Best MLB DFS Picks Today: Top Value Plays for Monday, June 22
Monday’s MLB main slate is loaded with 13 games and some of the most compelling pitching matchups of the week. The headliner is the Toronto-Houston showdown at 7:07 PM ET, where two of the game’s best strikeout artists go head-to-head. Meanwhile, the Boston-Colorado game checks in with an 11.5-run total — the highest on the slate — and the Milwaukee Brewers head to Cincinnati against one of the most exploitable starting pitchers in the majors. There is no shortage of angles to attack tonight.
On the pitching side, we’re going heavily in this slate. Two arms stand out at different price points, and with the right hitter mix around them, you can build a strong cash game lineup or a tournament-worthy GPP build. For the bats, the Brewers’ matchup against Brady Singer is the stack of the day, with two Milwaukee options at minimum salary making salary relief easy. Here are my top five MLB DFS picks for Monday.
Dylan Cease, SP — Toronto Blue Jays ($10,000 DK / $10,600 FD)
If you’re only paying up for one pitcher tonight, it’s Dylan Cease. The Toronto right-hander has quietly put together one of the best seasons of any starter in the American League, posting a 2.71 ERA, a 2.86 SIERA, and a jaw-dropping 36% strikeout rate through 159 innings. That K rate isn’t a fluke — his elite swing-and-miss fastball and sharp breaking ball have made him one of the most reliable strikeout arms in daily fantasy baseball all year.
Cease draws the Houston Astros tonight, who carry a .247 xwOBA against right-handed pitching — one of the more suppressed marks in the league. The game total sits at 7.0, with Toronto implied at 3.72 runs. Neither side is expected to light up the scoreboard, which is exactly the environment where Cease thrives. His DraftKings salary of $10,000 is a thousand dollars less than Hunter Brown next to him in the same game, and Cease’s strikeout upside gives him a higher ceiling for DFS purposes. He’s a core play in cash and tournaments alike. You can also check DraftKings sportsbook if you’re combining DFS with real-money wagering on tonight’s slate.
Gavin Williams, SP — Cleveland Guardians ($9,300 DK / $10,800 FD)
Williams is the best value arm on the board tonight, and multiple analysts have pointed to him as the standout in his price range heading into Monday’s slate. The Cleveland right-hander comes in with a 3.83 ERA and a 3.42 SIERA — solid numbers across 234 innings — while punching out hitters at a 28% clip. He’s 1,500 dollars cheaper than Hunter Brown on DraftKings with comparable strikeout upside in a far better matchup.
Tonight he faces the Chicago White Sox at home, where the Guardians are installed as -120 favorites. Anthony Kay starts for Chicago and carries a 4.61 ERA with a 5.64 xERA — his underlying metrics suggest he’s been even worse than his surface numbers indicate. The White Sox offense registers a modest .319 xwOBA against right-handed pitching, giving Williams a soft landing spot to pile up strikeouts and keep his pitch count efficient. Cleveland’s implied total of 3.94 runs means Williams’ team should support him, too. For GPP players looking to differentiate from Brown ($10,800 DK), Williams at $9,300 is one of the clearest pivots of the week.
Garrett Mitchell, OF — Milwaukee Brewers (~$3,300 DK)
The Brewers are the best stack on the slate tonight with a team-implied total of 5.38 runs — the highest on the board — and they’re facing Brady Singer, who owns a 5.32 ERA and a 5.79 xERA on the season. Singer’s .367 xwOBA against is borderline unplayable for a pitcher, and left-handed hitters have had a field day against him this year. Mitchell, a left-handed bat, is the prime beneficiary of that matchup.
Since 2024, Mitchell has posted a .350 wOBA, .209 ISO, and 125 wRC+ in 415 plate appearances against right-handed pitching. He’s also clubbed 13 home runs already this season, and his hard-contact profile lines up well against a pitcher giving up fly balls at Singer’s rate. Mitchell is confirmed in Milwaukee’s lineup today and represents a reliable cash game play who also has legitimate GPP upside if he connects for an extra-base hit. Pair him with Cooper Pratt (below) for a Brewers mini-stack that fits comfortably in any salary structure. Looking for more DFS platform options beyond DraftKings and FanDuel? We’ve got you covered.
Cooper Pratt, SS — Milwaukee Brewers ($2,500 DK)
Pratt is one of the best punt plays on today’s slate, and his matchup against Singer makes him even more appealing. The 21-year-old rookie shortstop has made an immediate impact since being called up by Milwaukee, posting a .409 OBP, .348 wOBA, and 121 wRC+ across his first 22 plate appearances in the majors. He’s also swiped three stolen bases in that short window, adding a multi-category scoring path on DraftKings.
At $2,500 on DraftKings, Pratt is one of the cheapest viable plays on the board, and that salary relief opens up room to pay for premium assets at other positions. Stacking him with Garrett Mitchell creates a Brewers mini-stack that capitalizes on the single best hitter’s park matchup of the night. Pratt’s plate discipline — that .409 OBP in limited MLB action — suggests he’s not just riding a hot streak on a .350-plus batting average but genuinely making quality contact and working counts. In a game where Milwaukee is a 9.5-run total with a -162 team line, he gets plenty of opportunities to contribute.
Blaze Jordan, 1B/3B — St. Louis Cardinals (~$2,500 DK)
Jordan is the second near-minimum salary play on this list, and his matchup is arguably the most favorable of any hitter on the board tonight. The Cardinals rookie is facing Merrill Kelly, who has posted a 5.81 ERA, a 7.50 xERA, and a .408 xwOBA against through 236 innings this season. Those numbers rank among the worst for any confirmed starter in tonight’s slate, and St. Louis is implied at 4.66 runs with a strong .344 wOBA against right-handed pitching as a team.
Jordan has been everything St. Louis hoped for since arriving in the majors. In his first 36 plate appearances, he’s hit .300 with a .340 wOBA, 117 wRC+, and a .200 ISO — excellent numbers for a player still establishing himself at the big-league level. He has legitimate power, has driven in seven runs across his early sample, and his hard-hit metrics (93.8 mph exit velocity) back up the production. With Kelly getting shelled on a consistent basis and St. Louis boasting one of the higher implied totals among the mid-range game totals tonight, Jordan at minimum salary is a near-free play with real ceiling. For the best DFS promotions to maximize your bankroll on DraftKings and FanDuel, check out the latest deals available.
Building Your Lineup
The core of tonight’s lineup construction revolves around two decisions: which pitcher to pair with Cease, and how aggressively to stack the Brewers. For cash games, the Cease-Williams pitcher stack is a viable two-SP build if your platform allows it. Williams’ floor is high enough for guaranteed prize pools, and the salary savings versus Hunter Brown give you the flexibility to roster both Mitchell and Pratt at full Brewers stack without compromising the rest of your lineup.
In GPP formats, Jordan becomes a central differentiation piece. He’s still lightly owned in most daily fantasy communities given his small MLB sample, but his talent and today’s matchup against Kelly are too good to ignore at that price. Pairing Jordan with a Cardinals stack trigger — perhaps Tommy Edman or Nolan Arenado if they’re in today’s lineup — gives you an alternative stack pivot off the chalk Milwaukee build. The BOS-COL game at 11.5 is worth a look for late-slate tournaments if you want to get into the Coors Field environment, though the pitchers in that matchup (Jake Bennett and Ryan Feltner) don’t offer the same ceiling as tonight’s top arms. Stick with the salary-compression approach: spend at pitcher, grab the Brewers mini-stack, and plug Jordan in as your free square. Keep an eye on live MLB odds as lineups confirm tonight to see if any late line movement creates additional value opportunities.
Aaron White
Sports Betting Contributor
Aaron White graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. in Economics. His industry experience includes projects for the Chicago Cubs, The Sporting News, and QL Gaming Group. At Hello Rookie, he covers the NFL and NBA from a betting and DFS perspective.
