MLB Optimal Lineup Fanduel Picks for 05/31/17
*Austyn Varney*
MLB Optimal Lineup Fanduel – Wednesday, May 31
Welcome to Lineup Lab’s DFS MLB Lineup picks article, where we feature our top players for our MLB Lineup Optimizer on Fanduel and Draftkings. Put your favorite stacks from the article below in our lineup optimizer and hit calculate. You can let it fill in the rest of the spots for you or choose your personal favorites from the MLB Player Lab.
**STARTING PITCHERS**
Max Scherzer vs. San Francisco Giants
Park – AT&T Park
When looking for safety, there aren’t many pitchers out there better, if any. Scherzer is the definition of a workhorse and Dusty Baker has no problem riding him to 120 pitches if he feels good. We then get into the match-up. While the Giants at home has been an avoidable match-up for years, 2017 has changed the game. The Giants currently rank dead last against righties, as well as dead last at home in terms of wOBA against righties. AT&T Park is one of the more spacious ballparks in baseball and it will drastically help Scherzer keep the ball in the park. Scherzer has been great, even by his own right. He’s striking out nearly 14 righties per 9 innings and has been absolute death to anyone from the right side. Once you get past Buster Posey and Brandon Belt, you have a very similar lineup to the Braves or Padres. Guys like Mac Williamson, Christian Arroyo, and Eduardo Nunez are all very strikeout prone and lack any type of upside in the ballpark. Scherzer is expensive, but very well may be worth it for the long haul. He’s the top option in all formats, though there is a guy a bit cheaper who is in play as well.
Jacob DeGrom vs. Milwaukee Brewers
Park – Citi Field
If you want to take a step down from Scherzer, there is nothing wrong with a pivot to Jacob DeGrom. You can also target both of them on DraftKings, but you’ll certainly be forced to pay down everywhere else. DeGrom, who faces off with the Brewers tonight, has been very good this year. While he was worked through a couple injuries and setbacks, he has consistently put out a lot of innings and has done so with a circus around him that is the Mets pitching staff. He’s very effective to both righties and lefties, as evident by the .281 wOBA and .321 BABIP. Now that he’s fully healthy, you can expect a few huge outings out of DeGrom as his arm gets more and more stretched out. He showed it just last week, destroying the Pirates for 8.1 innings and 10 strikeouts. The Mets also have a very tired and dwindled bullpen, which almost forces Terry Collins into riding his starter longer than he may normally. The opposing Brewers team is nothing to be afraid of. While they started off pretty hot and had some people hyped up about them, we all know they stink. They are the Brewers. With Braun out of the lineup, DeGrom should be scared of nobody. The Brewers hold a top 5 strikeout rate and bottom 5 wOBA against righties over the last month and show no reason for optimism. The match-up is great and DeGrom is heading in the right direction. He is a fine play in all formats and a guy I’ll have plenty of exposure to.
**OFFENSIVE STACKS**
Boston Red Sox vs. Chicago White Sox (Mike Pelfrey)
Park – Guaranteed Rate Field
Mike Pelfrey is somehow finding himself on a major league mound once again tonight. How? Why? I have no idea. He’s been one of the worst pitchers in baseball for years now and it will take a magician to change him. In 2016, Pelfrey allowed a.373 combined wOBA and a 32% hard contact rate. He has no hope against either sides of the plate and should be gone by the 5th inning. This lineup for the Red Sox is a bit tough to stack, as there are 5 or 6 hitters with very similar outlooks. Mookie Betts is the top option and a guy I will make sure to have in all formats. After that, any of these guys can produce in U.S. Cellular Field. Vegas currently has the Red Sox at the highest implied team total of the day of 5.26. Make sure you get exposure in some capacity
**Main Stack – Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia, Hanley Ramirez, Andrew Benintendi**
**Sneaky Stack – Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia, Xander Bogaerts, Mitch Moreland**
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Texas Rangers (Austin Bibens-Dirkx)
Park – Globe Life Park in Arlington
Austin Bibens-Dirkx has been announced the starter here and like Pelfrey, I don’t know why. Bibens-Dirkx is actually the same age as Pelfrey (32), but is just making his starting rotation debut. He’s struggled in AA and AA for about 8 years now and held a 5.00 xFIP just last season. The Rangers are extremely desperate and will just be looking to get 3 or 4 innings out of Dirkx. I don’t think it happens. While the Rays are typically a rather underwhelming team, they can get the bats going, especially when in a bam box like Globe Life Park. Kevin Kiermaier and Corey Dickerson are both great against righties and the anchors of my Rays stacks. Evan Longoria, on the other hand, is at the worst position on the slate. He’s the clear top option and will be very highly owned. There are plenty of was to go with a stack here, but I would make sure to have Kiermaier and Dickerson in all of them.
**Main Stack – Kevin Kiermaier, Corey Dickerson, Logan Morrison, Evan Longoria**
**Sneaky Stack – Kevin Kiermaier, Corey Dickerson, Steve Souza, Colby Rasmus**