MLB DFS DraftKings.com & FanDuel.com Lineups & Picks for May 3, 2018
Baseball is back with a great slate of MLB DFS games scheduled for Thursday, 5/3/18. The main slate on DraftKings includes four games starting at 8:05 p.m. EST. Then, FanDuel’s main slate also includes four games starting at the same time.
For today, we’re listing our top MLB DFS pitchers, hitters, and stacks to target in Cash and GPP lineups on DraftKings and FanDuel. The info below can also be used for crafting your daily fantasy baseball strategy at FantasyDraft.
Please note the advice below is relevant for daily fantasy purposes. A player or team might be better or worse from a fantasy perspective than in real life due to matchup, price, and lots of other factors. This is important to consider when constructing a roster. Remember that more than in other sports, variance is a huge part of baseball. Even Jose Altuve can go 0-for-4 on a given night, and Max Scherzer can get lit up by a weak team.
Weather can also play a huge role in MLB DFS on a nightly basis, and lineups are constantly shifting. So always, always check the starting lineups and weather reports when playing for an MLB slate. If a game gets rained out, your player gets zero points!
5/3/18 MLB DFS TOURNAMENT PICKS
Rally Cap: $8 entry, $200k guaranteed (DraftKings) – $25,000 to 1st!
Fastball: $33 entry, $125k guaranteed (DraftKings)
Squeeze: $4 entry, $100k guaranteed (FanDuel) – $20,000 to 1st!
Grand Slam: $33 entry, $60k guaranteed (FanDuel)
Click here for FantasyDraft MLB DFS Contests – $4 free entry!
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Minnesota Twins (-103) at Chicago White Sox (Over/Under – 9 runs)
Twins RHP Jake Odorizzi ($6.8k, $6.7k) struggled in a few consecutive tough matchups but righted the ship with a quality start against the weak Reds offense. He essentially faces the American League equivalent tonight in a White Sox team that’s struggled for two seasons against righties.
Odorizzi is getting plenty of swings and misses (10.8% swinging strike rate) and has the potential to pay off as a value on DK or a longshot GPP option on FD tonight. That is, if he can exceed his projected FP score according to models on RotoQL.
The White Sox start surprising young RHP Reynaldo Lopez ($7.6k, $7.3k). He is holding batters to an 18.8% line drive rate with a 1.78 ERA despite struggling in his last two outings. Lopez has troubling peripheral numbers (5.26 xFIP and a 4.45 BB/9 ratio), but he’s worth consideration in tournaments against a depleted Twins lineup. It’s struggled with or without slugger Miguel Sano (hamstring) active.
Odorizzi could receive a big bump with thriving White Sox leadoff man Yoan Moncada ($4.4k, $4.1k) ruled out. He was removed with hamstring tightness Wednesday and was making a huge impact with a .357/.413/.714 slash line over his last 10 appearances leading into that contest.
Odorizzi is giving up a 1.89 HR/9 ratio since the start of the 2016 season. That makes boom-bust third baseman Matt Davidson ($4.0k, $3.9k) worth considering in tournaments.
Jose Abreu ($4.1k, $3.8k) could serve as a great Cash play at 1B. And LHB Daniel Palka ($3.6k, $2.6k) may be worth deploying with the platoon advantage in this matchup.
Lopez is allowing a 1.82 HR/9 ratio with a 5.72 FIP in his career against lefties. Thus, Eddie Rosario ($3.7k, $3.3k) and Max Kepler ($3.6k, $3.3k) are worth considering on DK as economical options with upside.
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Boston Red Sox (-140) at Texas Rangers (Over/Under – 9.5)
The hottest hitter in baseball by far, Mookie Betts ($5.7k, $4.6k) slugged three homers to carry Boston in a 5-4 win Wednesday afternoon. He’s now sporting a league-best .489 wOBA and 1.845 OPS to begin a potential MVP campaign. Betts should be worth paying up for as part of a Red Sox stack against LHP Mike Minor.
The Rangers southpaw has posted good numbers in easier matchups, but Betts hit .306 with a 15% BB Rate and 11.6% HR/FB ratio against LHPs last season. Plus, Minor struggles with walks. J.D. Martinez ($5.3k, $4.4k) and Xander Bogaerts ($5.2k, $4.0k) also have great splits against lefties and could thrive in this matchup.
Stick with the high-priced bats if using Red Sox, with Bogaerts leading the charge in Cash games. Betts and Martinez fit into optimal GPP lineups.
David Price ($9.7k, $8.1k) has appeal in tournament formats but is very risky according to the slate-adjusted volatility indicator on RotoQL. Price has posted a 5.02 ERA with a .354 BAA over his last two trips to Arlington.
Targeting Price with cheap righties could pay off. Delino Deshields ($3.5k, $3.0k) has ample upside due to his speed and the fact he hit .319 at Rangers Ballpark last season.
Jurickson Profar ($3.3k, $3.2k) is a boom-bust switch hitter with the potential to do some damage. And Robinson Chirinos ($3.1k, $2.6k) stands out as a good per-dollar option in tournaments on DK.
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Baltimore Orioles (+135) at Los Angeles Angels (Over/Under – 8.5)
Angels RHP Garrett Richards ($9.2k, $7.7k) is throwing flames with a 29.1% K-Rate this season. Yet he’s struggled badly with his control while posting a 6.18 BB/9 ratio and 21/1% HR/FB ratio through six starts. Though because the Orioles have scored the second-fewest runs (100) with the third-highest K-Rate (25.6%) in the Majors this season, Richards is a strong GPP play with the potential for double-digit Ks.
It doesn’t hurt that the Orioles are starting RHP Chris Tillman, who is posting the seventh-highest ERA (7.07) among pitchers with at least 20 IP this season.
Tillman has struggled most often on the road and has been equally vulnerable against RHB and LHB this season, so Mike Trout ($5.9k, $5.4k) could be worth a gamble despite his recent quiet stretch.
Shohei Ohtani ($4.5k, $3.8k) would be one of the few lefties with upside if he cracks the Angels lineup. But you could also consider Luis Valbuena ($3.3k, $2.8k) in tournaments to target Tillman with cheaper lefty bats.
A full Angels stack would require taking chances on slumping lefty Kole Calhoun ($3.2k, $2.3k) or rolling with Ian Kinsler ($3.7k, $3.2k) as he looks to find his groove following his DL stint with a groin injury.
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Oakland Athletics (-120) at Seattle Mariners (Over/Under – 8)
The top option at SP tonight, Sean Manaea ($11.2k, $9.0k) seeks a fourth consecutive win over elite competition. He held the Mariners to 1 ER on 2 hits in a start on April 15. Manaea has since compiled 17 Ks with a single unearned run allowed in wins over the first-place Red Sox and world champion Astros.
With a 5.29 K/BB ratio and 1.03 ERA, Manaea has the floor-ceiling combination that you look for when optimizing Cash lineups on RotoQL.
The Mariners counter with vulnerable southpaw Wade LeBlanc. He allowed a 30.6% line drive rate and 18.8% HR/FB ratio in LvL matchups last season. LeBlanc has been solid this year in a long relief role, but going through a feisty Athletics lineup multiple times is a different story.
Matt Chapman ($4.1k, $3.3k) is worth a look in GPP formats as he looks to break out of his funk in this plus matchup. Stephen Piscotty ($3.4k, $3.1k) is something of a specialist with a .367 wOBA in his career against the platoon. And backstop Jonathon Lucroy ($3.0k, $2.3k) has been dangerous when he gets the chance to hit off lefties.
Jed Lowrie ($4.5k, $4.0k) has the most appeal in Cash games as a consistent switch hitter capable of tagging LeBlanc or the long relievers Seattle goes to eventually.
A couple Mariners could be worth deploying against Manaea as GPP plays with low ownership. Nelson Cruz ($4.0k, $4.0k) is 6-for-16 with 2 HRs and 5 walks in his career against Manaea. The slugger is always capable of taking lefties deep. And Mike Zunino ($3.2k, $3.0k) is a boom-bust option, who could homer or come up with a goose egg in this tough matchup.
