This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The final weekend of June kicks off with gusto. There are 13 MLB games on the docket starting at 7:05 p.m. ET or later. You have a ton of options for your DFS lineups, but no more than usual slots to put them in. Thus, here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Bailey Ober, MIN at SEA ($8,800): Ober is coming off a real gem, his first career complete game wherein he only allowed two runs and picked up 10 strikeouts. Sure, that was in Oakland, but guess what? The Mariners also offer a pitcher-friendly ballpark and pitcher-friendly lineup. Seattle has a .219 batting average as a team.
Marcus Stroman, NYY at TOR ($8,700): Stroman's first season with the Yankees is going well, even if his new home park isn't helping him. He has a 3.15 ERA, but that's bolstered by a 2.18 ERA on the road. This game is not merely in Toronto. The Blue Jays also offer an opponent that is in the bottom five in runs scored.
Dakota Hudson, COL at CWS ($5,300): This is a battle of questionable offenses and dicey starting pitchers, but if you want to roll the dice, at least Hudson isn't at Coors. This season he has an 8.58 ERA at home but a 3.07 ERA on the road. Now, his 4.64 ERA over the prior two seasons came when he was a Cardinal, so he's not exactly an ace away from Denver. He doesn't need to be here, though. The White Sox have an all-time bad offense, especially when it comes to scoring runs. Although, they are also already locked into finishing with a sub-.300 OBP as a team for all intents and purposes, which is also remarkable given that we aren't even to July yet.
Top Targets
Quietly, Ketel Marte ($5,100) is having an MVP-level season. While he's a switch hitter, since 2022 Marte has a .912 OPS versus left-handed pitchers. Even though his home park is pitcher friendly, southpaw JP Sears has a 4.70 ERA over the last two campaigns as a starter for the Athletics.
Last year, which was admittedly only his second MLB season, Riley Greene ($4,900) broke through. That was built upon his .826 OPS versus righties. This year, Greene is making an All-Star Game push thanks to a .912 OPS against right-handed pitchers. The Angels got so desperate for a starter they turned to Zach Plesac, who had a 4.72 ERA over the prior three seasons with the Guardians. Since 2022, lefties have hit a whopping .311 against him.
Bargain Bats
Given the bar with the bat established for catchers, Logan O'Hoppe ($4,000) stands out. He's hit .269 with 10 homers and 12 doubles, and he has a .792 OPS against his fellow righties. Kenta Maeda has been a disaster for the Tigers. He has a 6.00 ERA, 2.28 K/BB rate, and allowed righties to hit .294 against him.
Welcome back, Noelvi Marte ($3,600). The welcome shouldn't be too warm, given that he was out because of an 80-game PED suspension, but the promising young Red is now able to join the MLB lineup. In his limited MLB action last year, he had three homers and six stolen bases in 35 games with an .876 OPS against his fellow righties. Mostly pitching out of the bullpen, Andre Pallante has a 4.01 ERA, but he really can't get right-handers out. They have hit .323 against him in his career.
Stacks to Consider
Red Sox vs. Padres (Randy Vasquez): Rafael Devers ($5,700), Jarred Duran ($5,700), Wilyer Abreu ($4,100)
Vasquez has been a disaster for the Padres. He has a 5.46 FIP and a 6.85 ERA away from Petco Park. Also, somehow, he has let lefties hit .474 against him. I don't care if that's over 86 batters faced. Rogers Hornsby hit .424 in 1924. Vasquez has turned southpaws collectively into a Mecha-Hornsby. Thus, three BoSox lefties for my stack.
Devers has put up a .923 overall in 2024, which would be a personal best for him. That's bolstered by an 1.028 OPS versus righties, but on top of that he has a .954 OPS at Fenway Park. Duran is not the homer threat Devers is, but he has 23 doubles and a whopping 10 triples, not to mention 20 stolen bases. He has an .894 OPS against right-handers and also an .869 OPS at home. In his career, Abreu has slugged .511 against righties. He has an .804 OPS at Fenway in his career as well. Lefties like Fenway Park.
Yankees at Blue Jays (Yusei Kikuchi): Aaron Judge ($6,700), Anthony Volpe ($4,700), Gleyber Torres ($3,900)
Kikuchi started the year unexpectedly well, but he has a 7.11 ERA over his last six starts. That's not surprising given that he has allowed 1.59 homers per nine innings in his career. The southpaw has let righties bat .291 this season, so here's a three-righty stack for you.
Judge, well, he's going to be the AL MVP and has been the best hitter in baseball. A hard sell is not necessary, but maybe you blanch at his salary. Over the last three seasons he has an 1.091 OPS, with an 1.098 OPS versus righties and an 1.105 OPS on the road. Sometimes, high-salary players are worth rostering. Though Volpe has been cold, he has six homers, 15 stolen bases and seven triples. He had a 20/20 season as a rookie even with a sub-.300 OBP. Even when he's not locked in at the plate, he can still deliver for DFS players. This has been a tough campaign for Torres, but since 2022 he has an .828 OPS versus southpaws. He's been…less terrible on the road in 2024 as well. I'll take a shot on him.
