MLB DFS DraftKings & FanDuel Fantasy Lineups & Picks for May 25, 2018
We’ve got a great slate of MLB DFS games scheduled for Friday, 5/25/18. The main slate on DraftKings includes 14 games starting at 7:05 p.m. EST, and the FanDuel main slate also includes 14 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!
5/25/18 MLB DFS TOURNAMENT PICKS
Medium 8’s: $88 entry, $375k guaranteed (DraftKings) – $50,000 to 1st!
Rally Cap: $8 entry, $225k guaranteed (DraftKings)
Grand Slam: $44 entry, $100 guaranteed (FanDuel) – $20,000 to 1st!
Rally: $9.99 entry, $100k guaranteed(FanDuel)
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Best MLB DFS Pitchers for May 25, 2018
Max Scherzer @ MIA ($14.0k DraftKings, $12.0k FanDuel)
Paying up for pitching has long been the standard in MLB DFS contests, and there is no SP on the same level as Max Scherzer right now. The Nationals ace has registered double-digit strikeouts in seven of his 10 outings this year. He also has 39 Ks over his last three outings to lead the MLB with a 14.25 K/9 ratio. What’s more, he leads qualified pitchers with a 1.79 FIP and 2.05 SIERA this season. Tonight, he’ll face arguably the worst team in the Majors on paper in Miami. They rank dead last in collective wOBA (.279) and ISO mark (.113) with a 24.1% K-Rate when facing RHPs this year. Scherzer should have little trouble meeting his projection of 28.4 DK points, according to models on RotoQL.
James Paxton vs. MIN ($11.9k DraftKings, $9.7k FanDuel)
With insane strikeout upside and the ability to go deep into ball games, James Paxton could serve as a decent consolation if you can’t afford Scherzer tonight. Current Twins are just 9-for-55 (.164) with 17 Ks in their careers against Paxton. Also, Minnesota is posting the sixth-highest K-Rate (24.6%) in the Majors when facing LHPs this season. Paxton’s ground ball rate (32.2%) is way down, but so is his SIERA (3.13) due to clutch pitching and a lack of walks. He’s eighth in the Majors with an 11.35 K/9 ratio and has the same potential as Scherzer given the fact he’s thrown a no-hitter and registered 16 Ks in different starts this season.
Reynaldo Lopez @ DET ($7.5k DraftKings, $6.4k FanDuel)
His breakout year is being wasted on a team that offers limited run support, but Reynaldo Lopez has a chance to earn a second straight win. It helps the Tigers are sending vulnerable Mike Fiers to the mound at home. Fiers is posting a 5.43 FIP with a 2.08 HR/9 ratio and should give up production to even the anemic White Sox offense. Lopez has been inconsistent in terms of strikeouts but generally solid with a 2.98 ERA and 18% line drive rate. He’s posting an 8.8% HR/FB ratio throughout his three-year career and is learning situational pitching with a 78.3% strand rate this season. He took a hard luck loss after allowing one unearned run in an April start against the Tigers, so he should fare better if he has a strong outing tonight.
Other pitchers to consider: Luis Severino, Noah Syndergaard, Patrick Corbin, Sean Manaea, Zach Eflin
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Best MLB DFS Hitters for May 25, 2018
Ozzie Albies @ BOS ($5.3k DraftKings, $4.6k FanDuel)
One of the brightest young stars in the game today, Ozzie Albies is even more dangerous when he switches over to the right side when facing LHPs. Red Sox southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez has been shaky at times and is not trustworthy in a brutal matchup against a Braves team that leads the Majors with a collective .287 average and .359 wOBA off lefties this season. Albies is 22-for-56 (.407) with a stellar .510 wOBA and a 25% HR/FB ratio when facing LHPs. He leads all infielders with a projection of 11.3 FPs tonight on RotoQL and will look to play some “wall ball” in his first trip to Fenway Park.
Matt Adams @ MIA ($4.0k DraftKings, $4.2k FanDuel)
The Marlins’ answer to Max Scherzer is RHP Jose Urena, who is 0-7 with a 4.55 ERA so far this season. Urena’s peripheral stats are decent, but he’s giving up a 1.42 HR/9 ratio and a 42.3% hard contact rate when facing the platoon this season. Clearly, Bryce Harper is the premier LHB to pay up for in Washington’s lineup, yet Matt Adams has worked his way into nightly GPP consideration with a .374 ISO mark and 34.5% HR/FB ratio off RHP this season. Adams is posting a 27% line drive rate overall and should be in the lineup tonight given Urena’s struggles against the platoon.
Gerardo Parra vs. CIN ($3.9k DraftKings, $3.2k FanDuel)
Gerardo Parra has worked his way into a bigger role for the Rockies and remains under priced on DK as Colorado welcomes the last-place Reds to Coors Field. Cincy RHP Sal Romano is posting a 6.01 FIP while allowing LHBs to post a .406 and a 27.5% line drive rate this year. Parra has good peripheral numbers against the platoon with a 32.3% hard contact rate and 24% line drive. Thus, it’s not particularly surprising that the results have started to come in. He’s hitting .344 with 2 HRs and 3 SB this month and has a good floor with decent upside as a member of the Rockies’ dangerous lineup. Should he be replaced by David Dahl, then Dahl makes for a good play as well.
Rafael Devers vs. ATL ($3.4k DraftKings, $3.6k FanDuel)
The Red Sox are heating up again, and there’s a good chance their bats continue to thrive with temperatures expected in the 80s tonight at Fenway Park. Braves RHP Julio Teheran has posted good numbers on the road this year, but Fenway is a far different animal from most N.L. East ballparks. Then, Boston’s lineup is a step up as well. Rafael Devers is one mid-tier option to consider against him, whereas J.D. Martinez or Mookie Betts would form the heart of a stack against Teheran. Lefties posted a 35.6% hard contact rate off Teheran last year, and he’s giving up a 1.50 HR/9 ratio when facing the platoon this year. Devers has homered twice this week and is finding his patience at the plate. Perhaps he can take advantage of Teheran’s tendency to walk batters as well.
Other hitters to consider: Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, J.D. Martinez, Joey Votto, Didi Gregorius, Kyle Seager, Yoan Moncada, Ronald Acuna Jr., Yasiel Puig, Salvador Perez, Cory Spangenberg
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MLB DFS Stacks to Consider for May 25, 2018
Nationals vs. Jose Urena (Marlins)
Red Sox vs. Julio Teheran (Braves)
White Sox vs. Mike Fiers (Astros)
Braves vs. Eduardo Rodriguez (Red Sox) – GPP
Rockies vs. Sal Romano (Reds)
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