Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: Best DraftKings MLB Pitcher Picks for June 19 – Bleacher Report

There are some really nice pitching options available on Friday for DraftKings players. It starts with Chris Sale, the long and lanky ace for the Chicago White Sox. He’s been on a tear of late, and he’s averaging 40.2 fantasy points per game in his last four starts. 

That’s a heck of a haul from one pitcher spot for a DK lineup.

“Randy Johnson was my man,” Sale told Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “I watched everything he did. That’s the guy who I wanted to be.”

During his current run, Sale has looked like the Medium Unit. Check out this amazing stat from MLB Stat of the Day:

Chris Sale has struck out 12+ batters in 4 straight games. Since 1914, only Randy Johnson & Pedro Martinez have done it 5 straight games.

— MLB Stat of the Day (@MLBStatoftheDay) June 15, 2015

Sale and the White Sox face the Texas Rangers on Friday, and that’s even more reason to draft Chicago’s lefty. Sale has held current members of the Rangers roster to a collective .193 batting average in his career.

His DK salary is a hefty $11,900, which should be well worth the investment after another double-digit strikeout performance.

Sonny Gray ($10,100) vs. Los Angeles Angels

Not far behind Sale on the list of seemingly can’t-miss pitchers for Friday is the Oakland Athletics’ Sonny Gray. The 25-year-old and the A’s face the division rival Los Angeles Angels on Friday night.

Gray has an ERA of 0.83 in June. It has been the best month in a strong season for Gray. In his last outing, he pitched 7.2 innings against the Angels. He didn’t allow an earned run, and he struck out nine in Oakland’s 8-1 win.

It was the third time this season Gray beat the Angels. He has averaged 30.4 fantasy points in three starts against them. The Halos may hate to see shades of Gray, but DraftKings players should love him on Friday.

Lance McCullers ($8,000) at Seattle Mariners

Another young stud pitcher who is facing an opponent for the second straight time is the Houston Astros’ Lance McCullers. The left-hander threw five hitless and scoreless innings in his last outing against the Seattle Mariners.

Seattle is tied with the Milwaukee Brewers for last in team batting average and tied for 28th in runs scored, and it has the fourth-most strikeouts of any team in the majors.

Judging by the consistency McCullers has shown (at least 20 fantasy points in four of his six starts) and the struggles the Mariners have had at the plate, the Astros rookie has a favorable matchup.

Budget Picks

Tyler Lyons ($6,800) at Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies are another struggling team offensively. They are tied for 27th in the majors in batting average and dead last in runs scored.

That’s not good luck heading into a series against the team with the best record in MLB. The St. Louis Cardinals will send Tyler Lyons to the mound for just the fifth time this season. His production hasn’t been stellar in the limited action he’s seen.

Lyons is averaging just 13.6 FPPG, but he did put up 20.6 in his last start against the Kansas City Royals. Don’t expect a complete game, but six or seven innings of solid pitching seems very realistic.

Lyons has 23 strikeouts in just 18 innings. He should fan his share of Phillies, work moderately deep into the game and ultimately earn the four-point bonus for winning the decision.

Rubby De La Rosa ($6,000) vs. San Diego Padres

After four straight starts that raised his ERA, Rubby De La Rosa came up with a much-needed gem in his last outing.

He pitched eight scoreless innings and struck out six in his best performance of the year against the Angels. On Friday, De La Rosa and the Arizona Diamondbacks host the San Diego Padres. 

The Padres have lost four of their last five games and scored just 13 runs over that span. This is the right time to face them.

De La Rosa was as sharp as he’s been all season in his last start. I like him to continue to build on his recent outing and to generate another strong performance for DK players on Friday.

All stats per ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.

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