MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 5/20/2019

Monday brings eight games for us to choose from for the main evening slate in DFS. There aren’t many exciting series set to begin, so let’s try to add some juice to the night by highlighting some players who could help lead to a profitable night. 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

Patrick Corbin vs. New York Mets
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $10,800
DraftKings = $10,900

The Mets had an ugly weekend series against the Marlins, including getting shut out in both of the last two games. While they made some improvements to their lineup during the offseason, they are still in the bottom-third in the league in OPS. The majority of their best hitters are also lefties, which is not good news with Corbin on the mound. He’s already faced the Mets three times this year, allowing six runs and recording 24 strikeouts across 20 innings. Expect him to shine once again.

Luke Weaver vs. San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $9,600
DraftKings = $8,500

Weaver has been one of the bright spots in the Diamondbacks’ rotation, kicking off his tenure with the team with a 3.68 xFIP and a 1.11 WHIP. He’s getting hitters to chase at a higher percentage of pitches outside of the strikeout, which has helped him boast a 26.1 percent strikeout rate. The Padres have struck out the third-most times (460) in baseball, making Weaver a great second-tier option to consider.

CATCHER

Tyler Flowers vs. Andrew Suarez, San Francisco Giants
Stadium – Oracle Park
FanDuel = $2,600
DraftKings = $3,500

The Braves are a team to stack with Suarez making his season debut for the Giants. He’s pitched poorly at Triple-A, allowing a 5.60 xFIP and a 1.70 WHIP through six starts. Brian McCann will likely take a seat with the lefty on the mound, making Flowers an intriguing cheap option to consider. He’s off to a great start with a .348 wOBA, although his batting average has been aided by an abnormally high .400 BABIP.

Others to consider: Robinson Chirinos

FIRST BASE

Kendrys Morales vs. Andrew Cashner, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $2,200
DraftKings = $3,400

With the Yankees continuing to deal with a mountain of injuries, they quickly pounced on Morales after he was cut loose by the A’s. He’s off to a terrible start with a .281 wOBA, although his strikeout rate is all the way down to 15.8 percent. He’s 3-for-10 with a home run since joining the Yankees and is a cheap option to consider in tournament play with Cashner and his 4.61 xFIP on the mound.

Others to consider: Luke Voit and Yuli Gurriel

SECOND BASE

Ozzie Albies vs. Andrew Suarez, San Francisco Giants
Stadium – Oracle Park
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $4,200

Albies is in a bit of a slump that has seen him hit 7-for-35 (.200) with 11 strikeouts over his last 10 games. However, this might be just the matchup that he needs to get back on track. Not only was Suarez pitching poorly in the minors, but Albies has a career 145 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers. His price is especially appealing on DraftKings.

Others to consider: D.J. Lemahieu and Rougned Odor

THIRD BASE

Anthony Rendon vs. Wilmer Font, New York Mets
Stadium – Citi Field
FanDuel = $4,100
DraftKings = $5,100

The Mets are expected to start Font or Drew Gagnon for this game. Neither one of them is pitching well, so the Nationals could be in line for a big offensive performance. Rendon would likely be right in the middle of any scoring outburst, especially since he is 10-for-23 (.435) with two home runs and four doubles during his six-game hitting streak.

Others to consider: Alex Bregman and Gio Urshela

SHORTSTOP

Gleyber Torres vs. Andrew Cashner, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $3,500
DraftKings = $4,800

After getting off to a slow start, Torres has been a rock for the Yankees by hitting 29-for-83 (.349) with four home runs and seven doubles over his last 21 games. He’s cut his strikeout rate by over four percentage points compared to his rookie season and is once again hitting for power with a .210 ISO, making him a great target for a Yankees stack.

Others to consider: Trea Turner and Dansby Swanson

OUTFIELD

Joey Gallo vs. Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $4,200
DraftKings = $5,700

This could be a perfect storm for Gallo. The first factor working in his favor is that this game will be played at hitter-friendly Globe Life Park in Arlington. Second, Leake has allowed 11 home runs in just 54 innings. He’ll eat up a significant portion of your budget, but Gallo’s homer upside in this matchup is undeniable.

Austin Riley vs. Andrew Suarez, San Francisco Giants
Stadium – Oracle Park
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $4,000

We’ve seen a lot of impressive starts by rookies the last few years. Riley was one of the more highly regarded prospects in baseball before being called up by the Braves and he’s wasted no time making a name for himself, hitting 8-for-19 (.421) with two home runs and a double. His price is climbing, but it’s still low enough to provide him with the potential for significant value against Suarez.

Willie Calhoun vs. Mike Leake, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,000
DraftKings = $4,500

Riley wasn’t the only young player who shined after being called up recently. Calhoun is trying to slug his way to a regular spot in the Rangers lineup, hitting 10-for-21 (.476) with two home runs and a double across five games. He had a .413 wOBA at Triple-A, so there’s little question that he can be an impact hitter in the big leagues. With how poorly Leake has pitched, he’s a more cost-effective Ranger to consider.

Others to consider: Juan Soto and Shin-Soo Choo

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.