👉 TAP TO SAVE 30% WITH CODE NEW
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

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 draft 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)!

SIGN UP NOW!

 

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.

 

Play MLB Best Ball Now on RIVAL Fantasy



Download Our Free News & Alerts Mobile App

Like what you see? Download our updated fantasy baseball app for iPhone and Android with 24x7 player news, injury alerts, sleepers, prospects & more. All free!



More Fantasy Baseball Advice

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Draft Rankings
Draft Simulator
Enter League Settings
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Tristan Vukcevic

Exits Early with Back Tightness
Jonathan Taylor

Still Headlines Colts Backfield
Troy Terry

Wins it for Anahiem
Tyler Reddick

Overcomes Adversity for Fourth Victory of the Season At Darlington
Brad Keselowski

Falls Short of Darlington Victory Despite Domination
Ryan Blaney

Recovers From Pit-Road Struggles to Score Career-Best Darlington Finish
Carson Hocevar

Rallies to Finish Fourth at Darlington
Kyle Larson

Decent Performance Ends with Technical Issues At Darlington
Ilya Sorokin

Earns Shutout Over Columbus
Jalen Coker

Clock Ticking on Jalen Coker's Buy-Low Window?
DJ Moore

an Appealing Dynasty Target After Trade to Bills?
Keon Coleman

Falling Out of Favor Despite Head-Coaching Change?
George Pickens

Is George Pickens' Rumored Holdout a Concern for Dynasty Managers?
Derrick Henry

Continues to Face Minimal Competition
Bobby Portis

is Cleared for Monday's Game
Jarquez Hunter

Not Close to Having Fantasy Relevance?
Kawhi Leonard

Holds Questionable Tag for Monday
Danny Wolf

Suffers Ankle Injury on Sunday
Killian Hayes

Exits in First Half
Nique Clifford

Exits Early on Sunday
Royce O'Neale

is Ruled Out on Sunday
Kevin Porter Jr.

to Miss Third Straight Game
Collin Murray-Boyles

Remains Out Sunday
Jalen Johnson

Could Miss Second Straight Game
Joel Embiid

Remains Sidelined Monday
Grayson Allen

to Miss Fourth Straight Game
Naz Reid

Back in Action Sunday
Josh Hart

Good to Go Sunday
Jaylen Brown

Available Sunday Against Timberwolves
Ethen Frank

Sustains Lower-Body Injury Sunday
Grayson Rodriguez

to Open Season on Injured List
Jalen Williams

Cleared for Monday Return
Brett Pesce

Questionable to Return This Season
Stefan Noesen

Done for the Season
Luka Dončić

Luka Doncic Set to Play Monday Against Pistons
Yan Kuznetsov

Misses Fourth Consecutive Game Sunday
Connor Zary

Out Sunday
Mike Trout

Returns on Sunday
Anthony Duclair

Misses Sunday's Game
Ryan Pulock

Unavailable Sunday
Nick Lodolo

Exits Early With a Blister
Dontayvion Wicks

Still Buried in Crowded Receiver Room?
Feleipe Franks

Panthers Signing Feleipe Franks
Cameron Jordan

Linked to the Chiefs
Chris Rodriguez Jr.

No Clear Frontrunner Between Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Bhayshul Tuten?
Green Bay Packers

Packers Expected to Draft a Running Back?
Tyrod Taylor

Cooper Rush, Tyrod Taylor Could be Options for Jets
Jimmy Garoppolo

Rams Interested in Bringing Back Jimmy Garoppolo
Los Angeles Rams

Rams to Target a Receiver in the First Round?
Terrance Ferguson

Should See "Significant Uptick" in Snap Share
Chris Rodriguez Jr.

the Early Leader to be No. 1 Back in Jacksonville?
Ladd McConkey

Could Bounce Back in Mike McDaniel's Offense
Kenny McIntosh

Could Kenny McIntosh Lead the Seahawks' Backfield?
Washington Commanders

Jeremiyah Love an Option for the Commanders at No. 7 Overall?
Ryan Flournoy

Projected as Cowboys' No. 3 Wide Receiver in 2026
Jeremy Peña

Astros Not Ruling Out Jeremy Pena for Opening Day
Cristopher Sánchez

Phillies Sign Cristopher Sanchez to a Six-Year Extension
Tyler Reddick

the Clear Favorite at Darlington
Kyle Stowers

Placed on Injured List with Hamstring Strain
Kyle Larson

a High-Risk, High-Reward Driver at Darlington
Ryan Blaney

Is Getting Better at Darlington
NASCAR

Bubba Wallace Not Slowing Down at Darlington
Chris Buescher

Should be a Top-10 Contender at Darlington
Austin Cindric

a Sleeper at Darlington
Erik Jones

Quickest in Practice at Darlington
Morgan Geekie

Records Three Assists Against Red Wings
Peyton Watson

Could Return Against Trail Blazers
Steven Stamkos

Notches Three Points in Win Over Golden Knights
Stephen Curry

to Miss Next Two Games
Cole Caufield

Records Career-High Five Points in Saturday's Win
Denny Hamlin

Qualifies Ninth for this Week's Cup Race at Darlington
Noah Clowney

to Miss Second Straight Game
Chase Briscoe

Is One of the Top DFS Options of the Week for Darlington
Nikita Kucherov

Takes Over Scoring Lead With Four-Point Effort
Nicolas Claxton

Won't Play Sunday
Tyler Tucker

Out Week-to-Week
Juuse Saros

to Remain Out Sunday
William Byron

Is William Byron A Playable DFS Option for Darlington Lineups?
Anthony Stolarz

Released From Hospital
Christopher Bell

Could Christopher Bell be Considered A Decent DFS Option for Darlington?
Chase Elliott

Is Chase Elliott Worth Rostering At Darlington This Week For DFS?
Joey Logano

May Not Have the Speed to Warrant A Darlington DFS Lineup Spot
Ross Chastain

Should DFS Players Trust Ross Chastain at Darlington?
Kyle Busch

Could Kyle Busch Be A Worthy DFS Option for Darlington?
Brad Keselowski

May be A Contriarian DFS Tournament Option At Darlington
Seiya Suzuki

Won't be Ready for Opening Day
Dylan Larkin

Remains Out Saturday
Jake Sanderson

Could Return in 7-10 Days
Morgan Rielly

Unavailable Saturday
Urho Vaakanainen

Considered Week-to-Week
Noah Laba

Out Week-to-Week
Gleyber Torres

Clear to Return on Monday
Konnor Griffin

Assigned to Minor-League Camp
Gleyber Torres

Scratched From Lineup on Saturday With Lower-Back Tightness
Tanner Bibee

to Take the Ball on Opening Day
Logan Webb

to Start on Opening Day for Giants
Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sanchez to Start on Opening Day for Phillies
Chris Sale

Braves Name Chris Sale as Their Opening Day Starter
Kyle Stowers

Leaves Friday's Game With Hamstring Tightness
Jasson Domínguez

Jasson Dominguez Optioned to Triple-A
Jacob Misiorowski

Named Opening Day Starter
Mike Trout

X-Rays Come Back Negative on Mike Trout's Hand
Dylan Crews

Optioned to Triple-A Rochester
Lerone Murphy

Set For UFC London Main Event
Movsar Evloev

Looks To Remain Unbeaten
Michael Aswell

Jr. An Underdog At UFC London
Luke Riley

Set For UFC London Co-Main Event
Joe Ryan

Named Opening Day Starter for Twins
Sam Patterson

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Michael Page

Set For Welterweight Bout
Austen Lane

In Dire Need Of Victory
Iwo Baraniewski

A Favorite At UFC London
Francisco Alvarez

Pulled Early Thursday With Back Tightness
Akshay Bhatia

Withdraws From Valspar Championship
CFB

Alberto Mendoza Drawing Positive Reviews at Georgia Tech
CFB

Anthony Colandrea Impressing in Nebraska's Spring Practices
J.J. Spaun

Offers Upside Despite Poor Course History at Innisbrook
Aaron Rai

Looks to Bounce Back at Valspar Championship
Johnny Keefer

Brings Ball-Striking Upside to Valspar Championship
Billy Horschel

a Volatile Play at Valspar Championship
Ben Griffin

Looks to Rebound at the Valspar Championship
Corey Conners

Brings Elite Ball-Striking to Valspar Championship
Xander Schauffele

Trending In The Right Direction For Valspar Championship
Sahith Theegala

Has Shot to Challenge at Valspar Championship
Mackenzie Hughes

Looking to Bounce Back at Valspar Championship
Nicolai Hojgaard

Finding Rhythm For Valspar Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick

Continues Hot Start to 2026 Heading to Valspar Championship
Pierceson Coody

Heads to Valspar Championship Following Two Missed Cuts
Wyndham Clark

Searching for Momentum at Valspar Championship
Justin Thomas

Is Justin Thomas Back Ahead of This Week's Valspar Championship?
Jordan Spieth

to Bounce Back at Favored Valspar Championship?
Brooks Koepka

is Starting to Find His Groove Again Ahead of Valspar Championship
Viktor Hovland

is One of The Best DFS Plays at Innesbrook
Rasmus Hojgaard

to Get Back on Track at Valspar Championship
Tony Finau

is Again a Scary Option at Valspar Championship
Blades Brown

Continues PGA Tour Run at Valspar Championship
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF