FanDuel MLB Daily Lineups: Thursday June 7 Main

Welcome back to the FanDuel MLB Daily Lineups column for the Main slate on Thursday, June 7th 2018. We’re a fantasy baseball column focused on helping you build a DFS MLB optimal lineup for each slate.

I took some heat on the twitterverse after suggesting Daniel Mengden as a top pitcher pick for FanDuel MLB last night. But I’d do it again. Mengden has great metrics, and the Rangers are a hit-or-miss offense, which we called in our Main slate article for last night’s lineups. Sometimes things don’t work, which makes picking DFS MLB optimal lineups so difficult. But that’s why it’s also fun.

Tonight’s main slate is smaller, with a skinnier Thursday MLB schedule. This is typical for a Thursday. There are ten games in total for the day, and only five of the games fall after 7pm EDT. So we have ten teams to pick through, and ten starting pitchers to consider tonight.

Unlike last night, there are some very obvious plays today at the pitcher pick, but also for offensive stacks. Before we get there, a reminder to never take a DFS MLB optimal lineup as ‘bible’ for your personal lineup each day. Use the suggestions as guidance.

Also, make sure you follow final lineup thoughts throughout the day on our twitter account @FantasyCPR or me @mattymcmatt17 look for late breaking lineup news.

Weather Note: As we stated earlier, in what is becoming a fantastic week for weather, we have no weather-related issues today. If anything, the only concerns continue to be drier and cooler weather than normal, with modest winds. For the Early Only slate, there is literally no wind issues at all. And for the Main slate, the wind will have very minor impacts. Green light to consider all teams!

With weather-related considerations addressed, let’s get to the top pitching options…

FanDuel MLB: Top Pitcher Main Slate

So, hopefully it’s obvious who you should play at the pitcher spot in all formats for the FanDuel MLB Main slate tonight. Still, we’ll try to highlight some potential flier picks if you’re looking to load up on bats for a GPP play. But, it’s very likely all winners have Gerrit Cole ($11,800) in their lineups tonight.

That being said, I wonder if Cole’s ownership is actually lower than expected, given a few factors in some FanDuel MLB player’s minds. The Rangers had a fairly difficult match up last night, and absolutely blew the door open with hits and runs. Jurickson Profar, specifically, is starting to own up to his prospect potential.

Also, Cole hasn’t looked as dominate in his last four starts. In each start, Gerrit gave up two to three runs (but no more than three) per game and fanned less than ten batters. That last part shouldn’t be a concern, but Cole was sitting batters down at a 10+ rate in the first part of the season, often.

But, Cole is still dominating on the mound, and he still had seven to eight K’s per game against teams like the Angels, Indians, and Red Sox in three of his last four starts. Gerrit is also still keeping his hits, walks, and runs down to a low level. Finally, a reminder, the Rangers have a 25.9% K-rate against RHP’s and low 85 wRC+. Some of the worst metrics against RHP’s in baseball. Play the man!

So what other options do you have? Not many. Cole Hamels ($8,600) has a tough match up against the Astros. It’s a ballsy move, but you could fade the slate and go Hamels at pitcher and Rangers on offense. I wouldn’t.

One interesting play is Paul Blackburn ($5,500). Again, I’m not saying this is great move, just  interesting for GPP punt options. Blackburn just came of the DL and likely won’t pitch more than five innings. But last season, while he had a low K-rate, he also managed a low WHIP and ERA. If you really want to load up on expensive bats, and need a cheap pitcher, Paul could earn you around 20 FanDuel MLB points.

Finally, do NOT play Ryne Stanek ($5,500). Not because Stanek isn’t good, he’s actually had some solid relief pitching this season. But the Rays are currently experimenting with sort of a closer to start with a middle reliever taking over in the second or third inning. So, it’s very unlikely Ryne gets you more than 20 FanDuel MLB points, and more likely he gets you below ten points.

FanDuel MLB: Top Hitting Stacks Main Slate

In the Early Only slate, we talked about stacking two teams in one game. Although after lineups posted, I realized we’ll probably sprinkle some Twins into the order. Tonight, I still like only two teams for two stacks, but in two different games.

Before we get there, like the Early only slate, there is an obvious more expensive stacking option related to our top pitcher. Cole Hamels is facing a very difficult Astros offensive lineup tonight. Hamels has a decent K-rate and 1.24 WHIP, but his xFIP is 4.22 and he’s giving up 1.88 home runs per nine innings. The Astros could have several home runs in this scenario.

For the two team stack, they’re both fairly affordable. The Blue Jays have a high home run rate pitcher on the mound tonight, and the Athletics have a lower home run rate but high ERA pitcher to face.

The Orioles have David Hess starting, and with a 5.50 xFIP, he’s clearly the worst starting pitcher on the mound tonight. Hess has a decent 1.20 WHIP, but very low 12.6% K-rate and high 1.93 home runs per nine innings. Hess has some upside potential, but the Blue Jays should be able to take advantage of his home run rate, and getting around one to two batters on base per inning.

The A’s have a different situation. Jason Hammel has a lower (but still terrible) 4.90 xFIP and 1.01 home runs per nine innings. But, Hammel also has a low K-rate and terrible 1.43 WHIP. Jason is also giving up over five runs per outing. This bodes well for a very efficient 102 wRC+ A’s against Right-handed pitching.

FanDuel MLB: Summary and Example Lineup

If you’re reaching for deep value in the pitcher position, and can accept around 20 FanDuel MLB points from the pick, Paul Blackburn is a decent shot against the Royals. However, Gerrit Cole is a clear top pick at the position, and should be in your lineup in all formats.

While the Astros are a great offensive stack tonight, they’re also super expensive. In fact, unless you’re fading Cole, you likely can’t afford a Stros stack. But, you may be able to sprinkle, one player, some Astros in your lineup with the rest of the stacking picks. The Blue Jays and A’s are our top stacks of the night, and both lineups are affordable with Cole at pitcher.

With that summary in mind, here’s a look at a sample lineup for the MAIN FanDuel MLB slate on Thursday, June 7th 2018:

FanDuel MLB Main Slate Sample Lineup:

P             Gerrit Cole ($11,800)

C/1B      Jonathan Lucroy ($2,100)

2B          Jed Lowrie ($3,500)

3B          Yangervis Solarte ($3,400)

SS           Aledmys Diaz ($2,200)

OF          Dustin Fowler ($2,400)

OF          Teoscar Hernandez ($3,500)

OF          Mark Canha ($2,600)

UTIL       Justin Smoak ($3,400)

Remaining Salary: $100

Note: This is a recommended lineup after discussing our top options for today. You should use this as a guide, and provide your own input when building FanDuel NHL lineups.  We are not telling you, or selling you, to use this lineup.

Next: MLB DFS Picks and Pivots

Best of luck in your FanDuel MLB contests and stay tuned to Fantasy CPR for all your DFS news and analysis across MLB, NBA, NHL, and EPL this summery!