MLB

DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Helper: Thursday 6/6/19

Every day is unique for daily fantasy baseball, which is both a blessing and a challenge. Although we can’t simply plug and play our favorite studs day in and day out, each slate presents us with a chance for a new gem to vault us up the leaderboards.

Through the use of numberFire’s tools, we can better identify the players primed to succeed each day, making the process of filling out a lineup just that much easier. In addition to our custom optimal lineups, you can check out our batting and pitching heat maps, which show the pieces in the best spot to succeed on that slate. Put on the finishing touches with our games and lineups page to see who's hitting where and what the weather looks like, and you'll have yourself a snazzy looking team to put up some big point totals.

Which names stand out for today on the DraftKings main slate? Let’s check it out, starting with the pitchers.

Pitchers to Target

High-Priced Pitcher

Patrick Corbin ($10,300 on DraftKings): We have a five-game slate tonight, and Patrick Corbin is the most expensive pitcher. While he certainly has some flaws in his game -- his hard-hit rate last season was a disaster -- his strikeout upside and matchup put up him atop the wishlist. In 2018, he had a 30.8 percent strikeout rate with a 2.91 SIERA. His 2019 numbers are down a bit (3.81 SIERA and 26.9 percent strikeout rate), but they're still really good. His opponent, the San Diego Padres, has a 27.3 percent strikeout rate against left-handed pitching this season, the second-highest in the Majors.

Value Pitcher

David Hess ($4,200): Now, don't get me wrong, David Hess kind of stinks. However, his price is ridiculously cheap compared to some of the other guys on the slate. The matchup is tough as the Texas Rangers have put up an incredible .344 wOBA against right-handed pitchers, third-best in the Majors, But Texas strikes out at a high clip, with their 24.4 percent strikeout rate ranking as the ninth-highest. However, Hess also struggles to generate strikeouts, which usually caps his upside. So why am I writing up Hess? Well, as I said, he's extremely cheap, and if you can possibly get 10 points out of him with the hope of a win, that will certainly pay off his bargain price tag. Given the matchup for his offense against Ariel Jurado and a terrible Rangers bullpen, there is hope. We just need him to not get lit up, and the savings allows you so much flexibility with your bats.

Hitters to Target

High-Priced Hitters

Gary Sanchez ($5,500): Gary "the GOAT" Sanchez continues to dominate this season. So far in 2019, his numbers against right-handed pitching have been completely out of this world, with an elite .420 wOBA and .413 ISO. The power he brings to the plate each and every night is matched by only a few. He'll take on the Toronto Blue Jays' right-hander Edwin Jackson -- a pitcher who does not belong in the Majors anymore. Last season, in just under 100 innings, Jackson managed to put up a paltry 17.9 percent strikeout rate while allowing a 36.9 percent hard-hit rate and 23.8 percent line-drive rate. He's given up six taters in four starts in 2019, though one outing was at Coors.

Matt Chapman ($4,200): Matt Chapman brings so much power to the plate, especially against left-handed pitching. While his .416 wOBA is obviously great, it's his insane .429 ISO that is even more intriguing. He has destroyed southpaws in 2019 and will look to continue that against Los Angeles Angels lefty Tyler Skaggs. In 2018, Skaggs have up a horrendous 40.1 percent hard-hit rate along with an 88.8 mile-per-hour average exit velocity. The Oakland Athletics will be a popular stacking option today, and Chapman can be a part of a stack or a one-off play.

Value Hitters

Manny Machado ($3,500): Sure, this is a hitter against the high-priced pitcher recommendation, but Manny Machado is extremely cheap and is up against a left-handed pitcher -- a split in which he has been fantastic. In 44 plate appearances in 2019 against southpaws, Machado has put up an unfathomable .561 wOBA and .528 ISO. Of course these numbers are going to come down as the sample grows, but considering Corbin gave up a 41.7 percent hard-hit rate and 24.3 percent line-drive rate last season, there is reason to believe that Machado could have a big game.

Randal Grichuk ($3,400): Randal Grichuk is a very streaky hitter, and he is in the midst of a power streak with four home runs in his last five games. Now, those four home runs are also his only four hits in that span, so you have to take what you can get. His numbers against left-handed pitching in his career are decent with a .329 wOBA and .225 ISO. He is very cheap in a matchup versus J.A. Happ, who is surrendering a 41.0 percent hard-hit rate and 42.2 percent fly-ball rate so far this campaign.



Ryan Sheppard is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Ryan Sheppard also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username donkshow_. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.