MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 6/5/2019

We have another heavy schedule across the majors Wednesday with 12 games making up the main evening DFS slate. It’s important to note that rain could be in an issue in a few of those contests, so be sure to watch for updates leading up to first pitch. Let’s break down the matchups and highlight some of the best options to consider for your entry. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our MLB Lineup Optimizer to help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

STARTING PITCHERS

Chris Sale vs. Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $11,500
DraftKings = $10,600

After facing the Astros (twice) and Yankees over his last three starts, the Royals will be a welcome sight for Sale. They already have the third-lowest wRC+ (73) against left-handed pitchers in baseball and are now without one of their best right-handed bats in Hunter Dozier (side). With Sale’s ability to rack up strikeouts in bunches, his upside is off the charts for this matchup.

Brad Peacock vs. Seattle Mariners
Stadium – T-Mobile Park
FanDuel = $8,600
DraftKings = $9,600

The transition back into the starting rotation has gone smoothly for Peacock with him recording a 3.17 ERA that is backed by a 3.25 FIP. There is some question as to how long he can remain in the rotation considering he only logged 65 innings last year. He’s already up to 59.2 innings this season. The good news is that’s nothing to worry about Wednesday against a Mariners team that is in a tailspin and just dealt away one of their better power threats in Jay Bruce.

CATCHER

Jorge Alfaro vs. Jimmy Nelson, Milwaukee Brewers
Stadium – Miller Park
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $4,200

Alfaro makes this list for the second straight day after going 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored in the Marlins offensive outburst Tuesday. He’s one of the hottest offensive catchers in the baseball right now, hitting 20-for-53 (.377) with four home runs and four doubles across his last 14 games. It’s hard to project what Nelson is going to do in his first start of the season, but Alfaro still makes a lot of sense at this price.

Others to consider: Brian McCann

FIRST BASE

Joey Votto vs. Dakota Hudson, St. Louis Cardinals
Stadium – Busch Stadium
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $3,800

Votto’s power stroke is still MIA, but he’s at least started to turn things around by hitting 18-for-44 (.409) with three doubles over his last 10 games. His price has come down to a level where he doesn’t necessarily need to hit a home run to provide value, especially on DraftKings. Hudson has allowed a career .412 wOBA to left-handed hitters, so Votto is at least worth considering if you want to save money at first base.

Others to consider: Freddie Freeman and Daniel Murphy

SECOND BASE

Derek Dietrich vs. Dakota Hudson, St. Louis Cardinals
Stadium – Busch Stadium
FanDuel = $3,000
DraftKings = $5,000

Dietrich is one of my favorite plays of the night. He won’t come cheap on DraftKings, but he’s a lock for me at his price on FanDuel. Not only does Hudson struggle against left-handed hitters, but Dietrich has destroyed righties with his 181 wRC+. Fade at your own risk.

Others to consider: Mike Moustakas and Kolten Wong

THIRD BASE

Matt Carpenter vs. Anthony DeSclafani, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Busch Stadium
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $4,300

DeSclafani has been almost as bad against lefties as Hudson has, allowing a .365 wOBA against them in his career. They’ve caused him even more troubles this season, resulting in a .431 wOBA. Carpenter is 12-for-36 (.333) with four home runs across his last 11 games and is the top lefty to target on the Cardinals.

Others to consider: Rafael Devers and Travis Shaw

SHORTSTOP

Alex Bregman vs. Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – T-Mobile Park
FanDuel = $4,300
DraftKings = $5,200

While the Astros are currently missing some of their best hitters, they still have enough talent to do some serious damage against Leake, who has a gaudy 5.63 FIP. To make matters worse, he’s allowed 18 home runs across 72.2 innings. He’s pricey, but Bregman is the top option for an Astros stack by a mile. Of note, he is only listed at shortstop on FanDuel since he is listed at third base on DraftKings.

Others to consider: Francisco Lindor and Dansby Swanson

OUTFIELD

Ronald Acuna Jr. vs. Joe Musgrove, Pittsburgh Pirates
Stadium – PNC Park
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $4,600

The Braves should be a popular stack against Musgrove, who has allowed 30 runs (27 earned) over 30 innings in his last six starts. Austin Riley might be the sexy name based on the tear that he’s on since being called up, and rightfully so. However, don’t forget about Acuna. His numbers are down slightly, but he still has a .355 wOBA and carries tremendous upside.

Derek Fisher vs. Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – T-Mobile Park
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings =$4,100

Even though the Astros have some big-named prospects in waiting, Fisher has received the call to help out their injury situation. He’s done nothing to dissuade them from giving him more playing time, hitting 9-for-31 (.290) with a home run and two doubles over his last eight games. He’s also been batting leadoff against righties, leaving him in a favorable spot to provide value.

Jesse Winker vs. Dakota Hudson, St. Louis Cardinals
Stadium – Busch Stadium
FanDuel = $2,500
DraftKings = $3,800

I’ll admit, I was very high on Winker coming into this season. It looked like an everyday role was in the cards with him even spending a lot of time as the Reds’ leadoff hitter. However, he’s slumped out of the gate with a .319 wOBA and is losing playing time against left-handed pitchers. He has been somewhat unlucky with a .242 BABIP, but his 7.9 percent walk rate has been a major disappointment. The good news is that he still has a .348 wOBA against righties, so he’s in play at this cheap price.

Others to consider: Christian Yelich and Harold Ramirez

Author Bio:

Mike has been covering fantasy sports since 2007, joining Lineup Lab in 2017. An avid player of both season-long fantasy leagues and DFS, Mike’s work has appeared on numerous sites, including RotoWire, SportsLine and Sports Illustrated. He’s also been featured on DraftKings’ nightly show, The Sweat, and was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.