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Daily Fantasy Baseball: Early FanDuel Lineup For June 25

By Mike Marteny

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Jun 3, 2015; Detroit, MI, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher

Sonny Gray

(54) watches from the dugout during the sixth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

8 of the 11 MLB games are in the afternoon today, which makes the afternoon tournaments the place for the most action. The night tournaments still have more entrants, but there will be much more parity in the early games, giving you the best chance to win.

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NOTE: these picks are based solely on statistics. Some players have never faced their opponents, or have very little experience against them. I am not saying that none of those are good picks. This is based on statistical analysis only. If you have a gut feeling, then by all means, follow that. This is not an exact science.

Here is my early FanDuel Lineup for June 25:

Pitcher:

Best Bet:

James Shields, Padres ($9,500): Shields has dominated the Giants so far in his career. He has held them to a .161 batting average over 56 at bats with only one home run, two walks, and four RBI. That said, Shields has only struck out 11. Still, he is a great bet for a win since he is facing off against Chris Heston.

Honorable Mention:

Sonny Gray, Athletics ($10,100): Gray has pitched very well against the Rangers in his career. Texas is hitting just 36 for 196 (.184) with two homers and nine RBI. Gray has struck out 41, but has walked 23. Still, the walks have not hurt him much. Add to the this the fact that his mound opponent, Colby Lewis, has struggled most of this season, and Gray is a great bet. It really is a coin toss between him and Shields.

If You’re Cheap:

Eduardo Rodriguez, Red Sox ($7,800): It’s a small sample size, but Rodriguez handcuffed the Orioles in his start against them back on June 9th. He went six shutout innings, giving up only three hits and three walks while striking out seven. All of those hits were singles, so it’s not like Baltimore was able to get anything to the gaps. He remains a strong bet this afternoon.

Stay Away:

Doug Fister, Nationals ($7,100): There are a couple of warning signs here. First off all, this is only Fister’s second start since returning from the DL. The first one against the Rays didn’t go so well. Also, the Braves have hit .297 off of Fister with five homers and 21 RBI in only 118 at bats. Stay away from this one.

Catcher:

Best Bet:

Nick Hundley, Rockies ($3,200): Hundley is 2 for 4 off of Rubby De La Rosa wtih an RBI. Yes, he is the leading catcher. Stephen Vogt is 0 for 10 in his career off of Colby Lewis and Buster Posey is 0 for 7 off of James Shields. Carlos Rodon has never faced the Tigers, so that leaves Victor Martinez with no stats to look back on. Hundley ends up being the best!

Honorable Mention:

Wellington Castillo, Diamondbacks ($3,200): Castillo is 3 for 7 off of Jorge De La Rosa with a double and an RBI. Pick a catcher from this game, and you should do pretty well at the position.

Next: How Does The Infield Look?

Jun 17, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt in the dugout after hitting a solo home run in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels during an interleague game at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

First Base:

Best Bet:

Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks ($6,000): Goldy is only 3 for 12 off of Jorge De La Rosa, but he has two walks, a double, a home run, and four RBI off of him. That leaves him as the best bet at first base.

Honorable Mention:

Billy Butler, Athletics ($2,300): Butler is only 3 for 14 off of Colby Lewis, but he has made the most of those three hits. He has a double, a homer, and four RBI off of him. That accounts for the only current A’s homer off of Lewis, and for half of the RBI. The rest of the team has no homers and just four RBI in 105 at bats!

Second Base:

Best Bet:

Aaron Hill, Diamondbacks ($2,600): Hill is 6 for 20 off of Jorge with a double, a triple, and two RBI. Being the game is in Colorado, he is a strong threat for another extra base hit or two.

Honorable Mention:

Cory Spangenberg, Padres ($2,200): Spangenberg has not been kind to Chris Heston. He is 4 for 5 off of him with an RBI. All of the hits are singles, but are you really going to complain for his price?

Shortstop:

Best Bet:

Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies ($4,400): Tulo has only faced Rubby seven times. He has come away with four walks and a double. It is a light day if you are playing the histories at shortstop. Tulowitzki is as good of a bet as anyone.

Honorable Mention:

Alexi Amarista, Padres ($2,400): Amarista is 3 for 5 with a double and an RBI off of Chris Heston. He could come close to Tulowitzki’s output at a much lower price if you want the money to spend on a pitcher.

Third Base:

Best Bet:

Brock Holt, Red Sox ($3,600): Holt has been on a tear lately, and has established himself as a key component in the Boston lineup. He is also 4 for 12 off of Baltimore starter Miguel Gonzalez, who will be making his return from the disabled list. We all know that pitchers can be rusty in that situation. Holt should be a strong play today.

Honorable Mention:

Juan Uribe, Braves ($2,400): Uribe is only 1 for 3 off of Doug Fister, but that one is a two run home run.

Next: How Does The OF Look?

May 28, 2015; San Francisco, CA, USA; Atlanta Braves right fielder Nick Markakis (22) earns a walk against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning at AT&T Park. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Outfield:

Best Bets:

Hanley Ramirez, Red Sox ($3,700): This comes with a caveat since Hanley left yesterday’s game with a hand contusion. X-ray’s were negative, but this is still something that could keep him out of the lineup. Us daily players hope it doesn’t. Hanley is 3 for 7 with a walk, two homers, and four RBI off of Miguel Gonzalez. If he is in there for Boston, he should be in there for you as well.

Nick Markakis, Braves ($2,500): Markakis is 9 for 26 (.346) with two walks, two doubles, a home run, and an impressive eight RBI off of Doug Fister in his career. He could be a great bargain at his price this afternoon.

Gregor Blanco, Giants ($2,500): While the rest of his teammates have struggled against James Shields, Blanco has not. He is 4 for 9 with a walk, a triple, and three RBI off of Shields. The entire Giants roster has four RBI off of Shields. That’s right, Blanco has three of the four. The only other Giant to drive in a run off of Shields is Joaquin Arias, who hit a solo home run off of Shields.

Shin-Soo Choo, Rangers ($2,600): Choo is still battling back spasms, but he was available off the bench yesterday. There is a chance that he could play today. If he does, he is a solid bet. He is one of the few who has had any success against Sonny Gray. Choo is 5 for 16 with a double and two RBI off of Gray.

Honorable Mention:

Mookie Betts, Red Sox ($3,800): Betts is only 3 for 11 off of Miguel Gonzalez, but he has walked twice and hit a solo home run. He has also not struck out against him. He is always putting the ball in play, which greatly increases his chances of getting some points for you.

Adam Eaton, White Sox ($2,500): Eaton has fallen a home run shy of the cycle against Alfredo Simon in his three hits off of him in just seven at bats. He has also driven in a run. That makes him a pretty solid play this afternoon.

Carlos Gomez, Brewers ($4,300): Carlos Gomez is one of the few to have success off of Jacob deGrom so far in his career. He is 4 for 9 with an RBI off of deGrom. Yes, all of the hits are singles, but he has had success against him.

Stay tuned for the late lineups!

Next: Top Ten PF For 2015-16

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