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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on May 23, 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 10-game main slate to dive into this evening with numerous starting pitching options worth paying up for!
Remember, this 12-game slate locks at 7:05 PM ET on Tuesday, May 23 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
Spencer Strider - SP, ATL vs. Los Angeles Dodgers ($12,300 DK, $11,500 FD)
It can be a dangerous game targeting a lethal Dodgers offense but fading Spencer Stridger is also a dangerous notion each and every time he hits the slate.
Sonny Gray appears to be a nice option on the surface but with a SIERA that is nearly two full runs above his ERA, regression seems inevitable. Strider has no such problem as he owns a 2.96 ERA on the season but also a 2.18 FIP and 2.47 SIERA that suggest he has indeed been as dominant as you could ask. Add in an eye-popping 41.5% K% and 32.9% K-BB% and you have yourself one of if not the best starting pitcher in baseball.
Again, the Dodgers sit second with a .340 wOBA against right-handed pitchers on the season and sit in the top half of the league in strikeout rate versus righties. Clearly, this it not a knock against their offense but rather trusting in the wealth of data that suggests Strider has indeed been a dominant arm with the best strikeout upside on the slate.
Eduardo Rodriguez - SP, DET vs. Kansas City Royals ($8,800 DK, $10,600 FD)
Eduardo Rodriguez is more of an attractive option at DraftKings due to the cost-efficient price as he takes on the Royals tonight in Kansas City.
Admittedly, the Royals are a more potent offense against left-handed pitching and they don't strike out as much against southpaws as they do right-handers. There's also the fact that Rodriguez hasn't exactly been a strikeout artist with a 24.4% K% on the season but his 18.8% K-BB% is attractive as a SP2 on DraftKings.
The left-hander's dominant stretch of starts ended his last time out when he allowed four earned runs against the Pirates but he still owns a 2.06 ERA on the season while limiting the opposition to a .184 batting average. Some of his peripherals suggest regression but he ranks in the 88th percentile or better in hard-hit rate, average exit velocity, and xERA/xwOBA on the campaign.
He's not my SP1 at FanDuel but the value upside as an SP2 at DraftKings is too good to pass up here.
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Mark Vientos - 1B/3B, NYM vs. Drew Smyly ($2,600 DK, $2,600 FD)
Since we're paying top dollar for Strider on this slate we are once again in search of value at the plate and Mets rookie Mark Vientos fits the bill.
Vientos kicked off his big-league career with a massive two-run homer in his debut and even if he's just 2-for-11 in his brief big-league tenure, he's worth a look here at this price.
After all, the 23-year-old mashed to the tune of a .333 average with 13 homers and a 1.104 OPS across 38 games at Triple-A prior to his big-league promotion. It's a righty-on-lefty matchup against Cubs southpaw Drew Smyly, and while Smyly is having a nice season, his 4.01 SIERA is well above his 2.86 ERA.
Vientos is a sound value option on this slate.
Bryce Turang - 2B, MIL vs. J.P. France ($2,300 DK, $2,400 FD)
Bryce Turang may not pack a ton of punch at the plate but he does have fantastic speed and takes on a pitcher in J.P. France who struggled mightily his last time out.
France was tagged for six runs on nine hits in just 3 2/3 innings against the Cubs in his most recent start and should be vulnerable once again tonight. While he allowed just one earned run across his first two starts and 11 2/3 innings this season, his 4.11 ERA is well below his 6.35 FIP and 4.96 SIERA while he's allowed four homers in just 15 1/3 innings.
France hasn't allowed a stolen base yet but Turang has seven of those on the season after swiping 34 in 131 Triple-A games last season. The 23-year-old is hitting righties far better than he is lefties with all seven of his extra-base hits coming against a righty-hander.
The DraftKings price is especially attractive here but he's a nice look on both sites tonight.
Jared Walsh - 1B, LAA vs. Brayan Bello ($2,400 DK, $2,100 FD)
First base value doesn't get much better than this as Jared Walsh takes on Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello tonight at home.
Walsh has appeared in just three games this season while going 1-for-12 in that time. He's coming off a disastrous 2022 season as well but enjoyed big-time success between the 2020 and 2021 campaigns. For his career, he sports a .206 isolated power that includes a .222 mark off of right-handed pitching while his bat has been 22% above the league average against righties, as per his 122 wRC+.
At these prices, I'll sure take that type of production.
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Jarred Kelenic - OF, SEA vs. Luis Medina ($4,800 DK, $3,300 FD)
Kelenic may not be the cheapest option on this slate but man is this guy having a big season.
The 23-year-old has 10 home runs, 12 doubles, a triple, and six stolen bases on the season. He sports a .297 average with a .914 OPS and elite Statcast data. Interestingly, his numbers are superior against same-handed pitching this season but the lefty-swinging outfielder is still mashing both lefties and righties this season.
Medina owns a 6.88 ERA/6.23 FIP along with a 2.65 HR/9 in three MLB starts this season after posting a 7.43 ERA/6.35 FIP in 13 1/3 innings at Triple-A this season. Let's target the young righty this evening.
Matt Vierling - OF, DET vs. Daniel Lynch ($2,400 DK, $2,600 FD)
As usual, Matt Vierling should hit leadoff against a left-handed pitcher as the Tigers take on Royals southpaw Daniel Lynch.
Vierling homered in last night's win and now has four homers and four stolen bases on the season. Interestingly, he has better numbers off righties this season but has been superior at the plate against lefties for his career. The righty-swinging 26-year-old is a career .283 hitter off of left-handers.
Lynch hasn't pitched in the bigs this season due to injury but was tagged for a 5.25 ERA in three Triple-A starts and has posted a 5.32 ERA in 42 MLB starts for his career. We have another targetable arm here in this matchup.
Garrett Hampson - OF, MIA vs. Austin Gomber ($3,300 DK, $2,900 FD)
There is indeed a Coors Field game on the slate but we'll opt for a cost-efficient option in Hampson who returns to Colorado Tuesday night.
It's a revenge game for Hampson after being released by the Rockies over the winter and, while he hasn't had the best season to this point, he could provide some power or speed in this one tonight. Hampson has one homer, nine doubles, and three steals on the season. Any one of those and Hampson hits value at what should be low ownership.
He has 27 homers and 55 steals in 452 career MLB games to this point and has a solid opportunity to produce against Rockies left-hander Austin Gomber.
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
Seattle Mariners vs. Luis Medina
Medina's 4.21 SIERA is far better than his surface results but he just hasn't had success at any level this season. There's also the fact that the A's 6.62 bullpen ERA is by far the worst figure in baseball this season.
So, let's stack up some M's bats. In addition to Kelenic, we'll simply go with J.P. Crawford, Ty France, and Julio Rodriguez. It's not the cheapest stack to be had but the Mariners should put up some offense in this one tonight.
Detroit Tigers vs. Kansas City Royals
Given that it's his first MLB start this season, Lynch won't be long for this one. However, the Royals' bullpen sits 26th with a 4.71 ERA on the season. This is a fine matchup all around for the cost-efficient Tigers.
The Tigers hung eight runs on the Royals just last night as Javier Bazez, Riley Greene, and Spencer Torkelson make fine additions to a stack alongside Vierling. Keep an eye on the confirmed starting lineup but this could very well by a 1-4 stack for the Tigers and Mariners on this slate tonight.
Good luck tonight, everyone!
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