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Hello there, MLB DFS grinders! We have a split Saturday slate and the focus of this article will be on the nine-game early only slate for DraftKings while FanDuel has broken up the slate and did a very early only three-game slate and a six-game early only slate. We have some good pitching options and good stacks to consider so let's dive on in and find the best plays for both your cash game and tournament lineups.
While most of our MLB DFS coverage here at RotoBaller is geared towards the main slate, I wanted to give you some of my favorite pitchers and bats for these early games that will help you cash in tournaments and cash game contests. I'll highlight my favorite pitching options here first and then give you some hitters at each price tier to consider as well as my favorite teams to stack up! You can read our DraftKings DFS lineup picks for the main slate and FanDuel DFS lineup picks for the main slate as well.
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel and DraftKings slates beginning at 2:10 PM on 6/5/2021. Be sure to also check out all the MLB player news, including late scratches, and the projected and confirmed daily MLB lineups for each DFS slate. You can also check out today's MLB DFS lineup picks for the main slate here, and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. Let's get to it!
MLB DFS Pitchers
Lucas Giolito vs. DET ($9,500 DK, $11,600 FD)
There are several arms that could be selected for this slate and my personal top arm is Lucas Giolito. Giolito has now produced three straight quality starts where he has gone 21 innings and has allowed only three combined runs while striking out 28 total batters. The Tigers look to be in a rough spot against Giolito as their team is striking out 30.3% of the time against right-handed pitchers this season and Giolito himself is striking out batters 32% of the time. While he did get off to a shaky start of the season, he has settled in nicely and can be trusted in all formats.
Brandon Woodruff vs. ARI ($10,300DK, $12,000 FD)
Woodruff is one of the best arms on the slate and even though he is priced up on both sites, he is worth spending up for. Woodruff has been dominant so far this season as he has a 1.27 ERA and a .69 WHIP in six starts. The Diamondbacks have the league’s 26th ranked ISO and a 23.9% K rate v RHPs. In addition, they sport the third-highest strikeout total against righties on the year so the upside is there for Woodruff in this matchup.
Others to consider: John Means vs. Cleveland, Trevor Rogers vs. Pittsburgh
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MLB DFS "Bats Worth Paying For"
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. – 1B/3B, TOR vs. HOU ($5,400 DK, $4,500 FD)
Vlad has been on fire all season long and is flashing the upside and talent that we all anticipated that he would have. Against right-handed pitchers this year, Vlad Jr. is hitting .352 with 15 home runs and has an ISO of .365 and a slugging percentage of .717 against that handedness. The matchup looks very favorable for him against Jose Urquidy as he throws three primary pitches to right-handed batters and Vlad has an ISO of .194+ and an XwOBA of .330+ against all three pitch types.
Yoan Moncada – 3B, CHW vs. DET ($5,000 DK, $3,500 FD)
Moncada is priced up a bit on both sites but he would be one bat that I suggest that you look at spending up for in either format. Moncada is hitting well against both righties and lefties this year and has been seeing the ball well as he has recorded a hit in even of his last eight games played. Skubal throws a mixture of pitches to right-handed batters but Moncada profiles best against his changeup as he has a .286 ISO and a .446 XwOBA against that pitch type.
Nick Castellanos – OF, CIN vs. STL ($4,100 DK, $4,000 FD)
The pricing on Castellano is too cheap to pass up on over on DK while he is one of the higher-priced batters on the entire slate. Castellanos is hitting .270 against right-handed pitching while clubbing nine home runs against this handedness and Oviedo has struggled against righties as he has allowed them to have an ISO of .203 and a 43.4% hard-hit percentage.
MLB DFS Values
Mike Zunino – C, TBR @ TEX ($4,200DK, $2,200 FD)
While the Rays have struggled as a whole against left-handed pitching, Mike Zunino stands out as the one bat to consider when a lefty in on the hill for the opposing team. Zunino is slashing .333 on the season with six home runs against this handedness and is sporting a .500 so far this year. If Zunino draws the start, he makes for a cheap value play on FD while being a moderate-priced catcher on DK.
Nick Madrigal – 2B, CHW vs. DET ($4,600 DK, $2,600 FD)
One White Sox batter that often gets forgotten about is Nick Madrigal. He is very good against the split as he has a .370 batting average against left-handed pitchers this year and actually leads the White Sox with 20 hits against this handedness. He has an ISO of .222 and only has a 5.3% strikeout percentage and could draw a spot near the top of the order which would be ideal based on his price point.
Tyler Naquin – OF, CIN @ STL ($3,300 DK, $3,400 FD)
Naquin is an absolute steal over on DK and is recommended to be in play in all formats on that site specifically. He has a .224 ISO and a 48.4% hard-hit percentage against righties this season and profiles well against Oviedo's changeup, slider, and knuckle-curve as he has a .195+ ISO and an XwOBA of .425+ against all three pitch types.
Also Recommended: Eugenio Suarez vs. Johan Oviedo, Aledmys Diaz vs. Ross Stripling, Corey Dickerson vs. De Jong
MLB DFS Hitter Stacks
Chicago White Sox vs. Tarik Skubal
The White Sox have been one of the best teams when it comes to facing left-handed pitchers as they are batting a collective .277 against them (2nd highest BA in the league) while also sporting a team ISO of .195 which is tied for the third-highest ISO against lefty pitchers. Skubal has shown some flashes of upside as he does carry a 26.7% strikeout percentage but does have a 52.2% flyball percentage and has allowed 12 home runs to right-handed batters while also allowing righties to have an ISO of .307 against him. The White Sox have several power bats to look at as Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, Jose Abreu, and Yermin Mercedes would be the best targets to start with while also considering Nick Madrigal as a cheaper value play.
Houston Astros vs. Ross Stripling
The Astros are having a monster game as I am writing this article as they have put up 13 runs on Friday night. They could have a repeat performance against Ross Stripling on Saturday afternoon as he is 1-3 on the year with a 5.11 ERA. In just 37 innings pitched, Stripling has allowed eight home runs and owns a 40.7% flyball rate. Batters on both sides of the plate are carrying an ISO above .200+ and the pricing on all sites is pretty favorable to these Houston hitters. The top of the order is in play with Gurriel and Alvarez being hitters to focus on.
Other recommended stacks: Cincinnati Reds vs. Johan Oviedo, Milwaukee Brewers vs. Merrill Kelly, Miami Marlins vs. Chase De Jong
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