DraftKings MLB Picks June 29: The late night hammer is a pitcher

ARLINGTON, TEXAS – APRIL 04: Captain, the Texas Rangers mascot, waves the team flag after the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 3-2 on Opening Day at Globe Life Park in Arlington on April 4, 2016 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

DraftKings MLB Picks June 29: The late night hammer is a pitcher

This is a 14 game slate on our Friday with the Cubs and Twins playing a matinee at Wrigley. The bad news is that takes Berrios out of the classic format. The good news is that we still have three aces and one other five figure pitcher to choose from. Which ones are worth the money? The drop after the top three is steep, so where can we find some value? Let’s take a look!

More from DFS

There is no rain in the forecast tonight, but we have a stiff 15 mph wind in from right in Arlington. However, the humidity is high enough that the balls are going to fly anyway. There is a 12 mph wind out to right center in Oakland, but in that cavernous park, it doesn’t help all that much.

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

ANAHEIM, CA – MAY 15: Gerrit Cole #45 of the Houston Astros pitches during the second inning of a game against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim at Angel Stadium on May 15, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Trevor Bauer ($13,300): The late night hammer comes in the form of a pitcher tonight. Bauer has dominated Oakland, holding them to a .186 average with only one homer and four runs in 43 at bats with 15 strikeouts. It is a small sample size, but Bauer has a 2.36 ERA in eight road starts, and that includes a game in Minnesota in which he was knocked around a bit. You get the strikeout upside of deGrom or Cole with the added benefit of good past stats. The others can’t say that.

Gerrit Cole ($13,000): The Rays are only hitting .182 against Cole in 66 at bats, but they do have two homers and seven RBI to go with the 16 strikeouts. The Rays are one of just three teams to score more than three runs off of Cole this year. Perhaps the saving grace is that Cole has a 2.21 ERA on the road. Maybe the Rays poked the bear in Houston. I expect a dominant performance here.

Patrick Corbin ($11,900): If you only check out past stats, Corbin looks like a huge waste of money. The Giants are hitting .265 with six homers and 33 runs in 264 at bats with only 58 strikeouts. However, this year Corbin is 2-0 with a 1.74 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, .141 BAA, and 24 strikeouts in 20.2 innings against San Francisco this year. Forget those past stats here. Corbin has owned the Giants this year regardless of venue.

Middle Tier:

Marco Gonzales ($7,800): In another episode of stats gone berserk, the Royals are hitting .471 against Gonzales in 18 at bats. I don’t care about that. Gonzales barely resembles that April version of himself that was destroyed by the Royals. Gonzales has a 3.55 ERA in seven home starts. Against the struggling Royals, he should have no problems performing well for the price tonight.

Joe Musgrove ($7,600): Musgrove has never faced the Padres before. I’m thinking he’s going to like it. This lineup is almost as righty heavy as the Orioles, but they strike out more. Musgrove only has one road start this year. He needs to hit the road again. Musgrove has a 7.45 ERA in four June home starts. The Padres should cure what ails him.

Chase Anderson ($7,000): If you read this and cringe, I get it. However, I promise that Anderson is not as bad as he was early this year. He also has a respectable 4.15 ERA in seven career starts in Cincinnati, and has a 3.12 ERA in six road starts this year. On top of that, the Reds are only hitting .254 with one homer and eight runs in 71 at bats. Those aren’t great numbers, but they are pretty good for this price, and you know the ownership will be low.

Felix Pena ($6,600): Pena has been serviceable in his two starts, picking up double digit DraftKings points in each game. Now he gets a righty heavy Orioles team that has only scored more than three runs in a game three times in the last ten games. There is decent enough upside to consider Pena here. Just keep in mind that he likely wont go more than five innings.

Bargain Pitchers:

Ian Kennedy ($6,400): Don’t laugh. One could argue that Kennedy has been the best Royals starter over the last month. Keep in mind that he is 1-7 with a 5.09 ERA. Kennedy may finally be starting to come out of his slump. He has only given up eight runs in his last four starts. The Mariners are only hitting .179 against Kennedy in 78 at bats with only two homers, five runs, and 19 strikeouts. That is far ahead of his career strikeout rate. There is some potential here, but Seattle does have a solid offense.

Francisco Liriano ($6,200): You have to be willing to take risks to roll with Liriano at this stage of his career, but he has held the Jays to three homers and seven runs in 84 at bats despite the .262 average. The 28 strikeouts is a much higher rate than you usually get at this price. Liriano also has a brilliant 2.80 ERA in six road starts this year and a 8-4 career mark at Rogers Centre.

Eric Lauer ($5,700): Hey, I’ve stacked against Lauer as much as anyone this year. However, Lauer has not allowed more than three runs in a start since May 28th. He has a 2.33 ERA in June. The Pirates offense is not something to be feared, so Lauer’s upside here is very good for the price.

Sandy Alcantara ($5,300): Alcantara will make his major league debut in one of the best situations that he could ask for. He is at home, which is one of the best pitching parks in the majors, and is facing a Mets team that is among the worst in the National League in most offensive categories. Alcantara is the best pitching prospect the Marlins have, which is saying quite a bit. He has a 3.71 ERA in 85 AAA innings this year, so there is solid potential here.

ANAHEIM, CA – SEPTEMBER 21: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is greeted by on deck batter Kole Calhoun #56 after scoring a run in the first inning against the Cleveland Indians on September 21, 2017 at Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /

Los Angeles Angels vs. David Hess:

Hess has been blasted lately, giving up 15 runs over 12 innings in his last three starts. Mike Trout is expensive, but worth it. You can also offset some of that by using Calhoun on the cheap. I also like Upton, Andrelton Simmons, and Kinsler to finish off this stack.

Washington Nationals vs. Nick Pivetta:

The Nats are hitting an impressive .417 off of Pivetta in 48 at bats with five homers and 12 runs. This wasn’t just a one-off fluke. They see the ball well off of him. Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon both have two homers against Pivetta. Trea Turner has the other one. I’m also liking Juan Soto and Daniel Murphy, who is 6-8 against Pivetta, to close out the stack.

Milwaukee Brewers vs. Sal Romano:

Yeah, Romano has been a decent pitcher lately, but the Brewers continually hit this team hard. Eric Thames now has 13 homers and 24 RBI in just 20 games against the Reds. Yes, he has homered off of Romano before. I know. Big surprise. Travis Shaw and Ryan Braun are the other two to homer against Romano. I like Villar here as well, and Christian Yelich if he is able to play after leaving last night’s game early.

Houston Astros vs. Wilmer Font:

Font is only the opener here, but the Astros have clobbered him as the opener. They are 8-19 with three homers and six runs against Font lifetime. The Rays used their best reliever-starter last night in Yarbrough, so I expect a Houston stack to pay off tonight. Springer, Altuve, and Marwin Gonzalez have the homers against Font. Alex Bregman has two doubles in three at bats. Josh Reddick is a solid play at a lower price as well.

Chicago White Sox vs. Yovani Gallardo:

Gallardo likely shouldn’t be in the majors right now. Conditions are favorable to flying objects tonight, which is a huge problem for Gallardo. He has allowed three homers in 33 at bats to the White Sox so far, and that number is only getting worse. Avi Garcia has two of those homers, and Abreu has the other. I’m high on Yoan Moncada and Tim Anderson here as well. Despite the recent struggled of Matt Davidson, his power potential has him firmly in this stack as well.

St Louis Cardinals vs. Julio Teheran:

The Cardinals are hitting .309 with five homers and 14 runs in 97 at bats against Teheran. Marcell Ozuna is 17-42(.405) with three homers and nine RBI by himself! Carpenter has the other two homers, and has driven in four. Those two are the key components to the stack. I’m building this around power potential with Jedd Gyorko, Tommy Pham, and Jose Martinez, but using Yadier Molina is not a bad idea either.

Cleveland Indians vs. Paul Blackburn:

Yes, Blackburn pitched well against Cleveland last year. No, that doesn’t mean anything now. Blackburn has a 8.83 ERA in four starts this year. Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor are elite plays here. Edwin, Michael Brantley, and Yan Gomes are a notch below, but are all well worth using in a stack.

Seattle Mariners vs. Ian Kennedy:

I am here to give you past information and current trends. It doesn’t mean that I have to trust those stats and trends. I still don’t trust Kennedy. I would much rather build around the Boomstick. Haniger, Jean Segura, Mike Zunino, and Dee Gordon are all in play here. So is Kyle Seager if he is able to play.

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Tyler Anderson:

The Dodgers have destroyed Anderson be it at Coors or in Chavez Ravine. It hasn’t mattered. The Dodgers are hitting .330 in 88 at bats with four homers and 18 RBI, so you know it’s not a fluke. Cody Bellinger, Matt Kemp, and Justin Turner all have homers. Of course, lefty wrecker Kike Hernandez does as well. Logan Forsythe is a great way to save money so long as he is starting.

Next: Other notes for 6-29

PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 21: Rhys Hoskins #17 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrates with Carlos Santana #41 and Odubel Herrera #37 after hitting a three run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizens Bank Park on April 21, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Pirates 6-2. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Top Tier:

Eduardo Rodriguez doesn’t have bad numbers against the Yankees, but he has given up three homers and a .270 average in 63 at bats, so he is living dangerously. That will catch up to him at some point. If you think that’s happening tonight, you can stack the Yankees quite easily. It isn’t the usual suspects that have the homers off Rodriguez. It’s the likes of Greg Bird, Austin Romine, and Brett Gardner. Two of those three are lefties! I’m a big fan of Judge here, but on a full slate, I’m not bending over backwards to stack Yankees.

Boston is coming off a series in which they manhandled Angels lefties, so I’m not all that crazy about CC despite his 2.73 ERA at home. I’m not stacking either since the Yankees have an elite bullpen. Only Xander Bogaerts and Sandy Leon have taken Sabathia deep among the current roster, though Mookie is 10-24(.417) with four walks. I wouldn’t spend on Martinez or Benintendi though. They have had their struggles against CC.

Andrew Suarez has put together a few solid starts lately, but I simply can’t trust him in Phoenix. Not only because the team that lives there is mashing lately, but this is still a hitter’s park, humidor or not. I expect Suarez to put up a decent start, so I’m only really on Goldschmidt here. John Ryan Murphy is worth a look if he starts.

So you don’t trust Chase Anderson, eh? Let me show you to the Reds stacking area. Suarez is the only Red to homer off of him, but Votto has four RBI and seven walks. Adam Duvall is worth a look for the extreme power potential.

The Rockies still aren’t all that good on the road. However, I don’t trust Rich Hill at all. Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story are targets here. Ian Desmond could be as well.

Erick Fedde didn’t get knocked around enough to warrant a stack by the Phillies last week, but I definitely want some exposure with Odubel Herrera and Rhys Hoskins.

Castellanos homered yesterday, and is the only current Tiger to homer off of Marcus Stroman. I don’t trust Stroman enough to use him in his first start off the DL, but this Tigers offense is struggling. The only one I feel confident using is Castellanos and maybe Leonys Martin.

More from FanSided

Middle Tier:

Khris Davis is the only A’s player to homer off of Trevor Bauer. Not that that surprises any of us.

Teoscar Hernandez hit a homer off of Liriano in his only game against him as a member of the Astros. Luke Maile has a homer as well, and is a good play on the cheap if he starts. Granderson has the other homer, but is only hitting .188 against Liriano in 32 at bats.

Whit Merrifield homered against Marco Gonzales in April. Moose could be worth a look as well, but I’m not all that crazy about any of them.

You can approach Sandy Alcantara’s major league debut in one of two ways: play Alcantara and hope for a Mets failure, so stack the hell out of this. Except the Mets don’t have much to stack with. Still, if taking that approach, Brandon Nimmo, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Conforto are all worth a look here.

I do expect Lauer to pitch well tonight, but I still like Starling Marte here. If you need to go cheaper, Jose Osuna is worth a look as well.

Dylan Covey makes me nervous here. The Rangers hit him hard last year, and he has a 4.22 ERA on the road this year. Odor was the only one to hit a homer off of him, but conditions are right for the ball to carry in Texas tonight. For that reason, I’m pretty high on Gallo and Mazara as well.

Miles Mikolas has experienced a bit of regression, but not enough that I’m going to rush to use hitters against him. Just enough to keep me from using him as one of my pitchers. If I use someone against him, it will be Markakis or a similar middle tier bat as opposed to breaking the bank for Ozzie or Freddie.

Bargain Shoppers:

Wilson Ramos has both of the Rays’ homers against Gerrit Cole, and has driven in four of seven runs. He is the only Ray I would even consider here.

Hunter Pence is 15-38(.395) with four homers and 11 RBI against Patrick Corbin. Brandon Crawford is 9-32(.281) with a pair of homers and six RBI. I wouldn’t go beyond these two, not even for McCutchen or Posey.

If you don’t trust Musgrove, Travis Jankowski is certainly worth a look. Playing the power of Renfroe and Wil Myers is not a terrible idea either.

Felix Pena may very well have a good game, but I still like a really cheap Colby Rasmus here.

The Marlins are hitting .248 with two homers and 11 runs in 117 at bats against Jacob deGrom. Those aren’t the kind of stats I want when paying that much for an ace. Justin Bour is almost a must play at this point. Bour is 8-19(.421) with both homers off of deGrom and six RBI. I would rather fade deGrom and use the Bour play as leverage.

Next: DFS MLB Game by Game Breakdowns

We promised some big news in June for Fantasy CPR, right? Well here it is! We are now looking for PAID writers to join our team to write about fantasy sports. Seasonal or DFS, any sport you want – get your voice heard and get paid for talking fantasy sports. Apply today HERE!