DraftKings MLB Picks June 22: Pay for bats instead of pitching

PITTSBURGH, PA – APRIL 24: The covered field is seen during a rain delay before inter-league play between the Detroit Tigers and the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on April 24, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

DraftKings MLB Picks June 22: Pay for bats instead of pitching

It’s all downhill from here! Well, as far as hours of daylight go anyway. That shouldn’t be the case for DFS. The White Sox and A’s were rained out yesterday, so they are playing a twin bill today. DraftKings lifted the second game from the main tournament and slapped the early game into a showdown mode. We are at 14 games now, but honestly, Manaea was about the only pitcher we would have considered. It does cut down on our hitter options though. Let’s see what’s left!

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Rain is likely early in Pittsburgh, but it should only cause a delay at the beginning of the game, if anything. It could also be raining in Cincy and Cleveland, but the storms should clear out in time to play even if it is a late start. The rain chances go up as the night goes on in Atlanta, so that is one to watch.

Wind is blowing in from right at 12 mph in both DC and Pittsburgh. We do have a nice 14 mph wind out to left in Cleveland, which could help some powers there. There is also a at 12 mph wind blowing in from right in Citi Field and in Atlanta. That could neutralize some of SunTrust’s leniency towards left handed hitters. Wind is blowing in a 12 mph from left in Coors, but that may not really matter. As usual, there is a customary 15 mph wind out to left center in San Francisco.

We will provide you with several options to build your lineup here. Want to spend all your money on pitchers and play bargain bats? We will highlight who is worth the money. Want to punt arms and pay up for the big boppers? We can help you with that as well, and everything in between!

These tips are based mostly on past performance. This is a nice tool for building a lineup, but should not be the only pieces of information you use. Stacking against a bad pitcher is always a good idea!

For you first time players, if you would like $20 in free DraftKings dollars, use this link for the referral bonus with your first deposit of $5 or more! Then continue reading for tips on how to turn those DraftKings dollars into more!

Next: DraftKings Pitcher Plays

SAN DIEGO, CA – JUNE 5: Sean Newcomb #15 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park on June 5, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Sean Newcomb ($10,500): I’m very nervous about this one. However, despite the wealth of right handed batters – the Orioles will likely have the entire nine batting from the right side – they are hitting just .234 against left handed pitching with just five homers in 756 at bats. Bottom line: this offense is awful outside of Machado. Newcomb could come up with a big game here. For all the hubbub about SunTrust Park being a hitter’s park, Newcomb has a 3.07 ERA at home.

Jack Flaherty ($9,800): Flaherty picked up 23.1 DraftKings points against the Brewers earlier this year. I expect another strong showing from Flahery here. Newcomb has the higher ceiling because of the strikeouts, but Flaherty has decent strikeout numbers and should be far less owned. I’m off of Corbin all the way, and will be using Newcomb and Flaherty in my Rays stack. Wish me luck!

Alex Wood ($9,100): Wood is a tough sell right now, but the Mets are only hitting .214 with two homers and three runs to go with 11 strikeouts in 42 at bats. The Mets offense may have some confidence going after a solid series in Coors, which doesn’t bode well for Wood. I’m likely fading the struggling Wood here, but I’m here to provide all the facts, and the facts say that Wood may not be a terrible idea.

Middle Tier:

Andrew Heaney ($8,800): There is a lot of upside here for Heaney, including the extra points for a win. The Jays strike out quite a bit, but they are still scoring a decent amount of runs. Just because Donaldson is out doesn’t mean that the Jays don’t have right handed hitters than can do some damage. However, Heaney has a sparkling 2.35 ERA in six home starts. He should be worth the price here.

Jose Quintana ($8,600): We all know that we can’t use Quintana at Wrigley, so it would see safe to say that we can’t use him in Cincy either. Well, maybe we can. Quintana pitched seven shutout innings in his only start in Great American Ballpark. The Reds are hitting just .200 if 55 at bats with only three runs to go with 17 strikeouts. Those numbers border on elite. I would say there is more risk with the weather than the actual Reds lineup for Quintana tonight.

Steven Wright (8,500): Not to be confused with the guy on the couch, the non-comedic Steven Wright has held the Mariners to a .214 average in 42 at bats with no homers and three runs with seven strikeouts. Wright doesn’t have elite strikeout potential, and I’m not even all that sure about his win potential here, but the numbers are solid enough. I am a bit nervous about paying this much for a knuckleballer though.

Dallas Keuchel ($8,400): I’m a huge fan of Keuchel at this price. The Royals are only hitting .212 with one homer and just five runs in 104 at bats with 24 strikeouts against Keuchel. Those numbers border on elite, and Keuchel is priced well below the upper tier. Don’t be surprised if he outscores every pitcher tonight. Others have higher upside, but Keuchel may be the strongest pick in cash games.

Bargain Pitchers:

Chris Stratton ($7,300): Stratton is going to pitch way above his price point tonight. The Padres are hitting a pathetic .129 in 31 at bats with one run and eight strikeouts. Yes, it’s a small sample, but this Padres offense is really struggling right now. Stratton held the Padres to just one hit in seven shutout innings, racking up 25.4 DraftKings points in the process earlier this year. What will he do for an encore?

Mike Fiers ($6,600): How much more does Fiers have to prove to us that he can handle the Indians? Fiers has 49.2 DraftKings points in two starts against Cleveland this year. Yeah, he’s been far better at home, but he also has a solid 3.86 ERA in two starts at Progressive Field. I don’t see a massive regression from Fiers here. The Indians are only hitting .244 against Fiers with four homers and ten runs in 131 at bats. The bad news is that he only has 27 strikeouts. If Cleveland does manage to get to him here, you wont have the strikeouts to limit the damage, much like those of us who used Kuhl last night got stuck with.

Wade LeBlanc ($6,400): You’ll feel like you’re staring down the barrel of Harry Callahan’s .44 if you play LeBlanc. Well, I’m a punk that feels somewhat lucky. However, the numbers back me up. The current Boston team is hitting just 3-34(.088) against LeBlanc with no runs and ten strikeouts. Those are elite numbers in a small sample size. Boston, for all of their elite right handed hitters, are only hitting .237 against left handed pitching this year with only 18 homers in 624 at bats. There is solid potential for LeBlanc here.

Mike Minor ($5,400): I hate to break this to you, but every single pitcher tonight carries some modicum of risk. It’s unavoidable. The Twins are hitting just .192 against Mior with a homer and six runs in 52 at bats. However, LoMo has the homer and five of the six RBI. Morrison is mired in a prolonged and brutal slump, so that makes Minor even more enticing. Now if he has just stay away from Dozier…..

SEATTLE, WA – JUNE 12: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim hits a home run off of Ryan Cook #46 of the Seattle Mariners in the seventh inning at Safeco Field on June 12, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/Getty Images) /

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Tanner Roark:

Sure, Roark is a solid pitcher. Not against the Phillies. The Phils are hitting .280 with two homers and 21 runs against Roark in 125 at bats with 31 strikeouts. On top of that, Roark has a 5.36 ERA in nine career starts at Citizens Bank Park. Outside of Herrera, who is 13-31 with four RBI off of Roark, the Phillies are a relatively cheap stack. Cesar Hernandez is 8-29(.276) with six runs and four steals, but has yet to drive one in. Jorge Alfaro and Rhys Hoskins have the homers, to we want them as well. Maikel Franco has five RBI in 25 at bats against Roark, so you can use him to complete the stack.

Chicago Cubs vs. Luis Castillo:

Those of us who stacked against Harvey last night likely didn’t cash. So why use Castillo? The Cubs have decent career numbers against him, but I simply can’t ignore that 5.77 ERA on the season. Castillo has been marginally better at home, even against this Cubs team who only mustered one run in five innings. Castillo was lucky in that game. He walked five, and so long as he keeps issuing free passes, he is a prime blowup candidate. I’m on Rizzo, Schwarber, Bryant, Zobrist, and Javier Baez tonight for sure.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Zack Wheeler:

Wheeler got tattooed by the Dodgers last year, allowing four homers in just two innings. Cody Bellinger hit two of them. Turner and Grandal hit the others. Matt Kemp is starting to cool off, but I like him here as well. Joc Pederson and Chris Taylor are worth a look as well, and we all know how well Puig hits righties.

Tampa Bay Rays vs. CC Sabathia:

Okay, so, full disclosure. I’m still on the fence about this. The stats scream stack, but it’s the Rays we are talking about. They traded their two best power hitters. The remnants of the Rays are hitting .358 with four homers and nine runs in 81 at bats against Sabathia. The best part? They are all really cheap, so we can use any pitchers we want. Kiermaier is 5-13 with two solo homers against Sabathia. C.J. Cron and Carlos Gomez are the others to homer against Sabathia. Matt Duffy is 3-6 so far, but has no counting stats. That said, I think he’s my favorite home run pick tonight for the Rays. Wilson Ramos and Willy Adames look good in this potential stack as well.

New York Yankees vs. Ryne Stanek and the bullpen:

There is not one pitcher on the Rays roster that would give me pause about using Yankees. Gregorius and Greg Bird are good picks, but I have a feeling the Rays are going to a lefty, so that makes Judge, Trout, Sanchez, and Andujar elite after their first at bats.

Atlanta Braves vs. Alex Cobb:

Cobb hasn’t been as awful as he was early on, but this stadium and the left handed power that Atlanta has is going to destroy him. Freeman and Ozzie Albies are elite tonight. Beyond that, Markakis and Ender Inciarte as strong targets as well. To complete this stack, it will either be Johan Camargo or whoever starts at catcher.

Houston Astros vs. Danny Duffy:

This just isn’t fair. The Astros are hitting .320 with four homers and 18 runs in just 97 at bats against Duffy, and Duffy has been even worse this year. George Springer has two of the homers and five RBI against Duffy. Max Stassi and Brian McCann are the others to homer off of Duffy. I also like the hot Evan Gattis, Jose Altuve, and Correa here. Alex Bregman is worth a look too. It just depends on how many $5,000+ batters you feel comfortable buying because your pitching will be very shaky.

Colorado Rockies vs. Wei-Yin Chen:

Chen has never pitched in Coors Field. My guess is the soft tosser wont care for it much. Arenado is the most elite play on the slate and is absolutely worth the money. Trevor Story and LeMahieu rank a notch above Blackmon with a lefty on the mound. Ian Desmond is a very strong play as well.

Los Angeles Angels vs. Marco Estrada:

Estrada has had a solid year, but he has been punished by the Angels. The Halos have a ridiculous .315 ISO in 89 at bats. They also own a .326 average with six homers and 17 runs. That’s domination! Speaking of domination, Mike Trout has only accounted for three outs in his last 21 plate appearances. That essentially means that he himself batted around twice before his side was retired. Trout is 4-10 with two homers and three RBI against Estrada. Valbuena homered twice last night, and also has two homers and three RBI against Estrada. Chris Young and Albert Pujols have both homered off of Estrada as well. Justin Upton is 4-7 already. Oh, and Kole Calhoun is on fire, and costs just $2,600!

Next: Other notes for 6-22

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – JUNE 19: Buster Posey #28 of the San Francisco Giants is congratulated by Andrew McCutchen #22 and Brandon Belt #9 after he hit a home run in the first inning against the Miami Marlins at AT&T Park on June 19, 2018 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

I’m a fan of what Zach Eflin has been able to do this year, but I’m not touching him at that high of a price on the road in DC. However, I likely wont pay up for Harper either. I do have my eye on Rendon and Trea Turner though.

Those of us looking for a bargain in Kuhl last night really took it on the chin. The same fate awaits you tonight if you chance Ivan Nova. Sure, Nova has solid numbers against Arizona, but this team is crushing right now. Goldschmidt is 4-9 with two homers and three RBI off of Nova in his career. I feel quite confident saying that he adds to that tonight. Jake Lamb is worth a look as well.

I have a feeling that Boston could be a favorite stack of many, but LeBlanc has had a sort of rebirth in the Pacific Northwest. His numbers are strong, especially against Boston. However, I may want some exposure to Betts and/or J.D. Martinez. I’m stopping there though.

If I use anyone from Seattle tonight, it will be Cruz or Healy to try and get a hold of a knuckler and plant it over the wall.

I don’t much care for Fernando Romero here, so I’ll definitely have exposure to Choo and Joey Gallo here. Probably some Nomar Mazara too.

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Middle Tier:

I wont be paying up for Patrick Corbin tonight. He is $400 more than he was when he got rocked by the Pirates for five runs in 5.1 innings just 11 days ago. Corbin gets a park upgrade here in Pittsburgh, but the fact remains that Corbin has only had two starts worthy of this price since the beginning of May. I’ll take Starling Marte and be done with this game. However, if you’re feeling froggy, Josh Bell, Gregory Polanco, Jordy Mercer, and Sean Rodriguez have all homered off of Corbin in his career.

The only Indians that I would roll out there with any kind of confidence tonight are Yan Gomes and Yonder Alonso. Jose Ramirez isn’t bad if you want an elite bat, but Gomes and Alonso have the best track record against Fiers.

$8,700 seems pricey for a guy in his third career start whose ERA is near 4. I know the Detroit offense has struggled, but I don’t expect Shane Bieber to put up the numbers that his price dictates. Jeimer Candelario and Nick Castellanos are both worth a look here. So is Leonys Martin.

If you look at the metrics on Junior Guerra, they really aren’t very good. Guerra has defied them against most teams, but not the Cardinals. St Louis is hitting .290 with three homers and six runs off of him in 69 at bats. I’m not stacking, but I have a big interest in Marcell Ozuna, Tommy Pham, and Yairo Munoz. Matt Carpenter is 5-11 in his career against Guerra, but has no counting stats.

If I trusted the Giants offense, I would stack the hell out of them! They are hitting .366 with seven homers and 35 runs in 161 at bats against Clayton Richard. McCutchen is 6-12 with two homers and three RBI. Buster Posey has two homers and nine RBI. Both of them will be in tonight’s lineup. After that it gets a little thin, though I do like the potential of Mac Williamson.

Bargain Shoppers:

I like Adam Duvall as a cheap power bat to throw at Quintana, but I’m not crazy about any other Cincy hitters. No, not even Votto.

I just can’t bring myself to stack Twins against Mike Minor. After all, they are hitting just .192 off of him in 55 at bats. However, Dozier clobbers lefties, and is worth a look. Logan Morrison, of all players, has been the one to get to Minor. LoMo has a homer and five RBI off of him already.

Jon Gray is going to rack up some strikeouts, but I also think he gives up quite a few runs. Yes, even against the Marlins. I’m not going to pay the premium on most of the Marlins, but I’m a big fan of Lewis Brinson at his price.

Next: DFS MLB Game by Game Breakdowns

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