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I'm still pinch-hitting for Euan today, which brings us a rather busy Thursday. It's not an even split, though, with seven of the nine games in the afternoon making that the main slate. That gives us an abnormally large Thursday with several good options. We just have to watch out for rain in Chicago and Minneapolis.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on Thursday, June 20, 2024, with the slate starting at 1:05 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. Good luck, RotoBallers!
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Luis Gil vs. BAL ($10.8K DraftKings; $10.7K FanDuel)
Gil has only had one bad outing this year. He gave up five runs against the Brewers back at the end of April. Since then, Gil has allowed just seven runs in nine starts with at least five strikeouts in all but one of those games. This isn't a fluke, people.
Just look at those Statcast numbers. That's a whole lot of soft contact and a very high strikeout percentage. Gil won't go really deep into games, but he's very productive when he's in there. Gil easily takes top billing today and for good reason. He racked up 26.5 DraftKings points against the Orioles earlier this season.
MacKenzie Gore vs. ARI ($8.9K DraftKings; $9.6K FanDuel)
Yes, he had a blowup against the Mets earlier this month. It happens, and the Mets offense is coming around...especially against lefties. Gore has 37 strikeouts over his last five starts and has allowed one run in each of the other four that wasn't the blowup. Gore will likely give up a couple of runs, but the strikeouts will certainly be there. That's a big deal on FanDuel.
MacKenzie Gore has arrived!
He owns a 3.24 ERA and 2.91 FIP in 75.0 IP and registered a MLB Season high 25 whiffs yesterday
His added velocity and vastly improved his command. High fastballs and low secondaries are a blueprint for success, and he is executing it to a tee pic.twitter.com/vKjLciwzu2
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) June 15, 2024
Logan Allen vs. SEA ($7.2K DraftKings; $7.8K FanDuel)
It has been an up-and-down season for Allen (mostly down), but he still has a 7-3 record despite an unsightly 5.30 ERA. The xERA doesn't paint a better picture (5.14). So why will I run Allen? It's the Mariners. They strike out 31.1% of the time against right-handed pitchers. That's not even a piece of a sample. That's the entire season. Tanner Bibee piled up 12 strikeouts last night. Allen probably won't strike out a dozen, but he should at least get half that.
Also consider: Seth Lugo at OAK; Luis Castillo at CLE; Gavin Stone at COL
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Royce Lewis – 3B, MIN vs. Zack Littell ($6K DK; $4.5K FD)
For those of you who thought Lewis would slow down... you were wrong. He has three homers in his last four games. That's eight on the season for Lewis in just 14 games. This won't continue forever, but Zack Littell just gave up seven runs (six earned) in two innings against the Braves. Littell has allowed 26 hits in just 14 innings over his last three starts. He's at his worst right now and clearly Lewis is at his best.
Baseball is better when Royce Lewis is healthy pic.twitter.com/a5mAWg5u4R
— 野球しようぜ (@7hodvj9oCM78910) June 15, 2024
Willi Castro – 2B/OF, MIN vs. Zack Littell ($4.3K DK; $3.1K FD)
Yes, there's a theme here but I promise the stats back it up. Castro has seven hits in the last three games alone. Five of those are doubles. He may not hit many home runs, but that's still a lot of points. Castro has five multi-hit games in the last seven. He might even be hotter than Royce Lewis, just without the home runs.
Miguel Rojas – 2B/SS, LAD vs. Ty Blach ($4K DK; $3.1K FD)
The absence of Mookie Betts is opening up playing time for Rojas. He is hitting .313 with a homer and five RBI in the last 10 games. There are no cheap Dodgers today, but Rojas is a good entry-level piece who is hitting well right now.
Also consider: Jose Ramirez, Jose Altuve, Andrew Vaughn
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Steven Kwan – OF, CLE vs. Luis Castillo ($5.2K DK; $3.6K FD)
Kwan is FanDuel's gift price today. He is hitting a ridiculous .510 during his 13-game hitting streak with 13 runs scored, two homers, and nine RBI. There are a lot of high-priced outfield options today, but with Yordan Alvarez dealing with a personal issue and Aaron Judge nicked up, it thins it out a bit. Most are going to chase those Yankees and Dodgers. Kwan might be better than all of them.
Giancarlo Stanton - OF, NYY vs. Cole Irvin ($4.7K DK; $3.3K FD)
The story of Stanton in New York pinstripes is yet another one of wasted money for the Yankees. He was a perennial MVP candidate before he got there. Maybe Stanton morphs into that. Maybe not. All I can see is the recent past, and things are looking up for Stanton. He has a modest seven-game hitting streak going (that's a big deal for a guy hitting .243 on the season) with three homers and nine RBI in that span.
Despite Stanton's struggles this year, he has excelled against curveballs, sinkers, and four-seamers. That's what Irvin throws 73% of the time. Stanton is my favorite Yankee in this plus matchup for the entire team.
Miguel Vargas – OF, LAD vs. Ty Blach ($3.3K DK; $3.2K FD)
Vargas is in a strict platoon with Jason Heyward and is a risk to be pinch-hit for later in the game, but he's cheap in Coors Field. He recorded two hits with a run and an RBI in his other start this series. Heyward hit a pinch-hit grand slam later in that game. Vargas will get the bulk of the at-bats in this game and is worth a shot at this price on DK.
Also consider: Shohei Ohtani, Giancarlo Stanton, Andy Pages
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
1. Dodgers vs. Ty Blach
- Favorite Plays: Will Smith, Shohei Ohtani, Miguel Rojas, Andy Pages, Miguel Vargas
2. Astros vs. Chris Flexen
- Favorite Plays: Yordan Alvarez (if active), Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman
3. Twins vs. Zack Littell
- Favorite Plays: Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa, Willi Castro, Carlos Santana
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