This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
June has only just begun, and Friday is the first full slate of the month. For DFS purposes, though, we lose a couple games on account of start times, but one of them is Marlins-Athletics, so did we really lose anything? With 13 games starting at 7:05 p.m. ET or later, here are my DFS lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Zack Wheeler, PHI at WAS ($9,200): Yes, Wheeler has a 3.60 ERA, but a 2.66 FIP. He's never had an ERA over 3.00 at the end of the season since joining the Phillies, and he remains one of the best pitchers at suppressing home runs. The Nationals have been better offensively than I expected, but they are still in the bottom 10 in runs scored.
Bailey Ober, MIN vs. CLE ($8,400): With each season, Ober has been lowering his ERA, and that a 2.68 ERA through seven starts in 2023. The Athletics' dedication to being the worst thing about baseball this year has lifted the Guardians off the bottom of the rankings in runs scored and team OPS, but they are still a brutal offense.
Jon Gray, TEX vs. SEA ($7,600): Having baseball's best offense supporting him has played a role in Gray's 5-1 record, sure, but he has a 2.81 ERA, so the righty has played a role in his own success. In fact, over his last four starts he has an 1.00 ERA. The Mariners are in the middle of the majors in runs scored, but their .228 average as a team is quite poor.
Top Targets
The power of Nolan Gorman ($4,900) has been on display, with 13 homers and a .555 slugging percentage on the season. Roansy Contreras has a 5.54 ERA at home this year, but primarily I wanted a southpaw against the Pirates pitcher. Lefties have averaged .283 against Contreras in 2023.
Ryan McMahon ($4,600) has stark home/road splits, like many Rockies, but the other day I liked the lefty's matchup on the road, and he responded by going 4-for-5 with a triple, a homer, and three RBI against the Diamondbacks. I'm doing it again! Friday, McMahon will face…maybe the worst starting pitcher of his generation? Jordan Lyles has a career 5.20 ERA, and through 11 starts with the Royals he has a 7.30 ERA.
Bargain Bats
Thus far, Brett Baty ($3,200) hasn't lived up to his status as a top hitting prospect, but folks at Citi Field may not know that. In his career, the lefty has an 1.005 OPS at home. Chris Bassitt will be facing his former team, but he brings with him a 5.45 road ERA and a .273 average allowed to lefties. Also, Bassitt has allowed five home runs over his last two starts.
Even though he's allergic to walks, Jake Burger ($3,100) has crushed it in 2023, because he has 11 homers and has slugged .603. Once again, he has been truly atrocious on the road, but in his career Burger has an 1.047 OPS at home. Reese Olson will be making his MLB debut for the Tigers, but in Triple-A this year he has a 6.38 ERA.
Stacks to Consider
Padres vs. Cubs (Jameson Taillon): Juan Soto ($5,500), Xander Bogaerts ($5,100), Jake Cronenworth ($4,300)
It's been a nightmarish debut campaign with the Cubs for Taillon. He has an 8.04 ERA through eight starts, and he hasn't even managed to go five innings the last five times he's taken the mound. The Padres have had their disappointments this season as well, but this is still a great opportunity for a stack.
Soto's been scorching hot recently, and in truth he's hit against righties all season long. The southpaw has obliterated right-handed pitchers throughout his career and has an 1.014 OPS in those matchups since 2021. Bogaerts' power is down this year, but don't blame Petco. He actually has an .815 OPS at home this season. The slugger from Aruba also has an .807 OPS versus righties. Cronenworth has six homers and three triples, and I wanted another lefty in this stack. Taillon has allowed southpaws to hit a staggering .351 against him in 2023.
Rays at Red Sox (Garrett Whitlock): Randy Arozarena ($5,600), Josh Lowe ($4,700), Brandon Lowe ($4,600)
Whitlock's return to the rotation has gone poorly, as he has a 5.14 ERA. Yes, it's only four starts, but he has a 5.52 FIP, so he's arguably also been lucky across this quarter of outings. Tampa has been excellent offensively, and I have a stack here that includes two lefties against the right-handed pitcher.
Arozarena has slashed .297/.407/.513 with 11 home runs and six stolen bases. He has two 20/20 seasons to his name already, and he could easily do that again this year. Josh Lowe is enjoying a breakthrough campaign, posting a .304/.353/.584 slash line with 11 homers and 13 swiped bags. In his career he has an .848 OPS versus righties, and also an .878 OPS on the road. Brandon Lowe is bringing some power with nine homers in 48 games. Since 2021, he's slugged .486 against right-handed pitchers.
Diamondbacks vs. Atlanta (Charlie Morton): Corbin Carroll ($5,400), Lourdes Gurriel ($4,500), Pavin Smith ($3,300)
Morton has improved after a tough age-38 season wherein he had a 4.25 FIP, but now 39 years old, they righty has a 3.80 FIP, which is not exactly good. Last year was admittedly an outlier in terms of allowing home runs for Morton, and that has regressed toward the norm for him, but he's getting batted around more than ever. Righties have hit .259 versus the veteran, while lefties have hit .279.
We're getting close to being able to etch Carroll's name in the NL Rookie of the Year award. He's slashed .287/.372/.516 with nine homers and 16 stolen bases. In his career he has a .926 OPS versus righties as well. Gurriel's first season as a Diamondback has been fueled by his success against righties and at home. He has a .941 OPS against right handers and a .989 OPS in Arizona. Smith only makes sense for DFS players in certain scenarios, but this is one of those scenarios. He has an .829 OPS against righties and an .835 OPS at home in 2023.
