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DraftKings Early MLB Picks For June 15

ByMike Marteny|
Jun 3, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Johnny Cueto (47) pitches to a St. Louis Cardinals batter during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 3, 2016; St. Louis, MO, USA; San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Johnny Cueto (47) pitches to a St. Louis Cardinals batter during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; A general view of the DraftKings sign board during the match with FC Dallas playing against New York City FC at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 12, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; A general view of the DraftKings sign board during the match with FC Dallas playing against New York City FC at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

DraftKings Early MLB Picks For June 15

There are only five afternoon games on getaway day, which makes this the smaller tournament of the day. There are a few good options. Let’s find out what the past stats say!

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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. The highest scorer of the day could be someone with no experience against his opponent. 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. The best lineups usually have a mix of proven stats and hot players.

Chad Bettis and Ivan Nova have little histories against each other’s teams. At any rate, using either one of them is probably a bad idea at Coors Field.

Justin Nicolino has never faced the Padres. He could be a decent play in San Diego, but he has been inconsistent most of the year, and doesn’t strike out a lot of hitters. His counterpart, Luis Perdomo, has never faced the Marlins either. Perdomo has given up 15 runs in his last 12 innings. Using him is not advised.

For you first time players, if you would like a free entry into the $1 million baseball contest, use this link for the referral bonus!

Next: Pitcher Picks

May 29, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jimmy Nelson (52) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
May 29, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jimmy Nelson (52) pitches against the Cincinnati Reds in the first inning at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Best Bet:

Johnny Cueto ($12,800): If you are looking to pay for an afternoon ace, Cueto is the best bet. The Brewers are hitting only .210 off of Cueto in 138 at bats with just two solo homers to show for it and 26 strikeouts. Cueto easily has the best chance of pitching up to his price tag. The homers are by Ryan Braun and Aaron Hill, who are a combined 12-59(.203) against him.

Honorable Mention:

Jimmy Nelson ($7,400): The Giants are only hitting .234 against Nelson in 47 at bats with a homer and two RBI, but there is a downside. First, he is facing Johnny Cueto, who has owned the Brewers. Second, Nelson has only picked up six strikeouts against the Giants. His chances of piling up strikeouts or a win are very slim, but he could still pick up good points for the price.

Dark Horse:

Patrick Corbin ($5,800): Well, you can scratch the win going up against Kershaw, but his numbers against the Dodgers aren’t bad, and the Dodgers offense is struggling lately. The Dodgers are hitting .255 against Corbin in 106 at bats, but only have two homers and 12 RBI to go with 16 strikeouts. Yasiel Puig has one of those home runs, and he is on the DL. Still, there is a lot of uncertainty this afternoon. There are worse options than Corbin.

Next: Other Notes For June 15

Jun 14, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt hits an RBI single in the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 14, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt hits an RBI single in the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

You have heard our FanDuel experts Matt Rogers and Brian Tulloch talk about “stacking” pieces of a lineup against certain pitchers. Here are the stacks that could work well on DraftKings today, based on past statistics.

You may want to stack Nationals against Jason Hammel, despite his great numbers this year. Daniel Murphy ($4,900) is 6-11(.545) with a walk and two doubles. Wilson Ramos ($4,000) is 3-9 with two solo homers against Hammel. Ryan Zimmerman ($3,200) is 12-38(.316) with two walks, three doubles, a homer, and six RBI against Hammel.

Adrian Gonzalez ($3,700) is 4-16 with a walk, a homer, and three RBI against Patrick Corbin. Justin Turner ($3,400) is 5-13(.385) with a walk and three RBI.

It’s hard to recommend Clayton Kershaw at $14,100, especially when you consider the Diamondbacks scored nine runs on him in two starts last year. And when you look at Paul Goldschmidt‘s ($4,100) career numbers against Kershaw. Goldie is 9-36 with two walks, two doubles, two homers, and seven RBI against the best pitcher in baseball.

Jason Heyward ($3,400) is 14-34(.412) with three walks, three doubles, a homer, and four RBI off of Stephen Strasburg.

Be sure to check out the FanDuel picks from out experts in that area! Brian Tulloch provides the picks, while Matt Rogers tells you where to save in his FanDuel Economics articles. Don’t play an FanDuel without them!

Next: DFS Strategy - Take Your Game to the Next Level

Good luck out there, and check out our picks for FanDuel baseball!