Welcome to the Fantasy Alarm MLB DFS Playbook for Thursday, June 12th! 

We have a 4-game main slate in store for us this evening on DraftKings starting at 7:40 PM ET, and a 5-game main slate on FanDuel starting at 6:35 PM ET. Today, we have plenty of talent on the diamond and many different ways to build your lineup. Our expert analysis is here to guide you through the top pitchers, value plays, and stackable offenses to target.

Whether chasing big GPP prizes or grinding cash games, we’ve got you covered with insights tailored to today’s matchups. Let’s jump right into the key plays and strategies to dominate the slate!

 

 

This season's MLB DFS picks and playbook will consist of a pitcher and hitter core players section with written analysis, player pool grid and core stacks section.

The core player section should be used as a starting point for all lineups, you may not be able to use all players in the same lineup, but those players should be the building blocks for you on a given night.

The player pool grid will feature both players from the core player section along with additional plays to help you build a complete lineup. The grid will be broken into top priced players, mid-priced players and value tier players.

The stacks section will bring you are favorite lineups stacks for the day and which players we would look to include in those stacks based on matchups and pricing.

Check out the MLB DFS Show to get an initial outlook on the day's MLB DFS slate to give you a good base for the start of your research each day! 

Make sure you subscribe to the Fantasy Alarm YouTube channel so you never miss a show! Also, join the Fantasy Alarm Discord to get your DFS lineup questions answered by our MLB DFS team! Plus, as always, be sure to check in with our MLB DFS Tools, with the Daily MLB Projections, MLB DFS Rostership Projections, and our MLB DFS Lineup Generator when building those lineups today to help you decide which players you should be targeting.

 

MLB DFS Picks & MLB Playbook

MLB Weather: Thursday, 6/12

Pittsburgh Pirates @ Chicago Cubs

Winds blowing in from left field around 10 MPH. 

 

 

Recommended MLB DFS Starting Pitchers

Let's get into today's core pitching plays for our DFS lineups

Core MLB DFS Pitchers

Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers (FD Only) 

On FanDuel, we have the option playing arguably the best pitcher in baseball against one of the worst offenses in the league against left-handed pitching. The Orioles rank dead last in ISO and wOBA against lefties, and strike out at the 8th-highest rate in the league. Skubal has posted even better numbers this season than his Cy Young campaign last year, with elite strike out and walk totals. 

Framber Valdez, Houston Astros

Framber Valdez gets a plus matchup against the White Sox, who are a below average offense and even worse against lefties. The Astros lefty consistently works deep into games, with six of his previous eight starts lasting at least seven innings. Valdez owns above average strikeout and walk rates, while maintaining his consistently elite groundball rate. He is the clear SP1 on DK and ranks behind only Tarik Skubal on FD. 

Sonny Gray, St. Louis Cardinals

Sony Gray is putting together an excellent season for the Cardinals, with a 3.35 ERA through 13 starts. The strikeouts are well above average at 26.5%, and his walk rate is a career best 4.6%. Gray has reeled off four straight quality starts with two of those outing consisting of double-digit strikeouts. Milwaukee isn't the best strikeout matchup, but they have been a slightly below average offense against righties this season. 

Jameson Taillon, Chicago Cubs

Taillon has quietly put together a solid season for the Cubs, with a 3.54 ERA through 13 starts. He isn't going to overpower anyone at this stage of his career, but he owns an elite 4.7% walk rate. The home run ball has been by far his biggest issue this season (1.89 HR/9 allowed), but he has two huge factors working in his favor today. The Pirates rank dead last in ISO versus right-handed pitching this season, and there are favorable winds blowing in from left field at Wrigley today. 

Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee Brewers

Brewers top pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski is expected to make his MLB debut this evening. The big righty has posted elite strikeout totals in his climb through the minors, with an average fastball velocity of nearly 98 MPH. The walk totals are a little concerning and the matchup is not perfect, but the potential overpowering pitch arsenal gives him plenty of upside. 

Will Warren, New York Yankees

On the surface, Yankees righty Will Warren has an ugly 5.34 ERA, but there is a lot to like in the underlying peripheral stats. He owns a robust 29.4% strikeout rate and all ERA estimators have him as a significantly better pitcher than his ERA suggests. His matchup with Kansas City is better for safety than upside. The Royals strikeout at the 2nd-lowest rate in the league against righties, but they also rank just 27th in ISO. 

 

 

Recommended MLB DFS Hitters

Let's check out today's core plays to build our lineups around.

Core MLB DFS Hitters

Aaron Judge and the Lefties vs. Seth Lugo

Seth Lugo is an above average starting pitcher, but no matchup is perfect today and the Yankees are an elite offense. Aaron Judge is the top hitter on the slate against the low strikeouts of Lugo, but lefties have done the majority of damage against Lugo this season. The Royals righty has allowed a .189 ISO and 9.6% barrel rate to lefties, and the Yankees have an abundance of LH power to take advantage. Check out the numbers versus righties this season from the Yankees lefties: 

Chicago Cubs vs. Andrew Heaney

The weather conditions at Wrigley Field are not ideal for hitting, but this is still a winnable matchup for an elite offense versus lefties. Andrew Heaney has been a reverse splits pitcher this season, allowing a .282 ISO to lefties against a .143 ISO to righties. The Cubs happen to have one of the best lefty-lefty hitters in baseball in Kyle Tucker, who owns a .270 ISO against lefties this season. The power numbers for Heaney were flipped last season, so I am not exclusively hunting for lefties here. Seiya Suzuki has demolished lefties with a .417 ISO this season, while Dansby Swanson (.196 ISO) and Pete Crow-Armstrong (.178 ISO) have flashed above average power. Ian Happ (.365 wOBA) and Nico Hoerner (.368 wOBA) both fit well in a stack given their on-base skills against lefties. 

Houston Astros vs. Davis Martin

The Astros lack power against righties, but they do grade out as a nearly average offense (99 wRC+). Davis Martin has a strikeout rate below 16% and does a far better job keeping the ball on the ground against lefties, so the Astros right-handed heavy lineup could present some issues. Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes would be my top two options, followed by Jeremy Pena. The White Sox bullpen behind Martin has also been shaky with a 4.41 ERA and league-worst 4.66 xFIP. 

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Jacob Misiorowski

No matter how good the pitching prospect, stacking against anyone making their MLB debut is never a terrible idea. This is especially true when there are significant control issues present. Misiorowski has undeniable potential with his triple-digit fastball, but he also owns a 12.3% walk rate at Triple-A that represents his lowest mark since Low-A ball. When you factor in the pressure of a first career big league start, the issues can compound in a hurry. The Cardinals have capable hitters up-and-down the lineup, and not one of them is priced above $4,400 on DK or $3,000 on FD. 

Detroit Tigers vs. Baltimore Orioles (FD Only)

Tigers lefties were among my favorite options on the FanDuel slate when Dean Kremer was scheduled to start for the Orioles. Unfortunately, the Orioles made a savvy move and announced Keegan Akin will open the game, which means Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene are virtually guaranteed to make their first plate appearance against the lefty. Presumably Kremer will work as the bulk reliever, so I am still interested in Carpenter and Greene, but the matchup is not as favorable given the pitching change. 

Player Pool

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Stacks

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