Covering The Bases: MLB DFS Picks Today for Sunday 6/22

by Justin Van Zuiden (stlcardinals84) Last Updated 2025-06-22 14:23:52 Premium Content Part of the product MLB DFS

Long-time grinder, Justin Van Zuiden (aka stlcardinals84), is here to cover the bases for the upcoming MLB DFS slate on DraftKings and FanDuel. Whether you are looking for the top pitchers or the best stacks, Cards has you covered with an extensive deep dive into his favorite MLB DFS picks.

Happy Sunday, Grinders! This Sunday brings us a very small 6-game main slate on DraftKings, while FanDuel has added the ARI/COL game at Coors Field to make it a 7-game slate over there. This is one time where I wish that DK would have included Coors on a Sunday slate, as a 6-game main slate is just a bit too small for my liking. In any case, this is what we have to deal with today given the context of the game start times.

You can see on our MLB weather page that we have another day with elite hitting conditions across the league. This is another slate that is heavily weighted toward the bats, and it may be the worst Sunday pitching slate that I have seen all year. Sundays can often offer some weird lineups, especially since teams may be apt to give players days off in the heat. Be sure to keep an eye on our MLB starting lineups page, and we’ll keep you covered as the lineups roll in.

Let’s dive in and see what this Sunday has to offer!

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Sunday Pitching: MLB DFS Picks on FanDuel & DraftKings

TOP TIER PITCHERS

Logan Gilbert vs. Cubs
Andrew Abbott vs. Cardinals
Chris Bassitt vs. White Sox

I mentioned in the introduction that this could be the worst Sunday pitching slate we have seen all year. Some of that is attributable to this being a smaller main slate than usual, but it’s also just a lack of exciting options. Where are all the good pitchers? We haven’t had much all weekend, and I am a bit jealous that Cheese is probably going to get a super fun pitching slate to break down either tomorrow or Tuesday. However, we all have to deal with the same circumstances, so there is no room for complaining. Let’s start with a look at the 2025 data for today’s “aces.”

Gilbert – 2.55 ERA, 1.64 xFIP, 39.7% K, 5.1% BB (35 innings)
Abbott – 1.84 ERA, 3.94 xFIP, 25.5% K, 7.4% BB
Bassitt – 3.75 ERA, 3.57 xFIP, 22.3% K, 5.4% BB

If all circumstances were equal, Logan Gilbert would be your clear SP1 on a slate like this. It wouldn’t even be a conversation. Unfortunately, all circumstances are not equal. Gilbert has to pitch in Wrigley Field with very similar weather conditions to yesterday, where the Cubs put up double-digit runs and hit 5 home runs. Even in a matchup against an elite pitcher, the Cubs have an implied team total of 6 full runs today. I just can’t endorse an expensive pitcher with an opponent projected for 6 runs. This is a really good Cubs offense, and any moderate fly ball is going to carry in this weather. Gilbert is also making just hit second start since returning from injury — though he did rack up 10 strikeouts in 5 innings in his return. I absolutely can get behind using a little bit of Gilbert in MME GPP builds where you are not playing the Cubs bats, but there is much more risk here than there would be in a favorable matchup.

It is also hot in St. Louis, but the park is not nearly as friendly for hitters. The Reds used a bullpen game on Saturday and needed 8 relievers to cover 11 innings in a tough loss to the Cardinals. They NEED innings from Andrew Abbott in a huge way. The Cardinals have decent metrics against LHP for the year, but they are now missing their top bat in Ivan Herrera, and the lineup is quite lefty-heavy with Brendan Donovan, Alec Burleson, and Lars Nootbaar all hitting from the left side and being 3 of the better bats on the team. Abbott’s advanced metrics continue to suggest negative regression, but I just like the way he lines up against this St. Louis lineup. Abbott won’t project as well on a points-per-dollar basis as some of the other arms, but he has plenty of ceiling and is my GPP SP1 today.

The “safe” choice in this top tier is most definitely Chris Bassitt. Jose Berrios allowed just 2 hits over 7 2/3 innings against a feeble White Sox lineup yesterday, and Bassitt has solid (if unspectacular) metrics across the board. The White Sox aren’t a high-strikeout group, but this is a really good spot for run prevention. Given the nature of this pitching slate, going for safety has some merits. Bassitt is definitely my first choice in cash games.

In short, I have Abbott as my top option in GPP builds and Bassitt as my top option in cash builds. I can’t endorse Gilbert given his salary, his opponent, and the weather conditions, but he does have the highest ceiling if everything breaks his way.

SECONDARY PITCHING OPTIONS

WARNING – DANGEROUS OPTIONS AHEAD

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