This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
We're halfway through June and halfway through the week. There are nine MLB games on the docket this evening, which is to say games starting at 7:05 p.m. EDT or later. Here are some recommendations for your DFS lineup.
Pitching
Nestor Cortes, NYY vs. TAM ($10,500): Cortes gets plenty of offensive support from the Bronx Bombers, especially at home, but he hasn't needed it. He has a 1.96 ERA, and last season he had a 2.90 ERA. The Rays have pitching and guile, as per usual, but they have a sub-.300 OBP as a team.
Jose Berrios, TOR vs. BAL ($8,700): Berrios has gotten off to a slow start to the season, but he does have a 3.00 ERA at home. Plus, over his last five starts he has a 3.52 ERA, so maybe things are turning around. Facing the Orioles will help, as they are 24th in runs scored.
Jack Flaherty, STL vs. PIT ($8,600): Flaherty will be making his season debut Wednesday after pitching seven innings and allowing only one hit across two rehab starts at Triple-A. He has a 3.34 ERA in his career, and was seen as the ace of the Cardinals' rotation before his injury. This is a nice matchup to return to, as the Pirates are down in the bottom three in runs scored, and the teams above them are creating distance.
Top Targets
On the one hand, Rafael Devers ($4,200) has a .976 OPS against righties since 2020. On the other hand, James Kaprielian has allowed 2.15 home runs per nine innings and allowed lefties to hit .296 against him. Wait, actually both of these things are great for Devers. That's why I have him as a Top Target.
Coming into this year, Bo Bichette ($3,800) had a career .850 OPS. That's why it was surprising when he had a slow start to this campaign. Now, though, he has a .997 OPS over the last three weeks. The righty should tee off on the lefty Bruce Zimmermann, who has allowed 2.09 home runs per nine innings in his career.
Bargain Bats
The Rockies are at home Wednesday, and I will be getting to their opponent later, but right now I am looking at Randal Grichuk ($2,800). He hasn't been great in his first year as a Rockie, but he has been better at home, and he's only had 28 home games so far. Plus, since 2020 he has an .805 OPS against lefties, and Konnor Pilkington has a 3.57 ERA in his rookie season.
Frank Schwindel ($2,500) surprisingly had a .962 OPS last year, and unsurprisingly he hasn't quite been at that level this season. However, he does have a .773 OPS over the last three weeks, and a .732 OPS at home this year. Ryan Weathers is going to be getting the start for the Padres, and he has a 7.29 ERA in Triple-A this season.
Stacks to Consider
Braves at Nationals (Erick Fedde): Austin Riley ($3,600), Dansby Swanson ($3,500), Matt Olson ($3,300)
Fedde has only allowed 1.10 home runs per nine innings, which is lower than his career 1.50 homers per nine innings. And yet, he still has a 4.87 ERA. If he starts allowing more home runs, his numbers will be getting even worse. Atlanta could help make that happen.
Riley has 16 home runs after he hit 33 last year with an .898 OPS in his breakout campaign. Over the last three weeks he also has an 1.018 OPS to boot. This is Swanson's own breakout season. He's slashed .291/.357/.490 with nine home runs and nine stolen bases. Olson is the one prominent lefty bat for Atlanta, so I wanted to get him in there against the righty Fedde. Plus, a lefty reliever won't thwart him. He's had an .873 OPS against southpaws since 2020.
Padres at Cubs (Caleb Kilian): Manny Machado ($3,700), Jurickson Profar ($3,400), Jake Cronenworth ($3,200)
Kilian is expected to get his second MLB start Wednesday. His first one didn't go great, as he went five innings and allowed three runs to the Cardinals. Kilian is an inexperienced pitcher, so I think the Padres can take advantage of him.
Machado has slowed down after his torrid start, but he still has 10 home runs and seven stolen bases. Also, since joining the Padres he has an .850 OPS, and that's with playing his home games at pitcher-friendly Petco Park (where Machado has excelled, admittedly). Profar is having one of the best season of his career, slashing .246/.343/.414 with seven homers and four stolen bases. He also has an .823 OPS over the last three weeks. Cronenworth broke through with an .800 OPS and 21 home runs last year, and the lefty will also get to face a righty. In his career he has a .796 OPS against right-handed pitchers.
Guardians at Rockies (Austin Gomber): Jose Ramirez ($4,600), Owen Miller ($3,500), Oscar Gonzalez ($2,800)
I told you I'd get back to this matchup. Not only is this game at Coors Field, Gomber has a 6.17 ERA this year. On top of that, he's allowed 1.9 home runs per nine innings at home. Gomber has also allowed righties to hit .306 against him, so I am stacking three guys who can hit right-handed (Ramirez is a switch hitter).
Speaking of Ramirez, he's been one of the hottest hitters in baseball. He's slashed .296/.394/.643 with 16 home runs and 10 stolen bases. Miller has hit .264 and slugged .418, and he has a .796 OPS against lefties as well. Gonzales has just started his MLB career, but he's slashed .377/.386/.507. He doesn't have a home run yet, but I bet Coors Field can help him with that.
