FanDuel MLB Lineup Picks (5/22/21): Daily Fantasy Baseball Advice

May 22, 2021

Kyle Ringstad highlights the top FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks for 5/22/21, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.

We're treated with a tidy little six-gamer on tonight's FanDuel slate, featuring Buehler and a few usual stacks in the Red Sox and Dodgers. There are a few sneaky stacks on this slate, though, as well as a high-priced pivot off Buehler and a dirt-cheap GPP option at pitcher.

I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel main slate on 5/22/2021. You can see our DraftKings and FanDuel DFS lineup pick for the early slate here as well.

Be sure to also check out all the MLB player news, including late scratches, and the projected and confirmed daily MLB lineups for each DFS slate. You can also check out today's DraftKings MLB DFS lineup picks, and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. Let's get to it!

FanDuel DFS Pitchers

Cash Game/GPP Anchor Play:

Walker Buehler - LAD vs. SFG (10,500)

This one's pretty simple. Buehler is the top arm on the slate and he's facing the Giants, who have the highest strikeout rate in the MLB against RHP at 28.5%. Buehler hasn't faced them yet this season, but he has between 7-10 strikeouts in each of his last five starts and just put up 52 FD points against the D-Backs his last time out. The Giants 3.1-run implied total gives us even more confidence to roll him out there.

Alternate Play(s)

Robbie Ray - TOR vs. TBR ($9,100)   

Ray is well worth the salary jump in this spot. The Rays have a decent 4.4-run implied total, but Ray has been dealing lately and the Rays don't hit well against southpaws. They have the second-highest strikeout rate (30.9%) and a weak OPS (.674) and wOBA (.297) against LHP. Ray has put up between 38 and 43 FD points in each of his last five starts and he has high-strikeout upside in this spot.

GPP Dart-Throw

Ryan Weathers - SDP vs. SEA ($5,800)

Weathers has had a few serviceable outings this season and he really doesn't need to do a whole lot to pay off his salary. The Mariners have been no-hit twice this season already and they're the worst offense in the league against left-handed pitching. Weathers could pay off huge value here.

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FanDuel DFS Infielders

Rafael Devers - 3B, BOS vs. PHI ($3,800)

Devers has three homers over his last six games and gets a juicy matchup against a prospect making his first start of the season. Howard had a 5.92 ERA over six starts last year, and he gave up six home runs in just 24 and 1/3 innings pitched.

Marcus Semien - 2B/SS, TOR vs. TBR ($3,600)

Semien has been absolutely scorching lately with three games over 34 FD points in his last five, and he put up 12.4 and 12.7 FD points in the other two. He has three homers in that span and will have a great chance to keep it going against a young gun tonight. McClanahan has some filthy stuff, but he has a tendency to get hit really hard as he ranks in the bottom-10 percentile in both Hard Hit % and Average Exit Velocity.

Fernando Tatis Jr. - SS, SDP vs. SEA ($4,500)

Tatis has hit bombs in three straight games and has over 43 FD points in his last two, and I don't see his run slowing down tonight. Justus Sheffield has been worse than his 4.62 ERA indicates, and his sinker (his most thrown pitch) has been getting demolished (.324 AVG, .568 xSLG, 9.5% Whiff%). Manny Machado is a great play tonight against Sheffield as well.

Bobby Dalbec - 1B/3B, BOS vs. PHI ($2,400)

Bobby D is still cheap and he has started to turn it on with three homers over his last seven games. He has also put up at least 25 FD points in four of his last seven, and he gets a tasty matchup against the unproven Howard tonight.

FanDuel DFS Outfielders

Tommy Pham - OF, SDP vs. SEA ($2,100)

We're spending up at SP and likely at a few infield positions, so let's go cheap here. Pham has had a disappointing year, but he tripled and put up 34.2 FD points last game and hit his first homer of the season six games ago. We know he has a good bat in him; it's likely just a matter of time before he returns to some semblance of his past form. Sheffield is very gettable and Pham could provide huge value here.

Teoscar Hernandez - OF, TOR vs. TBR ($3,200)

As mentioned in the Semien write-up, McLanahan gets crushed when hitters do make contact. Hernandez hits the ball hard and is well above-average in xwOVA, xBA, and xSLG.

Mark Canha - OF, OAK vs. LAA ($3,100)

This is just a really great price for the leadoff hitter on a team that's projected to score 4.9 runs tonight. Canha has put up double-digit FD points in five of his last seven, popping four homers in that stretch. Patrick Sandoval is not a pitcher to fear, and the Athletics could be a somewhat sneaky stack tonight.