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Happy Thursday, RotoBallers! It's a pretty big slate for a Thursday with seven games on the featured contests. It starts a little earlier than the usual games, with a 6:40 p.m. EDT first pitch between the Dodgers and Pirates in Pittsburgh.
Over the last month, St. Louis is clobbering right-handed pitching. The Cardinals are second in OPS (.812), wOBA (.356), and wRC+ (134) against righties. A matchup with Cal Quantrill will provide little resistance to the red-hot Redbirds. Wind is the primary weather threat on Thursday, with 10mph gusts expected in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, New York, and St. Louis.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 6/6/2024 and the slate locking at 6:40 p.m. EDT. The lineup picks will range from some elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. Monitoring injury news and today's MLB starting lineups is also essential.
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Tanner Houck - RHP, BOS at White Sox ($9.8K DraftKings; $11.0K FanDuel)
Let's not complicate the main pitcher on Thursday's slate. Tanner Houck has had an incredible start to the season and gets one of the best matchups in baseball when he faces the Chicago White Sox. Through 12 starts, the Red Sox righty sports a 1.85 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and a 19.3 percent K-BB%. The under-the-surface numbers also back him up with a 2.88 xFIP and 3.02 xERA. The 27-year-old's 31.7 percent CSW% is seventh-best among 197 qualified pitchers and faces a White Sox outfit with the 10th-highest strikeout rate (23.5 percent) to right-handed pitchers since May 5.
Absolute frisbee. 😱 pic.twitter.com/tDXUpmx0Qq
— MLB (@MLB) April 21, 2022
Javier Assad - RHP, CHC at Reds ($7.8K DK; $8.5K FD)
The Chicago Cubs probably weren't expecting a breakout campaign when they handed Javier Assad a spot in the rotation, but the 26-year-old has earned it over the season's first two months. Over 12 starts and 63 1/3 innings, Assad has twirled a 2.27 ERA and 1.18 WHIP with 61 strikeouts, averaging 16.9 DraftKings PPG. While he is punching a little above his weight now, his advanced numbers show signs of improvement.
| Javier Assad: 2023 vs. 2024 | |||
| Season | FIP | xFIP | xERA |
| 2023 | 4.29 | 4.35 | 4.64 |
| 2024 | 3.72 | 4.01 | 3.71 |
So Assad is trending in the right direction, and DFS managers should jump on this versus Cincinnati. Over the last month, the Reds own the sixth-highest strikeout rate (24.5 percent) to right-handed hurlers and sit in the bottom half of the league for OPS (.680), wOBA (.303), and wRC+ (91).
Also Consider: Sonny Gray vs. COL, Reynaldo Lopez at WSH, Walker Buehler at PIT, Marcus Stroman vs. MIN
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Freddie Freeman - 1B, LAD at Bailey Falter ($5.8K DK; $3.8K FD)
It speaks to how high of a standard Freddie Freeman has set in his career when we worry about him touting a .873 OPS through June 6. However, the seven-time All-Star is starting to turn it around. Over the last 10 games, the LA lefty has a .342/.409/.658 slash line with five runs, six RBI, seven extra-base hits (two home runs), and a steal, averaging 13.9 FanDuel PPG. It will only take a couple of scorching weeks for Freeman to get back to his usual self, and it feels like he's right in the middle of that uptick in production.
Freddie Freeman drives them all home with one big swing! 💥 pic.twitter.com/ewQUvDbwqj
— MLB (@MLB) May 21, 2024
Nolan Gorman - 2B, STL vs Cal Quantrill ($3.9K DK; $3.4K FD)
While Freddie Freeman is having a down year, Nolan Gorman is having a career year. The former top prospect showed flashes in his first two years in the big leagues but seems to be putting it all together in his third season. Gorman's rocking career highs in ISO (.273), SLG (.508), and wOBA (.358) through 54 games. He's been even better than that since May 26 with a 1.131 OPS and eight runs, 10 RBI, six home runs, and a steal, averaging 11.9 DK PPG. The 24-year-old prefers playing at home (.928 OPS) compared to on the road (.744), so returning to Busch Stadium should boost Gorman's ceiling a bit higher.
Jeimer Candelario - 1B/3B, CIN vs. Javier Assad ($4.3K DK; $3.0K FD)
The positional flexibility always boosts Jeimer Canderlario's prospects of making it into my DFS lineup, but his recent hitting performance helps even more. Since May 22, the Cincinnati infielder has played 12 games and registered a multi-hit performance or an extra-base hit in nine of those contests. Over the previous 10 games, the 30-year-old touts a .919 OPS with six runs, six RBI, seven extra-base hits, and two steals, averaging 12.12 FD PPG. Javier Assad is one of the recommended pitchers for today's article, but if you don't like that, betting on a player in Great American Ball Park is a fantastic pivot.
Also consider: Will Smith, Jonathan India, Nick Gonzales, Royce Lewis, Ha-Seong Kim
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Fernando Tatis Jr. - OF, SD vs. Slade Cecconi ($5.5K DK; $3.8K FD)
With a lot of star power in Los Angeles, the spotlight has faded on Fernando Tatis Jr. this season. However, when he's on it, only a few baseball players can do what he does. The Padres outfielder has a .795 OPS this year so far but is turning it around in June. Over the last 10 games, Tatis slashes .450/.488/.575 with five runs, five RBI, four extra-base hits, and one stolen base. Since May 5, the Padres have smashed righties with a .719 OPS and a .319 wOBA. Los Angeles and New York have popular stacking opportunities, but San Diego is an under-the-radar pick for a lot of runs on Thursday evening.
Jesse Winker - OF, WSH vs. Reynaldo Lopez ($4.2K DK; $3.2K FD)
With Jesse Winker in your lineup, you're getting a lot of batting average and a lot of on-base ability but only a little power. While this doesn't make Winker the most sought-after player in the pool, there's still a spot for him in a DFS lineup. Over the last 10 games, Winker has hit a .353 batting average with six runs, six RBI, two extra-base hits, and five stolen bases. The steals are a nice touch and something he's added to his game in 2024. Before this season, Winker had three stolen bases in his career, and he's already sitting on 11 through 59 games.
Is "Jesse Winker had 10 steals before June 1" the weirdest thing that has happened this baseball season? In the past decade? Ever?
— Chris Towers is the Riley Greene Preservation Soc (@CTowersCBS) June 2, 2024
Ian Happ - OF, CHC at Hunter Greene ($3.8K DK; $3.4K FD)
It's been a tough couple of months for Ian Happ. He's looking at a .716 OPS with 20 extra-base hits, averaging 7.2 DK PPG. However, over the last 10 games, the Cubs outfielder is turning it around. Eight of those 20 extra-base hits have come in the previous 10 games, along with a 1.088 OPS, eight runs, 13 RBI, and one steal. A trip to Cincinnati should let this hot streak continue, and a couple of long balls will do nicely to kick off the weekend.
Also consider: Juan Soto, TJ Friedl, Andrew McCutchen, Cody Bellinger, Marcell Ozuna
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
1. Boston Red Sox at Jake Woodford - RHP, CWS
Favorite Plays: Enmanuel Valdez, Rafael Devers, Dominic Smith
2. Los Angeles Dodgers at Bailey Falter - LHP, PIT
Favorite Plays: Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, Andy Pages
3. St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cal Quantrill - RHP, COL
Favorite Plays: Alec Burleson, Nolan Gorman, Masyn Winn
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