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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on May 9th, 2022. Thunder Dan's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
After a wet and wild weekend full of rainouts and doubleheaders, Monday brings a fairly normal slate of games for the evening main slate. Note that FanDuel didn't include the first two games of the evening, while DraftKings did.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 5/9/2022 at 6:35 PM EST and FanDuel at 7:10. The lineup picks 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 here. It's also essential to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. Now that we got all of that out of the way, it's onto the picks!
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Carlos Rodon, SFG vs. COL ($10,000 DK, $11,100 FD)
Rodon is the clear-cut ace on this slate and he would be my priority for cash games. While the Rockies have the lowest strikeout rate in the majors against LHP at only 16%, Rodon still has the stuff to dominate this lineup, especially at home in a much more pitcher-friendly park than Coors.
His strikeout projection dips today a bit and we saw him only whiff three Dodgers the last time out, but at -270 the Giants are still the biggest Vegas favorite on the board and his DK price isn't all that cost-prohibitive, especially with a lot of SP2 options being fairly affordable. If you wanted to pivot on FanDuel, then this next guy would likely be my choice.
Noah Syndergaard, LAA vs. TBR ($7,900 DK, $9,000 FD)
"Thor" has pitched well so far this year for the Angels, but he just hasn't dominated from a fantasy perspective. He has a tidy ERA of 2.62 and WHIP of only 0.96, but only 14 strikeouts in 24 innings pitched. While the strikeouts haven't been there yet, he's doing a great job of keeping the ball on the ground with a 51% GB% and he's not walking hardly anyone (5% BB%).
Tampa is a good matchup for Thor here as they're whiffing nearly 25% of the time against RHP. If he can pitch carefully around Brandon Lowe there aren't many other lefties in this lineup that should scare us off using him. I like pairing him with Rodon on DK in cash and I think he's viable on FD as a pivot off Rodon for a $2100 savings. His ability to pitch deep enough for the QS and win bonuses on FanDuel makes up for the lack of strikeouts.
Also consider: Brandon Woodruff (DK only) and Austin Gomber (much cheaper on DK, would probably only use him over there)
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Tim Anderson - SS, CHW vs. Zach Plesac ($5,300 DK, $3,600 FD)
I'm all for paying up at the middle infield spots today, which goes against the typical build we see in MLB DFS quite often. We have a lot of value in the outfield, so why not pay for some premium bats at positions where big scores are more scarce?
Anderson is about as reliable as they come in DFS, as he's doing his usual thing and hitting well over .300 and is posting 9 DK points per game. He's facing a very hittable Plesac here and leading off for a team with one of the higher implied team totals. I like the ChiSox a lot today and it makes sense to start your stacks with Anderson or plug him into cash games with his high floor.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. - 2B/SS, MIA vs. Humberto Castellanos ($5,400 DK, $3,700 FD)
Jazz is doing his best Tim Anderson impression so far this season and actually has more home runs (5) and steals (6) than Anderson. He's hitting .310 and has an elite .975 OPS to go with it. The Marlins should be popular today with a 4.5 implied run total, but for good reason. Castellanos shut them down last time out, but that game feels pretty fluky when you look at how relatively poor he's been in most of his other outings. He doesn't miss bats and Jazz is a guy who is going to put the ball in play against a high-contact pitcher.
Eric Hosmer - 1B, SDP vs. Kyle Hendricks ($4,500 DK, $3,400 FD)
Hosmer is having a great year, hitting for both power and average thus far. He and Manny Machado have done their best to pick up this Padres' offense that lost Fernando Tatis Jr. in Spring Training.
Hosmer has a wOBA of over .400 against RHP this season and today he faces Hendricks, who has been all over the place this season. I have to give Hosmer the advantage here, he's not likely to be fooled by Hendricks's changeup. He's a patient hitter who is going to wait for Hendricks to make a mistake and leave something out over the plate, or else he will draw a walk. Walks aren't ideal for DFS, but I still think Hosmer is a great play when you consider his reliable floor, solid ceiling, and discounted price compared to the other first basemen on the slate.
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Ramon Laureano - OF, OAK vs. Michael Pineda ($4,000 DK, $2,600 FD)
Listen, I know he went 0-4 in his first game back from suspension, but we know Laureano is a quality hitter and a guy who can hit for power, average, and steal some bases. I want to attack Pineda as he's looked very pedestrian in Detroit. I'm not saying to stack the A's or anything, but Laureano stands out to me as far too cheap for his skillset and this matchup.
Daulton Varsho - C/OF, ARI vs. Elieser Hernandez ($3,600 DK, $3,800 FD)
I love rostering this guy in DFS and he looks like a great play again tonight. Varsho leads off for Arizona against righties and the D-Backs get Hernandez on the bump opposing them. Lefties have a .409 wOBA and a .333 ISO off Hernandez this season! Varsho has some pop in his bat with six home runs already, two of those in his last three games. His eligibility at catcher is another bonus and I'd be using him there on DK in cash games.
Julio Rodriguez - OF, SEA vs. Ranger Suarez ($3,400 DK, $3,300 FD)
Don't look now, but J-Rod is finally heating up! The talented Seattle rookie was a bit slow out of the gates in April, but he's hitting .319 in 9 games so far in May including his first home run.
The Mariners face Ranger Suarez here and while he finished last year as a guy we would avoid targeting with hitters, this season he's been much more hittable, allowing a .396 wOBA and .208 ISO to right-handed hitters. I love the price on Rodriguez and I want to keep playing him while he's cheap before he takes another leap forward in his development.
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
Chicago White Sox vs. Zach Plesac
Plesac has some reverse splits and doesn't miss many bats with only a 13.9% strikeout rate this year. Chicago has a 4.4 implied run total, which is the third-most of any team on the DK slate, yet I'm not sure they draw much ownership with a few other games having pitchers that are more popular guys to pick on with bats.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Elieser Hernandez
It's not often that we see the Snakes with one of the higher run totals on the board, but this offense has been improving after a terrible start to the season. Hernandez is a decent pitcher, but he gives up a lot of hard contact and home runs. The Snakes are all priced affordably and getting the right, productive combo of Arizona bats could help win the slate today by allowing us to pay up at pitcher.
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