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Juan Carlos Blanco highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for 6/18/21, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
We have a full 15-game slate Friday night, and there are a number of factors that should make it a fun evening from a DFS perspective. Not only will differentiation in tournaments obviously not be an issue, but there are also a number of struggling and/or inexperienced pitchers on the hill.
Additionally, Camden Yards, Coors Field and Chase Field are all on the ledger, which enhances our expectations for offense. There’s also an interesting mix of viable arms, and I believe there’s value to be found below the top tier.
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 6/18/2021. Be sure to also check out all the MLB player news, including late scratches, and the projected and confirmed daily MLB lineups for each DFS slate. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for sites like DraftKings, and other sports.
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FanDuel DFS Pitchers
Cash Game/GPP Anchor Play:
Jose Berrios – at TEX ($9,000)
Berrios is an interesting pivot off some of the more expensive pitching options on the slate Friday, and he’ll check into his favorable matchup versus the Rangers having eclipsed 40 FD points in three of his last four starts. The right-hander has also been much better on the road, pitching to a 2.81 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 0.9 HR/9 across 41.2 frames outside Target Field. Texas also has a .201 average, .284 OBP, MLB-low .276 wOBA and 75 wRC+ against right-handed pitching at home over the last month, solidifying Berrios’ candidacy even further.
Potential Alternate Play
Max Fried – vs. STL ($7,800)
Fried sports an attractive salary for a pitcher that’s scored 31 to 43 FD points in four of the last six starts, and that’s yielded just a 0.6 HR/9 across 32.2 home frames. The left-hander has picked up the quality start bonus in five of his last six trips to the mound as well, and Friday, he faces a Cardinals team that’s averaging all of 1.0 run per game over the last three and that sports a massive 31.5 percent strikeout rate and anemic .214 average versus southpaws on the road in the last month.
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FanDuel DFS Infielders
Trey Mancini- 1B, vs. TOR ($3,200)
Blue Jays starter Robbie Ray sports the highest salary on the slate at $11,200, but I’m all for targeting him just the same with a power-hitting righty like Mancini. Ray is enjoying a strong first full season with Toronto, but he’s also carrying a bloated 2.0 HR/9 and has served up multiple round trippers in five of his last 10 starts alone. The bulk of his troubles have unsurprisingly come against righty bats, who’ve tagged him for 14 homers and a .331 wOBA, as well as a 2.2 HR/9. Meanwhile, Mancini has crushed left-handed pitching, posting a .312 average, .428 wOBA, .325 ISO and 1.030 OPS in that split. He’s been a terror in his home park overall, as evidenced by a .303 average, .400 wOBA and 157 wRC+ at Camden Yards.
Jorge Polanco – 2B, at TEX ($3,600)
The switch-hitting Polanco makes for a very viable bat to roll out against Rangers starter Mike Foltynewicz, who’s carrying a 5.48 ERA, 5.08 xFIP and 2.1 HR/9 for the season, and who’s yielded an absurd .355 average, .464 wOBA and 3.2 HR/9 to left-handed hitters at home. Polanco has come on strong after a very slow start to the season and now sports a solid .275 xBA,.355 xwOBA and .490 xSLG overall, and who’s belted seven of his nine homers on the season off right-handed pitching. Polanco also boasts a .329 wOBA versus righties on the road, and he’s forged a .328 average and .403 wOBA overall across 62 plate appearances in June.
Jose Ramirez– 3B, at PIT ($4,100)
The Pirates’ Chad Kuhl has had a rough go of it by any metric this season, as he sports a 6.52 ERA, 6.19 xFIP, 6.5 BB/9 and 1.6 HR/9. He’s also been especially poor versus left-handed hitters, who’ve gotten to him for a .393 wOBA, .925 OPS, 1.9 HR/9 and 6.28 xFIP across a 68-batter sample. The switch-hitting Ramirez therefore makes for a very intriguing bat to target him with, as he’s clocked 12 of his 15 home runs on the season off righties and posted a .364 wOBA and .313 ISO versus that handedness on the road. When Kuhl exits, Ramirez will also be able to take aim at a set of Pirates relievers that have pitched to a 5.92 ERA and .329 wOBA over the past week while pitching the 11th-most innings in all of baseball during that span.
Bo Bichette – SS, at BAL ($4,100)
Bichette has essentially been an excellent play all season and checks into Friday with a .518 xSLG and .359 xwOBA. The slugging shortstop has also taken left-handers to task, posting a .322 average versus southpaws overall, including a .353 average and .425 wOBA when facing lefties on the road. Bichette is also boasting a .973 OPS and .416 wOBA across 63 plate appearances in June, and he takes all of those numbers into a favorable matchup against the Orioles’ Bruce Zimmermann, who has settled down of late but who’s still carrying a 6.00 xERA while giving up a .359 wOBA and 2.4 HR/9 in his hitter-friendly home park. What’s more Zimmermann has been hit hard by righty bats there, getting touched up in that split for eight home runs, a .370 wOBA, a 26.9 percent HR/FB rate and a 40.3 percent hard-contact rate.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Shohei Ohtani– vs. DET ($4,000)
Ohtani should be in the lineup despite pitching Thursday night, and he’ll walk into an excellent matchup against Tigers starter Jose Urena, who’s continued his career-long struggles versus left-handed hitters this season. Lefty bats have tagged the veteran righty for a .306 average and .358 wOBA overall, along with a 5.61 xFIP. Urena is also coming undone in June, as he’s pitched to a .344 BAA and .444 wOBA over the 6.2 innings covering his first two starts of the month. Ohtani owns a .290 average and 1.095 OPS at home, along with a .308 average, .448 wOBA and .354 ISO against righties there. It’s also worth noting that when Urena exits, Ohtani will face a Tigers bullpen that’s yielded a 5.18 ERA to lefty hitters thus far in June.
Steven Duggar- vs. PHI ($2,600)
Duggar checks into Friday’s matchup against Vince Velasquez wielding a red-hot bat and sporting numbers befitting a higher salary. The 27-year-old outfielder authored a second consecutive multi-hit game Thursday and is hitting an outrageous .700 (7-for-10) with a double, a triple and two home runs over his last four games. He boasts a .324 average and .980 OPS for the season, and he went into Thursday’s action with a .313 average, .401 wOBA and .281 ISO against right-handed pitching at home. Velasquez has impressive numbers overall, but he’s seemingly been playing with fire all season and owns a 4.80 xERA and 1.9 HR/9 that are both worrisome. As has been the case throughout his career, he’s also had plenty of trouble versus left-handed hitters, who’ve gotten to him for a .306 average, .413 wOBA and .973 OPS when he’s faced them on the road.
Avisail Garcia– at COL ($3,500)
Garcia makes for a potent right-handed bat to roll out against Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela, who’s navigated Coors Field fairly well but who’s also given up a .277 average and .343 wOBA to right-handed hitters there. Garcia sports an impressive .353 xwOBA and .498 xSLG, and he’s1 belted 10 of his 13 homers on the season off right-handed pitching, with half of those round trippers coming on the road. That’s led to a .213 ISO against righties when traveling, and when Senzatela exits, Garcia will face a group of Rockies relievers that have pitched to a 7.20 ERA, .293 average and .376 wOBA to right-handed hitters thus far in June.
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