MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/13/2019

With a lot of teams receiving an off day Monday, we don’t have the busiest of slates in the majors. However, there is still plenty of money to be won, so let’s break things down and highlight some players with matchups to exploit. Don’t forget to sign up for our Newsletter and try our MLB Lineup Optimizer to help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.

STARTING PITCHERS

Joes Berrios vs. Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Target Field
FanDuel = $10,400
DraftKings = $9,400

The Twins will have their ace on the mound to start off their series with the Angels. Berrios continues to show excellent control, which has helped him record a 0.92 WHIP across eight starts. He’s also missing plenty of bats with his 11.3 percent swinging strike rate. The Angels don’t have much talent in their lineup outside of Mike Trout, leaving Berrios as one of the top pitching options for this slate.

Brad Peacock vs. Detroit Tigers
Stadium – Comerica Park
FanDuel = $8,500
DraftKings = $8,500

If you’re looking to go the cheaper route at pitcher, it’s going to be hard to resist Peacock. His return to the starting rotation certainly hasn’t been smooth, but he’s coming off of a dominant outing against the Royals in which he recorded 12 strikeouts across seven shutout innings. The Tigers have scored the second-fewest runs (134) in the league, so this is another weak lineup for Peacock to take advantage of.

CATCHER

Willians Astudillo vs. Tyler Skaggs, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Target Field
FanDuel = $2,600
DraftKings = $4,000

Astudillo doubled in his return from the IL on Sunday and could be in line for playing time moving forward with Nelson Cruz dealing with a wrist injury. It seems unlikely that Cruz will play Monday, so if he does indeed sit, that should open up a spot for Astudillo at DH. With his .351 wOBA and ability to avoid striking out, he makes for a great option at catcher, especially at his price on FanDuel.

Others to consider: Omar Narvaez

FIRST BASE

C.J. Cron vs. Tyler Skaggs, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Target Field
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $4,300

Finally given a chance to play regularly last year, Cron slugged 30 home runs for the Rays. He’s continued to receive plenty of at-bats with the Twins, which has resulted in him hitting nine home runs already. He recorded a robust 152 wRC+ against left-handed pitching last year, leaving him with plenty of upside for this matchup.

Others to consider: Rhys Hoskins and Josh Bell

SECOND BASE

Jonathan Schoop vs. Tyler Skaggs, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Target Field
FanDuel = $3,000
DraftKings = $4,100

The Twins took a flier on Schoop bouncing back from his bad 2018 campaign and it’s paid off so far. After recording a .290 wOBA last year, that mark stands at .351 this season. Part of Schoop’s problem last year was his 27.8 percent hard-hit rate, which he has raised to 44 percent. He had a 150 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers just two years ago and has returned to form with a 166 wRC+ against them in the early going.

Others to consider: Cesar Hernandez and Wilmer Flores

THIRD BASE

Eduardo Escobar vs. Nick Kingham, Pittsburgh Pirates
Stadium – Chase Field
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $5,000

Kingham’s first taste of the majors did not go well last year with his 4.63 xFIP and 1.38 WHIP. He allowed 2.1 HR/9 and only had a 20.2 percent strikeout rate. This season hasn’t been any better with his 4.69 xFIP and 1.50 WHIP, which has mostly come with him pitching out of the bullpen. Now forced to start, the Diamondbacks could be in line for a productive evening. That includes Escobar, who had a .351 wOBA against righties last year.

Others to consider: Matt Chapman and Maikel Franco

SHORTSTOP

Francisco Lindor vs. Reynaldo Lopez, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Guaranteed Rate Field
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $4,700

Lindor is starting to heat up, hitting 13-for-37 (.351) with a home run and two stolen bases across his last nine games. Lopez has largely had a disappointing campaign, posting a 5.46 xFIP and a 1.75 WHIP, so the anemic Indians’ offense might actually be able to have a productive evening with Lindor likely in the middle of it all.

Others to consider: Carlos Correa and Jean Segura

OUTFIELD

David Peralta vs. Nick Kingham, Pittsburgh Pirates
Stadium – Chase Field
FanDuel = $4,200
DraftKings = $5,100

Kingham has allowed a career .408 wOBA to left-handed hitters, so Peralta immediately stands out as someone to roster. He certainly enters this contest swinging a hot bat since he is 14-for-37 (.378) with two home runs and two doubles across his last eight games. He also hit 30 home runs last year, which is important to note considering Kingham’s propensity for giving up homers.

Odubel Herrera vs. Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers
Stadium – Citizens Bank Park
FanDuel = $3,000
DraftKings = $3,700

Peralta hasn’t been able to keep runners off base this year, resulting in a bloated 1.61 WHIP. He was briefly removed from the starting rotation but will return to that role Monday after pitching well out of the bullpen in his last outing. With his career .370 wOBA allowed to left-handed hitters, Herrera is a cheap option to consider if deploying a Phillies stack. He’s also started to heat up with at least two hits in three of his last five games.

Jay Bruce vs. Mike Fiers, Oakland Athletics
Stadium – T-Mobile Park
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $4,400

Coming off of a no-hitter, people might avoid stacking against Fiers. However, his xFIP stands at 5.18 for the season and he’s already allowed eight home runs across 46 innings after allowing 1.7 HR/9 last year. Bruce might be batting just .188, but his .328 ISO makes him an appealing option in this matchup.

Others to consider: Starling Marte and Byron Buxton

Author Bio:

Mike has been covering fantasy sports since 2007, joining Lineup Lab in 2017. An avid player of both season-long fantasy leagues and DFS, Mike’s work has appeared on numerous sites, including RotoWire, SportsLine and Sports Illustrated. He’s also been featured on DraftKings’ nightly show, The Sweat, and was a finalist for the 2018 FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Follow Mike on Twitter @rotomikebarner.