This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
It's the last day of June and, well, not a big day for baseball. MLB only has eight games on the docket, but seven of them are covered in the primary DFS contests on DraftKings. However, you will have to get your lineup in before the start of the 6:05 p.m. EDT game. Still, you want to go into July on a high note, right? Play some DFS baseball, consider these recommendations, and let's see if we can make that happen!
Pitching
Logan Gilbert, SEA vs. OAK ($9,500): Four teams in the bottom six in runs scored are in action Thursday, which admittedly made my work of picking pitchers fairly easy. Gilbert hasn't really needed any help, though. He has an 8-3 record and a 2.44 ERA. Now, though, he gets to host an Athletics team with the league's worst OPS, and they seem determined to help the Tigers get out of the basement in runs scored, as well.
Jason Alexander, MIL at PIT ($7,700): Adrian Houser's start was pushed to Friday, leaving Alexander to take the mound Thursday. The man who isn't George Costanza has a 3.45 ERA, but the Pirates are nestled into 28th in runs scored with a team OBP under .300.
Yusei Kikuchi, TOR vs. TAM ($6,600): It's been a tough year for Kikuchi, but the Rays are in the bottom six in runs scored and have a sub-.300 OBP. Also, the southpaw pitcher has allowed a .177 average to lefties since 2020. Tampa employs a lot of lefties, so this matchup works in Kikuchi's favor.
Top Targets
Julio Rodriguez ($5,600) is already a DFS darling. The rookie has hit .275, but more importantly for the DFS inclined he has 12 home runs and 19 stolen bases. Adrian Martinez will be making his second MLB start Thursday, and his first was against the Tigers so it wasn't exactly tough. In Triple-A he has a 5.63 ERA, though admittedly his home park is in Las Vegas and he plays in an offense-happy region. Rodriguez is appealing his two-game suspension from the big brawl with the Angels, and if he's bolted to the bench by Thursday's game I'd swap in Eugenio Suarez ($5,200) as a secondary option.
This campaign hasn't always gone well for Jake Cronenworth ($5,500), but he has a .939 OPS over his last three weeks. Also, a lot of issues have been at home, as the lefty has an .848 OPS on the road. The Dodgers have a lot of talented players, but pitcher Mitch White has a 4.25 ERA this year.
Bargain Bats
I recommended Kikuchi while noting the lefties the Rays have around, but Randy Arozarena ($4,500) is a righty. One with seven home runs and 17 stolen bases, in fact. He also has a .911 OPS against lefties since 2020.
This year, Nico Hoerner ($3,300) is hitting .304, and he is a career .284 hitter. Graham Ashcraft may have a 3.27 ERA, but he's only struck out 5.88 home runs per nine innings, and he's allowed righties to hit .284 against him. This matchup plays into Hoerner's strength.
Stacks to Consider
Reds at Cubs (Kyle Hendricks): Brandon Drury ($4,900), Tommy Pham ($4,600), Joey Votto ($3,600)
Hendricks has an unremarkable fastball, doesn't strike anybody out, has allowed 1.54 home runs per nine innings over the last two seasons, and has a 4.90 ERA this year. Other than that, things are going swimmingly. The Reds don't have a formidable lineup, but they have enough good bats for a three-man stack.
In his first year as a Red, Drury has hit .279, slugged .541, and hit 16 home runs. Pham is also in his first year as a Reds player, and he has 10 home runs and six stolen bases. In his career he has four seasons of double-digit homers and swiped bags. Votto hasn't had the best year at the plate, but since 2020 he has a .917 OPS against righties. Meanwhile, Hendricks has allowed lefties to hit .288 against him this year.
Brewers at Pirates (JT Brubaker): Christian Yelich ($4,500), Rowdy Tellez ($3,500), Kolten Wong ($3,000)
Brubaker's 4.14 ERA is the best of his career, which speaks to his career thus far. On top of that, he's allowed 1.56 home runs per nine innings in the majors as well. Since he is a righty, I am stacking three lefties from the Brewers.
Yelich's power hasn't fully come back, but he does have seven home runs, and he's been doing damage on the base paths. He's swiped 12 bags. Tellez has 15 home runs, with 13 of them coming against righties. Since 2020, he's slugged .481 in matchups with right-handed pitchers. Wong is back from the IL, and this year he has an. 830 OPS against righties. The second baseman also has five home runs and eight stolen bases.
Phillies vs. Braves (Ian Anderson): Kyle Schwarber ($5,100), Rhys Hoskins ($4,400), Didi Gregorius ($3,700)
Anderson got off to a tough start to the season, turned it around, but has seen his numbers slip again. He has a 4.60 ERA, and over his last seven starts he has a 5.40 ERA. No Bryce Harper does lower the upside of Philly's lineup, but I still found a stack I am happy with.
Schwarber isn't hitting for power like he did last year, but he still has 22 home runs and has slugged .504. Plus, since 2020 he has a .902 OPS against righties. Hoskins has slashed .250/.341/.468 with 14 home runs. He's also a righty, and Anderson has let righties hit .291 against him this year. Gregorious somehow doesn't have a home run or stolen base, but since joining the Phillies he has a .744 OPS against righties and an .812 OPS at home.
