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Brandon's top DraftKings and FanDuel MLB DFS picks for today, Monday, 5/5/25. His favorite daily fantasy baseball lineup sleepers and value picks for DFS on DraftKings and FanDuel.
Happy Monday, RotoBallers! My name is Brandon! You can find me and my work with the NHL and soccer teams, respectively!
Tonight, we have an eight-game slate, and the currently live top-3 highest implied team totals are: Kansas City with 5.0, St. Louis with 4.8, and New York Mets with 4.7.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 5/5/2025, with the slate starting at 7:05 p.m. EDT. 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. Monitoring injury news and today's MLB starting lineups is always essential.
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Cole Ragans - KC vs. CWS - DK $10.4K ||FD $9.6K
There is zero questioning that Cole Ragans will be the highest-owned pitcher on the slate. In his last five appearances, the southpaw has given up 22 hits, 12 earned runs, four home runs, seven walks, and 13 runs, while striking out 43.
That is good for 7.9 hits, 4.3 earned runs, 1.4 home runs, 2.5 walks, and 4.6 runs per nine innings in that window.
The Chicago White Sox are not a high-striking team against left-handed pitchers. However, they are a bottom-10 team in all meaningful hitting metrics. Furthermore, outside of expected Padres starter Nick Pivetta, Ragans is the only other dominant starting pitcher on the slate.
This season, he is top-10 or better in K%, SIERA, Z-Contact%, K-BB%, CWS rate, and Pitch, a combination of Location+ and Pitching+. Despite being the highest-salaried pitcher on the slate, by $400 on DraftKings, Ragans is expected to reach value.
Miles Mikolas - STL vs. PIT - DK $6.2K || FD $6.9K
Miles Mikolas has not had an easy start to the season, posting negative fantasy points in his second start, in Fenway Park, and only four in his loss to the New York Mets. Although in his other four starts, he posted double-digit fantasy points, including his first win of the season against the Cincinnati Reds in his last outing.
In his previous five appearances on the mound, he has given up 28 hits, 13 earned runs, seven walks, and 14 runs, while striking out 14. Over nine innings, those equal out to 10.9 hits, 5.08 earned runs, 2.7 walks, and 5.4 runs.
This comes as no surprise, though, when looking at his metrics. The veteran pitcher is bottom-60 or worse in K%, SIERA, O-Swing%, Z-Contact%, K-BB%, and CWS%.
Luckily, the Pittsburgh Pirates are not any better. Over the season, they are bottom-10 against right-handed pitchers in K%, wOBA, and wRC+. As a strictly GPP pitcher, Mikolas has the potential to double his value if he can lock in early against the Buccos.
Others To Consider (Cash/GPP):
- Nick Pivetta- SD at NYY (DK $10K || FD $10.5K)
- Brady Singer- CIN at ATL (DK $8.8K || FD $9.4K)
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Josh Naylor - 1B, ARI vs. Griffin Canning (DK $4.9K || FD $K) ** Not on FanDuel **
Josh Naylor is far from elite hitting right now with only six singles, three doubles, two walks, one stolen base, one run, and two RBI in his last five games and 18 at-bats. After starting the season on a strong note, the first baseman has fallen back to Earth.
Despite the regression, he still has the fourth-best wOBA and the fifth-best SLG against right-handed pitchers on the Diamondbacks roster. With options like Pete Alonso or teammate Pavin Smith (DK $4.4K || FD$K) at first base, Naylor may be the underowned option in a prime spot.
Jorge Polanco - 3B/SS, SEA vs. Luis Severino (DK $4.4K || FD $K) ** Not on FanDuel **
Regarding underperforming bats, Jorge Polanco is as far away from the list as possible. The veteran bat is swinging lights out right now. Over his last five games and 11 at-bats, he has tallied seven singles, three doubles, two home runs, two walks, four runs, and seven RBI.
When analyzing the Mariners roster, Polanco also has the best wOBA, .543, and the best SLG, .857, against right-handed pitchers. Expected Athletics starter Luis Severino is a bottom-60 pitcher in strikeout rate and a bottom-20 pitcher in CWS%. A pitcher with reasonable control and bad strikeout upside against a batter seeing the ball is a recipe for success for Polanco tonight.
J.P. Crawford - SS, SEA vs. Luis Severino (DK $3.4K || FD $K) ** Not on FanDuel **
Keeping things in Sutter Health Park, we have shortstop J.P. Crawford. Speaking of hot bats, Crawford has accumulated eight singles, one double, two home runs, three walks, four runs, and seven RBI in his last five appearances and 21 at-bats. In that window, he also has a .381 AVG, a .714 SLG, and a 1.17 OPS.
On the Mariners roster, Crawford has the seventh-best wOBA, .357, and the eighth-best SLG, .378. These numbers would be much higher if they had been over the past few weeks. Considering Crawford’s position in the batting order and salary, he is a MUST own, especially in "CASH" contests.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Pete Alonso - 1B, NYM vs. ARI (DK $5.7K || FD $K) ** Not on FanDuel **
- Francisco Lindor - SS, NYM vs. ARI (DK $5.3K || FD $K) ** Not on FanDuel **
- Brendan Donovan - 2B/OF, STL vs. PIT (DK $4.5K || FD $3.2K)
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Jose Altuve - OF, HOU vs. Tobias Myers (DK $5.1K || FD $3.1K)
Jose Altuve and the Houston Astros are lined up in one of the best matchups on the slate against expected starting pitcher Tobias Myers. Myers has pitched seven innings so far this season. In those seven innings, he has given up six singles, four earned runs, one home run, seven walks, and four runs, while striking out six.
That’s only half the story, though. On the season, he is a bottom-15 or worse pitcher in SIERA, O-Swing%, K-BB%, CWS%, and Pitch. This proves that he lacks any true punch and has little to no control over it.
The Astros have not shown any of their previous offensive success, and it certainly hurts not having outfielder Yordan Alvarez at their disposal. This puts more pressure on Altuve to produce. In the latter’s most recent five games and 21 at-bats, he has generated five singles, one double, one home run, three walks, two runs, and five RBI.
This will be the first meeting between Altuve and Myers, with the former expected to have the upper hand by quite a margin.
Lars Nootbaar - OF, STL vs. Carmen Mlodzinski (DK $4.7K || FD $3.3K)
Talking about prime matchups. Lars Nootbaar and the St. Louis Cardinals are up there in terms of stackable teams tonight against expected starting pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski.
Mlodzinski may not be as bad as the previously mentioned, Myers, but he is also not a strong pitcher. The former is a bottom-50 pitcher in K% and Z-Contact% this season and is a bottom-100 pitcher in SIERA, O-Swing%, and K-BB%.
The St. Louis Cardinals have also been firing on all cylinders lately against right-handed pitchers. They are the second-best in K%, in the top 10 in wOBA and wRC+, and the fifth-best in Contact, a combination of Z-Contact% and Contact%.
Nootbaar himself in his last five games and 19 at-bats has accumulated three singles, two doubles, one home run, two walks, one stolen base, four runs, and one RBI. The outfielder has yet to show his dominance against Mlodzinski, though, striking out three out of four at-bats. Can he finally get the upper hand on him tonight?
Jonathan India - 3B/OF, KC vs. Shane Smith (DK $2.9K || FD $2.6K)
Lastly, we have Jonathan India of the Kansas City Royals. The third baseman/outfielder is hitting consistently right now. In his most recent five appearances and 19 at-bats, he has accumulated four singles, one double, four walks, and four runs. He is doing precisely what is needed to reach value game in and game out.
India is another player who sits at the bottom of his team’s roster against right-handed pitchers. He has the seventh-best wOBA, .285, and the ninth-best SLG, .280. Despite these poor numbers, he is currently showing prime plate presence.
For only $2.9K on DraftKings and plenty of big names to pay up for, India is the perfect salary saver with a "safe" floor and a "high" ceiling.
Others To Consider (CASH/GPP):
- Corbin Carroll vs. NYM (DK $6.1K || FD $K) ** Not on FanDuel **
- Ian Happ vs. SF (DK $4.3K || FD $3.2K)
- JJ Bleday vs. SEA (DK $3.6K || FD $K) ** Not on FanDuel **
DraftKings/FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
- Houston Astros vs. Tobias Myers
As mentioned above, Myers will be the easiest pitcher to target on the slate tonight. He is doomed from the start as a bottom-20 or worse pitcher with zero strikeout ability and zero pitch control. The Houston Astros are not swinging confidently, but are expected to have enough to finish the job.
Favorite Combo: Paredes, Pena, Altuve, Walker
- Seattle Mariners vs. Luis Severino
There is no in-between when it comes to Severino. He will either show dominance tonight or be dominated; the latter is expected. Severino is a bottom-100 pitcher across the board, excluding pitch control, specifically a bottom-50 pitcher in strikeout ability.
Considering the Mariners are within the top three clubs in wOBA, wRC+, and barrel rate against right-handed pitchers right now, they are due for a big run against Severino.
Favorite Combo: Crawford, Polanco, Rodriguez, Arozarena
- St. Louis Cardinals vs. Carmen Mlodzinski
As mentioned above, Mlodzinski is nowhere as bad as Myers. However, he struggles, too. The Cardinals are a top-10 club in wOBA, wRC+, and Contact against right-handed pitchers. As a bottom-60 pitcher in K%, Z-Contact%, and K-BB%, Mlodzinski is expected to have trouble keeping the Cardinals off the scoreboard in this matchup.
Favorite Combo: Nootbaar, Burleson, Donovan, Arenado
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