RADIO
Welcome to Sunday baseball! We have a full slate of games today, but DraftKings has sliced it up. Outside of the all-day slate, DK has given us a 10-game main slate starting at 1:05 and a lter slate of four games at 4:07. We may not have a game in Coors Field, but there are five games with an projected total in the double-digits. We also have Justin Verlander on the mound, but he has to face the gauntlet that is the New York Yankees.
Let's jump in head first to this slate where we have eight offenses with a total over four and a half runs. We'll focus on the Braves, Brewers, Rangers, Red Sox, and Phillies, but there are even more to target. The weather is heating u across the country and runns are picking up with it. Let's have some fun on this Sunday.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 6/23/19. 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, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @VarneyDFS.
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DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Justin Verlander, DET (@ NYY) - $12,000
We have a few high-end pitching options tonight and they all have a few question marks. Cole Hamels and Jacob deGrom will face off and both have a ton of upside against offenses that strikeout a ton. With that said, we'll focus on Justin Verlander. This Yankees lineup is obviously disgusting, but they are worse against righties and will strikeout an absolute ton. I wouldn't be surprised if Verlander gives up two or three home runs, but I think he has a legitimate shot at hitting 15+ strikeouts here. Verlander is striking out 32.5% of batters and walking just 4%. Seven of the nine Yankees batters hold a 25%+ K rate and don't walk much. Verlander is obviously extremely expensive on DK, but he has more upside than anyone on the slate and may not garner as much ownership as he should.
Joey Lucchesi, SDP (@ PIT) - $9,100
Moving down a few grand, Joey lucchesi has a phenomenal match-up against the Pirates. Against lefties, the Pirates rank 28th in baseball with a team .284 wOBA and 24.8% strikeout rate. They also walk the least at 4%, which helps a guy like Lucchesi out a ton. As long as he can keep the ball near the strike zone, the Pirates will chase and give him free strikeouts. He's sported a sub .321 wOBA against both sides of the plate and is striking out 25% of batters he faces. PNC Park is huge and Lucchesi shouldn't have trouble keeping the ball in the park. He's nowhere near as safe as Verlander, but has a ton of upside and a strikeout floor.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
C - Brian McCann, ATL (@ WAS) - $3,800
Catcher is always one of the tougher positions to fill, often just settling for a guy that’s plugged into your favorite offense. There’s nothing wrong with that strategy, but Brian McCann has been awesome against righties recently and is way too cheap. We don’t have much of a sample size on Austin Voth, but he’s given up 48% hard contact in his time in the majors. The Braves are projected for 4.5 runs and Brian McCann will have multiple RBI opportunities. I would have shares even at an accurate price.
1B - Rhys Hoskins, PHI (vs. MIA) - $4,200
Jordan Yamamoto has undoubtedly been awesome so far, but he’s going to come back down the earth. His peripherals tell us he’s been super lucky. A 4.53 xFIP (4.99 to righties) next to a 0.00 ERA is surely something to note. People will likely avoid Yamamoto because of his recent success, but this is baseball and we have to believe the numbers. Rhys Hoskins is priced way down and it makes him hard to ignore.
2B - Mike Moustakas, MIL (vs. CIN) - $5,000
It’s not rocket science when facing Anthony DeSclafani. Against righties, a .254 wOBA allowed with solid peripherals. Against lefties, a .406 wOBA and 5.69 xFIP. His changeup, the one that’s supposed to be effective vs the opposite hand, has been hit for a .562 wOBA vs lefties. This Brewers lineup is extremely lethal from the left side of the plate and I love a stack here with two - five in the order. Moustakas is fairly priced and should be overly popular.
3B - Yoan Moncada, CWS (@ TEX) - $5,100
The Texas side of this game is going to get a ton of attention, but I like the White Sox nearly as much. Adrian Sampson is by no means a good pitcher and a 5.30 projected total is huge for this White Sox team. Sampson has held a .346 wOBA to both sides of the plate since 2017 and hasn't shown any signs of improving. This hot and humid Texas weather has been producing runs like crazy and I'm all over this game on the all-day slate. Moncada is far better against righties (.382 wOBA) and will go low-owned with so many options at the position. Moncada is going to have a huge day here.
SS - Elvis Andrus, TEX (vs. CWS) - $5,100
The Rangers are the only team on the slate with a six+ run projection, so we have to pay attention here. It first comes down to the heat. Close to 100 degrees with thin air, the ball is flying and we've seen a double-digit over under for a few days now. We then have poor pitching on the mound, with two of the worst rotations in baseball. Ivan Nova has been trash against both sides of the plate, and I doubt he makes it out of the fourth inning here. This entire Rangers lineup is in play and Andrus is the most consistent in the 3-hole. He seems to always get involved and has the power to in tournaments as well. Do not forget about the Rangers today.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Christian Yelich, MIL (vs. CIN) - $5,900
We’ve already mentioned this Brewers offense with Moustakas at 2B, and everything is just amplified with Christian Yelich. He’s one of the the two best, if not the best in the entire league against righties, posting an insane .498 wOBA with 20 home runs. Back that up with a 53% hard contact rate and only a 35% pull rate, we’re watching a special player. DeSclafani has been utterly terrible against lefties and I’m willing to bet he leaves this game before the sixth. Yelich is my favorite spend up in the outfield.
Shin-Soo Choo, TEX (vs. CWS) - $5,300
Shin-Soo Choo is one of the more streak bats in all of baseball. If you've been paying attention over the last seven or eight seasons, this is a guy you target when swinging the bat well. Over the last three games, I've witnessed seven line drives from Choo. He's leading off for the team with the highest run projection on the night and is one of their top power threats. His price is fair at $5,300, but it will hopefully keep some of the masses away. This Rangers lineup is going to put up a ton of runs and it may be a bad idea to not lock Choo into your cash games.
Eddie Rosario, MIN (@ KC) - $4,400
We’ve yet to touch on this Twins squad vs Homer Bailey and the Royals, but they’re firmly in play. Vegas projects them for 5.67 runs and they’re huge favorites on the road. Homer Bailey has been very lucky this year, with his xFIP at 4.56 and and his wOBA under .330. This potent Twins lineup is a great way to start the regression and Vegas certainly agrees. Eddie Rosario is one of the best OF’s in the game vs righties and has held a .422 wOBA vs them. You can also go with Max Kepler or Nelson Cruz, as they’re all in play vs Homer Bailey and his poor fastball.
