MLB DFS DraftKings GPP Lineup Advice: Monday 6/25/18
With 10 games scheduled tonight in the MLB on DraftKings main-slate, there is no shortage of starting pitchers and hitters. Justin Verlander leads the way as the top pitching option but will cost a lot of salary against a pretty offensive Blue Jays team.
There are some great hitting environments, but no situation as a “must-play”. The Rangers lead the evening with a 5.12 implied run total, at home, against the Padres. Let’s dive into this slate and uncover some of the best GPP selections for tonight’s MLB slate.
Pitchers
Cole Hamels (TEX): $9,900 vs. SD
With the majority of the crowd looking to jam in Justin Verlander or pivot to Blake Snell, Cole Hamels should go drastically under-owned. The former two pitchers have a case to be made for, no doubt. However, Hamels has just as much upside in a much better matchup. The Padres are one of the worst hitting teams against left-handed pitching and will struggle with the veteran who is being showcased before the trade deadline. The leash will be long, as Hamels has thrown at least 100 pitches eight times this season.
Jameson Taillon (PIT): $7,900 @ NYM
The Mets continue to be a team to target with starting pitchers. New York is batting just a .210 average for the month of June while striking out at a 24.3% clip. Yoenis Cespedes is still out with a hip injury and now their best hitter of 2018, Brandon Nimmo has a finger injury. The Pirates starter is not a huge strikeout arm but has shown upside this season. A 3.70 SIERA is evidence of positive regression over the remainder of the year, with his inflated 4.03 ERA. Taillon is a talented pitcher who throws nasty stuff and should be able to get the better of this Mets team.
Jonathan Loaisiga (NYY): $7,300 @ PHI
I am still a believer in the Yankees rookie. The last outing does not look nearly as good in the box score, compared to what he actually did. The defense behind him was unusually bad and he had some bad pitch calls. He should have gotten out of the third inning with a strikeout, throwing a pitch high in the zone called a ball. Next pitch was hit for a two-run double. Either way, Loaisiga has a 12% swinging strike rate going into Philadelphia. This is a hedge stack opportunity because the Phillies are on fire right now. The price is a little high for the Yankees starter, but this will just lower ownership even further. There are few “experts” who are touting this kid, but he has true skill and can produce a lot of strikeouts tonight.
Hitting Stacks
Seattle Mariners
With a major positive park shift, the Mariners are in Baltimore for a four-game series. Andrew Cashner takes the mound for the O’s and will try to limit the damage from the power-hitters. Owning a .404 wOBA to righties, Cashner is a reverse splits pitcher who gives up more damage to right-handed hitters as opposed to lefties. Nelson Cruz becomes one of the top hitters on this slate, while the rest of the Mariners are still in a fantastic spot.
Texas Rangers
Joey Lucchesi will toe the rubber for the Padres tonight in Texas. It is supposed to be around 94 degrees this evening… Yikes. This is the best hitting environment of the night and the ball should be jumping off the bat. Lucchesi does limit the damage to lefties and has still yet to give up a homer from the left side of the plate. However, he has struggled to righties and the Rangers have some big bats in their lineup. Do not be scared off of the lefties as Lucchesi probably won’t be in this game long. The Padres have a solid bullpen, but the hitting environment is too good to pass up.
LA Dodgers
The Dodgers are starting to pick up their offense again and will now host the Chicago Cubs who are looking to Duane Underwood. Making his MLB debut, Underwood will likely be a reliever in the future for the Cubs. He is having a sub-par season in Triple-A with a 4.27 ERA and will now have to take on the Dodgers. All hitters are worth a look tonight in the Dodgers lineup who will come in as the “late-night hammer” which is always fun to watch in GPP’s.
Atlanta Braves
The last team to look at tonight, in a stack, are the Atlanta Braves. Specifically the lefties. Freddie Freeman, Ozzie Albies, Ender Inciarte, and Nick Markakis will be a difficult group of hitters for starter Tyler Mahle to navigate through. Struggling more to lefties, Mahle has a .402 wOBA to lefties and has given up 11 homers. With the short porch in right field at SunTrust, expect a couple long balls from the power-lefties.
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