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Kevin Luchansky highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for 5/25/18, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
Happy Friday, my fellow Rotoballers. We've got a lovely 14 game Main slate on deck this evening at 7:05 with a bevvy of quality pitchers to roster and a handful of ones we can attack.
Before I get into player selection, let's take a look and see what Vegas has for us by way of run projections and moneyline favorites. The Rockies opened this morning with the loftiest run projection of 6.3 and huge action has already moved that figure up to 6.9. They're followed by the Red Sox at 5.9, Yankees at 5.2 and Rangers at 5.2. Those are going to be good sources of offense today, so you can look there if you're stacking in cash. As for moneyline favorites, six teams are -180 favorites or higher. It starts with the Nationals and Mac Scherzer on the bump with a line of -257, followed by the Yankees -213, Rockies -198, Dodgers -196, Red Sox -185, and Mariners -183.
In this article, I will be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel on 5/25/18. The lineup picks will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. 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.
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FanDuel DFS Pitchers
James Paxton - SP, vs MIN ($9,700)
The question likely to be on everyone's mind tonight - do I pay up for Max Scherzer in a good situation? I think you can, but the presence of good pitchers (also in good situations) in the price tier below him makes me feel that you don't have to. Paxton has been excellent this season and he and the Mariners are one of the biggest favorites of the day at -183 on the moneyline and his opponent, the Twins, have a run projection of just 3.1. Adding to his allure is his strikeout prowess. This season, he's posted a 10.8 K/9 and a 1.1 WHIP, and this Minnesota team's projected lineup has a 26% strikeout rate against southpaws. And last, but not least, Paxton has allowed just a 31% hard hit rate and an average exit velocity of 89 miles per hour.
Ross Stripling - SP, vs SDP ($6,700)
A super value price in one of the best pitchers parks - AND facing a strikeout prone team? I'm all in on Stripling as a strong GPP option. There are plenty of bats worth paying up for tonight - namely from the Rockies and Yankees - and Stripling provides cash savings with strikeout upside. Stripling has been pretty damn impressive so far in the young 2018 season, beating value in four straight starts and owning a 9.3 K/9. The punchless Padres (.646 team OPS against RHP this season) also have a projected lineup that has a 31% K rate against right-handed pitching.
Also Consider: Max Scherzer - SP, at MIA ($12,000)
FanDuel DFS Infielders
Gary Sanchez - C, vs LAA ($4,000)
The Yankees have the second highest run projection today and are at home in their amazingly hitter friendly park in nice weather. As such, there are a few Bronx Bombers you'll want to get in your lineups and Sanchez just might be my favorite of that crew. He has the platoon advantage against Andrew Heaney and has posted monstrous splits over the past year with a .411 wOBA and a .323 ISO.
Ian Desmond - 1B, vs CIN ($3,400)
Not surprisingly, first base is loaded tonight. A player that stands out as being a risk - but also underpriced relative to the upside and with great lineup context is Ian Desmond. His righty-righty splits aren't going to blow you away, but he's been pretty hot lately and he does get the Coors effect. He's gone yard twice in the past six games and has a pair of multi-hit games in that stretch as well. At this price, he has the potential to smash value.
Whit Merrifield - 2B, at TEX ($3,500)
He's been a little bit up-and-down of late in terms of production, but at this point we know the talented second baseman is capable of some monster performances with his combination of hitting, power and stolen base ability. He gets a park upgrade today and a nice matchup against a southpaw, a group he's posted a .393 wOBA and a .265 ISO against in the past year.
Miguel Andujar - 3B, vs LAA ($3,500)
A relative bargain for a Yankee today! Andujar is really starting to see the ball well, and he has destroyed his price implied total in two of his last three games (beating it in all three). Over his past 10 games, he has a really strong hard hit rate sitting at 54%, and the fly ball rate over 40% is particularly attractive when you're playing at Yankee Stadium.
FanDuel DFS Outfielders
Brandon Nimmo - OF, at MIL ($3,200)
Nimmo showcased some strength last night with a few extra base hits and he has a matchup today that should allow him to continue the trend. He and his Metropolitans teammates get a nice park upgrade and Nimmo will benefit from the platoon advantage. Over the past 12 months, he's posted impressive splits, including a .400 wOBA mark.
Charlie Blackmon - OF, vs CIN ($4,600)
Considering the game environment, lineup context and lofty Vegas projection for the Rockies today, this is a bargain price for Blackmon. He's an incredible hitter against right-handed pitching, posting a .410 wOBA over the past year, paired with a .276 ISO mark. In the past 12 days, he's had a 35% hard hit rate and has been the victim of bad batted ball luck. Great spot for him.
