy who’s dominated righties (27% K) all year long and only gets touched up vs the left side. This right-handed heavy Marlins team ranks dead last in baseball against righites and strikeout 27% of the time. Against the Marlins the worse it gets is Curtis Granderson for a lefty. Flaherty is a safe option with unlimited upside.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
C - Omar Narvaez SEA vs. KC ($4,300)
The Mariners aren’t a team we’re all over, but they deserve some attention. Facing off against Homer Bailey, they are going to put up runs. Bailey has survived with pitiful peripherals, so his world will come crashing down soon. He’s currently striking out about eight per nine innings and walking over four. Omar Narvaez has posted a .341 wOBA against righties and has shown double-digit power. Bailey is one of the worst pitchers on the entire slate and I don’t mind getting a hint of a lineup that needs more exposure.
1B - Anthony Rizzo CHC vs. CWS ($5,100)
Anthony Rizzo is one of the top bats on the slate, if not the top. Ivan Nova is the worst pitcher on this slate and he'll be heading into Wrigley Field to face off with one of the more lethal lineups in baseball. They rank in the top five against right-handed pitching and have been hitting well at home. Nova is currently striking out just five batters per nine innings while walking three. He's also sported a .400 wOBA against lefties, so the Cubs should have some fun here. Rizzo is the head of the snake and you can't stack the Cubs without him.
2B - Robinson Cano NYM @ ATL ($3,100)
Robinson Cano is far too dangerous to be $3,100 on DraftKings. He's just returning from his injury, but has looked just fine with a home run last night. There are a lot of options at second base, but this salary is ridiculous and it should force Cano to be at least 40% owned. He's just too lethal of a hitter at this price when facing off with Julio Teheran. He's notoriously bad against lefties (.371 wOBA) and this ballpark will do him no favors. Cano is simply too cheap here and this is chalk that may be too good to fade.
3B - Yandy Diaz TBR @ NYY ($4,800)
The Rays won't be very popular tonight, but J.A. Happ is susceptible to the long ball from right-handers. He's allowed a monstrous 14 home runs in just 5 innings of work. Yandy Diaz is a left-handed specialist, sporting a .435 wOBA against them and has hit 11 homers thus far. I don't think the Rays will get much attention tonight and I have no problem with stacking these righties. Diaz is the best of the buch.
SS - Francisco Lindor CLE @ TEX ($5,300)
Lindor always seems to fly under the radar, and I was able to get a 3% owner Lindor HR last time out against Lance Lynn. He’ll look to repeat himself tonight, facing off with Adrian Sampson in Texas. Sampson is walking around with a 4.00 xFIP, allowing a .357 wOBA and 13 home runs in just over 60 innings of work. Lindor, a switch-hitter, prefers hitting from this right side and has boasted a .364 wOBA from it. He also has added SB upside with a righty on the mound, and won’t cost you too much on DK.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Cody Bellinger LAD vs. SFG ($5,700)
If you're going to pay up for an outfielder, Cody Bellinger is a phenomenal choice. You can go with any of these guys as they can obviously hit the ball off of anyone, but Bellinger has the best match-up. Shaun Anderson has been decent so far, but he's pitched over his head with terrible peripherals. Against lefties, a .347 wOBA and 4.70 xFIP is concerning. He doesn't strikeout many batters and when Bellinger makes contact, he's hard to get out. Dodger Stadium is a ballpark downgrade for Anderson and he should struggle according to Vegas (5.27 implied total).
Carlos Gonzalez CHC vs. CWS ($3,100)
If CarGo is in the lineup tonight, you can expect him to be highly owned on DraftKings at just $3,100. He's going to be hitting fifth or sixth in the night's best offense and is super cheap. Ivan Nova is terrible against lefties (.400 wOBA) and hasn't shown any signs of improvement. Gonzalez has a ton of HR upside and should be close to 30-40% owned. This is a spot I'm willing to eat the chalk on and be different elsewhere.
