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Today’s MLB Daily Fantasy Best Ball Picks, Values, and Sleepers for RIVAL (5/15/2024)

Juan Soto - Fantasy Baseball Rankings, MLB Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Shaun Evans' MLB Best Ball picks for RIVAL Fantasy MLB Best Ball contests for Wednesday, 5/15. See who he is liking to target in drafts and why.

Happy Wednesday, RotoBallers, and welcome to our new series covering RIVAL Fantasy Best Ball daily action for the MLB season! We will be covering some of our favorite value players and sleepers that can help you win your league.

MLB best ball is similar to your everyday normal fantasy baseball leagues except you draft your team and don't have to worry about setting lineups. There is no need to stress over free-agent pickups or trying to make a trade with one of your league mates. You just draft your team, kick back, and enjoy the season.

RIVAL Fantasy does take a 10% rake but each draft type is snake and your timer is 45 seconds. There's no reason to have to wait 7 hours and 22 minutes for Billy to take his first pitcher finally. It's quick and easy draft to get through, which ultimately means more drafts to do. Check here for the updated rules and scoring.

Be sure to check all of our fantasy baseball lineup tools and resources:

 

RIVAL Fantasy MLB Best Ball Infielder Plays

Elly De La Cruz, SS - Cincinatti Reds

Elly De La Cruz and the Cincinnati Reds will finish the road trip against the Arizona Diamondbacks with Brandon Pfaadt on the mound Wednesday. This matchup favors De La Cruz and the Reds lineup.  The Reds shortstop is hitting .262 (38-for-145) this season with seven doubles, one triple, nine homers, 21 RBI, 32 runs, 22 walks, 54 strikeouts, and 25 stolen bases. His ceiling remains high because of his power and ability to steal bases. De La Cruz is projected near 12 fantasy points and makes for a top infield candidate for Best Ball Drafts.

Michael Massey, 2B - Kansas City Royals

Michael Massey and the Kansas City Royals will be finishing off their road trip against Bryan Woo and the Seattle Mariners. Woo made his first start last week and showed upside pitching 4 1/3 innings with three strikeouts and one walk against the Oakland A's. However, the Royals provide a more dangerous lineup. Massey will most likely go overlooked in drafts but has had back-to-back games with a hit. He's batting .247 (18-for-73) with four doubles, three homers, 16 RBI, 9 runs, one walk, and 12 strikeouts in 21 games.

 

Featured Promo: Our friends at RIVAL Fantasy are hooking you up. Get a risk-free deposit match up to $50 using promo code BALLER with your first deposit, and also a free year of RotoBaller Premium access ($199 value)!

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RIVAL Fantasy MLB Best Ball Outfielder Plays

Juan Soto, RF - New York Yankees

New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto should be targeted as a first-round pick with his matchup against Pablo Lopez of the Minnesota Twins. Using the RotoBaller tools, he has a matchup rating of 121.2 for Wednesday which isn't even the highest for this series overall. Soto has been dominating all season long for the Yankees, batting .314 (50-for-159) with seven doubles, one triple, nine homers, 27 runs, 34 RBI, 28 walks, and 24 strikeouts.

Tyler O'Neill, LF - Boston Red Sox

There shouldn't be much discussion or convincing needed for Tyler O'Neill. O'Neill has had a solid start to the season for the Boston Red Sox and is currently hitting .265 (30-for-113). He has hit 10 homers with 24 runs, 16 RBI, and seven stolen bases. The only concern is that he has struck out 40 times in 32 games. Taj Bradley is the projected starter for the Tampa Bay Rays and pitched a six-inning, seven-strikeout game versus the New York Yankees in his debut. This could make a challenging matchup for O'Neill but he has proven he can reach his ceiling in similar situations.

 

RIVAL Fantasy MLB Best Ball Starting Pitcher Plays

Ranger Suarez, SP - Philadelphia Phillies

Juan Soto and Ranger Suarez should be your first two picks in Best Ball drafts. Suarez is 7-0 in eight starts, pitching 54 innings with a 1.50 ERA. He has 55 strikeouts, and eight walks while allowing nine runs, 31 hits, and four homers. The New York Mets have a .224 (73-for-326) batting average against left-handed pitchers and have struck out 69 times.

Alec Marsh, SP - Kansas City Royals

Alec Marsh should be the next targeted pitcher if you can't draft Ranger Suarez. Marsh will be facing the Seattle Mariners who continue to struggle against righties. He has a 3-0 record in six starts while pitching 32 innings with 24 strikeouts, nine walks, nine runs, and just two homers. He is also coming off a season-high seven strikeouts against the Los Angeles Angels and will look to continue his consistent play.

 

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POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

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REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

C.J. Stroud

Week 12 Status Unclear
Quentin Johnston

Expected to Play in Week 11
Drake London

Should Play Vs. Panthers
Davante Adams

Trending Toward Playing
Brian Thomas Jr.

On the Wrong Side of Questionable
Calvin Ridley

Expected to Play in Week 11
Coby White

Could Make Season Debut Sunday
Josh Giddey

Set to Return Sunday
Zion Williamson

Tagged as Questionable for Sunday
Ja Morant

Exits With Calf Injury Saturday
Alex Caruso

Injures Hand, Won't Return Saturday
Domantas Sabonis

Considered Questionable for Sunday
Paolo Banchero

Out Again on Sunday
Anthony Davis

Listed as Doubtful for Sunday
Aaron Nesmith

Ruled Out for at Least Four Weeks
Victor Wembanyama

Questionable for Sunday
Tari Eason

to Miss 4-6 Weeks
Julian Strawther

Will Play on Saturday Versus the Timberwolves
Marcus Smart

Out With Illness Saturday
Cameron Johnson

Ruled Out on Saturday Evening
Rui Hachimura

Won't Play on Saturday
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Officially Available Versus the Lakers
Jeff Skinner

Placed on Injured Reserve
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Available on Saturday Night
Matt Duchene

Continues to Sit Saturday
Thomas Harley

a Game-Time Call Saturday
Kaapo Kakko

Out Week-to-Week
Joseph Woll

Starts on Saturday
John Carlson

Out on Saturday
Rasmus Dahlin

Rejoins Sabres Lineup Saturday
Jack Hughes

to Miss Eight Weeks After Finger Surgery
Luguentz Dort

Will Return Versus Charlotte
Darius Garland

Remains Out on Saturday Night
Zach Edey

Cleared to Make 2025 Debut on Saturday
Cedric Coward

Available Against Cleveland
Sam LaPorta

Placed on Injured Reserve
J.K. Dobbins

Will Undergo Season-Ending Surgery to Repair "Significant" Foot Injury
Tyler Bertuzzi

a Game-Time Call Saturday
Andre Burakovsky

Available Saturday
Alex Nedeljkovic

Available for Saturday's Action
Filip Hronek

Pulled by Concussion Spotter Friday
Jesperi Kotkaniemi

Hurts Ankle in Friday's Win
Seth Jarvis

Not Expected to Be Out for Long
CFB

Garrett Nussmeier Doubtful vs. Arkansas On Saturday
Edwin Díaz

Blue Jays Interested in Signing Edwin Diaz?
Jacob deGrom

Named AL Comeback Player of the Year
Ronald Acuña Jr.

Ronald Acuna Jr. Wins NL Comeback Player of the Year Award
Aroldis Chapman

Named AL Reliever of the Year
Edwin Díaz

Edwin Diaz Named NL Reliever of the Year
NFL

Bill Belichick Won't Pursue NFL Head-Coaching Vacancies
Khalil Shakir

in the Clear to Play in Week 11
Bam Knight

Considered Questionable for Week 11
Brian Thomas Jr.

Tagged as Questionable for Week 11
Calvin Ridley

Listed as Questionable for Week 11
John Gibson

Fine for Saturday
Kaiden Guhle

Ruled Out for 8-10 Weeks
Justin Thomas

Will Miss Start Of 2026 After Undergoing Back Surgery
Alex Newhook

to Miss Four Months With Broken Ankle
Marco Rossi

Out Week-to-Week
J.K. Dobbins

Out in Week 11 and for "Foreseeable Future"
Zach Hyman

Set for Season Debut Saturday
Jack Hughes

Sustains Non-Hockey Hand Injury
Quinn Hughes

a Game-Time Decision Friday
Rashod Bateman

Ruled Out for Week 11
Sam LaPorta

Ruled Out for Week 11 With Back Injury
Isiah Pacheco

Officially Ruled Out for Week 11
Trey Hendrickson

Shemar Stewart Both Out for Week 11
Jaxson Dart

Officially Ruled Out for Week 11 Due to Concussion
Darius Slayton

Ruled Out for Sunday
Davante Adams

Questionable for Sunday but Expected to Play
Islam Makhachev

Set For UFC 322 Main Event
Jack Della Maddalena

Set For His First Title Defense
Zhang Weili

Can Become The New Women's Flyweight Champion
Valentina Shevchenko

Set For UFC 322 Co-Main Event
Michael Morales

Looks To Remain Undefeated
CFB

Mario Craver a Game-Time Decision for Week 12
Sean Brady

Set For Title Eliminator Bout
Carlos Prates

A Favorite At UFC 322
Leon Edwards

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Set To Open Up UFC 322 Main Card
Beneil Dariush

Looks To Win Back-To-Back Fights
CFB

Virginia's Chandler Morris Trending Toward Facing Duke on Saturday
Edwin Díaz

Edwin Diaz Says There's a "50-50" Chance he Returns to Mets
Shohei Ohtani

Wins his Fourth MVP Award
Aaron Judge

Wins AL MVP Award Again
Raisel Iglesias

Dodgers Interested in Signing Raisel Iglesias
Pete Alonso

Orioles Could be in the Mix to Sign Pete Alonso
Félix Bautista

Felix Bautista Could Return in Second Half in 2026
Kodai Senga

Attracting Trade Interest, Will the Mets Move him?
Yordan Alvarez

Expected to be Ready for Spring Training
Byron Buxton

Could Waive his No-Trade Clause
Paul Skenes

the Unanimous NL Cy Young Winner
Tarik Skubal

Wins AL Cy Young for Second Straight Year
CFB

Still No Update on Jermod McCoy's Return Timeline
Sami Valimaki

Riding Momentum Into Bermuda
Matthieu Pavon

Struggling Through a Rough Season
Taylor Montgomery

Hopes to Get Back on Track at Port Royal
Ben Martin

a Risky Play at Bermuda Championship
Mark Hubbard

Primed for a Bounce-Back Week in Bermuda
Lee Hodges

Searching for a Spark in Bermuda
Stephen Vogt

Wins Back-to-Back AL Manager of the Year Honors
Milwaukee Brewers

Pat Murphy Named NL Manager of the Year Again
Patrick Fishburn

Looking to Bounce Back in Bermuda
Eric Cole

Carrying Momentum into Bermuda
Tommy Edman

to Have Ankle Surgery Next Week
Ketel Marte

Diamondbacks Unlikely to Trade Ketel Marte
Roman Anthony

to Have a Normal Offseason
Sahith Theegala

Finishes Tied for 27th at Bank of Utah Championship
Sam Stevens

Finishes Tied for 36th at Baycurrent Classic
Patrick Rodgers

Finishes Tied For Sixth at World Wide Technology Championship
Luke List

Finishes 75th at World Wide Technology Championship
Ben Kohles

Finishes Tied for 63rd at World Wide Technology Championship
PGA

Nico Echavarria Finishes Tied for 14th at World Wide Technology Championship
Luke Clanton

Finishes Tied for 46th at World Wide Technology Championship
Blades Brown

Finishes Tied for 18th at Korn Ferry Tour Championship
CFB

Nic Anderson Could Return for LSU this Season

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