Tuesday, June 22, has a rousing 14-game main slate loaded with top-tier pitching options. Let’s get into the top MLB DFS picks for pitchers and stacks for Yahoo, DraftKings and FanDuel.
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MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Pitchers and Top Stacks, Tuesday, June 22
Yahoo Stack of the Day: Chicago White Sox at LHP Tyler Anderson — 4.3 implied runs
Though PNC Park generally favors pitchers, we can selectively look to some of the key Chicago White Sox batsmen, as they carry home run upside against journeyman Tyler Anderson. Though the 31-year-old southpaw is two seasons removed from plying his trade in Coors Field, his home runs allowed say otherwise. In his last five starts, he has ceded eight round-trippers, including three multi-home run games. Across 27.1 innings, he has allowed 22 runs for a 7.24 ERA, with only 6.19 strikeouts per nine innings. On the season, 12 of his 13 home runs have been accounted for by right-handed batters, so we can start there.
Reigning American League MVP Jose Abreu continues to hammer the ball with a .419 wOBA and a .236 ISO in his last 175 righty/lefty matchups. Leadoff man Tim Anderson should see five at-bats tonight, and in his last 148 plate appearances against opposite-handed hurlers, he has tallied a .352 wOBA with a .168 ISO. Yoan Moncada is the third White Sox slugger to target as he has compiled a .363 wOBA and a .207 ISO against southpaws since the beginning of 2019. Finally, we have catcher Yasmani Grandal, who has been awful this year — not even hitting his weight with a .166 batting average. However, nearly half of his 25 hits have been of the extra-base variety with 10 home runs and a pair of doubles. Keep in mind that this game is being played in a National League park, so there will not be a designated hitter.
Evening Slate
Oakland Athletics at LHP Taylor Hearn — 5.0 implied runs
This is actually Jordan Lyles’ scheduled day to pitch, though it sounds like reliever Taylor Hearn will be called upon to start. Of Hearn’s last 14 appearances, 10 have been of the multi-inning variety, and he should be good for something in the 35- or 40-pitch range. In six June appearances, Hearn has accumulated 9.2 innings with a 6.52 ERA and four home runs allowed against 11 strikeouts. There is a good chance that it is Lyles who is the next man off the bench, and he is currently third in the league having already allowed 16 home runs.
Oakland puts a premium on power, and there are four players in the projected lineup who have a .210 ISO or higher over the last two-plus seasons against pitchers of both handedness. This quartet includes lefty Matt Olson and righties Mark Canha, Ramon Laureano and Matt Chapman. Assuming it is the righty Lyles following the lefty Hearns, Mitch Moreland should get a couple at-bats with the platoon advantage in the back half of the game. In his last 512 at-bats in that scenario, he has a .366 wOBA and a .260 ISO, and is a solid differentiation option in place of fellow first baseman Olson.
Late Slate
Seattle Mariners vs. LHP Kyle Freeland — 4.8 implied runs
Currently, Lady Luck is sitting in the Mariners dugout as they have somehow won seven of their last eight games. This has all been without Kyle Lewis and Evan White, who are out for the foreseeable future, and Jarred Kelenic, who is back in the minors to shake out of his doldrums.
Kyle Freeland’s last three starts have been particularly dreadful, facing the Reds in Cincinnati and then with two in Coors Field against Oakland and San Diego. In this trio of appearances Freeland lasted only 12.2 innings with a 12.79 ERA allowing NINE home runs with only six strikeouts.
Mitch Haniger is the top MLB DFS pick from Seattle, and in his last 139 at-bats against lefties, he has an eye-popping .370 wOBA with a .303 ISO. Veteran Kyle Seager can hold his own against same-handed hurlers and he has tallied a .238 ISO over the last two-plus seasons. Ty France is dealing with a sore wrist, but if he is in the lineup we should consider him healthy and a viable option as the cleanup hitter. Dylan Moore is getting a lot of love from the Yahoo salary algorithm at $20, though he is a much more palatable $3,100 on DraftKings and $2,400 on FanDuel.
Spotlight Pitchers
Top Target: RHP Lucas Giolito at Pittsburgh Pirates — 3.2 implied runs
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $55 | FanDuel $10,500 | DraftKings $9,400
Tonight with nearly every team in action, it should not be particularly difficult to roster Lucas Giolito, as value options should be abundant. Over his last 1,300 batters faced, the former Washington prospect has a 32.4% strikeout rate with a 15.7% swinging-strike rate. Pittsburgh collectively strikes out at the second-lowest rate in the league against righties, however they are last with a .129 ISO and are producing runs 12% less efficiently than league average. For those of you who are “sticky stuff” truthers, Giolito’s spin rates the last three seasons are higher than his first three — though it should be noted he also changed his throwing motion in the timeframe. Chicago is nearly a 2-to-1 favorite to garner the win tonight, and Giolito will be facing the pitcher instead of a designated hitter.
Secondary Target: RHP Zack Wheeler vs. Washington Nationals — 4.0 implied runs
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $54 | FanDuel $11,400 | DraftKings $10,200
Over 14 starts this season, Zack Wheeler has been sublime while improving on last year’s breakout. Currently, he is seventh in the league with a 2.15 ERA, 12th with a 0.93 WHIP and his 11 strikeouts per nine innings ranks 13th. The Nationals have been in the bottom-third of the league this season against right-handed pitching by most standard and advanced metrics. For those wondering, his year-over-year spin rates on his fastball and breaking balls have remained consistent.
Wild Card: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez at Tampa Bay Rays — 4.4 implied runs
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $36 | FanDuel $6,400 | DraftKings $6,400
The salary is solid on DraftKings and FanDuel, and still reasonable on Yahoo. The strikeouts have been there for six-year veteran Eduardo Rodriguez with a career-high 10.53 per nine innings. It would seem that the southpaw has encountered some bad luck with his 6.21 ERA, well outpacing his 3.54 xERA and 3.37 xFIP. Some of this is due to his 1.35 home runs allowed per nine innings sequencing with an abnormally low 62.4% left-on-base rate, which is significantly lower than the 72.1% league average. Tampa thrives against right-handed hurlers, but they have a bottom-three scoring efficiency against lefties with a top-four strikeout rate. Rodriguez is a fine tournament option today for his upside, which includes a park upgrade moving from Fenway to Tropicana Field.
Final Thoughts for the Tuesday, June 22, MLB DFS Slate
Keep an eye on the weather in Philadelphia, Baltimore and New York heading towards first pitch, as each game has varying degrees of precipitation risk. As always, be mindful that salaries and scoring formats differ across the various fantasy sites, and a home run play on Yahoo may be a below-average MLB DFS pick on DraftKings or FanDuel.
