MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 6/25/18

*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*

June special! Use Code PAMLB30 at checkout

Baseball kicks off the week with 12 games on the schedule Monday, 10 of which will make up the main slate in DFS. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

STARTING PITCHERS

Cole Hamels vs. San Diego Padres
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $8,900
DraftKings = 9,900

Hamels has a 3.41 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP, but his 5.14 FIP indicates he hasn’t pitched that well. He’s been aided by a .253 opponents BABIP, which is 30 points lower than his career mark. He has also allowed 1.8 HR/9, which is by far the highest of his career. On the plus side, his strikeout percentage is up from 17.1% last year to 23.4% this season. He has also allowed two earned runs or fewer in three of his last four starts, two of which were tough matchups against the Angels and Dodgers. This will be a much more favorable matchup against the Padres, who are tied for the sixth-fewest runs scored (300) in baseball.

Jameson Taillon vs. New York Mets
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $7,800
DraftKings = 7,900

Taillon’s 4.03 ERA isn’t great, but it should be noted that a lot of the damage done to his ERA came in three starts where he allowed 18 runs in 11 innings. He has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his other 12 starts, including in five straight outings. His career-high 9.7% swinging-strike rate has also resulted in an 8.5 K/9. The Mets have scored the fifth-fewest runs (299) in baseball and could be without Brandon Nimmo, who was hit in the finger on Sunday. If he’s not in the lineup, this matchup really leans heavily in Taillon’s favor.

CATCHER/FIRST BASE

Paul Goldschmidt vs. Dan Straily, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $4,500
DraftKings = $5,300

Goldschmidt is on an amazing run right now, batting .393 with a .490 OBP in June. He’s not just hitting for a high average, slugging 10 home runs over that stretch after having only seven total entering the month. Straily not only allows a lot of base runners with a 1.50 WHIP, but he’s also allowed a staggering 2.2 HR/9. Goldschmidt is expensive, but this matchup might be too good to pass up.

Justin Bour vs. Shelby Miller, Arizona Diamondbacks
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $3,000
DraftKings = $3,500

It’s been a long road back for Miller after he appeared in only four games last year before undergoing Tommy John surgery. His first season with the Diamondbacks in 2016 was a disaster, finishing with a 6.15 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP. Bour has a .382 wOBA against right-handed pitchers this season and is a viable cheap option if you don’t want to pay up for Goldschmidt.

Others to consider: J.T. Realmuto (catcher) and Yonder Alonso (first base)

SECOND BASE

Cesar Hernandez vs. Jonathan Loaisiga, New York Yankees
Stadium – Citizens Bank Park
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $4,700

Hernandez has largely had a disappointing season as he is batting .265 after hitting exactly .294 in both of the last two years. He has a career-high 15.3% walk rate, but his 21.5% strikeout rate is up over three percent from last year. His numbers are better against left-handed pitchers, but Loaisiga was pitching in Double-A this season before the Yankees had to call him up due to injuries. He has allowed 15 baserunners in his first 8.2 innings in the majors, so Hernandez is someone to consider even though he doesn’t have the platoon advantage.

Dee Gordon vs. Andrew Casher, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $4,300

Gordon has provided pretty much what you should have expected from him to start the season, batting .287 with 19 steals. He has only one home run, but that’s not surprising since he only has 12 in his entire career. Cashner has been hit hard with a 4.72 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP this season, leaving Gordon with some upside despite his lack of power.

Others to consider: Daniel Descalso and Asdrubal Cabrera

THIRD BASE

Jose Ramirez vs. John Gant, St. Louis Cardinals
Stadium – Busch Stadium
FanDuel = $5,100
DraftKings = $5,500

It will be a tough task considering the seasons Mike Trout and Mookie Betts are having, but Ramirez is putting up numbers that should at least put him in the MVP discussion. He is hitting for a high average again at .296, but he also has 23 home runs and 20 doubles. He has shown an excellent eye at the plate as well with 50 walks compared to only 40 strikeouts. To top it all off, he has 12 stolen bases. He’s someone to target for your entry most nights, but especially against Gant considering he has a .447 wOBA against right-handed pitchers.

Adrian Beltre vs. Joey Lucchesi, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $4,300

If Beltre can just stay healthy, he is going to put up numbers. He’s already made two trips to the disabled list this season, but he is still batting .314. His power numbers are down, but two of his four home runs have come in his last six games. He has traditionally thrived against left-handed pitchers as he has a .381 wOBA against them for his career.

Others to consider: Max Muncy and Kyle Seager

SHORTSTOP

Francisco Lindor vs. John Gant, St. Louis Cardinals
Stadium – Busch Stadium
FanDuel = $5,000
DraftKings = $5,400

As crazy as Ramirez has been this season, Lindor is giving his teammate a run for his money by hitting .296 with 19 home runs and 24 doubles. He hasn’t shown the same stellar eye at the plate, but he’s done damage on the base paths as well with 10 steals. He wasn’t exactly playing at his best earlier in June, but he is 8-for-18 with three home runs in his last five games.

Elvis Andrus vs. Joey Lucchesi, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $4,200

Andrus has missed most of the season with an elbow injury and is only 2-for-21 since being activated from the disabled list. He is coming off the best season of his career when he hit .297 with 20 home runs and 25 steals in 2017. He has finished with a wOBA of at least .357 against lefties in both of the last two years and Lucchesi has allowed a .350 wOBA to righties, so this might be just the matchup Andrus needs to get back on track.

Others to consider: Manny Machado and Willy Adames

OUTFIELD

Nelson Cruz vs. Andrew Cashner, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FannDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $5,200

The Red Sox must be happy to see Cruz leave town after he finished a three-game series against them 8-for-13 with two home runs. Cruz has hit 10 home runs in June overall, raising his total to 20 for the season. He is once again on pace to slug at least 40 home runs for what would be the fourth time in the last five seasons. The only time he didn’t reach that mark was when he hit 39 homers last year. When he’s hot like this, Cruz can win you a lot of money.

Odubel Herrera vs. Jonathan Loaisiga, New York Yankees
Stadium – Citizens Bank Park
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $5,100

Herrera is one of the hottest hitters in baseball, batting .422 with six home runs in his last 10 games. Last year he only had 14 home runs, but he showed power potential with 42 doubles. He’s been able to convert more of those doubles into homers this year as he has already left the ballpark 13 times. He obviously won’t be able to keep up his recent blistering pace, but this is a great matchup to take advantage of against Loaisiga.

Derek Dietrich vs. Shelby Miller, Arizona Diamondbacks
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $3,800

You don’t hear about him much, but Dietrich is batting .302 with 11 home runs in a bad Marlins lineup. He’s hitting a robust .392 in June, but a lot of that can be attributed to his abnormally high .471 BABIP. The power numbers are encouraging, though, and he does have a career-high 38.8% hard-hit rate on the season overall.  With a .371 wOBA against righties, he’s a cheap option to take a chance on in tournament play.

Others to consider: David Peralta and Joc Pederson