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The top early-slate daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on May 31, 2023. Mike's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
We have a nearly identical slate today with seven early games and six games in primetime. In this article, we will focus on the early seven-game slate. Be sure to stay tuned for Kevin's main slate picks as well!
This article contains my picks for the seven-game early slate on Wednesday, May 31, 2023, for both DraftKings and FanDuel, which locks at 1:10 PM ET.
The lineup picks will range from some elite high-priced players to mid-priced options and value plays. I'll give you a few of my top pitching options and then some infielders, outfielders, and teams to stack. 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.
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Mitch Keller, PIT at SF ($10,800 DK, $11,200 FD)
Some of the luster is wearing off of Keller after he was knocked around by the Mariners last week. Still, Keller has struck out at least eight batters in six straight games. I'm not ready to bail on the Keller train just yet. His ERA is still very good (3.02) and despite not pitching that well against Seattle, he still got the win and the strikeouts.
On top of that, Keller has looked good against the Giants in a small sample size. If you have watched Keller prior to last July, you would know that Keller isn't the pitcher that you see now...and he still pitched well against the Giants.
Of particular note is that the Giants aren't elevating off of Keller and still striking out. The metrics support his continued success against the Giants, with the possibility for more strikeouts.
Alex Wood, SF vs. PIT ($6,800 DK, $6,800 FD)
Don't look for much hitting on the dock of the bay today in San Francisco. Keller is a true ace now. Wood, despite the high WHIP (1.44), has still been solid this year. He has only given up more than two earned runs once in his seven starts this year. Wood isn't going to rack up a ton of strikeouts, but he keeps the ball on the ground and normally doesn't hurt himself. The Pirates shouldn't hurt him, either.
Others to consider: Noah Syndergaard ($7,000 DK, $7,000 FD) vs. WAS
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Yandy Diaz - 1B, TB at CHC ($4,800 DK, $4,100 FD)
Diaz is 5-for-17 with a homer and three RBI since taking some personal days last week. Justin Steele has struggled lately. It seems as though the league is figuring him out and he hasn't adjusted yet. That's not to say he won't, but accomplishing that against a team like Tampa is going to be a tough sell. I'd much rather go after Steele with the righties in this lineup. Steele has given up five earned runs twice in his last three starts.
Josh Jung - 3B, TEX at DET ($5,100 DK, $3,600 FD)
Why are teams still pitching to this guy? Jung has a 13-game hitting streak with four homers and 12 RBI in that span. Not only that, Jung has six multi-hit games in that span. Jung is also facing another lefty. He is batting a robust .360 with five homers and 13 RBI against southpaws in just 50 at-bats. Good luck, Joey Wentz.
Dansby Swanson - SS, CHC vs. TB ($4,800 DK, $3,200 FD)
Two former NL East foes face off at different times and different places. Zach Eflin has reinvented himself in Tampa while Swanson is now making his home in Wrigleyville. They are very familiar with each other though, with Swanson coming out way ahead in this relationship. Swanson is 12-for-28 (.429) with six doubles and two homers against Eflin. If someone gets him today, it will be Swanson.
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
J.D. Martinez - OF, LAD vs. WAS ($4,700 DK, $3,800 FD)
There are few hitters hotter than Martinez right now. He has seven homers and a staggering 18 RBI in his last 10 games and now he gets to face Patrick Corbin. Any questions?
Lane Thomas - OF, WAS at LAD ($4,600 DK, $3,200 FD)
Thomas extended his hitting streak to 13 games last night and is showing no signs of slowing down. He also has five homers and eight RBI in that span batting leadoff for the Nationals. He is also a 3-for-8 lifetime against Thor. Thomas hasn't really elevated the ball on Thor yet, but he's not striking out either. I want a guy on this kind of heater who is making contact in my lineups today.
Akil Baddoo - OF, DET vs. TEX ($2,500 DK, $2,500 FD)
Baddoo's hit streak is over, but I still see enough to like at this price. We're getting spendy with hitters today because there are so many good spots. I don't mind punting with Baddoo, who is still manning a nice lineup slot in a Detroit lineup that has scored more than six runs in three of the last four games. We can do worse for a value play.
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Patrick Corbin
Corbin's 4.88 ERA isn't as bad as last year and his expected stats aren't quite as bad as last year. He's still getting a bit lucky since his xERA is still at 5.76, but Corbin has sacrificed strikeouts to have a chance to survive in the league. The Nats don't care. They just want a guy to eat innings. They couldn't care less if he were good in the process or not.
That can be a good thing. The Dodgers are loaded with righties and Max Muncy has hit Corbin hard as well. We want the usual suspects here in Mookie and Chris Taylor. I already mentioned Austin Barnes is a great way to save money if he draws a start in the matinee and he has homered twice against Corbin in his career. Miguel Rojas has three homers against Corbin and is a must-start if he cracks the lineup. See? Not all Dodgers are expensive!
Also consider: Texas Rangers vs. Joey Wentz
Look, the only reason this isn't my favorite stack is that the Rangers aren't cheap. The Dodgers are surprisingly cheaper. Jung is the guy that you must have, but all of the other Rangers I want are over $4,500 on DK with the exception of Robbie Grossman.
Sneaky stack: Washington Nationals vs. Noah Syndergaard
Nearly everyone will be on the Dodgers' side of this, but the Nationals bear watching. Thor has been better at Dodger Stadium this season, but he's still not striking a lot of guys out. I may not full stack this, but Joey Meneses, Corey Dickerson, and Jeimer Candelario are all hitting well lately and are cheap enough to pair with the Rangers or Dodgers.
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