MLB DFS DraftKings GPP Lineup Advice: Monday 6/18/18

A nice nine-game slate is scheduled in the MLB this evening with a lot of great options during lineup construction. There is really no wrong answer with the top two stud pitchers in fantastic matchups. Jacob deGrom is starting in Coors Field which is always unsettling, as he rounds out the top tier. There are a couple of interesting options at a discount, but nailing the pitchers tonight will be vital. Let’s dive into this slate to see who are the top GPP plays of the night.

Pitchers

Gerrit Cole (HOU): $13,000 vs. TB 
Having a career year, the Astros starter is in a great spot this evening against the Tampa Bay Rays. Over the last seven days, the Rays have been one of the worst offensive teams striking out at a 27.2% clip, while generating a .097 ISO. Cole has included his breaking balls a lot more in his pitching arsenal which has induced a higher swing and strike rate. He has an elite fastball which most of these Rays hitters won’t be able to catch up to. The fact that Cole is $600 more expensive than Bauer, he should come in at half the ownership.

Nick Pivetta (PHI): $7,300 vs. STL 
In what should be a pitchers duel, Phillie’s up-and-comer and Miles Mikolas are worth a look. The edge has to be given to Pivetta because of his high strikeout upside. On DraftKings, strikeouts are worth a lot more and Pivetta has a 26.9% rate compared to 18.7% for Mikolas. The Cardinals are not a great team to target with starting pitchers, but they aren’t terrifying either. The other factor leaning in Pivetta’s favor is that he will be pitching at home. His ERA is 1.90 points lower while his K/9 is 2.2 better. At a great price point, Pivetta is a solid GPP option.

Hitting Stacks

Kansas City Royals 
Bartolo Colon is somehow still pitching the MLB and thus, we need to take hitters against him. In his last outing against the Dodger, he allowed eight earned runs which included three homers through just 3.1 innings pitched. The Royals are not a great hitting team, but they do have some power and can be stacked at a discount.

LA Dodgers
Tyler Chatwood is having a forgettable season with his new team. His walk rate is a ridiculous 8.24 BB/9. When stacking teams, we want our hitters on base all game and this lines up for a perfect Dodgers stack. Left-handed hitters hit Chatwood better at a .372 wOBA and a 33.7% hard contact rate. All Dodgers are worth a look, but the heart of the order comes in as one of the best on the night. Watch the weather reports, there have been storms in Chicago all day.

Position-by-position

Catcher
Evan Gattis
J.T. Realmuto
Yasmani Grandal
Salvador Perez

First Base
Paul Goldschmidt
Cody Bellinger
Max Muncy
Joey Gallo

Second Base
Daniel Descalso
Kike Hernandez
Rougned Odor

Third Base
Jake Lamb
Travis Shaw
Justin Turner
Mike Moustakas
Adrian Beltre

Shortstop 
Carlos Correa
Chris Taylor
Jurickson Profar

Outfield 
Brandon Nimo
David Peralta
Shin-soo Choo
Joc Pederson
Yasiel Puig
Jay Bruce
Jon Jay

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