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Happy Monday! MLB has blessed us with a tidy eight-game slate to start the new fantasy week. The slate starts at 6:40 p.m. EDT, which is about half an hour earlier than normal, so make sure your lineups are ready to roll. This is a great slate with numerous pitching options and a few stacks that can help us pivot off of the Coors Field chalk (although that game looks fun as well).
Three matchups stand out as pitching battles: Tarik Skubal facing off against Nathan Eovaldi, Grayson Rodriguez at Kevin Gausman, and, most shockingly, Tylor Megill heading to Washington and being opposed by MacKenzie Gore. All six of those pitchers rank in the top 10 in my pitching model, with Skubal, Eovaldi, and Megill looking like elite plays. The variety of options on this slate means that you can pivot off whomever it is that ends up as chalk (probably Skubal) and still be live for a big score.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 6/3/2024 and the slate locking at 6:40 p.m. EDT on DraftKings and FanDuel. 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
Tarik Skubal (DET/LHP) at Texas Rangers ($10.5K DK, $10.4K FD)
A pitcher has recorded a perfect score in my pitching model for the first time all year. That means all of his attributes and all of his matchup metrics rank as elite. Skubal has been ridiculous this year, scoring fewer than 18 DraftKings points once this year and less than 20.7 DraftKings points twice. He has twice as many games with eight or more strikeouts (four) as in games where he’s allowed more than two earned runs (two). He’s averaging over six innings and seven strikeouts per start, making him a stud on FanDuel. He also has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of over seven, which greatly helps DraftKings.
Meanwhile, the Rangers could be better against left-handed pitching. They have below-average power and strike out over 23% of the time. The last time Skubal faced Texas, he went 6.1 innings, struck out six batters, and allowed just two earned runs for a DraftKings score of 18.1 points. Had the Tigers picked up the win, he would have gotten over that 20-fantasy point threshold. He is a stud for cash games and should be considered in tournament lineups.
Tarik Skubal currently has a 2.01 ERA, 31.3% K rate, 4.3% BB rate, and .180 BAA.
Only one other qualified pitcher in the history of baseball has had a sub-2.50 ERA, 30+% K, sub-5% BB, and .180 BAA or less in a season.
Pedro Martinez (2000)#RepDetroit
— Eric Cross (@EricCross04) June 2, 2024
Matt Waldron (SD/RHP) at Los Angeles Angels ($7.4K DK, $7.9K FD)
Many value pitchers look good today and Tylor Megill ranked higher in my pitching model, but Waldron has a much larger sample size of starts than Megill and feels much safer in this spot as our value SP2 on this slate. Waldron’s last four starts have been incredible. In those four starts, he has thrown 23 innings, struck out 23 batters, and allowed just five earned runs and one home run. He scored no fewer than 15.9 DraftKings points in any of those starts, with two going over 30 DraftKings points.
The Angels are a great matchup for Waldron, as they don’t hit right-handed pitching well. The projected starting lineup doesn’t get on base, they don’t hit for power, and they strike out in nearly 24% of their at-bats. The team has scored a total of six runs off the last seven right-handed starters they have faced, but none in the last three games; losing seven of their last eight games heading into Sunday night. This offense is toast, putting Waldron in a great spot for cash and GPP lineups tonight.
Also Consider: Tylor Megill, Nathan Eovaldi, Spencer Howard, MacKenzie Gore, Zack Wheeler, Grayson Rodriguez
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Bryce Harper - 1B, PHI vs. Bryse Wilson ($6.1K DK, $3.9K FD)
Bryse Wilson is the lowest-rated pitcher on the pitching model today, and he happens to be particularly bad against left-handed batters. Opposing lefties have combined for a .558 slugging percentage and a .408 wOBA against Wilson in 2024.
Bryce Harper hammers right-handed pitching. He has a .287 ISO and a .566 slugging percentage against righties, and 10 of his 14 home runs have come against right-handers. Harper also excels at home, scoring nearly twice as many DraftKings points per game at Citizens Bank Park than on the road. For his career, he’s 2-for-5 with a home run against Wilson. He’s a lock for any Phillies stack, and if you can swing him in a cash game lineup, then he’s the first baseman with the highest ceiling.
Bryce Harper last night crushed his hardest hit HR of the season into the second deck.
Bryce over his last 30 games is batting .303 with 8 homers and 26 RBIs. 🔥🔥
He is 8th in baseball in OPS and 10th in slugging percentage— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) June 2, 2024
Jeff McNeil - 2B, NYM at MacKenzie Gore ($3.1K DK, $2.6K FD)
MacKenzie Gore ranks very well in my pitching model, but that doesn’t mean we can’t take some shots at him if the matchup is right. Gore is a reverse-splits pitcher, meaning he fares worse against lefties than he does righties. By no means is Gore bad against lefties, but if you were going to attack him, then it should be with a left-handed bat.
Jeff McNeil isn’t the first name you’d think to use on the Mets, but he’s had excellent success against Gore in his career and his cheap price point allows you to spend up at other positions. While that success doesn’t come in the form of power, it does come in a great batting average, with McNeil going 6-for-7 against Gore.
Gunnar Henderson - SS, BAL at Kevin Gausman ($6.2K DK, $4.3K FD)
It’s not a reach to recommend one of the front-runners for American League MVP, but Henderson is in a good spot to come through with a low ownership today. People don’t generally want to stack against Kevin Gausman, but he’s been off this year and is a pitcher you can go after. He struggles mostly against left-handed bats, allowing a .527 slugging percentage on the season.
Henderson punishes right-handed pitching. He has a .564 slugging percentage and .322 ISO, both tops on a powerful Orioles offense. He’s only had three hits in 12 at-bats against Gausman, but he’s also never struck out against him, and that’s a very positive sign for future success. Harper is probably the spend-up option I’d prefer over Henderson, but if you can swing a second expensive bat in cash lineups, then it’d be Henderson for sure.
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Eddie Rosario, OF - WSH vs. Tylor Megill ($3.6K DK, $2.9K FD)
Eddie Rosario is having a bit of a resurgence this year with the Nationals. He isn’t hitting for a high batting average (he’s sub-.200 at the moment), but he does have seven home runs and 20 runs batting in, a lot of which have come in bunches. If you’re using Rosario, it shouldn’t be for cash games, as he’s been wildly inconsistent.
Instead, you want to use him in tournament lineups as a one-off for a little bit of cheap pop, especially on FanDuel. He has a .206 ISO against righties, which is the top number on the Nationals. He’s also had some success against Megill in his career, with five hits, including a home run, in 10 at-bats.
Hunter Goodman, OF - COL vs. Andrew Abbott ($3.8K DK, $2.8K FD)
Be warned, Hunter Goodman hasn’t played in a game since Wednesday of last week. If he’s in the lineup for Colorado, he’s a great, cheap option for all lineups. Goodman is the best hitter on the Rockies against left-handed pitchers, albeit in a limited sample size. He’s only had 15 at-bats against lefties, but in those at-bats, he has a .400 batting average, a 1.000 slugging percentage, and a .600 ISO.
Those ratios have resulted in two home runs and six runs batted in. Andrew Abbott gives up a ton of power to righties, to the tune of a .463 slugging percentage. With this game taking place at Coors, that only increases the appeal of Goodman.
Will Benson, OF - CIN at Ryan Feltner ($4.4K DK, $3.4K FD)
Whenever the Reds are facing a righty, Will Benson should be on your radar. He and Elly De La Cruz have the best power numbers on the team against righties, but Benson is going to cost you $2K less on DraftKings. He has a .481 slugging percentage and a .248 ISO, resulting in seven home runs. He also has eight stolen bases on the year, so he can raise his ceiling without having to hit the ball out of the ballpark.
Benson’s batting average is hovering around the Mendoza Line, which makes him a tournament option only, but an option worth looking into given the ballpark factor. He should be in any Reds stack and is a one-off with an upside that makes some sense if you can afford a midrange bat.
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
1. Houston Astros vs. Kyle Gibson (STL/RHP)
Favorite Plays: Jose Abreu Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, Kyle Tucker
2. Philadelphia Phillies vs. Bryse Wilson (MIL/RHP)
Favorite Plays: Bryce Harper, Brandon Marsh, J.T. Realmuto, Kody Clemens, Kyle Schwarber
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