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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on May 16, 2023. Brenton Kemp's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Welcome to Tuesday's edition of our free DraftKings and FanDuel DFS picks! We have a 12-game main slate to dive into this evening while we have a wealth of starting pitching options to sort through!
Remember, this 12-game slate locks at 7:07 PM ET on Tuesday, May 16 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
Clayton Kershaw - SP, LAD vs. Minnesota Twins ($11,000 DK, $11,400 FD)
While Clayton Kershaw at home hasn't been as automatic in recent seasons as it used to be, this is a fantastic spot for him tonight against the Minnesota Twins.
Kershaw will be pitching with a heavy heart tonight given the recent death of his mother but perhaps that will add fuel to his fire. He is already enjoying a massive season with a 2.36 ERA to go along with a dominant 23.8%. He also sports a 3.23 SIERA and has already amassed six wins in eight starts on the season.
As for the Twins, they have struggled mightily against left-handed pitching. Their .639 OPS off lefties sits 29th in the league while their 27% K% against them puts them 28th in the big leagues. In total, they have been 23% worse than the league average versus southpaws given their 77 wRC+.
At this rate, he is worth the price given how well he's pitched and the matchup on tap.
Zack Wheeler - SP, PHI vs. San Francisco Giants ($9,200 DK, $9,400 FD)
While the Giants have hit right-handers well in general, they also sit 29th with a 25.2% K% against righties despite sitting 12% above the league average against them, as per their 112 wRC+. As we know, Oracle Park in San Francisco is a pitcher-friendly environment which should aid the righty in this matchup.
As for Wheeler himself, he is having another solid season as he brings a 3.80 ERA into this one but also a 2.59 FIP and 3.49 SIERA. He's striking out the opposition at a healthy 27.9% clip while also boasting a fantastic 21.6% K-BB%.
Add it up and Wheeler is a strong option at reasonable prices across the board.
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Jordan Diaz - 2B, OAK vs. Tommy Henry ($2,300 DK, $2,600 FD)
The Oakland A's might be one of the worst teams in baseball but they actually hit left-handed pitching quite well. They get a weak lefty in Tommy Henry tonight and second baseman Jordan Diaz makes for a fantastic, cost-efficient option.
Just 22 years of age, Diaz is hitting only .230 with four homers and a .298 wOBA across 63 plate appearances. He also boasts reverse splits for the season as he's hit right-handed pitching far better than he has lefties.
That said, it's a small sample and Henry has allowed his two homers this season against right-handed hitters. Henry owns a 5.01 FIP, 6.24 SIERA, and a 0.0 K-BB% which makes him one of the most targetable pitchers on this slate.
Diaz boasts significant value with plenty of power potential in this matchup.
Kris Bryant - OF, COL vs. Brandon Williamson ($5,100 DK, $3,300 FD)
All things considered, Kris Bryant is quite reasonably priced as he takes on left-hander Brandon Williamson tonight at Coors Field in Denver.
It's actually Williamson's big-league debut tonight but he has been rocked in the minors. The southpaw owns a 6.62 ERA/6.50 FIP across eight Triple-A starts on the season while sporting a tiny 4.2% K-BB% in 34 innings pitched. For good measure, he's surrendered seven homers in those 34 frames, good for a 1.85 HR/9.
Admittedly, Bryant isn't hitting for a ton of power this season. He has five homers and five doubles but his .132 isolated power is nearly half of his .220 career mark. That said, he owns a career .969 OPS off left-handed pitching along with a .272 ISO versus an .845 OPS and .203 ISO off righties.
It would appear Bryant and the Rockies are in a good spot tonight on their home turf.
Tommy Edman - SS, STL vs. Wade Miley ($4,600 DK, $2,900 FD)
Like with Bryant, I prefer Edman on FanDuel but he's also available as a second baseman at DraftKings.
Nonetheless, I like Edman against just about any lefty in baseball. The switch-hitting infielder normally hits out of the leadoff spot against left-handed starters and we can see why. For the season, he's hitting .325 with .275 ISO and .972 OPS against lefties this season. His 166 wRC+ off lefties is miles superior to his 89 mark off of right-handers.
Miley has been solid enough with a 3.60 ERA on the season but he also sports a 4.48 FIP, 5.29 xFIP, and a 5.07 SIERA that all point towards regression moving forward. He's also induced ground balls on just 37.5% of the balls put into play against him which had helped lead to a 1.13 HR/9 that is above his 0.99 career mark.
This seems like a worthwhile look up the middle tonight.
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Julio Rodriguez - OF, SEA vs. Nick Pivetta ($5,600 DK, $3,500 FD)
Once again, the price is favorable at FanDuel but Julio Rodriguez is a fantastic option in the outfield tonight against right-hander Nick Pivetta.
Pivetta has long struggled with the long ball, as per his career 1.53 HR/9, while he also owns a 2.08 mark this season In other words, Pivetta has been tagged for eight homers in just 34 2/3 innings of work while six of those homers have come at home where he's pitched to a 6.30 ERA this season.
Power-hitting right-handed bats are always lovely at Fenway Park in Boston. Rodriguez might not be the beast he was in 2022 at this point in the 2023 campaign but he does have seven homers, seven doubles, and a triple on the season. He also has seven steals while Pivetta has already surrendered five stolen bases in those 34 2/3 innings.
The power/speed upside is borderline elite in this matchup tonight.
Jake Fraley - OF, CIN vs. Chase Anderson ($4,200 DK, $3,400 FD)
It should be a high-scoring affair for both sides in Colorado tonight as right-hander Chase Anderson toes the rubber for the home side.
He was let go by the Rays after two relief outings but, interestingly, he began the season in the Reds organization where he posted a 4.30 ERA/5.91 FIP across five starts at Triple-A. He walked 13% of the batters he faced at that level while yielding four homers in 23 innings. Not good.
As for Jake Fraley, he's enjoying a nice season with a .273 average, five homers, four steals, and a .355 wOBA on the campaign. However, he has demolished righties for a .920 OPS and .202 ISO for the season while struggling mightily against left-handers. The lefty-swinging Fraley could absolutely touch up a scuffling Anderson who hasn't enjoyed big-league success for quite some time.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. - OF, ARI vs. Kyle Muller ($3,900 DK, $3,200 FD)
After a slow start, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is absolutely raking at the moment, especially against left-handers such as the A's Kyle Muller.
For the season Gurriel is hitting .373 with an .850 OPS off of left-handed pitching. His power has come mostly off of righties but that should even out given his .192 career ISO off of southpaws versus a .183 mark off of same-handed pitching.
After a nice couple of start to his season, Muller has been getting throttled. He sports a 7.34 ERA/5.75 FIP on the season and has surrendered a .919 OPS to right-handed hitters.
Gurriel is a great look at a sub-$4K price tag at DraftKings.
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
Coors Field (Reds vs. Rockies)
Tonight is a great night for a Coors Field stack given the pitching matchup we have going.
On the Reds side, we will want Fraley, of course, Jonathan India out of the leadoff spot makes plenty of sense but how about Matt McLain, who could hit second this evening, at the minimum price on both sites? I would cap my Reds exposure with the bat of Tyler Stephenson.
For the Rockies, Jurickson Profar is a nice start in addition to Bryant. Randal Grichuk and Ezequiel Tovar round out a well-priced stack against a left-hander Williamson.
Seattle Mariners vs. Nick Pivetta
There's just no reason to like Nick Pivetta at the moment. This is especially true at Fenway.
Rodriguez sports excellent power/speed upside while Jarred Kelenic joins him in that department. Ty France and Eugenio Suarez are a pair of power-hitting right-handed bats that can take aim at the Green Monster against a pitcher that continues to serve up long balls on a regular basis.
Good luck tonight, everyone!
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