MLB DFS Picks, Spotlight Pitchers & Top Stacks: SP1 Garrett Crochet + Coors Field Alternatives (June 24)

Tuesday brings a tremendous 13-game featured slate, locking at 7:10 p.m. ET on DraftKings and FanDuel. Yahoo is including the 6:35 and 6:40 p.m. ET games as part of its main contests. As always, the best way to find top MLB DFS picks is via Stokastic’s industry-leading tools and MLB DFS projections to figure out how to build MLB DFS stacks, identify top pitchers and build strong daily fantasy baseball lineups top to bottom. The Stokastic MLB DFS Top Stacks Tool likes the Yankees in Cincinnati and Atlanta in New York against the Mets as Coors Field countermoves. On the pitching front, LHP Garrett Crochet is the ace of the slate.

MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Pitchers and Top Stacks | June 24

MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Pitchers

Nelson is a decent pitcher, though he can be targeted by opposing offenses in the right situations. On the flipside, he is a solid enough arm that he too can be employed against weaker offenses, and few are as bad as the ChiSox. Back in 2023, Nelson was a top-6 prospect for Arizona, landing just outside the top 100 on most industry lists. The 27-year-old was a mid-second-round selection in the 2019 MLB Draft, and while he does not have much in the way of strikeout upside, he has been increasing his ground ball rate and limiting power.

He began the season in the bullpen, though injuries to Corbin Burnes and Jordan Montgomery have necessitated him moving back into the rotation. He should be good for 80-ish pitches tonight and have a decent chance at closing out the fifth inning, thus being eligible to earn the win if his offense can make some noise.

Crochet is well behind LHP Tarik Skubal (-275 vs. +700) in the American League Cy Young Award odds, though he is the closest among those in the chase group. The 26-year-old is striking out nearly 11 batters per nine innings, boasting a 33.3% combined strikeout rate since the start of last year with a 32.7% rate against right-handed batsmen.

Tonight the Angels are likely to have an entirely right-handed lineup, save for first baseman Nolan Schanuel. Switch-hitter Luis Rengifo (19.1%, 47 plate appearances) and Schanuel (12.5%, 72 PAs) are the only hitters with a sub-25% strikeout rate against lefties this season, though neither has above replacement-level power.

The weather is also favorable for pitching in Anaheim, particularly compared to the East Coast, with the marine layer sneaking in after the first hour of the game, leading to mid-60s temperatures and mild humidity.

Temperatures will be in the upper 80s for the first hour or two of this game with 50% to 60% humidity, which is a boost to the bats.

In Milwaukee, RHP Freddy Peralta will be facing the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have a top-10 strikeout rate of 22.2% against righties and a bottom-3 82 wRC+, though there is a decent chance the roof will be open at Americana Family Field, which is a slight upgrade to hitters. The Bucs did get to RHP Chad Patrick for four runs in five innings, but he also notched nine strikeouts and is nowhere near the caliber of Peralta.

In Houston, LHP Framber Valdez is going against Philadelphia, and while that is never an easy matchup, the Daikin Park roof is expected to be closed, plus Bryce Harper is on the injured list and catcher J.T. Realmuto couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat right now.

In New York, RHP Spencer Strider is taking on the Mets, who have been consistently inconsistent over the last month, while LHP Kris Bubic is worthy of tournament consideration at home in Kansas City, going against the Tampa Bay Rays. There is not much savings from Crochet to these alternates when also considering matchups and weather, but the raw dollar discount is useful.

MLB DFS Picks: Top Stacks

Main Slate Contrarian Target: New York Yankees

New York will be facing top prospect RHP Chase Burns, who is making his major league debut after working through all three levels of the minors this season. He was the second overall selection in the 2024 MLB Draft, having pitched at Tennessee and Vanderbilt. The 22-year-old is a top-25 prospect on most industry lists, and he can consistently reach 100 mph with his fastball. Command and control are issues, but the talent is there.

Last night the Yankees had one solo shot from Aaron Judge, accounting for the only run in the game. It is once again hot and humid with first pitch temperatures in the low 90s and 60% to 65% humidity in the most homer-happy venue in the league. Judge is pricy on DraftKings ($6,700), though it is warranted as he currently is flirting with the Triple Crown. Trent Grisham, Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger will have the platoon advantage while also helping lower the overall average cost of a full stack.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. is definitely in play, but he is costly on DraftKings ($5,100) and easily outpacing the cap hits of Grisham ($4,100) and Rice ($4,400), who are higher in the order. Catcher Austin Wells is viable on DraftKings ($4,300) and Yahoo ($14), where he will provide differentiation from the bottom of the order while fulfilling the backstop requirement and still providing synergy as part of a wraparound stack.

Stokastic’s MLB DFS Single Lineup Simulator is a game-changing tool that transforms lineup construction through powerful, data-driven simulations — essential for serious DFS players. See how the Simulator analyzes this single lineup for today’s MLB DFS slate:

Main Slate Contrarian Target: Atlanta Braves

The heat has arrived in New York with temperatures in the Big Apple now similar those in the Midwest on Monday. The humidity is “only” around 40%, though the mercury will be pushing the mid- to upper 90s for the first hour of the game. On the mound for the Metropolitans will be RHP Frankie Montas, who is making his debut on his fifth team of the last four seasons. In spring training, he suffered a lat strain, which delayed his conditioning. The 32-year-old did get to 80 pitches in his sixth rehabilitation start on Wednesday, so he should be good for around 75 to 80 pitches tonight when considering the elements.

Montas signed a two-year, $34 million deal with New York, who is expecting him to be the third or fourth starter when he is at full health. Prior to the 2023 season, when he made one appearance for 1.1 innings with the Yankees, Montas had been a solid member of the Athletics rotation. New York acquired him at the trade deadline in 2022 for Ken Waldichuk, JP Sears, Luis Medina and Cooper Bowman. He was mediocre at best down the stretch with a 6.35 ERA and 4.93 FIP. Last year for the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers, Montas was adequate across 150.2 innings, though walks and untimely extra-base hits were an issue.

Atlanta’s offense has been rounding into form, helping the team to a 9-4 record over the last 13 games while plating 4.84 runners per tilt. Ronald Acuna Jr., Austin Riley and Matt Olson are the most expensive options on DraftKings and Yahoo, which is helping lower the popularity of this stack. The back of the order has below-average salaries, with outfielders Alex Verdugo and Michael Harris II and catcher Drake Baldwin all enjoying the platoon advantage over Montas, as does with switch-hitter Ozzie Albies. This flexibility and upside make them malleable as a primary or complementary stack and a source of potent one-off hitters.

Today’s Top Sports Betting Picks

If you’re serious about making sharp MLB DFS picks, you already know that long-term success starts with using the right tools. The same approach applies to sports betting — and that’s where Portfolio EV shines.

Take a bet like Kyle Schwarber under 0.5 total hits. On the surface, it’s a simple play. But behind the scenes, it’s a +EV bet — meaning it’s mathematically profitable based on the best odds available. And with Portfolio EV, you’re not relying on one-off picks. You’re stacking dozens — even hundreds — of +EV wagers at scale using the Mass Entry tool, turning small edges into long-term profit.

Just like one DFS lineup won’t win you a GPP, one smart bet doesn’t build a bankroll. But a consistent process does. This isn’t about chasing hot streaks. It’s about making smart, data-backed decisions every day and letting the math do the heavy lifting.

Schwarber is one of the best hitters in the game against southpaws, which is impressive as lefty-lefty matchups are traditionally tough on batters. In turn, LHP Framber Valdez is an elite arm who is one of the best in history at inducing ground balls (60%) while also holding an above-average strikeout rate. In 16 plate appearances against Valdez, Schwarber has three hits, including two solo home runs, along with a pair of walks and three strikeouts. Looking at individual matchups as a main factor in decisions is folly since the sample size is not large enough to provide truly actionable information, but we can see that this duo has had a cat-and-mouse history against each other.

Overall the +121 odds are enough to push interest towards Schwarber being held hitless tonight, with the math backing up a steady 4.9% expected ROI. Schwarber has recorded at least one hit in 53 (68%) of his 78 starts.