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Jorge Pucks highlights the top FanDuel and DraftKings MLB DFS lineup picks for the "Early" slate on 5/15/21, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
Hello there, MLB DFS grinders! It's Saturday, and that means we have yet another split slate of MLB games today with three games in the afternoon and 10 games on the main evening slate.
While most of our MLB DFS coverage here at RotoBaller is geared towards the main slate, I wanted to give you some of my favorite pitchers and bats for these early games. I'll highlight my favorite pitching options here first and then give you some hitters at each price tier to consider as well as my favorite teams to stack up AND some sample lineups for both sites!
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the FanDuel and DraftKings early slate at 4:05 PM on 5/15/2021. 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 MLB DFS lineup picks for the main slate here, and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. Let's get to it!
MLB DFS Pitchers
Jose Berrios vs. OAK ($8,000 FD, $9,500 DK)
There are limited options on this three-game slate to choose from but Berrios carries the highest upside despite having one of the tougher matchups against the A's. Luckily for Berrios, the A's have tended to struggle against right-handed pitchers as they're batting .208 as a team against this handedness and striking out 233 times so far against righties. The A's have a 23.1 % strikeout rate against righties and Berrios is generating a 24.2% strikeout percentage while also generating a 11.1% swinging strike rate so there is strikeout potential in this matchup.
Dylan Bundy at BOS ($8,700 FD, $6,900 DK)
Bundy looks to be a big-time value over on DK despite a tough matchup against the Red Sox. Boston is batting .252 against righties this year but has one of the higher strikeout totals against this handedness (255). Bundy is generating a 12.9% swinging strike percentage and throws the first pitch for a strike over 60% of the time so if he can get ahead in the count early, Bundy could hit value on DK and would make for a solid tournament play at lower ownership as a second pitcher to roster.
Others to consider: Trevor Williams vs. Detroit
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MLB DFS "Bats Worth Paying For"
Anthony Rizzo – 1B, CHC @ DET ($3,100 FD, $5,200 DK)
Rizzo is actually priced down on FD and makes him easy to roster in all formats over there while his price tag on DK is a little bit tougher to fit in. Rizzo is sporting a .232 IO against right-handed pitchers and a low 15.2% strikeout rate against this handedness and should be able to hold his own against Urena as Urena has struggled against lefty batters this season (.325 average and .400 slugging percentage).
Kris Bryant – 3B/ OF, CHC @ DET ($4,400 FD, $5,700 DK)
Bryant has been on a hot streak and regardless of what pitcher is out there, he is seeing the ball well. Bryant is batting .274 against right-handed pitchers and has five bombs off of them this year. Urena primarily throws his sinker to righties and Bryant has an 84.80% contact percentage against this pitch type.
Mike Trout – OF, LAA @ BOS ($4,500 FD, $5,900 DK)
If paying up for a player, it is hard to not just lock in Trout and move on. he has a .233 ISO against left-handed pitchers and has a .429 XwOBA against this-handedness this season. He is batting .290 against lefties and has yet to hit a home run against a lefty-pitcher so today could be the day for him to knock one out of the park. Perez mixes up his pitches but throws his changeup and cutter the most to right-handed batters which Trout sports an XwOBA of .490+ to both pitch types.
MLB DFS Values
Marwin Gonzalez – 1B/2B/OF, BOS vs. LAA ($2,800 FD, $3,700 DK)
Marwin could be a cheap option if you're looking for someone who could be used in several positions on either site. Gonzalez is sporting a .385 XwoBA against right-handed pitchers and profiles well against Bundy who tends to throw his fastball and changeup combo to lefties over 70% of the time. Gonzalez profiles well against those pitch types as he has a .333 ISO against his fastball and a .377 XwOBA against this changeup.
David Fletcher – 2B/ SS, LAA @ BOS ($2,800 FD, $3,900 DK)
Fletcher is usually batting at the top of the Angels lineup and could make for a solid value option for your Angels stacks. Fletcher is batting .268 against lefties so far this season but is sporting a 50.2% medium hard-hit rate against this handedness. One pitch that Fletcher hits well is the cutter which is a main pitch that Perez throws. Fletcher has a .350 ISO against the pitch and a .367 XwOBA against that pitch type so if he could see a few of those throughout the game, he might be able to get ahold of one. 1
Joc Pederson – OF, CHC @ DET ($2,600 FD, $4,100 DK)
Pederson should draw into the lineup for the Cubs against a right-handed pitcher and he profiles very well against Urena. Urena throws his sinker 60% of the time to lefty bats and Pederson sports a .439 ISO and .508 XwOBA against this pitch type. He carries a great price tag on both sites and would be a lock in all formats should he get the start.
Also Consider: Kyle Garlick vs. Cole Irvin, Jose Iglesias vs. Martin Perez
MLB DFS Hitter Stacks
Los Angeles Angels vs. Martin Perez
Perez could be in for a long afternoon against an Angels team that has some pop from the right side of the plate. The Angels as a team have combined for 15 home runs against lefty pitchers so far this season and are averaging .232 as a team against left-handed pitchers. As a team, they have a low strikeout rate as they have only struck out 20.8% of the time against lefties and have some big-time power from both sides of the plate so locking in some Angels would be wise to do on this afternoon slate.
Chicago Cubs vs, Jose Urena
Urena has gotten off to a solid start on the season despite having a 1-4 record but faces a tough task against a Cubs team that has a lot of run-scoring potential. The Cubs are hitting .225 against righties but also have 29 bombs against that handedness so they do carry some pop into this matchup. Urena only has a 9.9% swinging strike percentage while having a low 16.7% strikeout percentage so if the Cubs can hit him early on, it could be tough for Urena to last long in this game.
Other stacks: Minnesota Twins vs. Cole Irvin
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