DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (6/8/21): MLB DFS Lineups

June 8, 2021

The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 6/8/21. Brian Entrekin's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.

We have a 15-game main slate on tap tonight, and it is quite the doozie. We have some ace arms in Bieber, Glasnow, and Buehler, with a few pitchers, priced way too cheap with Bassitt and Wood. As always on a 15-game slate, there are plenty of bats in play as well. No Coors in play is always nice, as it should help spread things out a bit when it comes to hitting ownership.

The slate starts with which pitchers to build around. I like Glasnow as my high-priced GPP options with Buehler as my high-priced cash game play when it comes to the arms. Bassitt is my top point per dollar pitcher on the slate, and I will be overexposed to Bassitt just like I was when he threw his shutout. Now to the bats where I am all in on the Reds and Giants. After those two stacks, I will sprinkle in some of the spots I like on tonight's slate. To get my full rundown and all the plays on a 15-game slate, make sure to listen to MLB DFS Quick Hits.

This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 6/8/2021. The lineup will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also check out today's FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. It’s also important to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, contact me on Twitter @bdentrek.

DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers

Chris Bassitt - P, OAK vs AZ ($8,800)

Bassitt has been nothing short of outstanding this season and should keep that rolling on Tuesday night. He threw his first career shutout two starts ago but had a bit of a hiccup his last time out versus Seattle. Bassitt's last start was just the fourth time this season he has allowed more than two runs in any of his 12 starts. Bassitt will bring his 26.5% strikeout rate and 20.9% K-BB% into tonight's juicy matchup looking to bounce back from his last start. Bassitt will face a DBacks team striking out nearly 27% of the time versus RHP over the last few weeks with a .216 average, 0.099 ISO, and 66 wRC+. The DBacks offense is abysmal, making Bassitt an extraordinary play tonight. Enjoy the massive discount Bassitt has and play him with confidence in all formats.

Alex Wood - P, SF at TEX ($8,000)

Wood has been nothing short of outstanding this season and finally hit a road bump in his last start. He only threw 3.2 innings and allowed seven runs on four hits and four walks. Wood had no control at all for the first time this season. I look for Wood to bounce back, and we are getting him at a major discount tonight. Wood had thrown at least six innings in six of his previous eight starts while allowing two earned runs or less in seven of eight starts. Wood will take on a Rangers team striking out 21% of the time versus LHP over the last few weeks with a .222 average, a .102 ISO, and a 70 wRC+. Look for a strong bounce-back from Wood tonight and play him in cash or tournaments.

Other Options: Shane Bieber (CLE at STL) $10,300, Tyler Glasnow (TB vs WAS) $10,000, Walker Buehler (LAD at PIT) $9,800, Pablo Lopez (MIA vs COL) $8,700, Kris Bubic (KC at LAA) $6,300

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DraftKings DFS Infielders

Tyler Stephenson - C, CIN vs. Adrian Houser ($3,300)

Stephenson has begun to take advantage of his playing time while Joey Votto has been on the IL. Stephenson has hit safely in eight of his last nine games with a .276 average. He has a .172 ISO with a .880 OPS. Stephenson is doing it with some power but more impressively is only striking out 5.4% of the time with an 18.9% walk rate. Stephenson is doing his best Votto impersonation. Stephenson will face Houser, who has had trouble in his career versus LHH. This season he is allowing LHH to slug .429 with 1.5 HR/9. Load up on the Reds and potentially a nice discount on Stephenson, who has been hitting clean-up for the Reds.

Other Options: Salvador Perez (KC at LAA) $5,000, Sean Murphy (OAK vs AZ) $4,200, Victor Caratini (SD vs CHC) $2,700

Yuli Gurriel- 1B, HOU at Martin Perez ($4,400)

After a strong start to the season, Gurriel hit quite a roadblock until the last few games, where he appears to be heating up again. Gurriel has hit safely in four straight games with multiple hits in three of four games, two extra-base hits, and even a stolen base. More impressively, Gurriel is striking out 5.9% of the time with an outstanding 17.6% walk rate. Gurriel is heating up at the right time and faces a lefty tonight, and we know how Gurriel loves facing LHP. On the season, Gurriel is hitting .341 with a .282 ISO and a 184 wRC+. Gurriel is mashing LHP, the Astros as a team are mashing LHP, making Gurriel, who has been hitting fifth in the lineup, a great play tonight in cash and a part of the Astros' stacks.

Other Options: Rhys Hoskins (PHI vs. ATL) $4,700, Ryan Mountcastle (BAL vs. NYM) $3,600, Bobby Bradley (CLE at STL) $2,000

Whit Merrifield - 2B, KC at Andrew Heaney ($5,100)

Whit is once again a fantasy staple day in and day out and is one of the pay-up spots in cash I love daily. He rolls into tonight's action riding an eight-game hitting streak and should be able to extend that versus Heaney. Over the eight games, Whit is hitting .382 with five extra-base hits and three stolen bases. He has put up at least five DK points in each game, with double-digit points in four of the eight games. He is only striking out 8.6% of the time over the eight-game stretch with a 46.9% hard-hit rate. Merrifield is locked in and faces Heaney tonight, which bodes well as Whit is hitting .305 with a .186 ISO vs. LHP while walking 10.4% of the time and only striking out 4.5% of the time. Whit is one of my top cash game plays tonight with massive tournament upside versus Heaney.

Other Options: Jose Altuve (HOU at BOS) $5,200, Jonathan Schoop (DET vs. SEA) $4,200, Jean Segura (PHI at ATL) $4,000, Jonathan India (CIN vs. MIL) $3,500

Francisco Lindor - SS, NYM at Bruce Zimmermann ($4,600)

It is happening folks, Lindor is starting to heat up, and you are going to want to jump on board before the price gets over $5K. Lindor snapped an eight-game hitting streak on Sunday, but even with the O'fer outing, he is hitting .333 over his last ten games. That's a big increase for Lindor, who was massively struggling. Over the hot streak, Lindor also had six extra-base hits and a .262 ISO. His quality of contact also improved with a 12.5% barrel rate and 37% hard-hit rate. The switch-hitting shortstop faces the lefty Zimmermann tonight, and that bodes well as Lindor has hit LHP better than the RHP in his career (he has hit both well). He has a .298 average, .185 ISO, and a 124 wRC+ versus LHP. Lindor is one of my top SS tonight if you pay up and should have a nice multi-hit game up his sleeve in hitter-friendly Camden Yards.

Other Options: Gleyber Torres (NYY at MIN) $4,100, Brandon Crawford (SF at TEX) $3,800

Jose Ramirez - 3B, CLE at Carlos Martinez  ($5,100)

There aren't a ton of third-base plays I like tonight. Most will be a part of stacks but not too many I am in love with as a one-off. JRam checks the one-off box versus pitch to contact Car Mart. Ramirez brings a five-game hitting streak into tonight's game, hitting .333 with a .230 ISO. Ramirez is locked in as he is barreling the ball 11.8% of the time with a 47.1% hard-hit rate, and that should bode well for tonight's matchup versus Martinez. Martinez is coming off a start where he lasted 0.2 innings and allowed 10 runs to the Dodgers. On the season, he is allowing LHH to hit .252 with a .351 SLG while only striking out 13%, meaning a lot of balls in play. Cleveland is a tough team to stack, but tonight is a nice night for some Cleveland action, and JRam should be the first piece of that stack. At worst, JRam makes for a strong cash game play tonight.

DraftKings DFS Outfielders

Jesse Winker - OF, CIN vs. Adrian Houser ($4,600)

One may say Winker is LOCKED IN as he heads into tonight's matchup versus Houser. Winker is coming off a three-home runs game on Sunday and has been raking all season. Over his last 10 games, he has hit safely in eight games, good for a .366 average and a .293 ISO. Over the ten games, he is barreling the ball 8.3% of the time with a hard-hit rate of 58.3%. He is hitting everything this year but crushes RHP to the tune of a .379 average, a .366 ISP, and a 1.177 OPS. Winker is the BEST PLAY TONIGHT and gets a matchup versus Houser in Great American Small Park that DFS players dream of when building lineups. Lock in Winker everywhere and enjoy the GOOD CHALK!!!!

Andrew McCutchen - OF, PHI at Drew Smyly ($4,300)

Winker has been crushing, and everyone knows it, but what most don't know is McCutchen has been sneakily hot as well. Cutch brings a six-game hitting streak into tonight's action, hitting .450 with three home runs and a .550 ISO. He is barreling the ball 23.5% of the time with a hard-hit rate of 41.2%. He is leading off for the Phillies and doing what leadoff hitters should do by only striking out 13% of the time while also walking 13% of the time over the hot stretch. He faces the lefty Smyly, who we love to attack, and that checks the boxes for Cutch, who is hitting .301 with a .329 ISO and 1.016 OPS versus LHP this season. Cutch should be locked into a lot of lineups tonight. He is a strong cash play with GPP stack appeal as well.

Steven Duggar - OF, SF at Jordan Lyles ($3,000)

It was insanely difficult for me to decide what Giants lefty to write about today, but Duggar won out yet again. Duggar is swinging a hot bat for the Giants, and he comes at a discount daily. Over his last 10 games, he is hitting .323 with five extra-base hits and a stolen base. He strikes out way too much, 47% of the time, but he flourishes when the ball is in the play. That is in large part due to a 26.7% barrel rate and a 53.5% hard-hit rate. Duggar is a great play tonight and comes at a great value. The Giants are one of my top stacks, and Alex Dickerson, potentially Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, LaMonte Wade Jr., Mike Tauchman, and others are in play versus Lyles.

DraftKings DFS Stacks

• Philadelphia Phillies (Drew Smyly, LHP)
• San Francisco Giants (Jordan Lyles, RHP)
• Cincinnati Reds (Adrian Houser, RHP)
• Sneaky Stack-  Baltimore Orioles (David Peterson, LHP)