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Jorge Pucks highlights the top DraftKings MLB DFS lineup picks for the "Early" slate on 5/26/21, and a couple of sleepers to consider while building daily rosters.
Hello there, MLB DFS grinders! We have a split Wednesday slate and the focus on this article will be DK for their four-game early only 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 that will help you cash in tournaments and cash game contests. 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! You can read our DraftKings DFS lineup picks for the main slate and FanDuel DFS lineup picks for the main slate as well.
I'll be providing you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for the DraftKings afternoon slate at 1:10 PM on 5/26/2021. 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
Carlos Rodon vs. STL ($11,200 DK)
Rodon is the clear-cut top pitching talent on this slate but draws a very tough matchup against the Cardinals who have hit left-handed pitching pretty well. Rodon is 4-1 on the season with a 1.23 ERA and is averaging 29.7 DK points per game. When looking at his last five games played, Rodon has only given up two home runs but has had seven or more strikeouts in four of those games. The upside has been there for Rodon but it is risky as the Cardinals have done well all season long against lefties so if you're making multiple lineups, you might want to hedge this play.
James Kaprielian vs. SEA ( $7,700 DK)
You might need some salary relief and Kaprielian can provide that as your SP2 over on DK for this four-game slate. He has performed well in back-to-back outings as he has gone for 21.1 and 23.8 DK points for his first two starts and has allowed only three runs in 10.2 innings pitched. The Mariners have struggled against righties all season long as they carry a league-low .202 batting average while recording the 10th most strikeouts (331) against this handedness.
Others to consider: Dane Dunning vs. LAA
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MLB DFS "Bats Worth Paying For"
Jose Abreu – 1B, CWS vs. STL ( $5,100 DK)
Abreu is priced pretty well on DK and is one of the best overall bats to pay for on this four-game slate. He is sporting a .228 ISO against righties this season and a .463 XwOBA against the handedness which is very good. Gant throws his sinker over 40% of the time to right-handed batters and Abreu profiled well against that pitch as he has .213 ISO and a .383 XwOBA against that pitch type. Gant also throws his changeup about 20% of the time to righties and Abreu smashes that pitch as he has a .450 ISO and a .564 XwOBA against that pitch type as well.
Tim Anderson – SS, CWS vs. STL ($5,300 DK)
The shortstop position is a bit rough today and Anderson is the top batter at this position so it makes sense to pay up for him. He is batting .293 on the season against right-handed pitchers and has hit five home runs while also scoring a team-high 22 runs against this handedness. While he does struggle with the sinker pitch type, Anderson profiles well against Gant's changeup and fastball as he has an ISO of .269+ and an XwOBA of .432+ against both pitches.
Mark Canha – OF, OAK vs. SEA ($5,500 DK)
Canha has been seeing the ball very well this year and is currently on a six-game hitting streak. During this stretch, he has hit three home runs and recorded two multi-hit games. He usually bats close to the top of the order and actually has 10 home runs on the season which is a rarity for a leadoff guy. Flexen throws his fastball and cutter over 60% of the time to righties and Canha profiles well against both pitches as he has an ISO of .280+ and an XwOBA of .373+ against both pitches.
MLB DFS Values
Nick Madrigal – 2B, CWS vs. STL ( $3,000 DK)
While Madrigal doesn't have the highest upside, he certainly could be a safer value play on this slate. Madrigal is batting .289 on the season and has been seeing the ball well lately as he has recorded a hit in four of his last five games played while also recording two multi-hit performances in that five-game stretch. He only has a 7.1% strikeout rate against this handedness and is sporting a .472 wOBA against Gant's sinker which is thrown over 40% of the time to right-handed batters.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa – SS, TEX @ LAA ( $4,100 DK)
The Rangers could certainly go overlooked in this matchup against Griffin Canning but if you do decide to consider them, Isiah Kiner-Falefa could be one to really look at. He is hitting .333 against right-handed pitchers this season and has recorded a hit in four straight games. He should come in lower-owned in tournaments and makes for a good pivot if you're wanting to save some salary while still rostering someone that is in a solid matchup.
Adolis Garcia – OF, TEX @ LAA ($3,700 DK)
Speaking of the Rangers, one guy to really look at based on price and his upside is Adolis Garcia. Garcia is hitting .300 against righties this year and leads the Rangers with eight home runs against this handedness. Garcia has hit four home runs in his last four games played and profiles very well against Canning as he sports a .217 ISO against his slider. Canning has been crushed by righties this year as he is allowing them to have a .218 ISO while also coughing up seven home runs against them as well.
Also Consider: Seth Brown vs. Chris Flexen, Kyle Garlick vs. Jorge Lopez
MLB DFS Hitter Stacks
Oakland Athletics vs. Chris Flexen
The A's offense has been very good this season despite having a low batting average against right-handed pitchers. They have combined for 45 home runs which are tied for the sixth-most home runs against this handedness and sport a team ISO of .207 against right-handed pitchers. Their top six guys are all in play with Canha, Laureano, Olson, and Brown being the main targets to focus on if you have enough salary-cap space to work with. Chris Flexen is scheduled to draw the start for Seattle and despite having a 4-2 record, he is carrying a 5.09 ERA and is coming off of an outing where he got tagged by the Padres as they hit two home runs and scored eight runs off of him in 1.2 innings.
Chicago White Sox vs. John Gant
The White Sox could be the team that makes or breaks this slate in my opinion. They are facing John Gant who has actually pitched well this season despite having a record of 3-3. Gant has been tough to batters on both sides of the plate with righties having a little bit better success as they are hitting .260 off of him. Chicago is sporting the eighth-best team batting average against right-handed pitchers (.247) and has actually drawn the fourth-most walks against that handedness as well. The top of the Chicago order has fared well against right-handed pitchers this season as the usual suspects of Anderson, Moncada, Abreu, Mercedes, and Grandal all look to be in play against Gant while also including Nick Madrigal who has been swinging a hot bat.
Other stacks: Texas Rangers vs. Griffin Canning, Minnesota Twins vs. Jorge Lopez
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