MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Pitchers and Top Stacks | May 26
MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Pitchers
Things are cloudy for the last four games. RHP Zack Littell has a slightly higher projection than the rest of his counterparts, but the Tampa thrower also has allowed four multi-home run games in his last eight starts, and it is going to be warm again at George Steinbrenner Stadium.
In San Diego, LHP Ryan Weathers gets a “Remember Me?!” game against the team with which he broke into The Show, and he looked good in his two starts after missing the first part of the season with a left flexor strain. He had back-to-back five inning outings against the Cubs, allowing one run in each, both via a solo shot. The Padres will be rolling out RHP Randy Vasquez, though his paucity of strikeout production is problematic.
In Anaheim, LHP Ryan Yarbrough is taking on the Angels, and the 33-year-old is stretched out to 80 pitches, with this being his fourth consecutive turn in the rotation after spending the early part of the season as a multi-inning reliever. While it is folly to try to forecast a win, there is a pretty good chance that the Yankees can put up crooked numbers in the first five innings, giving Yarbrough the opportunity to be the pitcher of record if he can complete five frames.
It should be no shock that his strikeout efficiency has gone down now that he is logging more innings, though it is still a very respectable 8.73 per nine innings. On tap is a matchup with the dreadful White Sox, who have an 80 wRC+ this season against right-handed hurlers, ahead of only Pittsburgh and Colorado.
The projected Chicago lineup has a 23.2% strikeout rate against righties dating back to the start of last year, and the .113 ISO during the same span is awful.
Boston’s ace, LHP Garrett Crochet, has the best fantasy projection among all of the pitchers for the afternoon action, even though he is facing a solid Brewers squad in Milwaukee.
Aside from right-handed batsmen Rhys Hoskins and Jackson Chourio, the Brew Crew is bereft of power, particularly with catcher William Contreras contributing only one extra-base hit in 51 at-bats against opposite-handed hurlers this season.
The Cubs are hosting Colorado in Wrigley Field for a day game, with RHP Jameson Taillon getting to face the Rockies, who spent the last week at altitude.
Taillon is not known as a strikeout pitcher, with a sub-20% strikeout rate each of the last two seasons. However, the Rox projected lineup has a hefty 28.2% strikeout rate against right-handers over the last season-plus, and we know there is usually an acclimation period going to or leaving Coors Field.
Texas is hosting the Toronto Blue Jays, so RHP Jacob deGrom is in the mix as a pivot away from Crochet or Holmes. The Jays have the third-lowest power rating against righties this season, plus the Rangers bullpen is relatively rested, so it should be able to hold any lead the offense creates.
MLB DFS Picks: Top Stacks
Main Slate Primary Target: New York Yankees
Though he has improved from 9.4% last year to 13.9% this season, he truly meets the definition of “pitching to contact” more so than any other player in the league. Inducing ground balls is his superpower, as he has a 54.1% rate over the last season and change.
New York has a dangerous lineup, with Trent Grisham actually outperforming Aaron Judge against right-handed hurlers. Jasson Dominguez is also in the midst of a breakout, and Austin Wells has extra-base hit upside when he can get the bat on the ball. So this is really a good scenario for the New York backstop. If Ben Rice is in the lineup, he too looks good in this matchup with the platoon advantage.
Imagine what this lineup will be like if it continues on the current trajectory and is joined by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Giancarlo Stanton.
Early Slate Primary Target: St. Louis Cardinals
The last time the 41-year-old pitched was on May 17, when he entered the game in relief of fellow old RHP Kyle Gibson, who allowed six earned runs, recording only two outs. Gibson has since been released, and Baltimore had been able to avoid turning to Morton with a couple of rainouts. Morton had a nice four-year run with Atlanta, averaging 31 starts per season and 10.11 strikeouts per nine innings. This year he has had command and control issues with a career-high 5.27 walks and 1.98 home runs per nine, albeit in just 41 innings.
DraftKings has made things interesting, goosing (bird joke for a game between two teams with avian mascots) the salaries for Lars Nootbaar ($5,200) and big-swinging backstop Ivan Herrera ($5,700). This in turn is keeping the popularity for the stack just below 10% tournament representation.
Lefties Alec Burleson and Brendan Donovan are the other key bats, with Willson Contreras or shortstop Masyn Winn in play to round out five-man iterations.
Today’s Top Sports Betting Picks
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Tucker is outstanding in lefty-lefty matchups, with five of his 12 home runs this season coming against fellow southpaws. He has accomplished this in just 64 at-bats, which is even more impressive.
