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Jorge Pucks highlights the top DraftKings, DanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for the "Early Only" slate on 6/2/21, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
Hello there, MLB DFS grinders! We have a split Wednesday slate and the focus of this article will be on the four-game only slate for DraftKings while still mentioning plays for the three-game early only slate on FanDuel. 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 FanDuel and DraftKings slates beginning at 12:35 PM on 6/2/2021. 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
*The Philadelphia/Cincinnati game looks like it could feature heavy rain all day long so there's a good chance this game gets PPD so that is why I am not featuring them in the article.
Lance Lynn @ CLE ($10,300 DK, $11,000 FD)
Lynn is the top arm on both sites and is the first one to look at when constructing both your cash game and tournament lineups. Lynn has won four of his last five starts and brings the highest strikeout upside while also having the lowest ERA on the slate of 1.37. The Indians have struggled against right-handed pitching as they do not have a batter hitting above .300 against the handedness (based on 60 plate appearances) while also combining to have a team strikeout total of 22%. The one caveat on this play is that there is supposed to be 50% chance of rain all afternoon in Cleveland which of course would impact Lynn's start and ability to pitch deep into the game.
Adbert Alzolay vs. SDP ( $8,600 FD)
While the matchup isn't easy, Alzolay has done well enough so far this season to warrant consideration as a tournament pitcher. It is a small slate and the Padres should carry heavier ownership so this would be going against the grain which means he should come in lower owned. San Diego has a 19.1% strikeout percentage against right-handed pitchers and their lineup features four batters who sport a strikeout percentage above 21% so if Alzolay can get ahead in the count, he could record six to seven strikeouts which would help him hit value. Also, something to note, Fernando Tatis Jr. left the game early last night so there is a solid chance that he could miss today's game for precautionary measures (right oblique tightness) which only gives a boost to rostering Alzolay.
Others to consider: David Peterson vs. Arizona
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MLB DFS "Bats Worth Paying For"
Kris Bryant – 1B/3B/OF, CHC vs. SDP ($6,000 DK, $4,200 FD)
Bryant is just having a tremendous season and is hitting both lefties and righties very well this season. He has a .289 average against righties with six home runs and profiles well against Lamet as he throws a slider and a fastball for a combined 93% of the time against righties and Bryant has an ISO of .199+ and an XwOBA of .360+ against both pitch types.
Yoan Moncada – 3B, CHW @ CLE ($5,500 DK, $3,800 FD)
Moncada has been heating up over his last six games as he has had multi-hit performances in four out of the six games played and is batting .625 during that stretch. He is tied for the highest batting average on the White Sox against righties with a .296 average leads the team with nine doubles off of this handedness.
Joc Pederson – OF, CHC vs. SDP ($4,600 DK, $3,000 FD)
Pederson could see himself slotted close to the top of the order for the Cubs and he profiles really well against Lamet. Lamet throws his slider over 50% of the time to lefty batters and Pederson has a .260 ISO against this specific pitch type. When looking at Lamet's fastball, Pederson has a 76% contact percentage to this pitch type and also has a .397 ISO so if he gets one over the plate, he could take one for a ride out of the park.
MLB DFS Values
James McCann – C/1B, NYM @ ARI ($4,300 DK)
McCann is one of the Mets hitters that profiles well against lefty pitchers and would be one of the top catcher options over on DK for this slate. He has two home runs off of this handedness in just 28 plate appearances this season and is sporting a .259 ISO against lefty pitchers this season. He has a 57.1% hard-hit percentage while also having a .392 XwOBA against lefties this year and could be one that takes Bumgarner deep today.
Jake Cronenworth – 1B/2B, SDP @ CHC ($4,100 DK, $2,800 FD)
Cronenworth is one of the better Padres hitters when it comes to batting against right-handed pitchers. He is sporting a batting average .282 against this handedness and has five home runs against them on the year. While Alzolay continues to take care of right-handed batters, he does struggle against lefties as he has allowed six home runs to this handedness in 91 batters faced.
Ketel Marte – OF, ARI vs. NYM ($4,200 DK)
The pricing on Marte is just too soft over on DK to not warrant consideration. Since his return from the IL, Marte has recorded a hit in seven of 10 total games played and has had three-multi hit performances out of those 10 games. Marte is slashing .352 on the year and is always batting close to the top of the order for the Diamondbacks so if you're looking to have some upside without breaking the bank, look no further than Marte.
Also Consider: Billy Hamilton vs. Mejia, Jose Peraza vs. Bumgarner
MLB DFS Hitter Stacks
Chicago Cubs vs. Dinelson Lamet
Weather is certainly playing a factor on this slate as I would have had a lot of interest in the Reds/Phillies game from the offensive side of things, but we have to get different in tournaments so looking at the Cubs could be one way to attack this slate. Lamet has actually pitched decently this year as he has a 2.57 ERA but he is limited to just three innings which means the Padres could be turning to their bullpen earlier in the game. The usual suspects are in play for the Cubs (Bryant, Baez, Contreras, and Rizzo) while also looking at Pederson if he is slotted at the top of the lineup.
New York Mets vs. Madison Bumgarner
Bumgarner has been roughed up in his last two starts as he has allowed 11 runs in just 10 innings pitched while also allowing three home runs in these two games. While the Mets have been one team to pick on from a pitching perspective, there are several bats that look to match up well against Bumgarner. Alonso and McCann would both be the starting points for a Mets stack as they both carry a .230+ ISO against lefties on the season. Bumgarner has been taken deep by right-handed batters as he has coughed up seven home runs to the handedness and is allowing righties to have a .259 ISO collectively against him this season. Other Mets to look at would be Jonathan Villar, Francisco Linder, Jose Peraza, and Kevin Pillar (if he draws a spot in the lineup).
Other stacks: Chicago White Sox vs. J.C. Mejia
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