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Tom Bellucco analyzes some MLB DFS lineup picks & sleepers for 6/11/15 on FanDuel fantasy baseball daily leagues. His DFS advice and value picks help you win on FanDuel.
Daily fantasy sports can be extremely frustrating sometimes. As of Wednesday afternoon, I’ve missed cashing in tournaments by less than two points in each of the last two nights. Alcides Escobar was a dud with -1 points on Tuesday, and Corey Kluber and Dallas Keuchel burned me on Wednesday. It’s such a disappointment knowing that you put together a great lineup and came so close only to walk away with nothing. But hey, there’s always tomorrow. Hopefully by the time you’re reading this, I’ve righted the ship and cashed in at least one tournament on Wednesday night.
Thursday, June 11th provides us with nine total games (three in the afternoon), and very little safety when it comes to pitching. Although some will take a shot on the three-game afternoon slate, most will likely wait it out for an interesting six-game contest after dinner. I will focus mostly on the later games. Remember to check starting lineups prior to locking your lineups for the night. This is one of the reasons why playing the “all day” contests is tough. I really don’t like setting my lineup without seeing who is starting for sure. If you’re all about it, however, be my guest. Let’s break it down.
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Offenses to Target for FanDuel DFS
Washington Nationals (vs. Matt Garza, RHP)
The Nats have shown their firepower on offense plenty this season, but they have been a little quiet as of late. A mediocre righty in a hitter’s park should help fix that, however. Lefties like Bryce Harper, Denard Span, and Danny Espinosa could be good plays depending on their spots in the order. I wouldn’t scoff at an upside pick like Ian Desmond or Anthony Rendon either.
Baltimore Orioles (vs. Wade Miley, LHP)
The Orioles are another team that seems to have lost their mojo at the plate lately. However, they still have a very potent right-handed set of hitters. Adam Jones is still too cheap right now, although his price is rising after every resurgent game he has. I could certainly see myself matching him up with lefty-mashing Delmon Young, Matt Wieters, and Manny Machado (although he does seem to have reverse splits). Wade Miley is not an intimidating pitcher by any means, so the Green Monster very well could be pelted with Orioles line drives on Thursday.
Honorable Mentions: Cleveland Indians (early), Chicago Cubs
DFS Starting Pitchers to Target for FanDuel
Garrett Richards (SP, LAA) - $8,600
How about Richards’ last outing? Ouch. He was unable to finish the first inning, letting up six earned runs against the Yankees. Hopefully that scares everyone away, because I’m confident that a bounce-back performance is coming from the Angels righty. Although his command has been a bit shaky since his return from the DL stint that began last season, Richards has shown glimpses of the ace-like stuff that he has. He gets a nice big ball park in Tampa Bay on Thursday, and the Rays are getting injured left and right. There aren’t any “safe” options at pitcher Thursday, but Richards is certainly my favorite to pull off a big game.
Tsuyoshi Wada (SP, CHC) - $6,300
We’ve all come to find out that a big strikeout game from a pitcher can do wonders for a FanDuel team. Andrew Cashner has proven his ability to strike out batters regularly, but he will likely be highly owned. Wada is also in a position to rack up double-digit strikeouts Thursday as long as he can keep the ball in the yard. The Reds have been hitting the ball well the past few nights, but they have to come back down to Earth eventually. Wada’s devastating breaking ball may certainly have a hand in quieting the Reds’ bats. Cincinnati has plenty of high-strikeout players, led by Jay Bruce. Wins are helpful for FanDuel pitchers too, and the Cubs offense should be able to produce some runs off of righty Michael Lorenzen. If Wada’s stuff is good on Thursday, he can be the cheap option that leads your team to the top of a tournament.
DFS Infielders to Target for FanDuel
Matt Wieters (C, BAL) - $3,300
Wieters has been very impressive at the plate so far this season. His long DL stint had a lot of people worried, but he has quieted the critics by picking up right where he left off in 2014. He should be a dynamite part of an Orioles stack on Thursday.
Anthony Rizzo (1B, CHC) - $4,400
You will definitely have to pay up for Rizzo, but he is usually well worth it. Lorenzen is a less-than-special right-hander that the Cubs first baseman should absolutely eat up. If you go cheap at pitcher, Rizzo is a great place to spend your extra salary.
Robinson Cano (early) (2B, SEA) - $2,400
I am a true believer in the eventual Cano regression to his .300-hitting ways. He has been working with his manager on fixing the flaws in his swing, and he was able to double twice on Tuesday night. Shaun Marcum is a righty, which is Cano’s specialty. Look for the second baseman to drive in a run or two on Thursday.
Brock Holt (OF, BOS) - $2,700
A very under-the-radar player like Holt is exactly the type of guy that can propel your team into cash land. He gets a shaky righty in Tillman with the Pesky Pole in right field. As long as he stays in the second spot in the order, Holt’s price is very reasonable for Thursday.
Brock Holt (OF, BOS) - $
A very under-the-radar player like Holt is exactly the type of guy that can propel your team into cash land. He gets a shaky righty in Tillman with the Pesky Pole in right field. As long as he stays in the second spot in the order, Holt’s price is very reasonable for Thursday.
Ian Desmond (SS, WAS) - $2,900
Desmond has been borderline atrocious this year. So, this pick could very well blow up in my face. However, I think Desmond will be under owned, and he finds himself in a hitter’s park on Thursday. Matt Garza might just serve one up to this hit-or-miss shortstop.
DFS Outfielders to Target for FanDuel
Giancarlo Stanton (OF, MIA) - $5,300
If Stanton is playing against a lefty, you probably want him in your lineup. The Marlins right fielder has been hitting bombs to all parts of the yard lately, and he won’t stop for the likes of Chris Rusin. Try to build around Stanton on Thursday.
Ryan Raburn (early) (OF, CLE) - $2,300
Raburn is the Indians’ lefty specialist. He usually ends up in the cleanup spot against lefties (like J.A. Happ), and he has hit them very well this year. The best part is that Raburn’s salary is right around minimum price, when he really gives you the value of a top-of-the-line hitter against lefties. He’s usually an automatic play for me in situations like these.
Good luck with your FanDuel and DFS lineups RotoBallers!
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