Saturday, June 12, has dual-slate action with a robust 11-game slate at 4:05 p.m. ET and then a brief four-game main slate at the usual 7:15 p.m. ET. Let’s get into the top MLB DFS picks for pitchers and stacks for Yahoo, DraftKings and FanDuel.
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MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Pitchers and Top Stacks, Saturday, June 12
Yahoo Stack of the Day: Los Angeles Dodgers vs. LHP Kolby Allard — 4.8 implied runs
The main slate is a little thin for a Saturday with just three nine-inning games. Yesterday Max Muncy left the Dodgers’ game after hitting a first-inning homerun, and Cody Bellinger left in the fifth inning after reaching base on an RBI single. In the event they receive Saturday night off, that will promote other players in the lineup, and a couple discount dandies will likely draw a spot start.
This will be Kolby Allard’s third start of the season, though he is now stretched out enough that 75 to 80 pitches is a reasonable expectation. Allard does a decent job of limiting power, although he has nearly a double-digit walk rate and a subpar strikeout rate. Additionally, the 40.4% ground-ball rate does not inspire a lot of confidence if he is unable to coax bats into weak hits. Justin Turner has been outstanding against southpaws with a .270 ISO in his last 362 matchups and an 11.0% walk rate.
Mookie Betts thrives against opposite-handed hurlers, as does Chris Taylor, who should land in a premium batting slot with Muncy and Bellinger dinged up. Finally, do not forget about A.J. Pollock, who made his bones against lefties. And though he is no longer an everyday player, he too should be in a prime spot in the batting order. If Bellinger is out, there is a good chance that Albert Pujols will be somewhere in the heart of the order, and he still has a solid hitting profile against Allard’s portfolio.
Afternoon Slate
Chicago White Sox at RHP Jose Urena — 5.2 implied runs
There is a little rain in the area, though it should not impact the game unless something materializes over Comerica Park. However, the above-average humidity (60-65%) and temperatures in the low to mid-80s should create some dense air that will aid hitters. Jose Urena does a reasonable job of limiting homeruns with 1.32 per nine innings to lefties over the last two-plus seasons and just a 0.88 rate to same-handed batsmen. There is a tradeoff, though, and it is Urena’s lack of strikeouts — a lowly 10.2% rate in his last 343 matchups against lefties. For additional perspective, this season he is notching just over half a strikeout per inning for 5.6 per nine.
This is the perfect matchup for Jake Lamb, who is barely hanging on to a roster spot these days, though he is at a near-minimum salary across the DFS sites and should be hitting second or fifth. Adam Eaton also profiles well against Urena, though he has only one steal since the first week of the season and a meager five in his last 92 games. Yasmani Grandal has a career-low .160 average, though he still has power and this should be a welcome matchup for him. Mainstays Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada are always in play, and journeyman Brian Goodwin was called up from Triple-A to replace Nick Madrigal and is an extreme punt option.
Spotlight Pitchers
Top Target: RHP Trevor Bauer vs. Texas Rangers — 2.8 implied runs
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DFS Salary: Yahoo $61 | FanDuel $11,000 | DraftKings $9,800
Depending on the site, the main slate at 7:15 p.m. ET is only three or four games. The swing game is the second game of the Giants – Nationals, which is making up for Thursday’s rainout. This is going to have the popularity of Trever Bauer swelling off the charts as the clear top option. The Rangers have one of the weaker offenses in the league, and they are losing the designated hitter with this game being played under National League rules. The only concern for Bauer is the well-documented crackdown on pitchers using sticky substances to help control the ball, and it is no secret that after railing against it, Bauer jumped the fence to the other side. Even with this additional variable, he is still the top pitching option. However, it may be more of a rollercoaster than some gamers imagine.
Wild Card: RHP John Gant at Chicago Cubs — 5.2 implied runs
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DFS Salary: Yahoo $33 | FanDuel $7,100 | DraftKings $7,100
The regression monster caught up to John Gant in his last start, and it was not pretty: Seven earned runs, three walks, two homeruns allowed and two strikeouts. Gant had been living on borrowed time up to that point, allowing only one dinger and nine earned runs in the preceding 50.2 innings. Stay far, far away on FanDuel, but with two pitchers on DraftKings and Yahoo, Gant is in play in the hopes he can coax out four or five innings against the Cubs without incurring too much damage. DraftKings also is including the second game of the Giants – Nationals doubleheader, and while the pitchers have not yet been announced, they would be additional options in the wild card bucket, as both teams are down to the dregs of their rotations.
Afternoon Top Target: RHP Joe Musgrove at New York Mets — 2.8 implied runs
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DFS Salary: Yahoo $50 | FanDuel $8,300 | DraftKings $9,300
Joe Musgrove is having a career season with a 2.33 ERA, 0.84 WHIP and 12.2 strikeouts per nine innings, which is sixth in MLB. While the Mets posted some serious crooked numbers in Baltimore earlier this week, this is not a hot day in Camden Yards against the dilapidated Orioles pitching staff. New York is still without Michael Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and J.D. Davis, which means they are getting a lot of their recent offense via smoke and mirrors.
Wild Card: RHP Alex Cobb at Arizona Diamondbacks — 4.4 implied runs
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DFS Salary: Yahoo $40 | FanDuel $8,000 | DraftKings $8,700
This is going to be a 1 o’clock local start time, and the Chase Field roof is slated to be closed due to the triple-digit temperatures. Alex Cobb has seen a serious increase in his strikeout rate this season all the way to 10.93 per nine innings, which is absolutely wild considering he has not been higher than 6.55 since the 2014 season. Perhaps the raised seams for the 2021 baseball are helping him, or perhaps it is just a small sample size and regression is coming soon. However, Cobb has been very vocal against pitchers using the sticky stuff because an increased spin rate actually works against sinkerball pitchers. Either way, he will still be facing a less-than-daunting Arizona offense, and his increasing salary may keep non-believers away this afternoon.
Final Thoughts for the Saturday, June 12 MLB DFS Slate
There is a little precipitation lurking in the Midwest, though the games in Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland and Detroit are not likely to be postponed. There could, however, be delays depending on if, when and where the rain materializes. As always, be mindful that salaries and scoring formats differ across the various fantasy sites, and a home run play on Yahoo may be a below-average MLB DFS pick on DraftKings or FanDuel.
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