MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/2/2019

We have an odd slate in the majors Thursday with mostly day games, including a couple that start at 12:10 PM EST. There are only two night games, so let’s dig into the entire slate and highlight some players with favorable matchups. 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

Charlie Morton vs. Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $9,400
DraftKings =$9,000

The Rays are certainly a team that likes to deploy the opener strategy, but they made a key move to add a traditional starting pitcher by bringing in Morton during the offseason. He’s proven to be a prudent addition in the early going, recording a 1.13 WHIP and a 29.1 percent strikeout rate. While he might not be the sexiest name for this slate, Morton is a great option based on his strikeout upside and the Royals lack of power hitters.

Tyler Skaggs vs. Toronto Blue Jays
Stadium – Angel Stadium
FanDuel = $8,300
DraftKings = $9,400

The Blue Jays have had some prolific hitters in recent years, but their offense is scuffling this season. They enter this contest with the eighth-fewest runs scored (123) and the sixth-lowest OPS (.674) in the league. To top it off, they’ve struck out the fifth-most times (296). Skaggs is coming off of a productive 2018 campaign in which he recorded a 3.79 xFIP and a 24.2 percent strikeout rate, so don’t sleep on him in this matchup.

CATCHER

James McCann vs. David Price, Boston Red Sox
Stadium – Guaranteed Rate Field
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $3,800

The White Sox are going to have a hard time keeping McCann out of the lineup with the way he’s playing right now. He has at least one hit in all but three games in which he’s played this season and is sporting a robust .388 wOBA. While his .432 BABIP isn’t sustainable, sometimes it’s not a bad idea to ride a hot streak at catcher based on the limited offensive talent at the position.

Others to consider: Wilson Ramos

FIRST BASE

Jose Abreu vs. David Price, Boston Red Sox
Stadium – Guaranteed Rate Field
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $4,900

Speaking of hot streaks, Abreu is currently on a 10-game hitting streak that has seen him hit 21-for-44 with three home runs, six doubles and a whopping 20 RBI. After recording fewer than 100 RBI last year for the first time in his career, he looks to be well on his way to reaching that threshold once again. He also has a .384 wOBA against left-handed pitchers during his career, leaving him with a favorable opportunity to extend his hitting streak Thursday.

Others to consider: Daniel Murphy and Mitch Moreland

SECOND BASE

Robinson Cano vs. Tyler Mahle, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $4,000

The key stat here is that Mahle has allowed a career .415 wOBA to left-handed hitters. The Mets have a lot of excellent lefties in their lineup, so this could be a long day for him. Cano returned from a hand injury Wednesday, and although his 20.5 percent strikeout rate is alarming, a lot of those came early in the season. He’s struck out just four times across his last 28 plate appearances.

Others to consider: Ozzie Albies and Michael Chavis

THIRD BASE

Yandy Diaz vs. Danny Duffy, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $4,100
DraftKings = $4,700

Although Diaz went 0-for-8 across Wednesday’s doubleheader, he had logged at least one hit in eight of his previous nine contests. Like Morton, he’s been a huge addition to the Rays with his .275 ISO and .382 wOBA. The power numbers are especially impressive considering his 17.2 percent strikeout rate. Stacking righties against Duffy could prove to be a sound strategy since they recorded a .344 wOBA against him last year.

Others to consider: Nolan Arenado and Howie Kendrick

SHORTSTOP

Willy Adames vs. Danny Duffy, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $2,200
DraftKings = $3,200

I’m not a big fan of the top shortstop options Thursday and I like stacking Rays against Duffy, so Adames checks in as a viable option who could do wonders for your budget. Normally, he’s someone to avoid with his limited power and propensity to strike out. However, Duffy allowed a 1.49 WHIP last year, so Adames might be able to find a way to get on base a time or two in this contest.

Others to consider: Tim Anderson and Xander Bogaerts

OUTFIELD

Tommy Pham vs. Danny Duffy, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $4,900

Pham should be front and center for any Rays stack. He’s their most dangerous hitter with Austin Meadows (thumb) sidelined and has shown a tremendous eye at the play with 21 walks and 20 strikeouts so far. He’s swung at just 15 percent of the pitches that he’s seen outside of the strike zone. Don’t overthink this one.

Jeff McNeil vs. Tyler Mahle, Cincinnati Reds
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $4,300

As I previously mentioned, rolling with lefties against Mahle is one of the better strategies to deploy Thursday. Even tough McNeil doesn’t carry significant power upside, he has just a 9.2 percent strikeout rate to go along with his .408 wOBA. Since he’s reasonably priced on both sites, don’t be surprised to see him have a high ownership percentage.

Avisail Garcia vs. Danny Duffy, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $4,000

In 2017 as a member of the White Sox, Garcia hit .330 on the strength of his .392 BABIP. With his BABIP regressing to .271 last year, he hit a mere .236. The Rays decided to bring him in to help provide outfield depth and now he’s been forced into an expanded role with Meadows on the IL. He has a career .342 wOBA versus lefties, so he’s another option for those attacking Duffy.

Others to consider: Mookie Betts and Charlie Blackmon

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.