Happy Monday, Rotoballers! With Memorial Day popping up on the calendar, our slates on DraftKings and FanDuel are all over the place. So, for this article, I will be focusing my picks on the featured slate beginning at 7:10 pm Eastern.
DraftKings offers us a six-game slate, while FanDuel gives us the same six on their DFS schedule. Pitching will be sparse, but there's always a way to find value with an arm, a bat, and a stack.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel. I'll give you some of my top pitching options and then some infielders, outfielders, and teams to stack! You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. It's also essential to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. Now that we got all of that out of the way, it's onto the picks!
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Zac Gallen - ARI vs. ARI ($9,400 DraftKings; $10,100 FanDuel)
I'm starting this holiday article with one of the top arms on the slate. To prove how weak pitching is tonight, Zac Gallen leads all 12 starters with a 24.7 percent strikeout rate and 19.7 percent strikeout minus walk rate. Fortunately, he has a soft landing spot with the Braves coming to town. This Atlanta offense scored at least six runs in four games last week, but one good week doesn't buck a season-long trend. In May, the Braves own a 29.3 percent strikeout rate to RHPs and an 85 wRC+. It doesn't sound right to the seasoned fantasy baseball ear to say Zac Gallen is the best pitcher on the slate, but this is what we have to work with on Monday.
Drew Rasmussen - TB at TEX ($10,100 DK; $8,900 FD)
Let's get some strikeout upside in our lineup with Drew Rasmussen. While a 23.7 percent K rate won't capture the headlines, this is still an arm that can put it all together when things are rolling in the right direction. He's recorded back-to-back outings with seven strikeouts against Detroit and Miami and will get another soft matchup on the road against the Rangers. This month, Texas is striking out 27.3 percent of the time versus RHPs and is putting up league-average numbers with a .246/.292/.398 slash line. Don't worry about blowing your budget on pitching tonight. I'm trying to find the most reliable arms and then hit on some low-rostered bats.
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Edwin Rios - 1B, LAD vs. Zach Thompson ($3,700 DK; $2,600 FD)
Edwin Rios received consistent playing time last week and rewarded Dave Roberts' faith in a big way. The left-handed bat went 8-for-27 with three runs, a homer, and three RBI. He's one of the cheaper Dodger bats in a fantastic matchup and is a must-play if you decide to go with a stack from the 2020 World Series Champions.
Trevor Story - 2B, BOS vs Tyler Wells ($5,600 DK; $4,200 FD)
The feel-good story of the month has come from a guy named Trevor. After a disastrous April, the forever calm Red Sox faithful called for their new signing to hit the bench. But now, at the end of May, they are ready to build him a statue behind home plate.
For the 5th time in 4 games, @Tstory2 has gone yard! pic.twitter.com/rztg3VpXg7
— MLB (@MLB) May 22, 2022
That home run was over a week ago. Since then, he's hit two more and is up to nine in May. Admittedly, $5,600 is a lot of cash to splash, but pair him with a cheap Boston bat (continue reading), and it's certainly worth the investment.
Josh Rojas - 3B, ARI vs. Charlie Morton ($4,100 DK; $3,200 FD)
It pains me to pick against Uncle Charlie, but he's been more bad than good in 2022, and he doesn't scare me as he did over the last few years. Rojas has come off the Injured List like a rocket and put together a spectacular May. The Diamondbacks utility man carries a .856 OPS into the matchup with Atlanta and will try to end the month on a high note. This month, he's got three home runs, and they've all come off RHPs.
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Mookie Betts - OF, LAD vs. Zach Thompson ($6,200 DK; $4,500 FD)
I have no idea how I'm supposed to pick anyone else in this spot. Just look at what the former MVP is up to in May.
Mookie Betts: Monthly Splits | |||||
Month | R | HR | RBI | BA | OPS |
April | 19 | 3 | 6 | 0.230 | 0.730 |
May | 30 | 11 | 26 | 0.353 | 1.182 |
If there's a way to slow this man, opposing pitchers haven't figured it out yet. Betts is leading off for the best offense in baseball. He's also facing a pitcher with a 5.67 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, and a 1.35 HR/9. Mookie is expensive, but there's not a safer bet on the slate to provide a return on that cost.
Austin Hays - OF, BAL at Rich Hill ($3,700 DK; $3,000 FD)
I understand Hays plays for the Orioles, but the man deserves more respect than his $3,700 price tag on DK. Over his last seven games, the outfielder has registered three multi-hit efforts, two home runs, six RBI, and five runs to average 10 DK PPG. Rich Hill will not be long for this game, and the Red Sox bullpen seems to worsen by the inning. The Orioles won't be a popular play, making them worthwhile targets in tournaments. Hays and his teammate, Ryan Mountcastle, are under-the-radar DFS targets for me on this six-game schedule.
Franchy Cordero - 1B/OF, BOS vs. Tyler Wells ($3,000 DK; $2,500 FD)
Cordero is heating up at the plate in May and could be worth a speculative add in season-long leagues. However, this is a DFS article, so let's refocus. He's racked up eight extra-base hits and 10 RBI this month, including this mammoth home run that caught the attention of RotoBaller's own Eric Samulski.
I dunno, man. Franchy is gonna make me start to believe https://t.co/G9Fb7EFYZC
— Eric Samulski (@SamskiNYC) May 29, 2022
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (Zach Thompson, RHP)
This doesn't need a lot of explaining. The Dodgers will be money well spent on a slate this small. You'll just have to get a little creative to fit them all in your lineup.
Boston Red Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles (Tyler Wells, RHP)
Another team I expect to beat up the opposition. Devers, Story, and Martinez are all worthy of a premium bat spot in your Memorial Day squads.
Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago Cubs (Drew Smyly, LHP)
Milwaukee isn't having the best time against southpaws in May, but I still like the matchup versus Drew Smyly. Andrew McCutchen is a name to watch in the second game of this doubleheader.