Fantasy Baseball: DraftKings Early MLB Picks For June 26

Jun 16, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers right fielder Shin-Soo Choo (17) follows through on his single against the Seattle Mariners during the sixth inning of a baseball game at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Jim Cowsert-USA TODAY Sports /

DraftKings Early MLB Picks For June 26

We only have two games this afternoon. Where do we gain separation? Everyone will be on Greinke. Do we dare fade him, or do we find another place to vary our lineups? Let’s check out some stats!

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The money line yesterday afternoon was only at 98.7. This low total didn’t stop me from missing it with both lineups. Michael Pineda torpedoed one. The ill-fated Red Sox stack (again) doomed the other.

The winning lineup was a predictably average 165.85. He gambled and won on Sonny Gray along with some of the few offensive stars of the afternoon, headlined by 1.3% owned Shin-soo Choo with 20 DraftKings points.

These picks are based mostly on statistical analysis . 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. Check out this post from Matt McGarvey for great tips about whether to use a hot player in DFS or not.

For you first time players, if you would like $10 worth of free entry tickets, use this link for the referral bonus! Then continue reading for tips on how to turn that $10 into more!

Next: DraftKings Early Lineup

Jun 24, 2017; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Matt Carpenter (13) hits a solo home run during the first inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kane-USA TODAY Sports /

P: Zack Greinke ($12,800): On this short of a slate, you are lucky to have an ace at all. Still, this is pretty much a push in every lineup. Greinke is easily the best pitching option, and only the most contrarian will try to go with two other pitchers and stack Diamondbacks. I prefer to get my separation elsewhere. The chances of Greinke having an implosion are pretty slim.

P: Brandon Finnegan ($5,800): Finnegan has actually held the Cardinals to a .242 average in 66 at bats, but they have hit five homers off of him and scored ten runs. The bad part is that he may be the second best option. Do you trust a rookie with a 5.18 road ERA at hitter friendly Chase Field? Me either. Michael Wacha has just one quality start since May 19th, and that was against the Giants. Even a pitcher coming off a lengthy DL stint looks like a better option right now.

C: Devin Mesoraco ($3,300): Tucker Barnhart got the start yesterday, so Mesoraco should be back in the lineup. That is a good thing for us DFS players. Mesoraco is 4-11(.364) with a double, a homer, a steal, and four RBI in his career against Michael Wacha.

1B: Matt Carpenter ($4,000): Despite the lefty-lefty matchup, Carpenter is 4-11 with three walks, two homers, four runs scored, and five RBI in his career against Brandon Finnegan. I like Carpenter as a pivot since roughly half the field will be on Paul Goldschmidt for a much higher price.

2B: Brandon Drury ($4,600): You didn’t think I wouldn’t have any exposure to Pivetta, did you? I am just choosing players that may be lesser owned. I am expecting a higher ownership on Scooter Gennett, but Drury is averaging 11 DraftKings points per game over his last ten. I’ll take it!

3B: Jake Lamb ($5,300): Lamb has clubbed 11 of his 17 homers at Chase Field. 15 of his home runs have come off of right handed pitchers. Lamb has at least a 50/50 chance of taking Pivetta deep, so I am willing to risk the high ownership. However, it will be hard for people to use both Lamb and Goldie and still field a tough lineup.

SS: Aledmys Diaz ($3,600): Diaz is 2-5 with a run scored and a RBI in his career against Finnegan. I expect Chris Owings to have a better game, but I don’t know that it will be enough better to warrant the $1,400 price difference.

OF: Billy Hamilton ($3,800): Hamilton is a dreadful 2-22 in his career against Wacha, but he has stolen two bags and scored a run. If he gets on, he will be able to run. For this price, I am willing to take that chance.

OF: Odubel Herrera ($3,400): Honestly, at this price range we are just looking for value. Herrera is 3-8 with a solo homer and two runs scored in his career against Zack Greinke. I don’t know that I really expect a big day from any Phillie, but any kind of production from this price range is a win. Especially considering the fact that almost no one will own them.

OF: Aaron Altherr ($3,300): This is a complete dice roll from a player that has never faced Greinke. Altherr is far more talented than anyone else in this range, and has only been blanked once in the last 13 games. I will take a few sure points.

Next: FanDuel MLB Picks and Pivots

Good luck out there, and check out our picks for FanDuel baseball, along with our PGA picks. We also have plenty of NFL stuff to get you ready for football!