Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: Best MLB Pitcher Stats, Picks for June 18
Have you thrived all week in daily fantasy? Thursday is the perfect day to keep that trend going before the weekend. Had a rough fantasy week? Thursday is the day to turn it all around.
Either way, DraftKings owners have a great chance of winning on Thursday with a limited slate of games. Before setting your roster, here's a look at the best MLB pitcher stats and picks for June 18, starting with one of the hottest young hurlers in the game.
Chris Archer, Tampa Bay Rays ($10,500)
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Chris Archer has been masterful on the mound. Not just any pitcher is worth the price that DraftKings is asking, but Archer has lived up to the billing. His salary has actually drastically dropped since his last start after he allowed an alarming three runs. (That was sarcasm.)
A huge part of him being a fantasy stud is his ability to make batters whiff on nearly every pitch. Ironically enough, he faces a Washington Nationals team that is tied for ninth in team strikeouts (509). If you're going to pay a high price for a pitcher, make sure it's Archer.
Zack Greinke, Los Angeles Dodgers ($9,900)
The Los Angeles Dodgers struggled early against the Texas Rangers, but Zack Greinke can deal with the heat. After all, he has been on fire recently outside of one poor outing at Coors Field. Unfortunately, he hasn't gotten the run production in return from his club.
Greinke has six quality starts in his last seven outings, but he's been rewarded with two losses and no wins over that stretch. At home in the friendly confines of Dodgers Stadium—where he averages over 20 fantasy points per game—look for Greinke to finally get that elusive win.
Shelby Miller, Atlanta Braves ($8,500)
He might not have the longevity of Greinke or the electric stuff of Archer, but Shelby Miller is still a great option for fantasy owners. When he's on, Miller has the capability of being a clear-cut No. 1 who averages over 25 fantasy points.
Recent numbers, however, don't reflect that for the Braves starter.
Miller has been up-and-down over his last five outings and has a 0-1 record, but has gone over six innings in four of those starts. Toeing the rubber at Turner Field, where he has a 1.59 ERA, and against the Boston Red Sox, who rank 20th in runs scored, saving money on Miller seems like a solid choice.
Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers ($7,900)
Will the real Justin Verlander please stand up? His 2014 campaign was a major disappointment and he finally took the mound for the first time this past weekend in 2015. While it wasn't great, Verlander looked good with his fastball touching the mid-90s.
At a salary hit of just under $8,000, grabbing Verlander is like getting a mystery beer on trivia night at a bar. It's not a lock that it's going to be great, but the price is right. With so many big bats on tap for Thursday night, locking up Verlander could pay dividends against an inconsistent Cincinnati Reds team.
Mike Montgomery, Seattle Mariners ($5,400)
David Price. Chris Archer. Jake Odorizzi. If the Rays have proved anything, it's that they know how to groom young pitchers. With Mike Montgomery being traded over to the Seattle Mariners, he's shown early on that he can be a consistent starter for the M's.
His first two outings ended with tough luck as he gave up just three earned runs over 13 innings and didn't earn a win. But his first road start ended with a win against the red-hot Houston Astros. Facing off with a San Francisco Giants team that has been stymied on a regular basis recently, Montgomery is great bargain-bin starter.
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