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Hello there, MLB DFS grinders! We have a big Saturday afternoon slate and the focus of this article will be on the 10-game afternoon slate for DraftKings plugging in plays for the split afternoon slates for 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 DraftKings and FanDuel slates beginning at 2:10 PM on 6/26/2021. 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
Jacob deGrom vs. Philadelphia Phillies ($11,500 FD, $11,400 DK)
You will have to pay a pretty penny but spending up for deGrom would be the way to go in cash games as he grades out to be the top arm on the slate. He is 7-2 on the year with a .50 ERA with a 46.8% strikeout rate while also having a 14.63 strikeout per nine innings rate as well. The Phillies as a team are batting .232 against right-handed pitchers and are sporting a strikeout percentage of 22.4% against this handedness over their last 14 days. In addition, they have five batters that have a 21% strikeout rate or greater so there is some big-time upside in this matchup for deGrom.
Lance Lynn vs. Seattle Mariners ($10,800 FD, $9,400 DK)
If you need a discount and can't pay up for deGrom, look no further than Lance Lynn. Lynn is having a very strong season as he is 7-3 with a 2.14 ERA and while he is coming off of his worst outing of the season against Houston, he still managed to strike out nine batters despite allowing six runs. Lynn will be going up against a Mariners lineup that has a team batting average of .217 on the season against right-handed pitchers and also featuring five batters that carry a strikeout percentage that is greater than 21%. Just note that there could be a strong chance of rain in this game which could either cause a delay or PPD risk so make sure you check the weather reports before you lock in Lynn.
Others to consider: Kyle Gibson vs. Kansas City, Zach Thompson vs. Washington
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MLB DFS "Bats Worth Paying For"
Freddie Freeman – 1B, ATL @ CIN ($3,900 FD, $5,300 DK)
Freeman is a top play for me on this slate against Luis Castillo. Lefties are batting .301 against him when he is pitching at the Great American Ball Park and Freeman is second on the Braves with 13 home runs against right-handed pitchers this season. Castillo throws his fastball close to 35% of the time to lefties and Freeman profiles well against it as he has a .370 ISO and a .575 XwOBA against that specific pitch type.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B/3B, TOR vs. BAL ($4,800 FD, $6,200 DK)
Vlad has hit a home run in back-to-back games and while the price tag is up there on both sites, he is one bat that you should always consider. He has recorded a hit in 14 out of his last 15 games played and has a .250 ISO against lefty pitchers. Akin will be pitching for the Orioles and righties have a flyball rate of 42.5% against him so if Guerrero Jr. can get a hold of one, he could take it for a ride.
Nelson Cruz – OF, MIN vs. CLE ($4,400 FD, $5,100 DK)
This seems like a smash spot for Nelson Cruz. In his career when at home against lefties, he is actually hitting .300 with a .324 ISO against that handedness. Hentges will be on the hill for the Indians and righties have hit him hard as he has allowed four home runs and a .346 average to righties. He throws his fastball close to 50% of the time to right-handed batters and Cruz profiles extremely well as he has a .548 ISO and a .642 XwOBA against his fastball pitch type.
MLB DFS Values
Ryan Jeffers – C, MIN vs. CLE ($2,400 FD, $3,000 DK)
Jeffers makes for a great value play on both sites if he draws the start behind the plate for the Twins. He is a good splits hitter as he is batting .344 against lefties this year while also sporting a .256 ISO as well. Jeffers has a hard-hit rate of 56.5% against this handedness which leads the Twins lineup and just like Cruz above, Hentges has struggled mightily against righties which is the handedness that Jeffers is.
Miguel Rojas – SS, MIA vs. WSH ($2,700 FD, $3,200 DK)
Rojas is one of the better Marlins batters when it comes to facing lefty pitchers. He is batting .356 on the season against that handedness while also leading the Marlins with five doubles. Rojas has a good history against Corbin as he has 11 hits in 26 total at-bats against him while also taking him deep twice so this could be a good spot to go to if looking for a cheaper one-off.
George Springer – OF, TOR vs. BAL ($4,000 FD, $3,900 DK)
Springer would normally not find his way in the value section of this article but DK has decided to not raise his pricing now that he has returned from injury so we will plug him in here as he is a major value over on DK specifically. Springer hit a home run in last night's game and while he has seen limited at-bats this season, he is another big-time bat that has been added to an already dangerous Blue Jays lineup.
Also Recommended: Randal Grichuk vs. Keegan Akin, Colin Moran vs. Adam Wainwright, Ryan Mountcastle vs. Hyun Jin Ryu, Bryan Reynolds vs. Adam Wainwright
MLB DFS Hitter Stacks
Atlanta Braves vs. Luis Castillo
Castillo should get hit around in this matchup against the Braves. He has a 5.86 ERA when pitching at home and this Atlanta lineup is second in the league with 81 home runs hit off of right-handed pitchers. Castillo has a 1.05 home run per nine innings rate and is sporting a 1.51 WHIP which is pretty high relative to other pitchers on the slate. The top of the order is in play for the Braves (Acuna Jr., Freeman, Albies, Riley) while also throwing in a value play like Guillermo Heredia.
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Keegan Akin
The Blue Jays will be a very popular stack on this slate so you will have to get creative with how you stack them on this slate in order to be different in tournaments. Batters like Semien, Bichette, Vlad, and Hernandez will carry ownership but pivoting down to Randal Grichuk, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., and Cavan Biggio would be one way to differentiate your stack while also creating salary saving opportunities. This lineup features seven batters with an ISO that is greater than .185 and eight batters that all have a hard-hit rate that is greater than 36% so this is a dangerous spot for Akin.
Other recommended stacks: Minnesota Twins vs. Sam Hentges, Milwaukee Brewers vs. Antonio Senzatela, Chicago White Sox vs. Logan Gilbert
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