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DraftKings Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (5/22/19): MLB DFS Lineups

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.

 

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.

MLB DFS News and Injury Alerts




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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Pete Crow-Armstrong

Homers Twice, Drives in Three
Brice Matthews

Joining Astros
MLB

White Sox-Guardians Postponed on Thursday
Brandon Aiyuk

Likely to Begin Season on PUP List, but Not Ruled Out for Week 1
Jameson Williams

Not in the Team's Long-Term Plans?
Tallison Teixeira

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Micah Parsons

Plans to be Present for Start of Training Camp
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Ikem Ekwonu

Next Up for Extension in Carolina?
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Heading into Last Year With Cardinals?
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Looks For His Third UFC Win
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Suffers Eye Injury in Fireworks Mishap
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Vitor Petrino

Set For His Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Set To Open Up UFC Nashville Main Card
Junior Tafa

Set For Light-Heavyweight Bout
Alex Bregman

Will Return to Red Sox This Weekend
Chris Sale

Braves Won't Consider Trading Chris Sale
Clarke Schmidt

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery on Friday
Nick Nash

Unlikely to Make Falcons Active Roster
Lane Johnson

in No Rush To Retire
Jalen Williams

Signs Contract Extension With Thunder
Blake Corum

has "Gotten His Speed Back"
Jarquez Hunter

Picking Up Rams Offense Quickly
Alijah Martin

Agrees to Two-Way Deal With Raptors
Tristan Vukcevic

Set to Return to Washington
Kirk Cousins

Feels Misled by Falcons
Bijan Robinson

Says Falcons Have "Outlandish Goals" for the Running Game
Luther Burden III

Bears Expect Luther Burden III to be Ready for Training Camp
Cole Kmet

an Unlikely Trade Piece
Tony Pollard

Titans Hope to Balance Rushing Attack With Tony Pollard, Tyjae Spears
Byron Buxton

Sitting Thursday
Quentin Johnston

Not Assured of Starting Role
Cordarrelle Patterson

on the Roster Bubble in Pittsburgh?
Shedeur Sanders

Not Assured of Roster Spot in Cleveland?
Wan'Dale Robinson

Hoping For More Downfield Opportunities
Anfernee Simons

Celtics Are "Actively Trying to Trade" Anfernee Simons
NBA

Alex Ducas Heading to Australia
Dominick Barlow

Inks Two-Way Deal With 76ers
Jordan McLaughlin

Spurs Re-Sign Jordan McLaughlin to One-Year Deal
Dylan Harper

Out Thursday, Expected to Play Saturday
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Homers Twice on Wednesday
Mike Trout

Homers Twice in Win Over Rangers
Jazz Chisholm Jr.

Leads Yankees to Victory
Salvador Perez

Crushes Two Homers in Win
Cleveland Browns

Greg Newsome on the Trade Block?
VJ Edgecombe

Diagnosed with a Sprained Thumb
Zach Tom

An Extension Candidate in Green Bay
Devin Booker

Agrees to Extension with Phoenix
Trevor Williams

to Undergo Season-Ending Elbow Surgery
Byron Buxton

Exits After Hit-by-Pitch, X-Rays Negative
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Playing on Wednesday
Alex Bregman

has "Really Good Chance" to Return Before All-Star Break
Teoscar Hernández

Teoscar Hernandez Expected to Return on Friday
Walter Clayton Jr.

Leads Jazz to Summer League Win
Carter Bryant

Struggles in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Drops a Double-Double in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Oklahoma City Thunder

Malevy Leons Logs Impressive Summer League Outing on Tuesday
Dalton Knecht

Collects 25 Points in Lakers Summer League Win
Los Angeles Lakers

Darius Bazley Drops 27 Points in Summer League on Tuesday
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Chet Holmgren

Agrees to Rookie Max Extension
Alex Bregman

Not Returning Wednesday
Jhoan Duran

Unavailable Due to Illness
Shane McClanahan

Tosses Clean Frame in First Rehab Appearance
Jacob Wilson

Day-to-Day After HBP
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. to be Reassessed Wednesday
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Malaki Branham

Traded to Washington
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
Blake Wesley

Moves to Washington
Harris English

Aims High for Scotland Next
Corey Conners

Primed for the Genesis Scottish Open
Kelly Olynyk

on the Move Again
Daniel Brown

Attempts the Scottish Swing Again
Anthony Davis

Recovering From Eye Surgery
Jacob Bridgeman

Needs Putter to Work at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Headlines Field at Genesis Scottish Open
Rory McIlroy

a Smart Play for Scottish Open
Adam Scott

Looking to Build on History at The Renaissance Club
NASCAR

Sepp Straka Not Likely to Find Momentum at Scottish Open
Justin Rose

Hopes Month Hiatus Helps Him Bounce Back at Scottish Open
NHL

Tyler Johnson Retires After 13 NHL Seasons
Jack McBain

Inks New Five-Year Deal with Mammoth
Cam York

Re-Signs with Flyers for Five Years
Jake Knapp

Fits the Mold for Success at The Renaissance Club
Ty Gibbs

Finishes Second at Chicago and Advances in In-Season Challenge
Alex Bowman

Defeats Bubba Wallace in In-Season Challenge, but Not Without Controversy
Alex Bowman

Bubba Wallace Wrecked by Alex Bowman Again, Putting Playoffs in Doubt
Michael McDowell

Throttle Failure Ends Michael McDowell's Chances to Win at Chicago
Austin Hill

Earns First NASCAR Cup Series Top Ten at Chicago
Tyler Reddick

Scores a Strong Third-Place Run at Chicago
Kyle Busch

Matches his Best Career Finish At Chicago on Sunday
Denny Hamlin

Fights his Way to a Top-5 Finish at Chicago
William Byron

has his Worst Weekend of the Season at Chicago
Sonny Milano

on Track to Be Ready for Training Camp
Jakub Dobes

Signs Two-Year Deal with Canadiens
NHL

Hendrix Lapierre Signs One-Year Deal with Capitals
Carson Hocevar

Should DFS Players Consider Carson Hocevar for Chicago Lineups?
Tye Kartye

Kraken Re-Sign Tye Kartye for Two Years
Ross Chastain

May be A Decent DFS Option for Chicago Lineups
Dmitri Voronkov

Signs Two-Year, $8.35 Million Extension with Blue Jackets
Ryan Preece

Should DFS Players Roster Ryan Preece at Chicago?
Austin Dillon

Is Too Great of A Risk to Add to Chicago Lineups
Zane Smith

Is A Value Play Worth Rostering At Chicago
Austin Hill

is A Favorable Value Option for Chicago DFS Lineups
Ty Dillon

Is Ty Dillon A Decent Driver to Add For NASCAR DFS At Chicago?
William Byron

Qualifying Crash Makes William Byron a Likely DFS Must-Have
Alex Bowman

Should Finish Well, but Probably Costs Too Much for Serious DFS Consideration
Joey Logano

Has Been Relatively Mediocre on Road Courses Lately
Ryan Blaney

Doesn't Really Fit Neatly into Optimal DFS Lineups
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF