X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Main Slate - DraftKings, FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks (5/24/23): Today's Top MLB DFS Lineups

Christopher Morel - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, Draft Sleepers, MLB Injury News

The top main-slate daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on May 24, 2023. Kevin Hickey's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.

Happy Wednesday, RotoBallers! I'm excited to be covering another fun DFS slate. The MLB season has been good to me in the early going, so I'm looking forward to sifting through another crop of games. Let's break down my favorite plays from today's main slate!

With games scattered throughout the day, we're down to an eight-game main slate. Today's matchups feature no excess of top-line pitching options, opening up plenty of opportunities to get creative with your lineup builds. I'll point out the standout plays.

This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 5/24/2023 and the main slate locking at 7:05 pm ET. The lineup picks will range from some elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. 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 that out of the way, it's onto the picks!

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 50% off using code SUMMER! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks

Bryce Miller, SEA vs. OAK ($10,100 DK, $10,900 FD)

Bryce Miller's MLB career is just four starts deep, but he's already the most premium pitching option on today's main slate. Through 25 1/3 innings pitched, Miller sports a phenomenal 1.42 ERA, 1.79 FIP, and 0.51 WHIP. There's certainly room for regression, but even his advanced numbers look strong -- 2.82 xERA, .265 xwOBA, and .216 xBA. Miller also carries an above-average 25% strikeout rate alongside an outstanding 2.3% walk rate. His minor-league numbers suggest an even higher strikeout ceiling may still materialize.

Regardless of whether you believe in Miller's sample size, the matchup is too good to pass up. Oakland's offense scores just 3.6 runs per game. They own a terrible .648 OPS against right-handed pitchers, including a .136 ISO, 86 wRC+, and a league-high 26.3% strikeout rate. Between striking out a ton and not scoring runs, it's as good a matchup as Miller could hope for.

I hesitate to call Miller a "safe" play, but he does give me the most peace of mind. Pitching options are thin on this slate, and his path to being the day's top pitcher is the clearest. Anticipate chalk and look to get different elsewhere in your lineup.

Sandy Alcantara, MIA vs. COL ($8,300 DK, $8,900 FD)

Maybe it's stubbornness, but I'm not ready to give up on last year's NL Cy Young winner. It's been a rough campaign for Alcantara thus far, carrying a 4.21 xERA through nine starts. That includes some encouraging numbers, like a 6.1% barrel rate, 33.6% chase rate, and a career-best 28.2% whiff rate.

While acknowledging that Alcantara has underperformed, he has also experienced some bad luck, as represented by his 59.1% left on-base percentage. In any event, the sample size is small enough to keep stock in what Alcantara did in 2022 -- 2.92 xERA, 3.29 xFIP, .267 xwOBA, and 5.3% barrel rate.

Alcantara's greatest appeal is that he's a workhorse. Last season, he averaged 7.1 innings per start. That figure has dropped to 6.3 innings per outing in 2023, but that's more a result of the damage he's accrued than an inability to pitch deep. Alcantara's 22.6% strikeout rate is just a hair above the league average, though the tradeoff is worthwhile when he is capable of tossing a complete game any time out. If we can get seven-plus innings from Alcantara today, then he will (in all likelihood) pay off his affordable price tag.

Colorado's offense is nothing special, scoring 4.3 runs per game on the season. That includes a middling .730 OPS against right-handed pitching, alongside a weak .144 ISO and 85 wRC+. Their biggest offensive threat is the fact that they play at Coors Field. The environment certainly won't help Alcantara, but as a groundball pitcher, he is the exact type of arm that can neutralize the park's effect. If anything, I hope the idea of Coors is enough to suppress Alcantara's ownership.

Alcantara is a risky play in this spot, but he also might be the pitcher you had to have to take down a GPP. For his discounted price, that's a worthwhile gamble.

Also consider: Kodai Senga, Tony Gonsolin, James Paxton

 

Want more MLB DFS tools and content? Our MLB Premium package includes our daily DFS Cheat Sheets, Research Station, Optimizer, and access to our Premium Discord Chatrooms, where members can chat with our MLB analysts. Check out this recent big win from RotoBaller's Jon Anderson on DraftKings - join in on the winning!

 

DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks

Christopher Morel – 2B/OF, CHC vs. Kodai Senga ($4,900 DK, $4,600 FD)

It may qualify for malpractice if I don't highlight Morel at this point. He's homered in five consecutive games entering Wednesday, including nine home runs through 12 games since being promoted from Triple-A Iowa. Altogether, Morel is slashing .367/.404/.980. Eventually, he will come down to Earth, but Morel remains a great player to roster in the meantime.

Kodai Senga isn't the most vulnerable pitcher on this slate, but he has been touched up some during his brief time in the majors. Specifically, right-handed hitters have found success against Senga, carrying a .400 slugging percentage and .325 wOBA. Regardless, this pick has more to do with how hot Morel is than whoever takes the mound for the Mets.

Ryan Mountcastle – 1B, BAL vs. Nestor Cortes ($4,600 DK, $3,200 FD)

Mountcastle is slumping, carrying a .237/.267/.459 slash line with 10 home runs. His metrics suggest he's still hitting the ball exceptionally well. Mountcastle sports a phenomenal .564 xSLG, including a 16.1% barrel rate, 92.4 mph average exit velocity, .366 xwOBA, .278 xBA, and 45.6% hard-hit rate. In particular, he is crushing southpaw pitching this season, slugging .717 with a .383 ISO and six home runs.

Nestor Cortes does not look like the same pitcher he was in 2022. Right-handed hitters have found great success against him this season, carrying a .474 slugging percentage with a .346 wOBA and seven home runs against him. It's getting to the point where I'm comfortable picking on Cortes, and there's no better hitter to take advantage of his struggles than Mountcastle.

Matt Carpenter – 1B, SD vs. Trevor Williams ($2,900 DK, $2,600 FD)

Carpenter has been unable to recreate what he did for the Yankees last year, but he remains a worthwhile punt play today. He's hit only four home runs this season, but a 15.5% barrel rate suggests more are on the way. Looking back further, Carpenter slugged .684 against right-handed pitchers with a .389 ISO and 10 home runs in 2022.

Trevor Williams gets hit regardless of handedness, but the problem has been consistently worse with left-handed hitters. Lefties are slugging .479 against Williams this season, down from a .514 slugging percentage last season. Many San Diego bats look good today, but if you need a cheap one-off, you can do worse than Carpenter.

 

DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks

Juan Soto – OF, SD vs. Trevor Williams ($5,800 DK, $3,400 FD)

Building off Trevor Williams' struggles with left-handed hitters, Soto is a fantastic premium bat. He's rediscovered his power stroke recently, homering four times over the last 12 games. Soto's overall metrics suggest his recent slugging is here to stay, sporting a .509 xSLG, 57.5% hard-hit rate, .393 xwOBA, 92.6 mph average exit velocity, and 15% barrel rate. Ideal conditions for a Soto bomb on Wednesday.

Teoscar Hernandez – OF, SEA vs. Ken Waldichuk ($3,900 DK, $2,800 FD)

Waldichuk is not fooling anyone, surrendering a .511 xSLG, .380 xwOBA, and 10.7% barrel rate. The problem extends to hitters on both sides of the plate, but it's worth noting that right-handed batters have launched 11 home runs off Waldichuk this season. That includes a .579 slugging percentage and .415 wOBA.

Hernandez's bat has been sluggish to start the year, but his prowess for hitting southpaws is well-established. Hernandez is slugging .523 against left-handed pitchers in 2023 and carries a .565 slugging percentage for his career alongside a .295 ISO and .372 wOBA. He carries plenty of upside at a very accessible price.

Edward Olivares – OF, KC vs. Matthew Boyd ($2,900 DK, $2,800 FD)

Olivares looks good as a cheap outfielder to punt with. He hasn't impressed much at the plate lately, but Olivares posted an impressive .565 slugging percentage, 152 wRC+, .387 wOBA, and .283 ISO against left-handed pitching last season. He's only gone deep three times this season, though Olivares' expected numbers tell us better times are ahead -- .460 xSLG, .345 xwOBA, and .275 xBA.

Right-handed batters are slugging .471 against Matthew Boyd this season, in line with his career mark of .472. He's never found much success against righties, and at 32 years old, I wouldn't anticipate Boyd suddenly evolving. Salvador Perez is another great pick to take Boyd deep, but if affordability is a necessity, look no further than Olivares.

 

DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks

Mariners vs. Ken Waldichuk

Targeting Oakland pitchers has become a routine for me. With Ken Waldichuk on the mound today, I see no reason to switch things up. He carries an awful 6.26 xERA, which includes a similarly poor .511 xSLG, .380 xwOBA, .267 xBA, and a 10.7% barrel rate.

It's unlikely Waldichuk makes it out of this matchup unscathed. Whenever he does exit, Oakland's league-worst bullpen (6.43 ERA) will take over. In total, the Athletics have surrendered a total of 358 runs this season, equaling 7.2 runs per game, and nearly two runs per game higher than the next highest total from the Royals (5.3 runs per game).

The Mariners' offense carries some unrealized offensive potential, but they're a scary lineup all the same. Seattle scores 4.5 runs per game and features a strong mix of bats at varying price points. Waldichuk has struggled against right-handed and left-handed hitters alike, so don't shy away from rostering Jarred Kelenic.

Favorite Plays: Julio Rodriguez, Jarred Kelenic, Eugenio Suarez, Cal Raleigh, TeOscar Hernandez

Padres vs. Trevor Williams

Trevor Williams' struggles have persisted. He sports a 5.06 xERA, including a 4.96 xFIP, .348 xwOBA, .506 xSLG, .268 xBA, and 13.1% barrel rate. Williams has been lit up by batters of all handedness, so all Padres are playable. Additionally, Washington's bullpen brings a 4.40 ERA, the eighth-worst in the majors.

The Padres' offense has been a major disappointment, but this is a good spot for them to capitalize on. Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr. are premium bats that are starting to heat up, while midrange and cheaper options like Jake Cronenworth and Matt Carpenter make stacking accessible. San Diego collectively launched four home runs last night, which may be a sign that the momentum is shifting.

Favorite Plays: Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth, Matt Carpenter

Also Consider: Boston Red Sox, Miami Marlins, Baltimore Orioles



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



MLB DFS News and Injury Alerts

More DFS Lineup Picks and Analysis




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Yordan Alvarez

Resumes Swinging -- Return Imminent?
Jake Burger

to Miss an Additional 2-3 Weeks
TreVeyon Henderson

Signs Rookie Contract
Christian Watson

Goes on PUP List
Austin Riley

Hopes to be Activated Next Week
Ketel Marte

Lands on Restricted List After Burglary
Ricky Pearsall

Heads to PUP List
Brandon Aiyuk

Placed on PUP List
Luther Burden III

Signs Rookie Deal
Washington Nationals

Eli Willits Expected to Sign Contract on Saturday
Grayson Rodriguez

Being Shut Down Again - Will We See Him Again This Year?
Ezequiel Tovar

Activated and Back in Lineup on Friday
Max Fried

"Hopeful" to Pitch Next Week - Looks Like He'll Avoid IL Stint
Steven Kwan

Receives Injection in Wrist, Considered Day-to-Day
CJ Abrams

Back to Start Second Half
Alec Bohm

Back From Rib Injury on Friday
Trey Hendrickson

Holdout to Spill into Regular Season?
Jalen McMillan

Bucs Offensive Coordinator Not Forgetting About Jalen McMillan
Levi Onwuzurike

to Miss at Least Four Games
Nick Emmanwori

Seahawks, Nick Emmanwori Reach Agreement on Rookie Deal
Max Holloway

Set For Main Event
Brandon Lowe

Back From 10-Day Injured List
Dustin Poirier

Set For His Final UFC Fight
Roman Kopylov

Set For Co-Main Event
Paulo Costa

Returns At UFC 318
Luis L. Ortiz

to Remain on Leave for Another Month - Will he Pitch Again?
Daniel Rodriguez

Looks For Third Win In A Row
Kevin Holland

Set For His Fourth Fight This Year
Dan Ige

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
MMA

Patricio Freire Set For His Second UFC Fight
Daniel Zellhuber

Set To Open Up UFC 318 Main Card
Michael Johnson

Looks For Third Consecutive Win
Elijah Arroyo

Signs Rookie Deal
Jaydon Blue

Described as "Borderline Lazy"
T.J. Sanders

Bills Sign T.J. Sanders to Rookie Deal
Christian Wilkins

Raiders Put Christian Wilkins on PUP List
Jabari Small

Lions Add Jabari Small to Backfield
Quinshon Judkins

Remains Unsigned, Won't Report With Rest of Rookies
Mason Taylor

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Jets
Hendon Hooker

Leading Lions QB2 Battle Entering Training Camp
Ozzy Trapilo

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Bears
Tate Ratledge

Agrees to Rookie Contract with Lions
Jack Bech

Signs Rookie Contract with Raiders
Yegor Chinakhov

Requests Trade
Dakota Joshua

Maple Leafs Acquire Dakota Joshua
Lukas Dostal

Signs Five-Year Extension with Ducks
Shemar Stewart

Not Practicing With College Team
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Expected Back Friday
Damian Lillard

Returning to Portland
Paul Skenes

Pirates Could Preserve Paul Skenes in Second Half
Brooks Barnhizer

Grabs 19 Points, Nine Boards in Summer League Win
Jeremiah Fears

Scores 22 Points in Summer League Loss to Thunder
Isaiah Collier

Collects 17 Points In Summer League Win
Caleb Houstan

Joins Hawks
AJ Johnson

Erupts for 25 Points in Summer League Loss
Washington Wizards

Leaky Black Logs Double-Double in Loss to Jazz
Connor Norby

Undergoes Surgery, Expected to Miss 6-8 Weeks
Trey Alexander

Tallies 25 Points in Losing Effort
Johni Broome

Records Second Consecutive Double-Double
Jahmir Young

Has Historic Summer League Outing
Rob Dillingham

Plays Big Role in Wednesday's Win
Tyrese Proctor

Erupts for 35 Points Against Kings
Cody Williams

Leads Jazz to Victory Against Wizards
LeBron James

Mavs Not Interested in "Gutting its Roster" For LeBron James
Josh Hart

Undergoes a Procedure on Right Finger
Jake Burger

Goes on 10-Day Injured List With Quad Strain
Sal Frelick

Dealing With Grade 1 Hamstring Strain, TBD for Start of Second Half
Chris Sale

Plays Catch
Los Angeles Clippers

Bradley Beal Heading to Los Angeles to Join Clippers After Contract Buyout
Rayan Rupert

Scores 24 Points in Summer League Win
Derik Queen

Collects Third Consecutive Double-Double in Summer League Loss
GG Jackson II

Records 13 Points in Summer League Action on Tuesday
Johni Broome

Logs Double-Double Against Wizards
DaRon Holmes II

Records Double-Double in Summer League Loss to Raptors
Kyle Schwarber

Named All-Star Game MVP
Harris English

Takes Stellar 2025 Performance to The Open Championship
Aldrich Potgieter

Seeks Better Result in Northern Ireland
Cameron Young

Likely to Hang Around at The Open Championship
Cameron Smith

Just Trying to Make the Cut at Royal Portrush
Jordan Spieth

Is Jordan Spieth Still a Natural for Links Style Golf?
Patrick Reed

a Viable Option at The Open Championship
PGA

Sungjae Im Wants to Rebound from Last Experience at Royal Portrush
Xander Schauffele

Looks to Defend His Claret Jug at Royal Portrush
Tony Finau

Trying to Turn Tide at Royal Portrush
Daniel Brown

Seeks a Rebound at The Open Championship
Rory McIlroy

Will be the Most Watched Player This Week at Royal Portrush
Daniel Berger

Trending Poorly as The Open Championship Looms
Clayton Kershaw

Retires Both Batters In ASG Appearance
Robert MacIntyre

Hoping to Bounce Back at Open Championship
Shane Lowry

Hopes to Repeat at Royal Portrush
Brian Harman

Hopes to Rekindle Some Magic at the 153rd Open
UTA

Michael Carcone Returns to Utah on One-Year Contract
Bowen Byram

Signs Two-Year Deal with Sabres
Morgan Barron

Jets Re-Sign Morgan Barron for Two Years
PGA

Chris Gotterup Punches Ticket to Royal Portrush With Win at Scottish Open
Bryson DeChambeau

Hopes to Reverse Links Golf Struggle at the 153rd Open
Keegan Bradley

Needs to Find The Weekend at Royal Portrush for Ryder Cup Hopes
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF