On Father’s Day, DraftKings is ready to roll with an outstanding Sunday afternoon slate that includes nine games that get underway between 1:00 p.m. ET and 2:35 p.m. ET. Three of those contests are divisional rivalry matchups, while two are interleague matchups. There are some great matchups at attack and others to avoid, so be sure to check out my top plays listed below.
As usual for DFS fantasy baseball, you’ll want to keep a close eye on pregame lineups and the latest player news leading up to game time. You can do that by installing the DK Live app and following DK Live on Twitter (@dklive). I’m also on Twitter (@ZT_Sports), where you can keep up with all my picks as the season continues.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
For up-to-the-minute news, analysis, and lineups, download the DK Live app. You also can follow DK Live on Twitter @dklive.
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PITCHER
Stud
Jon Gray, Texas Rangers vs. Toronto Blue Jays, ($10,100) – Gray has been outstanding in his second season with the Rangers, going 6-2 in his 12 starts while compiling a 2.32 ERA and 4.17 FIP. He has only a 7.7 K/9 rate but has been highly effective at limiting damage and pitching deep into games.
Gray has gone 5-1 in his past six starts, allowing one run or fewer in each of those six outings. During that span, his strikeout rate has also ticked up a bit, increasing to 9.21 K/9 with 44 strikeouts in 43 innings. He has gone at least seven innings and produced at least 27 DKFP in five of those six starts. He took a tough-luck, 1-0 loss his last time out, but threw a complete game four-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals, striking out a season-high 12 and producing 41.8 DKFP. Gray did have a turn in the rotation skipped since that outing to manage a blister issue, but as long as that issue is behind him as reported, he should be ready to go on Sunday. The matchup against the Blue Jays isn’t a great one, but his current form is still strong enough to make him the top stud option on Sunday afternoon’s main slate.
Other Options – Charlie Morton ($10,500), Jesús Luzardo ($9,900)
Value
Dean Kremer, Baltimore Orioles at Chicago Cubs ($8,100) – Kreamer is one win away from matching last season’s win total after going 7-3 in his first 14 games. He has a 4.74 ERA and 4.49 FIP on the season, but has been much more productive lately with a 3.50 ERA and 3.66 FIP over his past eight outings. Like Gray, his strikeout rate is trending the right way in his past few starts, and he is producing more than a punchout per inning over his five most recent outings.
Kremer has been very steady with at least 14 DKFP in nine of his past 11 starts while producing over 20 DKFP four times in that stretch. While he does typically give up hard contact, he has been able to be a viable fantasy option. He and the Orioles have dropped the first two games of this series, and they’ll look to avoid a sweep as they face Jameson Taillon ($6,700) in what should be a matchup where they produce plenty of run support for Kremer.
Other Option – Luke Weaver ($7,700), Carlos Carrasco ($6,000)
INFIELD
Stud
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels at Kansas City Royals ($6,500) – Ohtani extended his hitting streak to 14 games on Saturday, but the Angels blew an 8-2 lead against the Royals. Ohtani has gone an amazing 24-for-52 (.462) during his streak, with six doubles, a triple, eight homers and a wOBA well over .600. He even added in three stolen bases for good measure. Ohtani and the Angels will look to bounce back by mashing in a favorable spot against Zack Greinke ($7,500), who has allowed lefties to hit .298 against him this season with a .361 wOBA.
Stud
Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels ($5,700) – Despite the rest of the lineup struggling, Witt has been very productive for the Royals so far this month. He went 18-for-55 (.327) with two doubles, a home run and four stolen bases to raise his average to .247 on the season, to go along with a .307 wOBA. He helped fuel the Kansas City comeback with four RBI and had 16 DKFP. He has thrived against lefties all season long, hitting .296 against southpaws with six of his 11 homers and a .382 wOBA. He’ll be on the strong side of those splits in Sunday afternoon’s matchup against Tyler Anderson ($7,000), who has given up 15 runs in 15 innings over his past three starts.
Other Options – Matt McLain ($4,700), Gunnar Henderson ($4,000)
Value
Ryan O’Hearn, Baltimore Orioles at Chicago Cubs ($2,800) – The Orioles acquired O’Hearn from the Royals this offseason, and the 29-year-old lefty has been locked in lately as one of Baltimore’s hottest hitters. He didn’t get the start Saturday, but went 1-for-2 after entering as a pinch hitter. In his previous 11 games, O’Hearn went 16-for-38 (.421) with five multi-hit games, five doubles, three homers and a .525 wOBA. With Taillon on the mound for the Cubs, O’Hearn should be back in the middle of the order and ready to keep bringing great production at 1B for under $3K. Both Ohtani and O’Hearn are also OF eligible, so they can be part of multiple lineup constructions.
Value
Andy Ibáñez, Detroit Tigers at Minnesota Twins ($2,000) – If you’re looking to pay the minimum but still get potential production, check out Ibáñez, who has been starting all around the diamond for Detroit but is eligible at 2B. Ibáñez has gone 8-for-19 (.421) over his past six games with a double, a triple, two home runs and a .569 wOBA. Even after that burst, he’s only hitting .212 with a .279 wOBA, but he does have a little bit of potential pop and enough recent form to be worth considering as a punt play in this matchup with Louie Varland ($8,700)
Other Options – Luis García ($3,400), Yainer Diaz ($3,000), Maikel Garcia ($2,400)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Kyle Tucker, Houston Astros vs. Cincinnati Reds ($5,300) – Tucker has had to step up in the Astros’ offense during the absence of Yordan Alvarez (oblique), and so far, the 26-year-old lefty has been up to the task. In his first 14 games in June, Tucker went 19-for-55 (.345) with four doubles, two homers, five stolen bases and a .401 wOBA. He offers upside in both power and speed when he’s at his best, and he’ll need to continue to step up in the next few weeks while the team is shorthanded.
Jorge Soler, Miami Marlins at Washington Nationals ($4,900) – The Marlins have been much better this season, and much of their offense has been Soler powered. In his 67 games, he’s hitting .260 with 20 homers, 41 RBI and a .391 wOBA. He has hit safely in six of his past seven games while averaging 14.9 DKFP per game. He’s also done most of his damage against lefties like Patrick Corbin ($7,300), who has struggled to a 4.81 ERA and a 5.04 FIP in his 14 games this season. Against southpaws, Soler is hitting .333 with a .556 ISO and .536 wOBA. He’s also hit nine of his 20 homers against lefties as well. He has great power potential and has been doing a great job getting on base, so there’s lots of upside to like especially with Soler’s salary sitting under $5K.
Other Options – Ronald Acuña Jr. ($6,600), Bryan Reynolds ($5,100), Christopher Morel ($4,500)
Value
Austin Hays, Baltimore Orioles at Chicago Cubs ($3,900) – Hays picked up two more hits on Saturday on his way to 10 DKFP. He has gone 17-for-49 (.347) over his past 12 games while averaging 9.8 DKFP that stretch. On the season, he’s up to a .312 batting average with a .366 wOBA, eight home runs and a pair of stolen bases. Hays and O’Hearn should be a strong and relatively affordable stack in the middle of the O’s lineup, and they’re good options to consider Sunday afternoon at Wrigley.
Value
Samad Taylor, Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels ($2,000) – Taylor definitely had a memorable MLB debut on Saturday! After getting called up on Friday, he got the start on Saturday and went 1-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored and an RBI, good for 13 DKFP. His first MLB hit put the finishing touches on the Royals’ rally in walk-off fashion and gave his team the unlikely win over the Angels. Taylor actually has an intriguing fantasy skill set if he gets more playing time. The No. 19 prospect in the Royals system according to MLB Pipeline, Taylor hit .304 in 62 games at Triple-A this season with six homers and a .393 wOBA. His main potential contribution is on the basepaths, however, where the 24-year-old speedster had 34 stolen bases in those 62 games, while only being caught six times. If he gets the start on Sunday, he’ll be on the strong side of the splits against lefty Tyler Anderson and look to continue the storybook start to his MLB career.
Other Options – Mickey Moniak ($3,500), Kerry Carpenter ($3,000), Corey Julks ($2,600)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
