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DraftKings Lineup Picks & Sleepers (5/5/17): MLB DFS Advice

Troy Klauder's DraftKings analysis and advice. The top MLB DFS lineup picks on for 5/5/17, as well as a couple of sleepers for daily fantasy baseball rosters.

Friday brings a full slate of games, with all 30 teams in action. That means that the lineup combinations are nearly limitless. As always, picking the right starting pitchers, along with a mix of big bats and sleepers will be key. For our purposes, the following picks have been made for contests running all day. 

In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 5/5/17. The DFS lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays on DraftKings.

You can read our FanDuel and Yahoo DFS lineup picks as well. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to hit me up on Twitter @TroyKlauder.

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DFS Lineup Stacks to Target on DraftKings

Baltimore Orioles vs. Miguel Gonzalez (RHP)

The hitter's paradise that is Camden Yards will be a launching pad for Orioles bats on this Cinco De Mayo against Miguel Gonzalez. Gonzalez's ERA on the year is at a strong 3.27, but that won't last long with his measly 5.73 K/9. He gets just 37.0 percent of his outs on the ground, with a 46.3 percent fly ball rate, which is going to lead to him getting crushed in Baltimore. Gonzalez's 5.11 xFIP is more indicative of his true talent. The 32-year-old gave up six earned runs his last time out against the Tigers, and the Orioles will be looking for even more on Friday. Manny Machado makes for a stellar elite-tier play, as well as Chris Davis, Adam Jones and Mark Trumbo as mid-range plays. Seth Smith and Hyun-Soo Kim come at outstanding prices and should perform well too.

Boston Red Sox vs. Phil Hughes (RHP)

Phil Hughes has been an absolute mess this season, as he has a 5.06 ERA through his first five starts. He is another pitcher who fails to strike hardly any batters out, with a 5.74 K/9. More balls in play means more chances for hits, so a Red Sox stack looks real fine on Friday. Mookie Betts and Hanley Ramirez will be the centerpiece for a potent lineup that you can surround with Andrew Benintendi, Mitch Moreland or Jackie Bradley Jr. Any Red Sox hitter will be a good play against Hughes.

 

DFS Starting Pitchers to Consider on DraftKings

Wade Miley, BAL vs. CHW - $7,500

Wade Miley has had quite the insane season so far, putting up a 2.32 ERA with an 11.03 K/9 in his first five starts. This comes with a 5.52 BB/9, which is the third highest in the league. Miley has been working through a mechanical change, which explains the sudden change in performance, which makes him a great play for Friday. His strikeout potential is massive, as he has struck out six or more in his each of his last four starts, against a White Sox team that strikes out the fourth most against righties with their 25.4 K%. Miley is going to rack up tons of K's, and the White Sox lineup is dead last in wOBA versus right-handers, at .265. This is a match made in heaven at an incredibly low price.

Francisco Liriano, TOR @ TB - $8,200

Francisco Liriano had a decent start against the Rays his last time out, allowing only one run in five innings with six strikeouts. This rematch should be even better though, as he now travels to the pitcher's park in Tampa Bay to take on a Rays team that strikes out the second most in the league against lefties with their 26.8 K%. Liriano has always put up nasty strikeout numbers in his career, and this year has been no different with his 9.93 K/9. The Rays are merely league-average against southpaws with their .309 wOBA, so they shouldn't do much damage to Liriano as he mows them down for strikeouts. Liriano can be inconsistent, but he's hard to pass up in this spot at his price.

 

DFS Infielders to Consider on DraftKings

Catcher (C)

Chris Iannetta, ARI @ COL - $3,400

Chris Iannetta certainly isn't known for his bat, but that just makes him an even cheaper play for Friday. Normally hitters at Coors Field are priced insanely high by DraftKings, as they should be, but sometimes guys like Iannetta are able to fly under the radar and stay at a discount. This is where we pounce, as Coors lets batters do incredible things. Iannetta is facing Tyler Anderson, who has a 7.71 ERA on the year, and Iannetta hits lefties much better than righties, with a career 130 wRC+ versus left-handers. Don't miss out on this Coors bat with a great matchup.

First Base (1B)

Josh Bell, PIT vs. MIL - $3,100

Josh Bell scuffled to start the season, which is the reason he's still coming in at basement prices. However, he's got a .961 OPS in the last 15 days, so it looks like the top prospect is putting it all together. Bell faces off against Jimmy Nelson, owner of a 5.34 ERA who allowed five runs to the Braves his last time out. Nelson is straight garbage - it's no secret at this point. It won't be too much longer before Bell's price corrects, so snag him here before it's too late.

Second Base (2B)

Joe Panik, SF @ CIN  - $4,200

Joe Panik is in a great spot on Friday leading off against Reds starter Bronson Arroyo. Panik has put together a nice bounce-back season thus far with a 111 wRC+ and .370 OBP. He'll be on base all night long against Arroyo, who has a 7.20 ERA and really should not be in the major leagues at this point in his career. Panik can easily outproduce his price by getting on and scoring multiple times at Great American Ballpark, a fantastic park for hitters.

Shortstop (SS)

Asdrubal Cabrera, NYM vs. MIA - $3,600

Batting second in the Mets order, Asdrubal Cabrera is in prime position for a big day on Friday against Tom Koehler. Koehler has a 5.40 ERA in 25 innings with a 7.20 K/9 and 3.96 BB/9. He is not an effective pitcher whatsoever, so the Mets should run up the score on him. This means Cabrera will be right in the middle of the action, scoring runs and recording RBIs at a low cost.

Third Base (3B)

Justin Turner, LAD @ SD - $3,800

For the year Justin Turner is having, it's unbelievable that his price is so low. Turner is ripping the ball, putting up a .374/.438/.515 line with a 159 wRC+ in 2017 after he posted a 124 wRC+ last season. He's clearly a very good hitter, and he should find lots of success against righty Jhoulys Chacin, who has a 5.82 ERA and gave up nine runs to the Dodgers earlier this year. Turner bats third for the Dodgers, so he's in line for plenty of production on Friday.

 

DFS Outfielders to Consider on DraftKings

Scott Schebler, CIN vs. SF - $3,900

Scott Schebler may be batting just .224, but his huge power output is what garners fantasy value for him this Friday. Schebler already has eight homers on the year with 18 RBIs and 12 runs, and his average is being dragged down by a low .215 BABIP. Schebler will be facing Matt Cain, who despite a 2.30 ERA, is still not a very good pitcher. Cain has a 3.85 FIP and 4.36 xFIP, and is running a .253 BABIP while stranding 89.9% of runners. Neither number will last long, and at Great American Ballpark he's going to struggle to keep the ball in the yard against Schebler and the Reds.

Andrew Benintendi, BOS @ MIN - $3,800

Even if you aren't considering a Red Sox stack, it's going to be hard to keep Andrew Benentendi out of your lineup with the price he's at. Benentendi has a nice 118 wRC+ and is second in the Boston lineup. He hardly ever strikes out with a 15.3 K%, so he will be getting lots of contact off the aforementioned Phil Hughes.

Ender Inciarte, ATL vs. STL - $3,700

Ender Inciarte has been an outstanding power/speed combo in 2017 with five home runs and seven steals so far. His .248 batting average is hampered by his .258 BABIP, so he could be performing even better than he currently is. He is set to lead off against Lance Lynn, who has poor underlying stats such as a 4.34 FIP due to his low .228 BABIP and high 84.5 LOB%. Inciarte could be a nice contrarian play if other owners are scared off by Lynn, who isn't nearly as good as he seems.

 

MLB News & Injury Alerts

 

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POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Kyle Tucker

Homers Twice in Win
Chris Sale

Likely to Return Next Weekend
Brian Robinson Jr.

to be RB2
Najee Harris

to be Ready Week 1?
De'Von Achane

Making Good Progress
Jaylen Wright

Considered "Week-to-Week"
Marcus Semien

Placed on Injured List
Jackson Merrill

Heads to 10-Day Injured List
Jordan Love

Says He'll Play in Week 1
Brice Turang

Absent on Saturday, "Touch-and-Go" With Wrist Injury
Chase Elliott

Despite Being Winless at Daytona, Chase Elliott is Probably the Best DFS Option
Ryan Blaney

Will Likely Lead a Lot at Daytona
Kyle Larson

a Poor DFS Option at Daytona
Christopher Bell

Consistent Enough to Consider for DFS
Chris Buescher

Now Must Win His Way Into Playoffs
Ryan Preece

Being One of the Slowest-Starting Fords Makes Ryan Preece a Strong DFS Option
Ross Chastain

Leads a Lot on Drafting Tracks
Daniel Suarez

Now in Desperation Mode With his Career on the Line
Chase Briscoe

Tendency to Finish Better Than He Runs May Reap Dividends at Daytona
Lamar Jackson

Should Practice on Monday
Carson Hocevar

Hard to Forecast Since He's Rarely Given 100 Percent at Daytona
Michael McDowell

has a Solid Drafting Record
AJ Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger Arguably Starting Too Well for Place-Differential Points
Austin Dillon

Will Likely Be Too Conservative for DFS Consideration
Noah Gragson

Has Place-Differential Potential as One of the Lowest-Starting Fords
Todd Gilliland

Poor Starting Position and Ford's Drafting Speed Make Todd Gilliland a Viable Option
Zane Smith

Probably Starting Too Well for DFS Play
Justin Haley

has Strong Pass-Differential Potential
Cole Custer

Daytona 500 Speed Makes Him a Solid Play
Austin Hill

Qualifies Poorly Enough for DFS Consideration
Matt Chapman

Activated and Starting on Saturday
Moses Moody

Warriors Not Interested in Trading Moses Moody
Kevin Durant

Rockets Expected to Agree on New Contract
Trey Murphy III

Warriors, Spurs Interested in Trey Murphy III
Zack Wheeler

to Undergo Season-Ending Surgery
Kyle Busch

Facing a Must-Win Situation at Daytona
Ricky Stenhouse Jr

. Could Be a Risky Pick at Daytona
Yoán Moncada

Yoan Moncada Hits a Pair of Home Runs on Friday
Willy Adames

Belts Two Solo Home Runs on Friday
CAR

Luke Kunin Joins Panthers on One-Year Deal
Auston Matthews

Says His Health is "Good" Before Start of Season
Roope Hintz

"Feeling Good" Ahead of New Season
Matthew Tkachuk

Recovering From Surgery
Marco Rossi

Wild Re-Sign Marco Rossi to Three-Year Deal
Bubba Chandler

Records Four-Inning Save in Debut
Walker Buehler

Officially Moving to Bullpen
Adolis García

Adolis Garcia to be Activated on Saturday
Tanner Scott

Activated on Friday
NBA

Malik Beasley Now Drawing Interest from Teams
Jacob Wilson

Reintated and Starting on Friday
Marcus Semien

Could be Out All Weekend, IL Stint Possible
Evan Carter

Could Miss Rest of Season With Fractured Wrist
Brian Robinson Jr.

Traded to 49ers
Samuel Basallo

Inks an Eight-Year Extension With the Orioles
Zhang Mingyang

Set For UFC Shanghai Main Event
Johnny Walker

In Dire Need Of Victory
Brian Ortega

An Underdog At UFC Shanghai
Aljamain Sterling

Set For UFC Shanghai Co-Main Event
Waldo Cortes-Acosta

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Sergei Pavlovich

A Favorite At UFC Shanghai
Kevin Borjas

Set for UFC Shanghai Main-Card Bout
Sumudaerji

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
Kiefer Crosbie

Set To Open Up UFC Shanghai Main Card
Taiyilake Nueraji

Set For His UFC Debut
Jesús Sánchez

Jesus Sanchez Tallies Five Hits
Yandy Díaz

Yandy Diaz Dealing With Low-Grade Hamstring Strain
Marcus Semien

Leaves Thursday With Foot Contusion
Connor Ingram

Clears Player Assistance Program
Frank Nazar

Inks Seven-Year Extension With Blackhawks
Adley Rutschman

Going on Injured List With Strained Oblique
COL

Victor Olofsson Signs One-Year Deal With Avalanche
Tee Higgins

has Injury Scare on Thursday
Dallas Cowboys

Micah Parsons Expected to Play in Week 1
Chris Godwin

Expected to be Activated from the PUP List
Dru Smith

Aims to Be Healthy for Training Camp
Jayson Tatum

Provides Injury Update
RJ Barrett

Considered a Trade Candidate
Golden State Warriors

Warriors "Remain Very Confident" About Signing Al Horford
Jahmir Young

Agrees to Deal With Heat
Devaughn Vele

Traded to Saints
Demarcus Robinson

Issued Three-Game Suspension
Lamar Jackson

Dealing With Minor Foot Injury
Lamar Jackson

Suffers Apparent Hand Injury
Hideki Matsuyama

Looks to Bounce Back at Tour Championship
Corey Conners

Looking to Reverse Struggles at East Lake
Joe Mixon

Could Begin Season on PUP List
Cameron Young

Stays Hot Ahead of Tour Championship
Harris English

Aims for Complete Game at East Lake
Sepp Straka

Back in Action at East Lake
Ben Griffin

a Strong Value Play at East Lake
Rory McIlroy

Chasing Another Win at East Lake
Patrick Cantlay

Finishes Tied for 30th at BMW Championship
Ludvig Aberg

Finishes Tied For Seventh at BMW Championship
Collin Morikawa

Finishes Tied for 33rd at BMW Championship
Keegan Bradley

Finishes Tied for 17th at BMW Championship
Robert MacIntyre

Finishes Second at BMW Championship
J.J. Spaun

Finishes Tied for 23rd at BMW Championship
Scottie Scheffler

Wins BMW Championship
Brian Robinson Jr.

Not Expected to Play for Commanders This Year
Rashee Rice

Could be Facing 4-6 Game Suspension?
Harry Hall

Hot at the Right Time for Tour Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound at Tour Championship
Jacob Bridgeman

has One Weakness Heading to Atlanta
Nikola Vučević

Nikola Vucevic Not Expecting to Be Moved Before the Season
Nick Taylor

a Long Shot to Win Tour Championship
Josh Giddey

Bulls Not Interested in Sign-and-Trade Deal Involving Josh Giddey
Brian Harman

Trying to Crack Top 20 at Tour Championship
Andrew Novak

Attempts to Bounce Back in Atlanta
Oscar Tshiebwe

Signs New Two-Way Deal With Jazz
Justin Rose

Seeks Even More Success at Tour Championship
Washington Wizards

Alondes Williams Joins Wizards for Training Camp
Washington Wizards

Wizards Add Skal Labissiere for Training Camp
A.J. Brown

on Track to Play in Week 1
CBJ

Brendan Smith Joins Blue Jackets on Tryout Deal
STL

Milan Lucic Joins Blues for Tryout
DET

Red Wings Pick Up Travis Hamonic
Jalen McMillan

Could be Out Through Week 9 Bye
Indiana Pacers

Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle Agrees to a Multiyear Contract Extension on Tuesday
Washington Wizards

John Wall Retires After 11 NBA Seasons
Daniel Jones

Named as Colts Starting Quarterback
Jalen McMillan

Will Not Be Ready for Season Opener
Collin Sexton

Hornets Have High Hopes for Collin Sexton
Rui Hachimura

Likely to Start Season Without Contract Extension
Jaime Jaquez Jr.

Hopes to Bounce Back in 2025-26
Stephen Curry

Ready to Go for New Season
Orlando Magic

Lester Quinones Agrees to Deal With Magic

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP