DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Saturday 6/11/22(Early Slate)

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Pitchers

Zack Wheeler FD 10500 DK 10100
Opponent - ARI (Madison Bumgarner) Park - ARI
FD - 37.08 DK - 19.99

The early slate is loaded at the top when looking at pitching with both Gausman and Wheeler in great spots but I am leaning slightly leaning the latter as my top choice. Both get terrific matchup but Wheeler takes the mound at home and has been more consistent in the short term. Over his last seven starts, he is averaging over six innings per outing, has allowed just eight earned runs(1.61 ERA/2.60 xFIP) and has struck out seven in each of those starts(32%). He now faces a below-average Dbacks offence that strikes out 25% of the time(2nd most overall). Fire up Wheeler in all formats today.

Zach Plesac FD 8100 DK 6500
Opponent - OAK (Frankie Montas) Park - OAK
FD - 32.08 DK - 15.85

There is a path to paying up for both pitchers on DraftKings on this slate but I prefer the value route to help get more bats and Plesac is the one that stands out. After a rough start in Houston(7 ER), he has bounced back in a huge way allowing just two earned runs over his last two starts with 13 strikeouts while hitting at least 3x value at these prices in both. Yes, those were against lesser competition(BAL, KC) but the good news is that he gets another top matchup today facing an A's team that ranks dead last in wOBA and 2nd last in wRC+ against right-handed pitching with a 24.4% K rate. Please is easily our top PTS/$ value arm on this slate.

Catcher/First Base

Matt Olson FD 3600 DK 5300
Opponent - PIT (Zach Thompson) Park - PIT
FD - 12.6 DK - 9.38

The Braves have gone from massively underpriced on DraftKings to one of the most expensive teams in the course of about a week. They sit with the highest implied total today and they are our top team to target in all formats. It starts with Matt Olson who has hits in five of six games since being moved back to the cleanup spot and overall has hits in 10 of his last 12 games with six doubles and two home runs. It is very close at the top with Vladdy and Olson both in good spots here but I lean toward the latter who comes cheaper on both sites and is slightly easier to build around.

Rhys Hoskins FD 3200 DK 3900
Opponent - ARI (Madison Bumgarner) Park - ARI
FD - 12.7 DK - 9.42

While some teams have trended up in terms of pricing, the Phillies are a team that has gone in the other direction despite scorching hot winning eight straight scoring six or more in seven of those. Helping immensely has been Hoskins who comes in with hits in eight of his last 10 games and is coming off a double-dong game yesterday. He faces a struggling veteran in Madison Bumgarner and that is great news as Hoskins has been a beast against lefties posting a .408 wOBA, 156 wRC+, and .318 ISO in the split since the start of 2020. We don't need to force him on FanDuel unless stacking Phils but he is easily a top PTS/$ play on DraftKings under $4K.

Second Base

Ozzie Albies FD 3200 DK 4900
Opponent - PIT (Zach Thompson) Park - PIT
FD - 11.31 DK - 8.67

Second base is a bit of a minefield on this slate so let's start with a team in a great spot and a player who is trending in the right direction. I am not a fan of Albies hitting down in the 5/6 hole in the lineup but he should be on the move back up soon as he comes in hot with hits in 11 straight starts with seven extra-base hits. He comes with a very fair price tag on FanDuel and considering all his teammates are near $6K on DraftKings, it feels like a buy-low at sub $5K prices for Albies. All things considered, he is out top play at the position.

Luis Urías FD 2800 DK 3400
Opponent - WSH (Patrick Corbin) Park - WSH
FD - 11.91 DK - 9.03

If taking the discount and spending up elsewhere is the plan, Luis Urias stands out from a PTS/$ perspective. He has been ice-cold in the short term but still has a lot going for him as he is projected to hit leadoff for the Brewers, gets a plus matchup against Patrick Corbin, and has been much better against lefty pitching. At these prices, he more than checks enough boxes to be considered a one-off punt play in all formats.

Shortstop

Bo Bichette FD 3900 DK 5800
Opponent - DET (Beau Brieske) Park - DET
FD - 11.55 DK - 8.89
Dansby Swanson FD 3400 DK 5500
Opponent - PIT (Zach Thompson) Park - PIT
FD - 11.58 DK - 8.81

I am throwing these two shortstops together as they have a lot in common. First of all, they both have terrific matchups today and have eerily similar numbers in the split against right-handed pitching and both are hitting second in their respective lineups. On one hand, Bichette has been the better of the two lately with hits in 13 of his last 15 games including nine multi-hit efforts. On the other hand, Swanson has still been very good since being moved up the lineup hitting .369 with a .4147 wOBA/167 wRC+ and is the cheaper of the two.

At the end of the day, it really comes down to the other pieces in your lineup and the team you want more exposure to, Toronto or Atlanta. Both players are elite plays in all formats.

Willy Adames FD 3000 DK 4500
Opponent - WSH (Patrick Corbin) Park - WSH
FD - 1.4 DK - 1.06

For value, I will go right back to the Brewers and their plus matchup against Patrick Corbin. Recent struggles have dropped his batting average below the Mendoza Line(.199) but the good news for fantasy is that he is still above-average in terms of creating runs(108 wRC+) thanks to his power(1o home runs) and run generation(25 RBI, 25 runs scored). With the Brewers' struggles to score runs recently, it is probably best to reserve Adames for your full stacks in GPP formats.

Third Base

Austin Riley FD 3800 DK 6000
Opponent - PIT (Zach Thompson) Park - PIT
FD - 11.52 DK - 8.72

I discussed how the Braves' prices have shot up like a rocket ship and Riley has most definitely seen the biggest hike. It is definitely warranted however as he has been flashing some huge upside lately hitting .333 over the last two and a half weeks with 12 extra-base hits(7 HR, 4 2B, 1 3B) and an insane .450 wOBA and 189 wRC+ in that time. He is now a part of the $6K club which is not all that uncommon anymore(six on this slate alone) and easily one of the top players to build around on this slate.

Alec Bohm FD 2700 DK 3400
Opponent - ARI (Madison Bumgarner) Park - ARI
FD - 8.6 DK - 6.61

If for some reason you are fading Riley or just don't have enough salary cap to get there, I love going way down and punting the position. I definitely liked playing Bohm more when he was hitting near the top of the lineup but some recent struggles have sent him back down to the 6/7 spot in the lineup and with it a drop in price. I am not too concerned as he is a highly-touted prospect(3rd overall in 2018) and has been much better against lefties with a .346 wOBA/121 wRC+(.261/64 vs RH pitching). Bohm is in play in all formats.

Outfield

George Springer FD 3700 DK 6000
Opponent - DET (Beau Brieske) Park - DET
FD - 12.44 DK - 9.34
Teoscar Hernández FD 2700 DK 5100
Opponent - DET (Beau Brieske) Park - DET
FD - 10.98 DK - 8.32

In the outfield, I am going to be a homer and start with the Jays pairing as they get one of the best matchups on the board. I don't just say this as they are a top team when looking at implied runs, it has a lot to do with the splits as they are loaded with right-handed bats against a pitcher in Brieske who has given up a crazy .406 wOBA and .611 slugging % in that split. Springer gets an elite price tag as he is one of, if not the best, leadoff hitter in the game with his power/speed combo and comes in hot with hits in 16 of his last 19 games(.303/.393/.592 slash line in that time).

For Teo, it has been a battle to get back to form after an early-season injury but the good news is that he is still hitting cleanup and comes at a huge discount on FanDuel. More good news as he has also started to heat up with hits in 12 of his last 13 games with six-extra base hits.

Nick Castellanos FD 2900 DK 4100
Opponent - ARI (Madison Bumgarner) Park - ARI
FD - 12.39 DK - 9.41
Kyle Schwarber FD 3900 DK 4400
Opponent - ARI (Madison Bumgarner) Park - ARI
FD - 9.21 DK - 6.82

I mentioned the Phillies being one of our top PTS/$ teams to target today as they check almost every single box starting with the matchup against struggling veteran, Madison Bumgarner. I would mention Bryce Harper here but lean towards others if wanting to pay those elite prices. Instead, I will lean on his teammates starting with Kyle Schwarber who hits leadoff and has really picked up the power game recently with six home runs and 12 RBI over his last 10 games. This is a lefty/lefty matchup here but not only is the price right, Schwarber has also been above-average in the split.

For Castellanos, 2022 has been a real struggle(.250/.310/.405 slash line) as he has been very streaky but the good news is that he may be in a streak right now with hits in four straight. Better yet, he has not just been good against lefties, he has been terrific posting a .379 wOBA, 135 wRC+, and .244 ISO in the splits since the start of last season. Fire up both Phillies outfielders in all formats.

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