FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball Helper: Monday 6/7/21

The beauty of daily fantasy baseball is that the top targets are different each and every day. Whether it's the right-handed catcher who destroys left-handed pitching or the mid-range hurler facing a depleted lineup, you're not going to find yourself using the same assets time after time.

While this breaks up the monotony, it can make it hard to decide which players are primed to succeed on a given day. We can help bridge that gap.

In addition to our custom optimal lineups, you can check out our batting and pitching heat maps, which show the pieces in the best spot to succeed on that slate. Put on the finishing touches with our games and lineups page to see who's hitting where and what the weather looks like, and you'll have yourself a snazzy-looking team to put up some big point totals.

If you need help getting started on that trek, here are some of the top options on the board today. We'll be focusing exclusively on the main slate.

Pitching Breakdown

Today's slate is a meager three games, so it's not as if we're going to get a loaded barrel of options to choose from. With that in mind, the top options are Nick Pivetta ($9,300), Dylan Bundy ($7,300), Jackson Kowar ($6,400).

Pivetta's consistency might just be the most surprising thing about him this season. From a fantasy perspective, the 28-year-old has been stellar, racking up at least 27 FanDuel points in all but one of his 11 starts, including 36-plus in five of his last seven. Pivetta currently sports a rock-solid 27.4% strikeout rate, and his 3.77 ERA is backed up by a 3.69 xERA and 4.14 SIERA, according to FanGraphs.

The right-hander has done an excellent job keeping the ball in the yard this season, ceding just 0.60 homers per nine innings so far. Pivetta and the Boston Red Sox will be squaring off against a Miami Marlins offense that has an 87 wRC+ against righties, which is tied for the eighth-worst mark in the league. Their 25.9% strikeout rate in that split is tied for fifth-worst.

Meanwhile, Bundy has been atrocious recently for the Los Angeles Angels. Over his last four starts, the righty has surrendered a whopping 21 earned runs in just 15.1 innings of work. But alas, it's a three-game slate, so some consideration here is warranted. The 28-year-old actually possesses respectable peripherals, as his 3.98 xERA and 3.95 SIERA imply that he's been extremely unlucky (his actual ERA is 6.49). Perhaps a turnaround is in short order against a Kansas City Royals squad that's a hair below-average versus righties. Bundy did top 30 FanDuel points in five of his first six starts in 2021.

Finally, we have Kansas City's fourth-ranked prospect, Jackson Kowar, making his Major League debut. The 33rd overall pick in 2018, Kowar was dominating in Triple-A prior to getting the call. Through six starts and 31.2 innings, the 24-year-old racked up 41 punchouts and just 10 walks while giving up only 3 earned runs and not allowing a homer to any of the 121 batters he faced.

While those numbers for Kowar are certainly impressive, his 90% left-on-base percentage, as well as not allowing any dongs on a 44.1 fly-ball percentage implies that he was in a bit over his head. That's not to say that he can't have a solid outing -- since Mike Trout went down, the Angels' 25.7% strikeout rate against righties is the 10th-worst mark in the league.

Stacks to Target

Boston Red Sox

Pablo Lopez was supposed to start for the Miami Marlins tonight, but he was scratched and will instead start tomorrow. Whether Miami opts to go with a bullpen game or call a pitcher up from the minors, they will be in a bad spot against an elite lineup in one of the toughest parks for pitchers. According to FantasyPros, Fenway is the third-friendliest park for hitters this season.

The Red Sox have a number of hitters who have absolutely destroyed opposing hurlers in 2021. J.D. Martinez ($4,100), Rafael Devers ($3,800), and Xander Bogaerts ($3,500) each have an OPS better than .910, an ISO higher than .215, and a wRC+ greater than 140 in 234-plus plate appearances this season. Alex Verdugo ($3,300) is getting on base at a near-.350 clip (.348, to be exact) and has just a 12.3% strikeout rate through 227 trips to the plate in 2021.

Hunter Renfroe ($3,000) has 17 hits (9 for extra bases) and 11 runs scored over his last 10 games. He and Marwin Gonzalez ($2,500) are worthy of consideration in any Boston stacks. Christian Arroyo ($2,300) is batting leadoff and can be included as well.

Kansas City Royals

If you opt not to roster Dylan Bundy at pitcher, targeting him with Kansas City's hitter is certainly a viable strategy.

Though his peripherals imply that he's been unlucky this season, Bundy is giving up an average of 2.1 dongs per nine frames while also sporting a whip of 1.32. Both of those are the highest marks of any starter tonight.

While the Angels' starter has been generous to hitters from both sides of the plate, lefties have averaged fewer strikeouts and more homers and have posted a higher batting average and OPS against him. That puts Andrew Benintendi ($3,600), Carlos Santana ($4,100), and -- to a lesser extent -- Nicky Lopez ($2,300) in play.

Benintendi, in particular, is a player I'd target in stacks or as a standalone play tonight. On the season, the lefty has gotten on base at a .388 clip when he's had the platoon advantage, while also posting a wRC+ of 148. The former Red Sox outfielder is hitting .346 with an OPS of .908 in 150 plate appearances since April 23. He's swatted six round-trippers while driving in 25 during that stretch.

Of course, Salvador Perez ($3,400) has clubbed 14 homers and driven in 40 this season. He, too, should garner consideration for any stacks.

Honorable Mention

The Chicago Cubs are facing southpaw Ryan Weathers tonight, and they have a number of hitters who have raked against lefties.

Since 2018 versus left-handed pitchers, Kris Bryant ($4,300) has a .351 ISO and 1.124 OPS, and Javier Baez ($3,900) has marks of .269 and .869, respectively.

Willson Contreras ($3,100) is sitting at .239 and .898, respectively. Meanwhile, Patrick Wisdom ($2,700) has 7 dongs and 10 RBI over his last 34 plate appearances, and riding the hot hand is often the correct strategy.