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Hello there, MLB DFS grinders! We have a split Saturday slate and the focus of this article will be on the 4-game evening slate for DraftKings. We have some good pitching options and good stacks to consider so let's dive on in and find the best plays for both your cash game and tournament lineups.
While most of our MLB DFS coverage here at RotoBaller is geared towards the main slate, I wanted to give you some of my favorite pitchers and bats for these early games that will help you cash in tournaments and cash game contests. I'll highlight my favorite pitching options here first and then give you some hitters at each price tier to consider as well as my favorite teams to stack up! You can read our DraftKings DFS lineup picks for the main slate and FanDuel DFS lineup picks for the main slate as well.
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the DraftKings slates beginning at 7:15 PM on 6/12/2021. 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 check out today's MLB DFS lineup picks for the main slate here, and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. Let's get to it!
MLB DFS Pitchers
Trevor Bauer vs. TEX ($9,800)
Bauer is the top option on this slate and would be the top choice for both cash games and tournament lineups as your SP1. He is 6-4 on the season with a 2.41 ERA and a good .89 WHIP. Bauer is generating a 34.3% strikeout rate this year and faces a Rangers squad that has four batters in their lineup that has a strikeout rate that is greater than 21% and as a team is sporting .143 ISO against right-handed pitchers this season. As a team, this Rangers squad is batting .222 against righties which is the fourth-lowest team batting average against this handedness, and is actually batting .172 against righties over their last 14 days.
Luis Garcia vs. MIN ($8,100)
Garcia is one pitcher that could be viewed as a solid SP 2 candidate on this four-game slate. Garcia is 5-3 on the season with a 2.75 ERA and has been rolling as of late as he has accrued 20+ DK points in four straight outings. Over the last four games that he has pitched, he has allowed five total runs while managing to strike out 28 total batters in 24 innings pitched. The Twins do have some powerful bats but as a team, they have a .148 ISO and a 24.4% strikeout rate against right-handed pitchers. Lefties have gotten to Garcia more this year but luckily for him, the Twin's more powerful bats come from the right side of the plate (Cruz, Donaldson, Sano) and he has held righties to a .148 average and .116 ISO.
Others to consider: John Gant vs. Chicago Cubs, Kyle Hendricks vs. St. Louis Cardinals
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MLB DFS "Bats Worth Paying For"
Chris Taylor – 2B/OF, LAD vs. TEX ($4,500)
Taylor is one of the better hitters on the Dodgers when it comes to facing left-handed pitchers. He is averaging .323 against the handedness while also sporting a .661 slugging percentage and having a .339 ISO. Taylor tends to bat higher up in the order when a lefty is on the mound so he is one to target from LA.
Trea Turner – SS, WSH vs. SFG ($4,800)
Turner is my preferred shortstop on this slate and he can get it done in a variety of ways. Turner is hitting over .300 on the season, has 10 home runs and has swiped 13 bags, and is in good form as he has recorded a hit in four of his last five games played.
Yordan Alvarez – OF, HOU vs. TEX ($5,700)
One bat that is worth paying for is Yordan Alvarez. He is batting .311 against right-handed pitchers and leads this Astros offense with a .233 ISO against this handedness. Berrios throws four pitches pretty evenly to lefties but Alvarez has an XwOBA that's above .400 against all four pitches.
MLB DFS Values
Albert Pujols – 1B, LAD vs. TEX ($3,300)
There's a good chance that we see Albert P{ujol draw into the lineup on Saturday night against left-handed pitcher Kolby Allard. Pujols has done well against lefties this year as he is hitting .406 against this handedness and has four home runs in just 34 total plate appearances. Pujols has a .250 ISO and a 49.5% hard-hit rate against lefties this season and has a .400+ ISO against both Allard's fastball and cutter pitch type which he throws over 60% of the time to righties.
Starlin Castro– 3B, WSH vs. SFG ($3,000)
Castro is a nice cheap value option for us on this four-game slate. He is batting .328 on the season against left-handed pitchers and could be one that does damage to Menez if he is left in longer than just two innings. Righties are sporting an ISO of .182 against Menez while also having a hard-hit rate percentage of 52.6% and Castro profiles well against his fastball as he throws that pitch over 40% of the time to right-handed batters.
Michael Brantley – OF, HOU vs. MIN ($3,300)
The pricing on Brantley is just too good to pass up even in a tough matchup against a good pitcher like Jose Berrios. Brantley leads the Astros with a .351 batting average when it comes to facing right-handed pitchers and the left side of the plate has roughed up Berrios as he is allowing a .238 ISO and a .294 batting average to lefties this season.
Also Recommended: Ryan Zimmerman vs. Menez, AJ Pollock vs. Allard
MLB DFS Hitter Stacks
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Kolby Allard
The Dodgers grade out as the top option for me on this four-game slate. Allard is 1-2 on the season with a .341 ERA and has gotten roughed up by both sides of the plate but with a good chunk of the damage coming from right-handed batters. He throws his fastball and cutter combo over 60% of the time to righties which bodes well for guys like Turner, Betts, Taylor, and Pujols. A lot of these bats are pretty affordable so getting four to five Dodger bats could easily work on this slate.
Washington Nationals vs. Conner Menez
The Nationals could see more of a bullpen-type of game as Conner Menez will draw the start for the Giants on Saturday night. Menez has been very good in his four appearances this season but the Giants have held him to just a maximum of two innings pitched per game in his four games. The Nationals look to have a good matchup as they have several guys that hit lefty pitchers pretty well like Turner, Gomes, Zimmerman, and Starlin Castro but you could also look to include Soto as well in case they bring in a right-handed pitcher which then favors the idea of rostering Soto.
Other recommended stacks: San Francisco Giants vs. Joe Ross
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