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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on May 22nd, 2019. Austyn Varney's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Tonight's main slate starts at 7:05pm eastern and covers 11 games. There's also an all day slate starting at 1:05pm eastern that includes a few extra early games. We'll be focusing on the main slate, where we have plenty of pricey options to look through and some value plays to fit in as well. Let's dive in to each position!
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 5/22/2019. These picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays.
We also provide DFS lineup picks for DraftKings and other sports. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me on Twitter @varneydfs.
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DraftKings DFS Pitchers
Gerrit Cole, HOU (vs. CWS) ($12,000)
Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer, and Jacob deGrom make up your top three pitching options. Scherzer and deGrom will be dueling and neither are a clear favorite. Cole on the other hand, is an insane -350 favorite. That’s as big as it gets in baseball. The White Sox aren’t a terrible team, but rank 17th against right-handers and strikeout at a healthy 26% clip. Gerrit Cole has been great over his last few starts and this isn’t the matchup to mess up his groove. Cole is expensive, but the top option in both formats if you can fit him.
Max Fried, ATL (@ SFG) ($8,500)
If you’re wanting to save a few dollars for your SP2, look no further than Max Fried. Fried can be a bit up and down, but he’s held both lefties and righties under a .285 wOBA. He’s striking out 8.5 batters per nine and has his command under control down to 1.5 BB/9. He enters one of the biggest ballparks in the game in AT&T Park to face off with an underwhelming Giants lineup that strikes out and struggles to hit for power. The Braves are favorites on the road and I could see a big day out of Fried for an affordable tag.
DraftKings DFS Infielders
C - Gary Sanchez, NYY (@BAL) ($5,500)
It doesn’t get much worse than Dan Straily. Through 8 starts this season, he’s gone 30.2 innings and has given up 29 earned runs. He now faces a tough Yankees lineup that has been hitting well without their best players. Gary Sanchez is still around, though, and he’s making his presence known. He may be expensive, but he’s so much stronger than any other catcher and has legitimate 2-HR upside every night. If you don’t want to spend much at the position, Buster Posey is always worth a look against a lefty.
1B - Yuli Gurriel, HOU (vs. CWS) ($3,900)
It’s starting to look like the career of Ivan Nova is coming to a close. Unless he dramatically changes his approach, he’s not going to last long. He’s been teed off on by both sides of the plate and hasn’t shown any signs of unluckiness or regression. He now faces off with the Astros, who’ll give him no break. If you want to save at 1B, Yuli Gurriel is consistent and will get a ton of RBI opportunities. He’s also only $3,900 on DraftKings and gives you cheap exposure to the top offense of the night. You can play him at third as well.
2B - Starlin Castro, MIA (@ DET) ($2,900)
Starlin Castro is extremely cheap on DK and I don't see the reason for it. Yes, he's not the greatest hitter, but he's in the heart of a Marlins lineup that's projected to put up 4.5 runs tonight. Castro has also always destroyed lefties. He's currently sporting a .390 wOBA and has shown no signs of slowing down. Daniel Norris has struggled against righties and the Marlins are better against southpaws. Castro and Anderson are both extremely cheap and I love pairing them with a more expensive combo from another team.
SS - Jorge Polanco, MIN (@LAA) ($4,700)
Jorge Polanco is one of my favorites hitters in baseball to roster. He seems to always com through in one way or another, and always has a big game when the Twins put up runs. He’s hitting .335 on the season with 8 home runs and a .400+ wOBA. Tonight, he faces off against Matt Harvey and the Angels. Harvey has been pitiful against lefties, allowing a .395 wOBA and 7 homers in just over 40 innings. The Twins are a juggernaut offense and Polanco himself is a tough out every time. As a switch-hitter, he always has the platoon advantage and will never see huge mismatch. He’s expensive, but cheaper than a lot of the other SS’s and he shouldn’t be. He’s my favorite of all, no matter the price.
3B - Alex Bregman, HOU (vs. CWS) ($5,500)
Bregman is expensive, but he may be worth paying up for on this slate. He’s one of the all-around best hitters in baseball and has slaughtered righties with a .427 wOBA followed by 11 homers. Ivan Nova will be lucky to last four innings tonight and it’s safe to expect five at-bats out of the Astros tonight. Now can Nova go through a CGSO? Yes, it’s baseball, but the Astros have the highest implied total on the night and are certainly safe to plant your flag on. If you want to go cheap here, just move to Gurriel.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
OF - Mike Trout, LAA (vs. MIN) ($5,700)
If you’re going to pay up for an outfielder, Mike Trout is facing off against a lefty that likes to throw low in the zone. We know Trout lives in the lower third and he will make Perez pay for every mistake he makes. Perez has been pretty good this year on the surface, but a 4.23 xFIP and .263 BABIP tell a different story. He’s been a bit lucky, but by no means bad. He’s just no match for Mike Trout, who’s sported a .400+ wOBA against lefties for years now. There isn’t a ton of money to spend for fun on this slate, but Trout is the way to go if you can and I doubt he’s higher than 10% owned.
OF - Josh Reddick, HOU (vs. CWS) ($4,400)
We’ll close out our Astros love with Josh Reddick. For whatever reason, he’s cheaper than Marisnick and lets you spend up elsewhere while maintaining huge upside. It’s not like Reddick is having a bad year, either. His power numbers are a bit off, but he’s had four hit the warning track and could easily be at 8. Ivan Nova has always struggled against lefties, but a .425 wOBA is just unacceptable. He doesn’t have a strikeout pitch and can’t hold a runner. The Astros are the top offense of the night and it just comes down to fitting them in. There’s a reason for the price.
OF - Brian Anderson, MIA (@ DET) ($3,100)
This one may come out of left field, or third base, but you know what I mean. Brian Anderson has cooled off from his rookie season, but is still holding a wOBA over .340 against lefties. He has a power stroke and is the most consistent bat in the lineup with RISP. Daniel Norris is terrible against right-handers and struggles with the long ball. The Marlins aren’t a very exciting offense, but they’re better against lefties and Anderson has been swinging the bat nicely. He’s also extremely cheap and has solid positional versatility.
