MLB DFS DraftKings.com & FanDuel.com Lineups & Picks for May 13, 2018
Happy Monday, DFSers. We’re back for another full slate of MLB DFS games scheduled for 5/7/18. The main slates on both DraftKings and FanDuel kick off at 1:05 p.m. EST. We’ve got 11 games in play at DraftKings, while FanDuel’s main slate features 10 games.
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.
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Best MLB DFS Pitchers for May 13, 2018
Blake Snell @ BAL ($9.8k DraftKings, $8.5k FanDuel)
The Baltimore Orioles strike out 9.32 times per game, placing them squarely in the bottom 10 in the league. And Snell, over 18.2 career innings against Baltimore (from 2016-2018), has managed to strike out 23 while allowing seven runs. But the real reason DFS players should be excited is that Snell has been an absolute machine this year. Though he’s 4-4, and lost two straight, Snell has not allowed more than two runs in a start over his last six outings. Over that same span, he’s racked up 43 strikeouts. That’s more than seven per game. Given the matchup, Snell is in a terrific position to pick up a victory and snap his losing streak, and his strikeout upside makes him playable across formats and sites. I recommend taking a good look at Snell as a way to save some cap space by pivoting off Kluber, Paxton, and Severino.
Sean Newcomb @ MIA ($9.5k DraftKings, $8.3k FanDuel)
From one lefty to another, Newcomb, like Snell, is priced in the mid-to-high range, relatively speaking, on both DraftKings and FanDuel. He’ll face a Miami team that is average when it comes to avoiding strikeouts. But Newcomb has managed more than five strikeouts in all but one of his seven starts this season. With a strikeout floor of five, you can feel good about rostering him in cash and GPPs, and the Marlins have lost five of their last six. Newcomb has had much better luck than that as of late, notching wins in three consecutive games, including his two most recent outings, which also happened to be shutouts. He’s hot right now, and Miami isn’t. Fire away on Newcomb. At DraftKings, I’m really into the lefty-lefty combo of Newcomb and Snell.
Zach Eflin vs. NYM ($8.8k DraftKings, $7.7k FanDuel)
Eflin made our top plays yesterday, but then rained spoiled that. Today, he’ll have a tougher matchup, as the Mets are rolling out Jacob deGrom. That said, Eflin is still the one who should have more momentum, as the young starter is fresh off a 6.2 inning, 9-strikeout performance against the San Francisco Giants. The Giants have scored the fourth fewest runs in all of Major League baseball this season, but fortunately for Eflin (and fantasy owners), the Mets have scored the third fewest. Eflin has flash strikeout upside in recently, and the Mets strike out at an above average rate per game. With weather still a problem, the ball shouldn’t be popping off the bat in Philly, and I expect Eflin to build upon his last outing against an exploitable Mets offense.
Update: Eflin is not starting today. Aaron Nola is instead. He’s been playing well, with 19 strikeouts over his last two starts combined. He’s actually potentially a better play than Eflin would have been.
Corey Kluber vs. KC ($13.3k DraftKings, $11.2k FanDuel)
Oof, that’s a hefty salary to take on over at DraftKings, but this might be the matchup to do it. The Kansas City Royals got schooled by Mike Clevinger yesterday, allowing the right to last 7.2 innings, striking out five while allowing just two runs in a winning effort. Kluber, Cleveland’s ace, hasn’t had the pleasure of facing off against the Royals since last September, when he spun a 7-inning, three-hit gem with nine strikeouts. He’s going to have to do even better than that to really be worth it on DraftKings, where he is a GPP only play for me. You can roll him in both GPP and cash on FanDuel, however. But keep in mind, the Royals don’t strike out much. In fact, they strike out less than any other team on a per-game average. Kluber, though, is a different breed.
Other pitchers to consider: Kyle Hendricks, Dallas Keuchel, Luis Severino, Jacob deGrom, James Paxton
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Best MLB DFS Hitters for May 13, 2018
Luke Maile vs. BOS ($3.3k DraftKings, $2.8k FanDuel)
Let’s start with a deeper play, Luke Maile. The Toronto Blue Jays catcher bats down in the order (projected to bat eighth, over at RotoQL), which isn’t ideal. But he’s 4-for-8 lifetime against Drew Pomeranz, and, this season, has hit lefties to the tune of a .994 OPS. Pomeranz has allowed right-handed bats to hit for a .319/.371/.650 slash this season, and Maile gets to hit in a batter-friendly park, at home in Toronto. I think just about all right-handed Blue Jays are in play today, but Maile should be atop that radar. His splits, Pomeranz’ splits, and their history suggest this is a good spot to grab up savings.
Mookie Betts @ TOR ($5.8k DraftKings, $4.9k FanDuel)
In 11 at bats against Joe Biagini, Betts has managed six hits (including two home runs) and seven RBIs. In 10 innings in 2018, Biagini has allowed nine runs to the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians combined. The Boston Red Sox have a better offense than both those teams, and I really like the lefty bats, as Biagini is struggling to that side of the plate thus far this season more so than the other. But Betts seems to have Biagini’s number, and he’s managed three multi-hit games over his last five. If you’re paying up for a guy, you want him to be trending in the right direction and, ideally, facing a pitcher he’s had success against in the past. Betts appears to have both going for him, and it makes him a strong GPP play at DraftKings, where I think his price will suppress his ownership. At FanDuel, I really like him in cash, where his salary shouldn’t kill your cap space.
Nolan Arenado vs. MIL ($5.5k DraftKings)
If paying up at the infield spots is more your thing, we’re going back to Nolan Arenado, a day removed from us saying play him. We hope you did. But the circumstances were a bit weird. Instead of getting Chase Anderson, who was scratched from his scheduled start, the Brewers sent out Brent Suter, a weak lefty that Arenado exploited rather seamlessly. But today, Anderson is hoping to start, and I like Arenado for the same reasons I did yesterday. Anderson allows a 25% higher OPS to righties than lefties, and Arenado has four home runs in 27 at bats against the righty. While yesterday I did note that Arenado hadn’t had any big games recently, he corrected that. He’s an elite play in the last game on the slate, but you’ll only be able to roster him at DraftKings, where I like him in GPPs and cash games.
Update: Freddy Peralta will start for the Brewers, as Chase Anderson was placed on the DL this morning. Arenado is still in play, but I think there’s more of a case for Charlie Blackmon now, as the young, hard-throwing Peralta has struggled more against left-handers than right-handers at AAA.
Giancarlo Stanton vs. OAK ($5.2k DraftKings, $4.8k FanDuel)
Giancarlo Stanton is not having a terrific start to his Yankees career, but he is doing one thing exceptionally well: crushing lefties. This season, Stanton has a .612 OPS against RHPs. Against lefties? He’s managed to achieve a 1.538 OPS, driven largely by the fact that six of his 13 hits (in 32 at bats against LHPs) left the yard. Today, he’ll face a soft, soft left-handed pitcher in Brett Anderson. I think the DFS sentiment is to go with Judge, Gregorious, or just about any other chalk Yankee at the moment. But Stanton is the same player as he’s ever been, and he has the same upside he’s always had. Against Anderson, he very well could have his third multi-HR game in the past two weeks, as Anderson has allowed right-handed batters to rack up a 1.176 OPS and two home runs in 29 at bats. Stanton should be on your GPP radar industry wide.
Freddie Freeman @ MIA ($5.3k DraftKings, $4.5k FanDuel)
Jose Urena has allowed four home runs to left-handed batters. Those batters are (with the inning they hit the home run in parenthesis): Cesar Hernandez (1st), Travis Shaw (1st), Ian Happ (1st), Anthony Rizzo (2nd).
It would appear that, especially in the early-going of games, Urena struggles mightily against lefties. The guy who most reminds me of Rizzo and Shaw, specifically, on the Braves team facing Urena today is Freddie Freeman. Freeman will, barring injury, face off against Urena in the first inning, and in 12 career at bats against the RHP, Freeman has five hits, including one double, one triple, and one home run. Urena, is also allowing a 21% higher OPS to right-handed bats vs. left-handed bats. Freeman seems in a prime spot to succeed, and you can roster him in both GPPs and cash games, alike, but he’s especially appealing on FanDuel.
Other hitters to consider: Ender Inciarte, Nick Markakis, Brad Miller, Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, Gary Sanchez, Andrew Benintendi, Rafael Devers, Kevin Pillar, Jose Ramirez, Mike Moustakas, Nick Castellanos, Mitch Haniger, Nelson Cruz, Starling Marte, Adrian Beltre, Alex Bregman, Marwin Gonzalez, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber
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MLB DFS Stacks to Consider for May 13, 2018
Yankees vs. Brett Anderson (Athletics)
Red Sox vs. Joe Biagini (Blue Jays)
Blue Jays vs. Drew Pomeranz (Red Sox)
Astros vs. Matt Moore (Rangers)
Brewers vs. Jon Gray (Rockies)
Rockies vs. Freddy Peralta (Brewers)
