Tuesday brings a rousing 12-game featured slate with a 7:05 p.m. ET first pitch on DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo. Before you lock in lineups, several Stokastic tools can help identify daily MLB DFS Top Stacks, key pitchers and MLB DFS picks. Let’s dig into the player projections and popularity for DraftKings, FanDuel and Yahoo lineups, including RHP Gerrit Cole at home against the Guardians. Outside of the Coors Field Extravaganza, Baltimore looks like the offense to target, as the Orioles have a date in Kansas City against LHP Ryan Yarbrough, who has bounced between the bullpen and a starting role, with poor results.
MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Pitchers and Top Stacks
MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Pitchers
Main Slate Primary Pitching Target: RHP Hunter Brown vs. San Francisco Giants — 4.0 implied runs
First Pitch: 8:10 p.m. ET
- DFS Salary: DraftKings $9,600 | FanDuel $10,200 | Yahoo $45
RHP Gerrit Cole has a strong fantasy projection, but keep in mind that he is expensive and the current collection of Cleveland hitters has a league-low 15.7% strikeout rate against right-handed pitching since the beginning of last year.
Rookie RHP Hunter Brown has had uneven performance in his handful of starts. However, he clearly is talented, and this iteration of the San Francisco offense is far from imposing. Three of his starts have been seven-inning shutouts — albeit with a total of three unearned runs — and the other two were 4.2 innings affairs with four earned runs. Brown has yet to allow a home run, and he is recording just over a strikeout per inning.
Main Slate Secondary Pitching Target: RHP Tyler Wells at Kansas City Royals — 4.1 implied runs
First Pitch: 7:40 p.m. ET
- ,DFS Salary: DraftKings $7,300 | FanDuel $8,800 | Yahoo $42
Young RHP Tyler Wells is looking like he has the makings of a frontline starter, which should be music to the ears of the beleaguered Baltimore fanbase. During the 2021 season, Wells was exclusively a reliever, though he had several multi-inning outings. Last year he started 23 games, with a decent 4.25 ERA and 1.01 WHIP but below-average strikeouts.
It does look like his strikeouts are trending up, and that — along with tonight’s reasonable salary and matchup — has Wells as a strong SP2 on DraftKings and FanDuel. Kauffman Stadium does favor pitchers in the spring due to cooler weather, and tonight it will be in the low-60s with a slight breeze coming in from right field. The Royals have a very top-heavy lineup, and Wells should be able to make up ground and fantasy points after cleanup hitter Salvador Perez.
For those looking for more strikeout upside, RHP Jon Gray is at home in a matchup against Arizona at a similar price point. Though remember, the Diamondbacks offense, while lacking household names, is filled with mostly competent but not flashy hitters.
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Late Slate Pitching Target: RHP Bryce Miller at Oakland Athletics — 3.8 implied runs
First Pitch: 9:40 p.m. ET
- ,DFS Salary: DraftKings $4,000 | FanDuel $7,600 | Yahoo $31
Tonight be sure to select the correct Miller, as rookies Bryce and Mason are squaring off in Oakland. Our focus should be on the Seattle Miller, who is making his debut. Miller is getting an early cup of coffee, with veteran LHP Robbie Ray out for the year with an elbow injury and last week’s rookie debutant Easton McGee landing on the injured list as well.
Though he is just cracking the tail end or the honorable mention section of Top 100 prospect lists, Miller is the second-rated talent in the Mariners system. The word around the campfire is that Miller has a similar pitching style and mix of RHP Logan Gilbert, who has been a stellar product from the Seattle MiLB system.
Having a soft landing in a matchup against Oakland as well as a ridiculously low salary — particularly on DraftKings — should make the flame-throwing 24-year-old a wildly popular option in tournaments tonight.
MLB DFS Picks: Top Stacks
Main Slate Target: Baltimore Orioles at LHP Ryan Yarbrough — 5.1 implied runs
First Pitch: 7:40 p.m. ET
Yes, absolutely look to the Brewers tonight in Coors Field against RHP Ryan Feltner. Now that we have covered the obvious, let’s take a gander at the Batters of Birdland.
Tonight the Orioles will be facing LHP Ryan Yarbrough, who can hear the clock about to strike midnight on his career. The 31-year-old spent the first five seasons of his career in Tampa Bay being utilized in a variety of roles to help maximize his effectiveness. In Kansas City he is being converted to a starter, which is likely to expose a pitching portfolio inadequate to go through a lineup more than once.
Baltimore tends to shuffle leadoff duties when a southpaw is on the mound, so if lefty Cedric Mullins is dropped in the order, it likely will mean a promotion for Austin Hays. Mullins is still in play, as it would be a surprise if he gets multiple chances against Yarbrough, depending on how far down the lineup card he lands. Ryan Mountcastle, Adley Rutschman and Anthony Santander are all fine options against lefties and then righties coming in as relievers, particularly since the latter two players are switch-hitters. Jorge Mateo is always a fun DFS play as a stack differentiation piece or as a one-off with his ability to jack a home run and also to swipe a bag or two.
Late Slate Target: San Diego Padres vs. RHP Graham Ashcraft — 5.2 implied runs
First Pitch: 9:40 p.m. ET
The San Diego offense teed off last night against RHP Luke Weaver and the bullpen as expected. While RHP Graham Ashcraft is a more talented pitcher than Weaver, tonight will be only the 25th start of his career in The Show, and though he has been solid through five starts, two of those were against Pittsburgh.
Ashcraft does boast a 95 to 96 mph fastball, but he does not get many strikeouts (16.2%) or have a good swinging strike rate (8.4%). Most of his success has been as a result of a 55% ground ball rate and a low 5.2-degree launch angle, keeping the ball in the yard.
The Padres boast a ridiculously deep lineup now that Fernando Tatis Jr. is back, to the point that former leadoff man Trent Grisham and solid contributor Austin Nola are now bottom-of-the-lineup regulars. Manny Machado, Juan Soto, Jake Cronenworth and Xander Bogaerts join Tatis as a fearsome fivesome, and Matt Carpenter once again looks like the punt du jour.
Final Thoughts for Tuesday, May 2 | MLB DFS Picks
Detroit has some precipitation risk, so the three game early-evening slate could fall to two games. On the main slate, there is the potential for sprinkles in in Boston, New York, Oakland and Washington, though none of these games are at any risk of postponement.
Colorado is worth watching, but it seems like the afternoon storms will dissipate prior to first pitch. If this system sticks around longer than expected, then take appropriate action based on the evening forecast.
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