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

FanDuel MLB DFS Lineup Picks (5/16/18): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

Kevin Luchansky highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for 5/16/18, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.

Pretty interesting schedule we have on our hands on this Wednesday in the middle of May. Fourteen major league games are set to take place, but only 11 of them are in the larger contests. There are six games in the Early slate and five on the Main. I'll be focusing on those as that's where the majority of money is in prize pools (and there are far more contest options in those as well). The Early slate locks at 12:o5 and the Main at 7:05.

I'll update this Vegas section as the day goes along with any relevant information. As of Tuesday night, what I can say for the Early slate is that Vegas is expecting a lot of funs in the Phillies-Orioles game (over/under of 10.5) and very few at Citi Field where the Mets host the Blue Jays (over/under of 7.5). For the Main slate, we don't have a whole lot to dissect. There are a handful of modest run projections for the majority of games (7.5-8.5 runs) and the lone attractive line (for stacking purposes) happens to be the contest in Atlanta between the Braves and Cubs, with an over/under line of 9.5 as for moneyline favorites, the Red Sox are big time favorites at -250, and the only other notable line is essentially the -175 line that belongs to the Dodgers down in Miami.

You can also read more DFS lineup picks for DraftKings and other sports too. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me up on Twitter @kpLuch.

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!

 

FanDuel DFS Pitchers

J.A. Happ - SP, at NYM ($8,600) - Early 

Happ has put together a pretty strong first-quarter campaign. The Toronto lefty has posted a 29% strikeout rate, a 3.16 SIERA and an 11.7% SwStr rate through 45 innings. He had a rough go his last time on the mound, but the Seattle team that delivered the damage ranks third overall in advanced stats against lefties. His opponent today, the Mets, rank dead last in the same leaderboard and they also happen to strike out a ton (26.7%). In addition to Vegas seeing this as a low scoring game, Happ also gets a positive park shift and doesn't have to face the DH. He's a good value price as well, and he's a strong option in this Early slate in either format.

Also Consider for Early: Trevor Bauer - SP, at DET ($9,300) - Cash/GPP; Nick Pivetta - SP, at BAL ($7,100) - GPP

Chris Sale - SP, vs OAK ($11,400) - Main

Right as everyone shied away from Sale last week on a slate where he was accompanied by other aces, he went out and dominated to the tune of 15 K's and did it at low ownership. The low ownership wont be there today thanks to the wacky slates FanDuel has decided to roll with, but he gets the nod from me by a slight margin. This Oakland team has been pretty good against southpaws, but Sale is a different beast and Oakland does strike out at a nearly 27% clip. He leads the slate not only in strikeout projections, but also in opponent run projections (Oakland currently 3.1). Seeing as the Red Sox are -250 favorites and he has major strikeout upside, I like him in all formats tonight.

Also Consider for Main: Elieser Hernandez - SP, vs LAD ($6,600) - GPP only

 

FanDuel DFS Infielders

Roberto Perez - C, at DET ($2,100) - Early

Perez is the southpaw specialist among the Cleveland backstops and he should get the lineup call today at a nice price with home run upside. I use the term specialist lightly and in relative terms there, but he has shown some pop and this is a sneaky good park for right-handed power. Over the past season (2017-18) he's posted a .340 wOBA split to go with an .807 OPS.

Edwin Encarnacion - 1B, at DET ($3,900) - Early

There are a number of Indians in good spots this afternoon, but the price you'll pay is quite steep. Edwin coming in at just under 4K is a bargain considering the upside. He's posted a .379 wOBA and a .253 ISO against southpaws over the 2017-18 seasons, putting him in elite company for this slate. He's also run into some recent bad luck in terms of batted balls, as he has nearly a 50% hard hit rate over the Indians' last four series but not much to show for it in terms of DFS production. That should change this afternoon.

Matt Carpenter - 3B, at MIN ($3,000) - Early

I know he's been struggling offensively, but I do like him as a tourament option on this early slate. The Cardinals have one of the highest run projections at 5.0, and Lance Lynn has a history of struggling with left-handed batters. Carpenter has a .347 wOBA and .213 ISO split against right-handed pitching over the 2017-18 seasons, and he's a nice value at this price point considering the upside and lineup context. And, despite these struggles he's having, he has posted a 57% hard hit rate in his last eight starts.

Manny Machado - SS, vs PHI ($4,900) - Early

Nick Pivetta is an intriguing GPP option on this Early slate, and he may end up providing value, but my money is on Machado doing some damage one way or the other. The big shortstop seems completely locked in right now, crushing his price implied value in five straight games and has a 43% hard hit rate over the last four series. For the month, he's posted a .465 wOBA, which is pretty damn incredible.

Joey Wendle - 2B, at KCR ($2,600) - Early 

Wendle's numbers certainly wont floor anyone, but this is a pretty damn good matchup for him and he's been hitting the ball well over the last week. I like him as a tournment option thanks to the value-tier price and the probability he'll be one of the lower owned guys on what is a decent sized slate that feels small thanks to no outstanding selections. Over the past eight games, Wendle's hard hit rate is above 40% and he faces a pitcher in Hammel that has allowed a .357 wOBA and 1.71 HR/9 to left-handed hitters in 2018.

 

FanDuel DFS Outfielders

Rhys Hoskins - OF, at BAL ($3,900) - Early 

We all know Rhys can really, really tee off on right-handed pitching and he's a strong fastball hitter, too. He has a .360 ISO currently against fastballs. Andrew Cashner is likely in trouble this afternoon. Over the past year, Hoskins has posted over a .400 wOBA split as well as a .283 ISO mark. In the past 15 days, his batted ball data is really strong too, which an averaged batted ball distance of 266 feet.

Odubel Herrera - OF, at BAL ($3,800) - Early

I'd strongly suggest getting some Phillies outfielders in your lineups! They've got a great matchup, and the prices wont break the bank. Herrera boasts a .383 wOBA split against right-handed pitchers and also provides some relative pop with a .196 ISO. He, too, has been the vitcim of some bad luck lately, but does have a strong 27% line drive rate in the last 15 days - which is what you want to see from a gap hitter.

Ian Happ - OF, at ATL ($2,800) - Main

On a slate where it seems every quality outfielder costs an arm and a leg, Happ is great salary relief that also provides home run upside in a good matchup. Atlanta is a great park for lefties and Brandon McCarthy has greatly struggled against lefties this season, allowing over a .400 wOBA and a .242 ISO. Happ has also been swinging the stick much better after his extended slump, carrying a hard hit rate right around 50% over the last eight games.

Kyle Schwarber - OF, at ATL ($4,100) - Main

For many of the reasons I listed Ian Happ, I like Mr. Schwarber. And I really like his chances of giving a young fan in the outfield seats a souvenir this evening as well - so long as this rain holds off. He has a massive .303 ISO split against right-handers over the past 12 months, and the 40% hard hit rate over the past 10 days is strong as well.

 

MLB DFS News and Injury Alerts

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