Wednesday, June 1, is filled with split-slate action on the first of two getaway days, culminating in an eight-game main slate with a first pitch of 7:05 p.m. ET. Let’s get into the top MLB DFS picks today for pitchers and stacks for DraftKings and FanDuel daily fantasy baseball lineups.
DraftKings & FanDuel MLB DFS Picks Today (6/1)
Top MLB DFS Stack: Seattle Mariners at RHP Kyle Bradish — 4.7 implied runs
Seattle popped off for 10 runs last night against the Orioles, and it is coming in as one of the better stacks tonight as well, particularly with the weather concerns in Boston and New York potentially taking those games off the board. Rookie Kyle Bradish has struggled in his initial foray into the majors, though he has showing promise with his strikeout potential. To be fair, he has run the American League East gauntlet, facing Boston twice as well as Tampa Bay and the New York Yankees, with other games against the Cardinals and Twins.
Bradish does have an above-average fastball in the 94- to 97-mph range. However, he does need to work on his secondary offerings, as professional hitters are going to be able to turn around on fastballs if they know it is likely to be the majority-type of pitch they are going to see. The 25-year-old has allowed a home run in each of his six starts, which has been exacerbated by his nine walks and 1.52 total baserunners allowed per inning. Across his total 28.1 innings, he has ceded seven home runs and 11 total extra-base hits, resulting in a 7.31 ERA.
The Mariners are one of the best options today in the Awesemo Stack Tool, and DFS gamers should also understand that with this value and popularity mix, differentiation will need to be found elsewhere. Jesse Winker and Eugenio Suarez are the best power options, with one swinging the stick from each side of the plate. Outfielder Taylor Trammell has an eye-popping .259 ISO in his last 125 lefty-righty matchups and can provide differentiation since gamers will likely be reticent to roll with him from the bottom of the order.
Late Slate: Chicago Cubs vs. RHP Jason Alexander — 4.0 implied runs
Tonight marks the major league debut of 29-year-old Jason Alexander, who was so far off the radar that Steamer is the only projection system of note that did even mild baseline stats. This is likely the first and only time we will see Alexander, who saw his first college action in his age-21 season, making four uneventful starts for Long Beach State after two years of community college action. He next resurfaced three years later, making 14 starts for Menlo College in the NAIA. Later that year, he broke in as an undrafted free agent with the Angels in rookie ball, kicking of a six-stop adventure in their minor league system. After the 2020 minor league season was wiped out by the pandemic, Alexander was given a chance by the Marlins, pitching 19.2 innings across three different minor league teams. In that winding journey, he also missed time with Tommy John surgery. Finally, after catching on with Milwaukee this year, he is getting a shot under the bright lights of The Show.
While this is a terrific story about dogged perseverance, the new Awesemo Top Batters Tool is highlighting several Cubs as viable options in this matchup. Alexander could have some success with the first few hitters, as he is a low-ball pitcher using a sinker and a changeup, which is a rare combination for right-handed hurlers. Unfortunately, once that surprise wears off, this could be the final stop for Alexander, who projects as a potential “unique” reliever at best.
It makes sense that the batters with power are rising to the top in this matchup. Willson Contreras and Ian Happ project well against Alexander’s likely pitch mix. Frank Schwindel and Patrick Wisdom have enough power that they can send any fastball mistakes over the wall, which will lead to excellent numbers if they are able to connect with runners on base. Milwaukee does have one of the best bullpens in the league, with a 3.18 xFIP and a top-five K/9 rate of 10.1. That means success could be short-lived, but most of their relievers have pitched multiple times in the last three days, courtesy of the doubleheaders, so that could help the Cubs stay on a roll if they are able to find momentum against Alexander.
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Best MLB DFS Pitchers Today
Top Target: LHP Robbie Ray at Baltimore Orioles — 4.0 implied runs
- DFS Salary: DraftKings $9,500 | FanDuel $9,700
Robbie Ray was a major offseason signing by the Mariners, and he is finally showing a level of production that is similar to his Cy Young-winning campaign last year. In his last four games, Ray has allowed five home runs, but he also has been fantasy gold with 37 strikeouts in these 30.1 innings. If the 30-year-old southpaw is able to mitigate the success of Austin Hays, Trey Mancini, Anthony Santander and Ryan Mountcastle, the rest of the Orioles offense is loaded with strikeout upside.
Secondary Target: RHP Bailey Ober at Detroit Tigers — 3.4 implied runs
- DFS Salary: DraftKings $8,200 | FanDuel $8,100
Bailey Ober is the lucky winner of the day for his matchup against the anemic Detroit Tigers. The Awesemo MLB DFS projections are giving a decent mark for Ober, but also a solid floor to account for facing the lowest-scoring team in the league. Things are so dire with this offense that they have plated 28 fewer runs than the next-most anemic squad. There are eight organizations that have scored 90 or more runs than the Tigers this season. Ober has not been dazzling in the majors, but he should be able to flirt with a quality start and provide a handful of strikeouts in this matchup.
Additional Opportunities
Kyle Wright is battling the Diamondback in Arizona this afternoon, and his 5.5 over/under for his strikeout total is something to consider in the MLB player props market. Currently, the Awesemo projections have him for 6.2 strikeouts in this matchup. While this is just a 60% chance of success for him to see the over, it is still a strong play. The roof will be closed in Chase Field, and the projected Diamondbacks lineup has five hitters with a 20% strikeout rate or higher against right-handed hurlers.
Other Pitching Options
- RHP Justin Verlander at Oakland Athletics (Early)
- RHP Kyle Wright at Arizona Diamondbacks (Early/Afternoon, roof will be closed)
- LHP Tarik Skubal vs. Minnesota Twins (Main, tournaments only)
- RHP Jon Gray vs. Tampa Bay Rays (Main SP2, SP1 on Late)
- LHP Jeffery Springs at Texas Rangers (Main SP2, SP1 on Late)
One-Off Hitters
- Jose Ramirez vs. RHP Brad Keller (Early)
- Pete Alonso vs. LHP Evan Lee (Early)
- Rafael Devers vs. RHP Hunter Greene (Main)
- Omar Narvaez at RHP Kyle Hendricks (Main/Late)
- Chris Taylor vs. LHP Jose Quintana (Late)
Final MLB DFS Thoughts & MLB Weather Notes
Today the main weather areas to watch are the games in Boston and New York. On the early slate, keep an eye on Cleveland with the timing of when the likely rain arrives.
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