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MLB DFS Plays for June 26
There are some great pitching options available Tuesday with Corey Kluber, Luis Severino and James Paxton all scheduled to take the mound. Runs might be hard to come by in those games, but there are still some great stacking opportunities available throughout the slate. Consider using the picks below and plugging them into our MLB Lineup Optimizer to help round out the rest of your lineup.
Starting Pitchers
James Paxton, at Orioles (FD: $9,600, DK: $12,500)
Paxton has been hit hard in his last two outings, allowing 10 runs over 7 1/3 innings. Those starts came against the Red Sox and Yankees, though, so don’t get overly concerned. Before that, he had allowed three runs or fewer in nine consecutive starts. He’s done a great job limiting baserunners with a 1.12 WHIP and he has a career-high 31.5% strikeout rate. The Orioles have scored the second-fewest runs (283) in baseball and have the league’s third-lowest OPS against left-handed pitchers (.663), setting Paxton up nicely for a rebound performance.
Frankie Montas, at Tigers (FD: $8,600, DK: $7,600)
The Athletics are dealing with several injuries to their staff, forcing them to turn to Montas to fill one of the holes in their rotation. He hadn’t started a game in the majors since he was a member of the White Sox in 2015 and didn’t have much success out of the bullpen for the Athletics last year, recording a 7.03 ERA, 7.13 FIP and a 1.84 WHIP. He hasn’t let his opportunity go to waste as he has a 2.41 ERA, 3.70 FIP and a 1.25 WHIP across five starts. His 5.6 K/9 isn’t great, but he has also allowed just two home runs in 33 2/3 innings. Three of his five starts have come against bad teams in the Padres and Royals, and he’ll face another weak lineup in the Tigers, who are in the bottom-third in baseball in runs scored, on Tuesday.
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Lance Lynn, at White Sox (FD: $8,000, DK: $7,300)
Lynn was torched in his first five starts with the Twins, allowing 22 earned runs in 23 2/3 innings. He amassed a 2.11 WHIP and surrendered five homers in that time. However, he’s righted the ship since then, allowing 16 earned runs across 50 innings. Not only has he cut down on the home runs, but he has a 1.14 WHIP in his last four outings. Lynn has already faced the White Sox once this season, allowing two runs with seven strikeouts in six innings. The White Sox have scored the fourth-fewest runs (294) in baseball, leaving Lynn with upside in tournament play.
Offensive Stacks
Seattle Mariners vs. Kevin Gausman, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Gausman has shown flashes of high-level potential during his career, but he has yet to have a true breakout campaign. His numbers are very ordinary again this year with a 4.38 ERA and a 4.36 FIP in 15 starts. Homers have always been an issue, and he has a 1.5 HR/9 this season. He can give up runs in bunches, recording four starts this season where he has allowed at least five earned runs. The Mariners have a higher OPS on the road (.755) than they do at home (.727), so they could be in line for another big performance.
Boston Red Sox vs. John Lamb, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Fenway Park
The Angels don’t have a lot of options for their starting rotation right now, leaving Lamb with an opportunity for his first taste of action in the majors since 2016. The fact that he had a 5.37 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP at Triple-A last year shows just how desperate things are for the Angels. His 3.41 ERA at Triple-A this season is better than previous results, but his 1.29 WHIP doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence. He’s allowed five runs and three home runs across 8 1/3 innings since being called up and gets a tough assignment against a Red Sox team that has scored the second-most runs (404) in baseball.
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Atlanta Braves vs. Matt Harvey, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – SunTrust Park
Harvey is coming off one of his best starts of the season, allowing only two runs while recording six strikeouts in six innings against the Cubs. Not only did he surrender just five hits, but he didn’t give up a home run for the third time in his last four games, after totaling a 2.0 HR/9 to start the season with the Mets. Still, the Braves have had one of the best offenses all year, and bring plenty of upside into this matchup. They scored six runs in six innings against Harvey when they saw him earlier this season.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Elieser Hernandez, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
The Marlins placed Jose Urena on the DL with a shoulder injury and will go with Hernandez in his place Tuesday. Hernandez has made four starts in 11 appearances for the Marlins, failing to pitch more than five innings in any of those outings. His 5.12 ERA and 5.41 FIP derive largely from a 1.55 WHIP and a 1.4 HR/9. He has almost as many walks (12) as he does strikeouts (14) and has only thrown a first-pitch strike to 50.4% of the batters that he has faced. The Diamondbacks offense got off to a slow start this season, but has averaged 6.1 runs over its last 23 games. That actually includes a game where they scored five runs in three innings against Hernandez.
