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Joel Bartilotta highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for 6/8/19, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
It's Saturday and that means we get another full day of baseball. The good news is that the weather is fairly quiet on this slate and that makes our jobs so much easier. With that in mind, let's go over some of our best values on FanDuel.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel on 6/8/2019. The picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays.
We also provide DFS lineup picks for DraftKings and other sports. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me on Twitter @Bartilottajoel
FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Rich Hill: SP, LAD at SF ($10,000)
I'd argue that Hill should be closer to $12,000 like Max Scherzer, as he's simply been one of the best pitchers in the league. So far this season, Hill is posting a 2.25 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. That's pretty close to his 2.92 ERA and 1.05 WHIP averages since 2015 and that doesn't even consider his absurd strikeout ability. In that span, Hill has 527 Ks across 447.2 innings, which equates to a 30 percent K rate. That would make him worth considering against anyone, especially a Giants offense who ranks 28th in both wOBA and runs scored. Vegas agrees, as they have Hill as a -250 favorite with San Fran projected for barely three runs.
Nick Pivetta, SP, PHI vs. CIN ($7,300)
I'm not really a Pivetta guy but this price is too low for someone of his ability. The peripherals are simply amazing, with the Philly righty posting a 3.84 career xFIP and 25.4 percent K rate. That means he's been very unlucky throughout his career and it's why many experts had him pegged as a breakout coming into this season. The ERA and WHIP will likely stray most owners away but these sort of peripherals from a $7,300 player are hard to overlook. The matchup is just as enticing, with the Reds ranking 24th in wOBA and 25th in xwOBA.
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Paul Goldschmidt: 1B, STL at CHC ($3,800)
Goldy has been slightly disappointing this season but it's lowered his price to this tasty number. What I like here is that he gets the platoon advantage against John Lester. For his career, Goldschmidt is posting a .420 OBP and 1.014 OPS against southpaws. That's huge from a perennial all-star and facing a struggling Lester is huge too. Over his last four starts, Lester is posting a 7.29 ERA and 1.67 WHIP.
Derek Dietrich: 2B, CIN at PHI ($3,100)
This price tag simply doesn't make any sense, as Dietrich has been one of the best power hitters in the NL this season. His 17 homers are backed up by the fact that he has a .684 SLG and 1.053 OPS. Those are elite statistics and he's actually been doing most of that damage against righties. In fact, all of those homers have come against right-handed pitching, with Dietrich posting a 1.114 OPS and .735 SLG with the platoon advantage in his favor. That does scare me in terms of using Pivetta but Dietrich is really the only lefty I'm worried about.
Marcus Semien: SS, OAK at TEX ($3,400)
While I don't necessarily like this price, there's so much in Semien's favor here. The most obvious factor is that he gets to bat leadoff, as hitting atop an order with a projected run total of 5.5 makes him a guy we can't overlook. The second factor is this ballpark. Globe Life Park ranks as the second-best hitting park in the Majors dating back to last season. The third and final piece is that he gets the platoon advantage against Joe Palumbo. Not only is this a Triple-A arm making his debut, Semien is actually posting a .759 OPS against southpaws since the beginning of last year.
Miguel Sano: 3B, MIN at DET ($3,400)
It's bizarre that someone with this sort of power potential remains so cheap, as Sano has to be one of the favorites to homer on this slate. We're talking about a guy who has five homers and six doubles in just 15 games this season en route to a .973 OPS. That's the sort of power we've been waiting for, as Sano's career .239 ISO is an impressive mark in itself. Getting the platoon advantage is just another reason we love Sano, with the slugging third baseman posting a .500 SLG and .840 OPS against lefties throughout his career.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Nelson Cruz: OF, MIN at DET ($3,000)
This price simply doesn't make any sense. We're talking about one of the best power bats in the game and he's actually in the midst of one of his best seasons. A recent return from the IL is the only real explanation for this cheap price, as Cruz is one of the league leaders with a .261 ISO and .397 xwOBA. Getting to face a lefty makes this price even more difficult to understand, with Cruz posting a .378 OBP and .927 OPS against southpaws throughout his career. Gregory Soto is likely to struggle against this potent lineup too, with the Tigers lefty posting an 11.20 ERA and 2.12 WHIP so far this season.
Jordan Luplow: OF, CLE vs. NYY ($3,000)
Not many people even think about Luplow but this guy is a southpaw smasher. So far this season, Luplow is posting a .764 SLG and 1.141 OPS against left-handed pitching. That's why he's typically in the heart of the order against a lefty and it's hard to overlook these sort of numbers from a $3,000 player. Luplow is quietly one of the hottest hitters in the league right now too, collecting eight homers, 15 runs scored and 17 RBI over his last 18 starts.
