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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on May 2, 2023. Brenton Kemp's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
There are 12 games on what should be a rather chilly Tuesday MLB DFS slate. This might certainly favor the pitchers but there's value galore at the dish as well. Let's bundle up and get ready to dance!
Remember, this 12-game slate locks at 7:05 PM ET on Tuesday, May 2 so be sure to get your lineups set and locked before that deadline! Remember, feel free to give me a follow and hit me up on Twitter @BKemp17 with any comments, questions, or banter when it comes to these free MLB DFS picks!
You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports here. It's also essential to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. Let's get after it and come out on top tonight!
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Gerrit Cole - SP, NYY vs. Cleveland Guardians ($11,500 DK, $11,500 FD)
Gerrit Cole comes in at identical prices on both sites and he's certainly not cheap. Also, the Cleveland Guardians don't strike out a ton as has been the case for the last several seasons. However, Cole has been electric so far this season.
He's just a rock for your lineup, plain and simple. The right-hander owns a 1.11 ERA across six starts, earning the win in five of them. He's likely due for positive strikeout regression as well as his 29.3% K% on the season is well below the clips he punched hitters out at for the last several seasons.
It's going to be a tough day for hitters on a chilly evening in the Bronx so let's ride Cole and worry about the rest later.
Hunter Brown - SP, HOU vs. San Francisco Giants ($9,600 DK, $10,200 FD)
This is a very nice spot for the young Hunter Brown as he takes on the Giants tonight at Minute Maid Park in Houston.
Brown has been fantastic in the early going as he'll carry a 2.37 ERA into this one alongside a solid 18.3% K-BB% across five starts. He's gone seven innings in three of his last four starts while striking out at least seven in three of his last four as well. He dominated the best team in baseball his last time out as he tossed seven innings of shutout ball with eight strikeouts in a win over the Rays in Tampa Bay.
The Giants have also struck out more than any other team in baseball as their 27.5% K% is the worst in the game even if they've been a solid yet unspectacular overall offense. Let's see if Brown can keep up the good work while racking up the punchouts in this one tonight.
Michael Wacha - SP, SD vs. Cincinnati Reds ($7,500 DK, $7,000 FD)
I'd definitely role with Cole or Brown on FanDuel but Michael Wacha is a real nice SP2 look at DraftKings at this rate.
The Reds sit in the bottom 10 in strikeout rate at 24.8% on the season while their .309 wOBA is tied for 19th. They haven't hit for hardly any power and that shouldn't change in the pitcher-friendly Petco Park in San Diego.
As for Wacha, the veteran owns a 6.75 ERA on the season but also a more palatable 4.46 FIP and 4.57 SIERA. Not fantastic, but his 20.4% strikeout rate isn't terrible and he's walking just 6.2% of the batters he's faced. His .367 BABIP is a big culprit in his bloated ERA to this point.
He should be able to keep the Reds' offense in check while racking up enough strikeouts to warrant strong consideration at DraftKings.
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Tommy Edman - 2B/SS, STL vs. Patrick Sandoval ($4,000 DK, $3,200 FD)
It's Tommy Edman day as the Cardinals take on a left-hander in the Angels' Patrick Sandoval.
This means Edman should be hitting out of the leadoff spot tonight as he loves himself some lefties. The switch-hitter is a cool 10-for-20 with three homers and a pair of doubles off of left-handed pitching this season, good for a 1.050 OPS. According to his wRC+, Edman has been 221% better than the league average off lefties this season. Small sample, I know.
Nonetheless, he's a fine start to your infield on this 12-game slate tonight.
Justin Turner - 1B/3B, BOS vs. Yusei Kikuchi ($3,600 DK, $2,700 FD)
I'll admit Justin Turner isn't my favorite corner infielder in daily fantasy baseball but I don't mind him at a reasonable price tonight against Blue Jays left-hander Yusei Kikuchi.
There were some very hard-hit baseballs at Fenway Park between these two teams last night and I don't see an issue with Turner barreling one up against a pitcher that yields plenty of homers. Kikuchi owns a 2.00 HR/9 on the season while his 1.73 career mark is ripe for the taking.
Turner has a pair of homers and five doubles across 30 games on the season. He's not going to hit for a ton of power overall but we've seen this guy feast on lefties in the past and should be a factor in the middle of Boston's batting order tonight.
Zach Neto - SS, STL vs. Steven Matz ($2,700 DK, $2,400 FD)
The idea here is to find value at the plate if you're going with the likes of Cole and Brown on the mound which should be the strategy this evening. Zach Neto fits the bill perfectly.
He takes on a left-hander in Steven Matz which makes him a leadoff candidate tonight in St. Louis. He hasn't done a ton of damage at the plate to begin his MLB career but has laced four doubles in 16 games and absolutely mashed Triple-A pitching prior to his promotion.
A great contact hitter, Neto makes for a nice table-setter for the Angels and your DFS lineup tonight.
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Ian Happ - OF, CHC vs. Trevor Williams ($5,100 DK, $3,000 FD)
The value potential increases at FanDuel with Ian Happ but let's give him a solid look tonight against Nationals right-hander Trevor Williams.
Truly one of the more underrated players in the game, all Happ has done so far is hit .306 with three home runs and four stolen bases alongside a .905 OPS across 118 trips to the plate. That puts his bat 47% above the league average as per his 147 wRC+ even if he's being boosted by a monstrous 16.1% BB%.
Williams just doesn't have much to offer as per his 5.04 SIERA while he's stuck out just 15% of the batters he's faced. This should allow the patient Happ to have some quality plate appearances in this matchup tonight.
Austin Hays - OF, BAL vs. Ryan Yarbrough ($4,100 DK, $3,100 FD)
Regardless of the left-hander on the mound, I love me some Austin Hays in the leadoff spot against southpaws.
Hays boasts splits that cater to left-handed pitching as he annually hits them better than righties, even if that hasn't been the case in a small sample this season. Overall, he's mashing early on with a .312 average alongside four homers, one steal, and a .901 OPS on the campaign.
Remember, this is a player that was a very highly-regarded youngster and is entering his prime years at the age of 27. It's time to buy into the Hays train, especially in this matchup tonight.
Jesse Winker - OF, MIL vs. Ryan Feltner ($3,600 DK, $3,100 FD)
As far as Coors Field pricing goes, Jesse Winker looks like a bargain tonight against a right-handed Ryan Feltner.
Of course, he's struggled in the early going. Winker has yet to hit a home run in his 17 games played on the season and considering the fact he had a rare neck procedure in the offseason it's fair to question his long-term projection. However, this is also a player that owns a career .874 OPS and .203 isolated power against right-handed pitching. Coors Field gives those numbers a boost regardless of how you slice it.
He should hit in the upper third of the Brewers' lineup in this one and should be a nice value play at reasonable ownership considering his early-season struggles.
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Patrick Sandoval
Patrick Sandoval is a fine young pitcher and he owns a 3.16 ERA on the season. However, this Cardinals lineup is littered with players who rake left-handed pitching.
In fact, the Cards rank fifth with an .819 OPS off left-handers so far this season and Edman is just the start. Nolan Arenado comes in at a nice price tonight and you're not about to leave Paul Goldschmidt out of a Cardinals stack. I would prefer Tyler O'Neill over Dylan Carlson in the outfield but at this point, it's whoever fits best in your budget behind the big boys in St. Louis.
Baltimore Orioles vs. Ryan Yarbrough
Austin Hays is far from the only Orioles hitter to rake left-handed pitching. Ryan Mounstcastle is a budding star in this league and, of course, so is Adley Rutschman. Anthony Santander and Jorge Mateo make for nice additions as well but I would grab Edman over Mateo at the shortstop position on this 12-game slate.
Good luck tonight, everyone!
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