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It's a slower Thursday than last week. The main slate gets underway early today as only three games populate the late slate. As usual, I am here all day with you at RotoBaller to attack these DFS slates. We can still have some fun with this!
This article contains my picks for the five-game main slate on Thursday, June 22, 2023, for both DraftKings and FanDuel, which locks at 1:05 PM ET. Right now, three of the five games could have some rain issues. Philadelphia, Washington, and Cleveland could have some issues. It looks like the rain should clear out of Philly by the first pitch or have a minor delay at the start of the game. Washington and Cleveland shouldn't be rained out but could have in-game delays. Keep an eye to the sky though just in case.
The lineup picks will range from some elite high-priced players to mid-priced options and value plays. I'll give you a few of my top pitching options and then some infielders, outfielders, and teams to stack. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. It's also essential to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups.
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Blake Snell, SD at SF ($10,100 DK, $10,800 FD)
Snell is putting up numbers like he did in peak-Snellzilla mania and few are noticing. Snell has only allowed two runs in 30 innings over his last five starts and has struck out a dozen in each of his last two starts. How is he not the highest-priced pitcher on the slate on DK? Not that I'm complaining. This feels like a bit of an oversight that I plan on taking full advantage of.
There is a lot that stands out on the Statcast page, most notably the extraordinarily high K% and very low launch angle. That means the Giants aren't making a lot of contact, and they are unable to get the ball in the air or hit it hard when they do. I'm locking in Snell and dealing with the rest as I go. He is by far the best pitcher on the slate for floor and upside.
Brandon Walter, BOS at MIN ($4,000 DK)
The 26-year-old rookie is set to make his debut tomorrow, either as the straight starter or behind an opener. Whatever the case, Walter is expected to get the bulk of the innings in this one. The lefty is the 7th-ranked prospect in the Boston system but has struggled both this year and last year at Worcester. I don't have high hopes for Walter, but the Twins can't hit lefties this year. They are hitting just .216 off of southpaws this year.
Walter at minimum price allows us to use Snell and pay for bats, so this is the way I'm going in GPP formats. I'm hoping for four solid innings out of Walter and hoping he goes behind an opener so he has a chance at a win. He is just as likely to get chased as to have a strong game, but I'm willing to take that risk. There are plenty of places worth attacking with Louisville Sluggers today.
Others to consider: Bryce Elder ($9,700 DK, $9,900 FD) at PHI
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Triston Casas - 1B, BOS at MIN ($2,700 DK, $2,500 FD)
It can be easy to forget about rookies that start slowly. Casas was a trendy dark-horse pick for A.L. Rookie of the Year this spring. He finds himself hitting just .219 on the season, but he is riding a seven-game hitting streak where he has a homer, six RBI, and four runs scored. Casas has cut down the strikeouts and is making better contact, suggesting that he is getting used to MLB pitching. Joe Ryan has struggled a bit of late, so I have no problem moving down to Casas on a hot streak to see if it continues.
Jose Ramirez - 3B, CLE vs. OAK ($5,400 DK, $4,100 FD)
It took a bit for Ramirez to get back to the production that we expect from him, but he's there now. He has eight multi-hit games over his last 13. In that span, he is hitting a robust .414 with five homers, 15 RBI, and a steal for good measure. J.P. Sears has been better of late, but better might not get it done against the white-hot Ramirez.
Amed Rosario - SS, CLE vs. OAK ($3,600 DK, $2,900 FD)
I promise I'm not going after Sears. Not really. Not in a full-stack capacity. However, I'll target him all day on a small slate with guys like Ramirez and Rosario who are finally hitting like we expect them to. Rosario is hitting .381 over the last ten games but still isn't showing much power. I need to save a little bit of money here and Rosario seems like a good place to do so. He occupies a good spot in a lineup that should produce a decent amount of runs today.
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Ronald Acuna Jr. - OF, ATL vs. COL ($6,600 DK, $4,600 FD)
You can't even find a cold pocket in Acuna's 2023 season. He's like summer in Florida. Unrelenting heat. Acuna hasn't homered in a week, but he has swiped a couple of bases and is still getting hits and scoring runs. The lack of homers is nothing to be concerned about because Aaron Nola is right around the corner. Acuna is 15-for-43 against Nola with four homers and five doubles. Don't be shocked if he leaves the yard today.
Lane Thomas - OF, WAS vs. ARI ($4,400 DK, $3,400 FD)
Thomas started a bit slowly, but he is in a groove right now. Thomas is riding a nine-game hitting streak that came on the heels of a five-gamer. Thomas has failed to record a hit just twice in June and is hitting .313 with three homers, 10 RBI, 14 runs scored, and three steals this month. It doesn't hurt that he is also 2-for-5 with a homer in his career against Tommy Henry.
Esteury Ruiz - OF, OAK at CLE ($3,300 DK, $3,200 FD)
Hey, I played Jake McCarthy for almost a fortnight straight chasing steals, the unsung heroes of DFS value plays. I'm doing the same thing here, just with a different player. Ruiz has stolen six bases in the last five games and seven over the last seven. During that seven-game hit streak, Ruiz is 11-for-27 with three doubles, three RBI, and three runs scored along with those glorious steals. Sign me up!
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
San Diego Padres vs. Alex Wood
I went balls-out against Wood last week and he trolled me with five innings of scoreless ball against the Dodgers of all teams. The Padres are hitting a robust .256 in June and are hitting 28 points higher against southpaws this season with a home run every 23.8 at-bats. That's a good mark as a team.
Most of the righties in this lineup are hitting well right now. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado are heating up. Ha-Seong Kim has stayed hot. I might not full-stack this, but Juan Soto hits lefties well enough for consideration as well.
Also consider: Cleveland Guardians vs. J.P. Sears
The Guardians are hitting a blistering .284 as a team this month. It took them a while to get going, but they are finally going places.
Sneaky Stack: Atlanta Braves vs. Aaron Nola
Conventional wisdom tells you not to full-stack against a staff ace, but I'm going to back this up with Statcast. I'm not even going to say anything else. Just look at this and let the extensive BvP history guide you.
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