MLB DFS DraftKings & FanDuel Fantasy Lineups & Picks for May 22, 2018
We’ve got a great slate of MLB DFS games scheduled for Tuesday, 5/22/18. The main slate on DraftKings includes 15 games starting at 7:05 p.m. EST, and the FanDuel main slate also includes 15 starting at the same time.
For today, we’re listing our best 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. 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 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! There are several weather concerns tonight, so please check the weather reports as we get closer to lineup lock.
5/22/18 MLB DFS TOURNAMENT PICKS
Bat Flip: $150 entry, $500k guaranteed (DraftKings) – $100,000 to 1st!
Rally Cap: $8 entry, $250k guaranteed (DraftKings)
Grand Slam: $222 entry, $444k guaranteed (FanDuel) – $100,000 to 1st!
Rally: $9.99 entry, $100k guaranteed(FanDuel)
Click here for FantasyDraft MLB DFS Contests – $4 free entry!
OPTIMIZE YOUR MLB DFS LINEUPS! TRY ROTOQL FOR FREE! CLICK HERE NOW!
Best MLB DFS Pitchers for May 22, 2018
Gerrit Cole vs. SF ($12.9k DraftKings, $11.8k FanDuel)
Thankfully, Gerrit Cole sees a decent drop in price after looking human against the dangerous Angels offense. But now he faces a Giants team that posted the lowest collective wOBA (.296) in the Majors last year and is posting the second-highest K-Rate (27.1%) over the last 14 days. Cole is sporting the second-highest K/9 ratio (13.57) in the Majors, a huge jump from the 8.49 K/9 ratio he posted with Pittsburgh last year. He flashed his insane upside with a 16-strikeout game at struggling Arizona earlier this month. Current Giants have more Ks (22) than hits (21) with a weak .644 OPS over 86 career at-bats against Cole, who leads all SP with a projection of 34.9 FD points tonight on RotoQL.
Garrett Richards vs. TOR ($7.8k DraftKings, $8.5k FanDuel)
After holding the world champion Astros scoreless over seven innings in his last start, Garrett Richards is a good Cash option at home tonight against the struggling Blue Jays. Toronto is posting the fourth-lowest collective batting average (.223) with the fourth-highest K-Rate (25.9%) over the last 14 days. This is not surprising with two of their better hitters inactive in Steve Pearce and Randal Grichuk. Then, Teoscar Hernandez and Josh Donaldson both seem limited by nagging injuries. We’re seeing a slight increase in velocity and a career-best 27% K-Rate from Richards. He is also posting a stellar 14.9% line drive rate. He’s capable of piling up strikeouts in a favorable matchup and is projected to exceed value by a wider margin in the optimizer on RotoQL.
Jameson Taillon vs. CIN ($7.3k DraftKings, $7.8k FanDuel)
While he’s been struggling overall and had to leave a start early due to a finger injury, there’s no denying Jameson Taillon has the most upside of any Pirates pitcher right now. He’s well worth deploying in tournaments against a weak Reds offense. He happened to hold them to 1 hit and 2 walks in a CGSO last month. Taillon is posting a solid 18.7% line drive rate, leading to a .241 BAA, but he’s been plagued by the long ball. Plus, he’s struggled recently with his control. He’s been much better at home in that regard with a 4.83 K/BB ratio over five outings this season and could put it all together in a rematch with this weak divisional foe.
Other pitchers to consider: Chris Sale, Trevor Bauer, Luke Weaver, Kevin Gausman, Domingo German
FREE $4 ENTRY AT FANTASYDRAFT! CLICK HERE TO CLAIM!
Best MLB DFS Hitters for May 22, 2018
Manny Machado @ CWS ($5.5k DraftKings, $4.8k FanDuel)
It’s a shame to see Manny Machado having yet another outstanding statistical season on a team that’s going nowhere. Fortunately for him, however, his Orioles face an even more inept White Sox team that’s sending aging RHP James Shields to the bump. With the highest BB Rate (10.6%) and SIERA (5.32) of his career, Shields is still struggling despite a decrease in hard contact. Meanwhile, Machado is 10-for-29 (.345) with 4 doubles and 2 HRs over his last seven appearances. He’s proven more deadly with a .359 average, .451 wOBA, and 21.7% HR/FB ratio when facing RHPs this season. That partially explains why he’s projected for a healthy 14.9 FPs tonight on RotoQL.
Ender Inciarte @ PHI ($4.5k DraftKings, $3.4k FanDuel)
The Braves are a really tough draw for Phillies RHP Vince Velasquez, who is struggling with his control and allowing LHB to hit .310 with a 3.04 HR/9 ratio so far this season. Now, Ender Inciarte isn’t necessarily the best candidate to homer off Velasquez. Yet he still has plenty of upside with a team-high 18 stolen bases, almost equaling his total of 22 SB from last season already. He won’t miss any time after colliding with the wall on Saturday and is poised to spark the Braves’ stellar offense with a .330 wOBA and 103 wRC+ when facing RHPs this season.
Matt Chapman vs. SEA ($4.3k DraftKings, $3.6k FanDuel)
After going cold for a spell, Matt Chapman is rolling once again. He’s managed multiple hits in four of his last seven appearances. He should be able to keep it going tonight against RHP Mike Leake, who somehow gave up 6 runs (5 ER) to the Rangers’ anemic offense in his last outing. Leake is posting a 91.2% Z-Contact Rate with the highest line drive rate (22%) of his career. Also, he’s giving up a 1.81 HR/9 ratio when facing righties this season. Chapman boasts a .240 ISO mark and 17.9% HR/FB ratio in RvR matchups and is a good bet for production with a 43.2% hard contact rate overall.
Domingo Santana vs. ARI ($3.5k DraftKings, $2.3k FanDuel)
With Ryan Braun (back) on the 10-day DL, Domingo Santana has a clear path to steady playing time. He’s a boom-bust candidate to consider tonight against the Diamondbacks’ unproven RHP Matt Koch. Santana is rocking a 27% HR/FB ratio with a 31.4% K-Rate throughout his MLB career. Koch has been worse in RvR matchups throughout his short career, allowing a 2.03 HR/9 ratio and 43.5% hard contact rate when facing righties. He’s been lit up overall with a 92.4% Z-Contact Rate over three seasons and makes for a great target if you’re willing to stack Brewers in GPP formats.
Other hitters to consider: Mookie Betts, Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Ramirez, Brian Dozier, George Springer, Ronald Acuna Jr., Lorenzo Cain, Asdrubal Cabrera, Eric Hosmer, Adam Jones, Jonathan Lucroy
FREE DFS LINEUP OPTIMIZER TRIAL! CLICK FOR 7 FREE DAYS AT ROTOQL!
MLB DFS Stacks to Consider for May 22, 2018
Braves vs. Vince Velasquez (Phillies)
Astros vs. Andrew Suarez (Giants)
Indians vs. Tyler Chatwood (Cubs)
Brewers vs. Matt Koch (Diamondbacks) – GPP
Orioles vs. James Shields (White Sox)
$100,000 TO 1ST TONIGHT IN MLB DFS! CLICK HERE TO DRAFT YOUR LINEUP!
