MLB DFS DraftKings.com & FanDuel.com Lineups & Picks for May 5, 2018
Happiest of Cinco de Mayos to everyone. We’re back for another full slate of MLB DFS games scheduled for Saturday, 5/5/18. The main slate on DraftKings includes 10 games starting at 7:10 p.m. EST, while FanDuel’s main slate also includes 10 starting at the same time.
For today, we’re listing our top MLB DFS picks at pitcher, hitter, 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 Mike Trout can go 0-for-4 on a given night, and Max Scherzer can get lit up by an unsuspecting 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.
5/5/18 MLB DFS TOURNAMENT PICKS
Slugfest de Mayo: $8 entry, $225k guaranteed (DraftKings) – $50,000 to 1st!
Rally Cap: $8 entry, $100k guaranteed (DraftKings) – $10,000 to 1st!
MLB Lime Squeeze: $5.55 entry, $100k guaranteed (FanDuel) – $20,000 to 1st!
Cinco de Cinco: $55 entry, $125k guaranteed (FanDuel) – $25,000 to 1st!
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Best MLB DFS Pitchers for May 5, 2018
Chad Bettis @ NYM ($7.7k DraftKings, $6.4k FanDuel)
Let’s get to it: I think Bettis is a very strong leverage play today in GPPs. His strikeouts aren’t massive, as he hasn’t exceeded five in a single start this year, which basically goes in the exact opposite direction of my last sentence. But Bettis has made a turn recently, specifically on the road. Over his last four road starts, he’s 3-1, having exceeded 40 FanDuel points twice and 22 DraftKings points twice. His walks are under control (no more than two in each of his last five outings), and even though he’s a fly ball pitcher, Citi Field is quite hospitable to his kind. Bettis is an excellent leverage play at FanDuel where you can take massive savings. At DraftKings, the savings are quite good and can help you average down from the highest salary tier for your second pitcher position.
Charlie Morton @ ARI ($10.9K DraftKings, $10.0k FanDuel)
Charlie Morton being the top-ranked pitching option at DraftKings and FanDuel according to RotoQL is unsurprising. He’s looked incredible this season, and in his lone road start of the year—a cruise-control outing at Seattle—he spun seven innings of 8-strikeout, 3-hit baseball. The Diamondbacks are better than the Mariners, but the Astros are better than both of them. And Charlie Morton looks genuinely elite. The Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Angels are the only teams to score against him this season, and it does worry me that the D-Backs are probably a better offense than the Angels.
But the Diamondbacks have the sixth highest strikeouts per game, unlocking some upside for Morton. After all, he struck out eight Mariners, and that team has the second fewest strikeouts per game. Morton is a Cash and GPP play across platforms, though I’ll likely fade him on FanDuel for the most part, as I really do think I’ll be drastically over-indexing on Bettis. I love the Morton-Bettis duo on DraftKings. It’s actually a very interesting Cash play, considering both have played well on the road this season, albeit in a limited sampling.
Tyler Skaggs @ SEA ($7.8k DraftKings, $7.4k FanDuel)
Speaking of Seattle, Tyler Skaggs gets them at Safeco, a pitcher’s dream. The Mariners, again, don’t strike out a lot (again, at the second lowest rate on a per game basis), which limits Skaggs’ upside. While I’m fading him on FanDuel, given I like other guys better (ahem, Chad Bettis), I do think he can return at a decent multiple at DraftKings, where he’s really not priced like a guy who scored 22.75 and 21 DK points against the Houston Astros and New York Yankees, respectively, in his last two outings. He’s very clearly on a bit of a tear, allowing two runs to the Yankees (though he struck out eight) and shutting out the Astros, an offense that rivals many of the elite over the past decade. Seattle is a good club, but I’m rolling the dice on Skaggs in DK, specifically in GPPs. I don’t think many will want to roster him, but I like having Skaggs as a late-game ace in the hole.
Kevin Gausman @ OAK ($7.0k DraftKings, $7.9k FanDuel)
It feels like this slate is a bit of an exercise in picking the right hot hand. Like Morton and Skaggs, Gausman has been good very good recently, allowing five runs over his last 19.2 innings. Meanwhile, the Oakland Athletics have the third highest average of strikeouts per game over their last 10 out of all offenses on the slate. And the A’s, perhaps unsurprisingly, aren’t scoring runs, as they failed to score more than four in a game over their last six. While the Orioles concern me, and are bad at baseball right now, Gausman ranks as the second highest pitcher rating over at RotoQL, both for FanDuel and DraftKings. I prefer him on the latter, specifically in GPPs alongside Morton, or an even deeper stab if you’re trying to really differentiate and/or take savings. I’d also like to call out his opposing pitcher, Trevor Cahill. I like Baltimore and Gausman’s chances in this one.
Other pitchers to consider: Tyler Mahle, Cole Hamels, Zack Greinke, Jameson Taillon, Jhoulys Chacin, Caleb Smith
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Best MLB DFS Hitters for May 5, 2018
Ronald Acuna Jr. vs. SF ($4.8k DraftKings, $4.1k FanDuel)
Acuna Jr. has racked up five multi-hit games over his last eight, including two home runs, five doubles, five RBIs, and a stolen base. The 20-year-old has proven himself to be a dynamic player who can contribute in multiple ways. And DFS sites are noticing, with his prices elevating, especially on DraftKings where he’s $4.8k. His price is much more reasonable at FanDuel, but he’s a strong option across the industry. Acuna faces Giants lefty Ty Blach, and Acuna happens to be 3-for-7 against lefties this season with a 1.429 OPS. He also ranks no. 2 at RotoQL across all hitters in terms of matchup. Unless you think Blach and the Giants are the team to slow Acuna down, you should consider him in Cash and GPPs everywhere.
Logan Morrison @ CWS ($3.3k DraftKings, $2.6k FanDuel)
This Minnesota Twins roster is lifetime 20-for-60 against Hector Santiago, which is why they’re listed in our top stacks for the slate below. But two Twins stand out most. First, Logan Morrison. The veteran slugger is 2-for-5 against Santiago lifetime, which wouldn’t mean much except for the fact that the two hits left the yard. Morrison is very much a stab in the dark. Basically, do you think he is going to hit a home run? History says there’s probably a better-than-average chance. The ballpark also doesn’t hurt. And it’s supposed to be quite warm in Chicago tomorrow. Oh, and did you see the Twins have a little home run derby last night? Morrison, too, is on a roll, with two home runs in two games at U.S. Cellular over the past two days. I think he sees a third before this series is over. He’s not priced anywhere close to a guy who is crushing the ball at a hitter-friendly field against weak opposition.
Brian Dozier @ CWS ($4.3k DraftKings, $3.3k FanDuel)
While I was writing this, Dozier was busy going yard last night. Tonight he gets a weak lefty in Hector Santiago. Across 13 at bats against Santiago, Dozier has managed a 1.044 OPS, and last season he battered lefties to the tune of a 1.057 OPS. In 2018, his OPS against left-handed pitchers is roughly 25% higher than against righties. As mentioned while pleading Morrison’s case, it will likely be a very warm afternoon in Chicago. I expect, given the pitching matchup between Santiago and Lance Lynn, balls to fly out of the yard. Everything adds up for this Twins lineup, but Dozier has a bit more going for him given BvP and his lefty-splits.
Jose Bautista vs. SF ($3.6k DraftKings, $3.0k FanDuel)
I know, I know. Four hitters from two teams. But it seems arbitrary for me to not recommend a strong play just because I already recommended someone else from the same team. Enter (or should I say re-enter) Jose Bautista, a veteran slugger who couldn’t find a home until the Braves gave him a shot. Now playing third base and playing in a uniform other than the Toronto Blue Jays, this debut can go one of two ways for “Joey Bats.” First, he can show his rust and give you a goose egg. As such, he’s a GPP play only. However, he could also have a triumphant return. He should be fresh, considering he hasn’t played a big league game this year. He’s 37 and a grizzled veteran, and he’s facing a lefty. With a career .858 OPS against lefties, it seems a triumphant return against a weaker lefty in Ty Blach is a pretty convincing narrative. But keep it to tournaments.
Manny Machado @ OAK ($4.9k DraftKings, $4.7k FanDuel)
Trevor Cahill has been remarkably successful thus far in Oakland, which is a definitive departure from his dismal end to last season. But Manny Machado, prior to the start of this series in Oakland, racked up 15 hits over his last 10 games. And his 1.100 OPS against right-handed pitchers this season should strike some level of fear into his opponent, even a veteran like Cahill. To add to his case, Machado is 14-for-46 with two home runs at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum over the past three seasons, which doesn’t hurt the argument. I anticipate a big day out of this Orioles ball club, a team that has drastically underperformed this season, even with all the competition in the AL East. Machado should be the one leading the way as Cahill is due for some major swings in the wrong direction. He’s also the top-ranked SS at RotoQL in terms of matchup.
Mookie Betts @ TEX ($5.9k DraftKings, $5.4k FanDuel)
Most in search of DFS advice don’t like seeing chalk, but I’d be remiss not to include Mookie Betts here. He’s a world-beater against lefties, as his 1.462 OPS vs. south paws suggests. He’s absolutely tearing the seams off the ball as of late, with five home runs over his last three games, including a three-HR performance to really kick off the power-streak. Cole Hamels is obviously a solid veteran, but it’s going to be a scorcher in Arlington tomorrow, and Betts is 1-for-3 lifetime against Hamels with a home run. Given all the savings that can be found by stacking Twins, Braves, as well as the inexpensive pitchers in strong positions, you should have room to afford Betts if you really want to. And I think you really want to.
Other hitters to consider: Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon, Eddie Rosario, Jason Castro, Ozzie Albies, Daniel Palka, Max Stassi, Hanley Ramirez, Christian Villanueva, Rafael Devers, Alen Hanson, J.D. Martinez, Mike Trout, Andrew McCutchen
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MLB DFS Stacks to Consider for May 5, 2018
Twins vs. Hector Santiago (White Sox)
Orioles vs. Trevor Cahill (Athletics)
Braves vs. Ty Blach (Giants)
White Sox vs. Lance Lynn (Twins)
