This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
The final Monday of June is a light day of baseball (which could theoretically get lighter, depending on the weather). All the action is slated for the evening, with the first game starting at 7:05 p.m. ET. There are six games on the schedule. These are my DFS lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Reid Detmers, LAA vs. CWS ($8,500): Detmers has been pressed into service Monday, but it is a nice matchup to step into. While the lefty is 1-5, he has a 3.26 FIP and in his career he's allowed 0.99 home runs per nine inngs. The White Sox hit a decent amount of homers, but they are still in the bottom 10 in runs scored, in large part because they have a sub-.300 OBP as a team.
Justin Verlander, NYM vs. MIL ($8,100): It's time for Verlander to get things into gear. Yes, he's in his age-40 season, but he won the Cy Young just last year. At least he has a 3.24 ERA at home in his first season with the Mets. The Brewers are, perhaps quietly, one of the worst offenses in baseball. They are in the bottom six in runs scored, batting average, OPS, you name it.
Top Target
Yes, Julio Rodriguez ($3,700) has taken a step back, but he's still delivering for fantasy-minded folks. After all, he has 13 homers and 17 stolen bases in his sophomore campaign, so he's not slumping when it comes to counting stats. Plus, for what it's worth, his home OPS is .802, and most of his issues have been on the road. Trevor Williams has a 5.16 ERA, has struck out a mere 6.87 batters per nine innings, and has allowed 1.66 home runs per nine as well. That's a pitching profile that plays into Rodriguez's strengths.
Bargain Bat
Though Anthony Santander ($3,200) is a switch hitter, he's shown a clear preference for facing lefties the last couple seasons, posting an OPS over .900 in that time. He also has an .842 OPS at home since 2021, with a markedly better home OPS in all three of those campaigns. Brandon Williamson's first foray as an MLB pitcher has gone poorly. Through seven starts he has a 5.77 FIP and has given up 1.96 home runs per nine innings.
Stacks to Consider
Rangers vs. Tigers (Matthew Boyd): Adolis Garcia ($3,900), Josh Jung ($3,400), Ezequiel Duran ($2,800)
Reunited and it feels so bad. The Tigers brought back Boyd after one year away from the team, and it has not been a fun return to the rotation for the lefty. He has a 5.37 ERA through 14 starts, not out of line with his career 4.94 ERA. Now, he does actually do well against his fellow southpaws, so I am going with three righties from the Rangers for this stack.
Though he is stealing fewer bases (six after having 25 last year), Garcia is having his best season as a hitter. He has 17 home runs, and his .258/.328/.485 slash line represents personal highs across the board. Garcia also has an .830 OPS since 2021. Jung has a clear affinity for facing a southpaw. In his career, he has a .975 OPS in those matchups. Also, while he struggled at home last year (in 58 plate appearances), he has an .871 OPS at home this season. It's players like Duran who have played a key role in the Rangers having the best offense in baseball. He's slashed .312/.354/.523 with nine homers and four stolen bases, and in his career he has an .844 OPS against lefties and an .889 OPS at home.
Reds at Orioles (Cole Irvin): Matt McLain ($3,600), Spencer Steer ($3,300), TJ Friedl ($3,000)
The Orioles have hitters, and they have a formidable top of the bullpen, but the team still lags in terms of starting pitching. Thus, Oakland castoff Irvin has been slotted into the fifth spot in the rotation after pitching reasonably well in Triple-A. In MLB, the lefty has looked more like the guy with the career 4.58 ERA. Away from the Athletics' pitcher-friendly park, Irvin has a 7.71 ERA this season, having allowed 1.93 home runs per nine innings. Now, he's gone over 4.2 innings all of once, so the Orioles bullpen will likely be called upon early, but before that, the Reds have a chance to do some damage (and hopefully make the game noncompetitive enough that Yennier Cano and Felix Bautista stay in the bullpen).
McLain was the flashiest young bat for the Reds until Elly De La Cruz's call up, and he's slashed .325/.380/.541 with five homers, four triples and four stolen bases. He's been solid against righties, but he has an 1.025 OPS versus lefties. Yes, Steer is a DH and first baseman with 11 homers and a .477 slugging percentage. However, he also interestingly has two triples and eight stolen bases. Steer also has a .901 OPS versus lefties in his career. Since 2021, lefties have hit .264 against Irvin, even though he's a southpaw. Notable, in that time span, Friedl has a .957 OPS against lefties even though he too is left handed. He's not a huge power guy, but he has a career .275 batting average and has stolen 11 bases this year.
