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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on May 8th, 2022. Mark Kieffer's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on 5/8/2022, Main Slate at 1:35 pm Eastern Time.
The lineup will range from some elite players to mid-priced options, and value plays. The main slate is seven games on both DraftKings and FanDuel.
You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports. It's also essential to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, find me on Twitter @Mark_Kieffer and ask away!
DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Gerrit Cole- P, NYY vs. TEX ($10,000 on DK, $10,000 FD)
When he is on, Gerrit Cole has the highest upside out of all the pitchers in Major League Baseball. I am not certain if he is sneaking sticky stuff somehow and getting away with it, or if he just needed to make some adjustments. Either way, he is 2-0 in 12.2 innings pitched, with 15 strikeouts and zero earned runs his last two starts. Texas is No. 17 in runs scored and No. 25 in ISO, so this is a good spot for Cole.
Chris Paddack- P, MIN vs. OAK ($8,400 DK, $7,600 FD)
He has the third-highest K-BB% out of probable starters on this slate. He is striking out 19.8% of batters while walking just 2.5% of them. He also has a 3.19 xFIP. Oakland has the second-highest strikeout rate in baseball (26.3%), is No. 22 in ISO (.119), and No. 23 in runs scored (93).
Jordan Lyles- P, BAL vs. KC ($4,900 DK) - DraftKings Only GPP
If you want to stack your DraftKings lineups with expensive bats and an expensive SP1, I do not have a problem with punting with Lyles here. Lyles has similar peripherals as Tyler Mahle this season, yet is $1,800 less expensive than him. Kansas City is last in runs scored, and second to last in ISO, which is impressive because they have the lowest strikeout rate in baseball too.
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Mike Moustakas- 3B, CIN vs. Zach Thompson ($3,000 DK, $2,500 FD)
Moustakas is also second base eligible on FanDuel. Going against a pitcher with 3.7% K-BB%, allowing 2.35 HR/9, and an xFIP of 4.99 seems like a good spot. Moustakas himself is off to a slow start, but since May 3rd, he has three doubles and a home run.
Bo Bichette- SS, TOR vs. Konnor Pilkington ($5,200 DK, $3,900 FD)
Without lineups out yet, it is hard to find a bargain at shortstop because those in the value range do not offer much upside or floor. Bichette will get his first at-bat against Pilkington. If looking for a bargain value, Royce Lewis (DK $2.2K || FD $2.0K) could provide some value at minimum pricing.
Brandon Drury- 2B, CIN vs. Zach Thompson ($4,300 DK)
Jorge Polanco - 2B, MIN vs. Daulton Jefferies ($3,100 FD)
I would recommend either of these two depending on which site you are playing. Drury is batting .231 with a .246 ISO while Polanco is off to a much slower start batting .211 with a .116 ISO. Both guys are in good spots here and can provide some upside at a position that's tough to find upside at. If you don't like any of those, might as well punt down to a Nicky Lopez if he bats leadoff at a minimum price.
Ryan Mountcastle- 1B, BAL vs. Daniel Lynch ($2,600 DK, $3,200 FD)
In the last two seasons, Mountcastle has a .230 ISO against lefties. While Lynch does have an impressive 17.0% K-BB% with a strikeout rate of 22.7%, he has been allowing 1.71 HR/9. His xFIP of 4.14 is average. This isn't a smash spot for Baltimore but it's not a bad one either.
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Raimel Tapia- OF, TOR vs. Konnor Pilkington ($2,800 DK, $2,300 FD)
I like this if Tapia is leading off for the Blue Jays as he provides good value for a cash game. Toronto is implied for runs and if he can get on base, he should score runs. Tapia is batting just .212 with a .227 OBP. If he can get on base and steal a base (he has three) or score, he should meet value.
Max Kepler- OF, MIN vs. Daulton Jefferies ($3,600 DK, $3,000 FD)
If Kepler is in and batting middle of the order, I like this spot for him. Jefferies is an average pitcher at best while Kepler is batting .253 with a .361 OBP and a .217 ISO.
Trey Mancini - OF, BAL vs. Daniel Lynch ($3,000 DK)
Austin Hayes - OF BAL vs. Daniel Lynch ($2,900 FD)
Both Mancini and Hayes bat well against lefties. In the last two seasons, Mancini has a .380 wOBA and .230 ISO against left-handed pitching. Hayes is a .350 wOBA with a .220 ISO.
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
The teams with the highest implied run totals are the Yankees (4.4 runs), Reds (4.3 runs), Braves (4.2 runs), and Twins (4.1 runs). At the time of this writing, the run totals for Toronto-Cleveland and Detroit-Houston are not posted. The Yankees are often over-owned so I am fading them. The Reds I do not mind using as a cheap filler stack of 2-3 guys, but I have a hard time trusting them with 4-5 guys in my lineups.
Atlanta (4.2 runs) is interesting against Aaron Ashby as his surface stats are good. His 15.3 walk rate is an issue and stacking against a pitcher with control problems is a great way to get extra points and points for your lineup.
The Twins are another team that I think will go overlooked. There is weather concern but that could help get DFS lineup builders off the game.
The Brewers against Charlie Morton could get sneaky. Morton has a 5.51 xFIP and a 3.5% K-BB%. If you ignore the name, these are the stats of someone you'd want to stack against!
Lastly, as implied in the above writing, Baltimore against Daniel Lynch is interesting. Something super sneaky in a large field could be to stack Kansas City against Jordan Lyles.
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