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Happy Monday, Rotoballers! We kick off the first full week of June with a teeny, tiny six-game slate. DraftKings and FanDuel will include the "early" game between Arizona and Cincinnati, so contests will lock at 6:40 pm Eastern on 6/4/2022.
If you were to ask Pete Campbell from Mad Men how pitching looked tonight, he would respond like this. He's not wrong, as six games severely limit where we can go when it comes to those hurlers on the mound. It means you can take a risk on an SP2 and probably live to fight another day, but the major problem could be figuring out who will anchor your squad with an SP1 role.
These picks will range from some elite, high-priced players to mid-priced options and value plays. First, I'll give you some of my top pitching options and then some infielders, outfielders, and teams to stack! You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. It's also essential to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. Now that we got all of that out of the way, it's onto the picks!
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Cristian Javier vs. SEA ($9,100 DraftKings; $9,000 FanDuel)
If Javier's last start scares you off, take a looks at his walks. The four he allowed to Oakland were a season-high, but he'll meet a team with a meager 8.2 percent walk rate against right-handed pitchers on Monday. The 25-year-old is striking out 28.2 percent of the batters he's faced in 2022, and everything lines up for a dominant outing against the Mariners. At worst, you can count on Seattle not to punish Javier too much as their .150 ISO and .329 wOBA since May puts them in the bottom-10 of the league.
Jon Gray at CLE ($6,600 DK; $8,100 FD)
There are so many bad pitchers to choose from as a cheap SP2 that it's hard to narrow the candidates down. However, I'll roll with the man who's gone at least six innings in three consecutive starts and is coming off a 12-strikeout performance. Jon Gray went up against the Rays and threw seven innings of one-run baseball, giving up three hits and two walks while striking out a dozen Tampa Bay batters. That sort of upside is tempting, but the strikeouts will be tested against Cleveland (16.1 percent K rate versus RHPs since May). The slate is so volatile that I would rather grab the guy coming off a dominant performance than bank on anyone to defy the odds and bounce back from a run of bad form.
Also consider: Robbie Ray, Carlos Carrasco, Hunter Greene, Michael Wacha, Ross Stripling
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Christian Walker - 1B, ARI at Hunter Greene ($3,900 DK; $3,200 FD)
I nearly had Greene as my second pitcher recommendation, but I can't pass up the opportunity to exploit him in Great American SmallPark. The Reds righty is giving up 2.81 HR/9 right now, and every Diamondbacks hitter with a pulse is on the board for me. Since May 16, Walker's .379 ISO trails only Paul Goldschmidt and Joey Votto at first base, and I can see him closing the gap on those two NL Central infielders by the end of the evening.
Rafael Devers - 3B, BOS at Noah Syndergaard ($5,300 DK; $4,000 FD)
Boston is one of my favorite stacks on Monday, as they visit Noah Syndergaard and the Angels. I'll start my Red Sox stack with Rafael Devers in most lineups because of the lefty on righty advantage and the fact that he's hitting out of his mind at the moment. Over his last 10 games, the third baseman is slashing .366/.395/.634 with nine runs, five doubles, two home runs, and six RBI. He's collected 11 multi-hit efforts in his last 22, and it feels more likely that he'll make it 12 in 23 against this soft-tossing version of Thor.
Kyle Farmer - SS, CIN vs. Madison Bumgarner ($4,900 DK; $3,300 FD)
It's still shocking to see Farmer's sticker price sitting at $4,900. He's got a .736 OPS on the year, but it rises to .886 at home. Home is where he's hit 10 of his 16 extra-base hits (and all five of his homers) in 2022, so he's a contrarian piece to get into tournament lineups. I think enough people will fade him because of the price, but a date with Madison Bumgarner (4.93 FIP, 1.49 HR/9) provides enough upside to keep him in Monday's player pool for my lineups.
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Yordan Alvarez - OF, HOU vs. Robbie Ray ($5,700 DK; $4,200 FD)
It wasn't a bad weekend for Yordan Alvarez. He signed a six-year, $115 million extension with the Astros, then overpowered the Royals pitching with extra-base hit after extra-base hit. He's up to 14 home runs and 31 RBI with a .969 OPS on the campaign because of this recent tear, and Robbie Ray is not a pitcher to fear.
Jurickson Profar - OF, SD vs. Carlos Carrasco ($3,900 DK; $3,200 FD)
Whenever I see a leadoff hitter priced below $4,000 on DK, I instantly become intrigued. So Jurickson Profar fits nicely into that category as the everyday table-setter for the Padres. He's racked up multiple hits in seven of his last 16 games, hitting three doubles and a home run in that stretch. Admittedly, his ceiling is limited by the Padres' anemic offense in May (77 wRC+ vs. RHPs), but on a six-game slate, you've got to be willing to take a couple of chances here and there.
Jarren Duran - OF, BOS at Noah Syndergaard ($2,600 DK; $2,200 FD)
I've recommended a few premium bats today, but a cheaper SP2 and throwing Duran into your lineups will offset some of those costs. The highly-touted outfielder received the call-up on Saturday and promptly went 3-for-9 with a run over the weekend. More importantly, he batted leadoff in both games, and we can't turn that down for $2,600 on DK. Boston has been crushing RHPs since May (132 wRC+), and you'll want as many pieces as possible from their lineup.
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
Boston Red Sox at Los Angeles Angels (Noah Syndergaard, RHP)
You could've guessed this one from how I wrote up Devers and Duran. I'm not impressed by Syndergaard and don't think he is long for this game. The Angels are also mired in an 11-game, what-the-heck-is-going-on losing streak, and the wheels seem to be coming off. I expect Boston to add to their misery and tag Thor and the bullpen for several runs.
Arizona Diamondbacks (Madison Bumgarner, LHP) at Cincinnati Reds (Hunter Greene, RHP)
Game stackkkk! Please give me all the pieces I can handle from this game. Both pitchers give up home runs at a super high rate, and playing in Cincy only increases the likelihood of some balls leaving the yard.
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