How are we in June, already? Anyway, this is a fascinating slate to kickstart the month. Mondays always tend to have fewer teams, but we have the perfect amount here. There are nine games in total, with seven of them making up the main card, beginning at 7ET. That's about half the league, and it leaves us with the perfect player pool in terms of depth. We also have a handful of pitchers in great spots, so let's start there!
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Pitching
Joe Ryan, MIN vs. CWS ($9,000)
Ryan has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season, and he should thrive against a subpar Chicago lineup that's missing its best player. This righty has a 2.94 ERA and 0.93 WHIP so far this season while scoring at least 17 DraftKings points in eight of his last nine starts. He's also a safe option against a Chicago team that sits 29th in K rate. Ryan has scored at least 24 DraftKings points in five of his last six matchups with the White Sox, which is why he's a -180 favorite in this matchup.
Emerson Hancock, SEA vs. NYM ($8,000)
Seattle always seems to develop an elite starter every season, and Hancock looks like that guy this year. This righty has a 2.78 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 8.8 K/9 rate in a breakout campaign. He's also scored at least 16 DraftKings points in seven of 11 starts while posting a 2.65 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 10.8 K/9 rate at home. That's no surprise since Seattle is one of the best pitchers' parks in baseball, and it's unlikely the Mets will raise those averages. New York ranks 27th in runs scored, 29th in OBP and last in wOBA.
Top Targets
Randy Arozarena, SEA (vs. Sean Manaea) $4,900
That beef between Cal Raleigh and Arozarena was bizarre at the beginning of the season, but it's clearly lit a fire under Arozarena. This former All-Star is on pace for 15 homers and 40 steals while hitting nearly .300. He also has the platoon advantage against Manaea, while maintaining a .413 OBP and .951 OPS across his last 21 outings. That's bad news for the Mets lefty, who has a 5.56 ERA and 1.62 WHIP this year. Julio Rodriguez ($5,300) is hot right now and also has the platoon advantage against Manaea.
Rafael Devers, SF (vs. Chad Patrick) $4,200
Devers had a disastrous start with San Francisco, but this perennial All-Star is starting to turn things around. That was always inevitable because we're talking about a guy who has a .346 career OBP and .848 OPS. Those averages are more on par with the .279 AVG and .907 OPS across his last 22 outings. That doesn't even include a season-high 30 DraftKings points on Sunday, with Devers posting some of the best splits against righties over the last decade. Casey Schmitt ($4,400) and Luis Arraez ($3,900) are good pairings with Devers.
Bargain Bats
Jo Adell, LAA (vs. Kyle Freeland) $3,900
My eyes always perk up whenever Adell matches up with a weak left-hander. That's certainly the matchup he has here, but we'll discuss the Freeland matchup more in the stacks section. What's most important is that it gives Adell the platoon advantage from the right side, accruing a .265 AVG, .584 SLG and .904 OPS against lefties since 2023. He's also homered in three of the last 10 games, so the power swing could be on display against the weakest pitcher on this slate.
Joc Pederson, TEX (vs. Michael McGreevy) $3,400
We had Pederson in this section twice last week, and we're going right back to the well. This guy is simply too cheap right now, especially since he's been the Rangers' leadoff hitter against righties. Texas does that because of Pederson's splits, providing a .418 OBP and .858 OPS against righties over the last three years. That's on par with his recent form, tallying a .417 OBP and 1.083 OPS across his last 22 fixtures. A matchup with McGreevy doesn't worry us either because he's coming off his worst two starts of the season while totaling a 5.63 xERA despite sitting with a 2.98 ERA.
Stacks to Consider
Los Angeles Angels vs. Colorado Rockies (Kyle Freeland): Mike Trout ($5,900), Zach Neto ($5,000), Jorge Soler ($3,900), Adell ($3,500)
There weren't too many stacks that stood out today, but this underrated Angels lineup is in a sensational spot. They have a ton of dangerous righty bats, and they should have success against a southpaw like Freeland. The Rockies lefty has one of the worst K rates in baseball while registering an 8.08 ERA and 1.75 WHIP this season. That lack of strikeout stuff is integral for a lineup like this, especially with all the righties they possess.
Trout has been one of the best hitters for over a decade and has a .490 OBP and 1.101 OPS across his last 11 outings. Neto has been slaughtering southpaws throughout his career, compiling a .365 OBP and .883 OPS against them since 2023. Soler also hits from the right side, sporting a .351 OBP and .793 OPS against lefties in that same span while hitting cleanup regularly.
