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The top daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for FanDuel and DraftKings on May 18th, 2022. Juan Carlos Blanco's MLB DFS analysis and sleepers for building optimal DFS rosters.
Welcome back to another edition of the FREE DraftKings and FanDuel MLB DFS picks. As customary, we have an all-day ledger on tap Wednesday, and although DraftKings does not have a full-day slate, FanDuel does. Consequently, today's article will feature picks on both sites for games throughout the day, as even on DK, the suggestions will prove viable for someone playing one of the site's split slates.
Paying up for pitchers makes sense Wednesday, considering there are several elite arms on the hill. However, it's also possible to do so without paying all the way up, as we'll explore further. There's also plenty of viable bats in good situations, including some that can be had without investing a premium amount.
This article will provide my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for Fanduel and DraftKings on 5/18/2022 that includes a FanDuel main slate locking at 1:10 pm ET. The lineup will range from some elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports. It's also essential to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, find me on Twitter and ask away!
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DraftKings, FanDuel Pitchers - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Max Scherzer - P, NYM vs. STL ($10,600 DK, $10,400 FD)
Scherzer has hit the ground running in his first Big Apple season, as evidenced by his 4-1 record, 2.66 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, and 11.3 K/9. The right-hander's .207 xBA and .286 xwOBA only further corroborate that his dominance is legitimate, as does his 2.82 xERA. And, although the fireballing right-hander has inevitably given up a fair share of hard contact over his career due to the velocity he generates, he's also yielded a career-low 28.8 percent hard-hit rate, per Statcast. Additionally, current St. Louis bats have posted a collective .109/.138/.165 slash line against him in 157 career encounters, and the Cards have just a .291 wOBA and .107 ISO against righties on the road this season.
Walker Buehler - P, LAD vs. ARI ($10,300 DK, $10,000 FD)
Buehler boasts a 13-3 mark, 2.25 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and a 0.9 HR/9 across the 164.1 innings he's logged at Dodger Stadium since the start of the 2020 season. The right-hander is carrying a 4-1 record, 2.81 ERA, 0.6 HR/9, and .265 xBA this season, and he's held current D-Backs bats to a collective .129/.168/.194 slash line in 128 career plate appearances. Arizona has struggled against right-handed pitching on the road as well, generating a 27.5 percent strikeout rate, .207 average, .299 wOBA, and -2.2 wRAA in that split. While Buehler experienced a stumble against the Phillies in his last home start, his track record there and against the D-Backs supports the notion of a bounce-back effort.
Other options: Kevin Gausman, TOR vs. SEA ($10,100 DK, $9,800 FD)
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DraftKings, FanDuel Infielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Jose Abreu - 1B, CWS at Zack Greinke ($4,100 DK, $2,700 FD)
Abreu is admittedly looking nothing like himself over the first month-plus of the season, as he sports just a .200 average and .596 OPS through 33 games. However, Abreu's average exit velocity of 94.1 mph is actually a career-high, and he carries an xBA of .265 and xSLG of .512 that are accompanied by a .363 xwOBA. All of those metrics underscore he's been very unlucky when putting the ball in play, a notion further supported by a .224 BABIP. Abreu could be due for one of his better efforts Wednesday, however, as Greinke has allowed a .311 average and .337 wOBA to right-handed hitters. Meanwhile, Abreu owns a .304 average and .396 wOBA against righties on the road, as well as a .300 average with a pair of doubles against Greinke in 10 career encounters.
Ian Happ - 2B, CHC vs. Roansy Contreras ($3,800 DK, $3,300 FD)
Happ will face a talented but inexperienced arm in Contreras, and he checks with a .364 average and .462 wOBA against right-handed pitching at Wrigley Field. He also went into Tuesday's action running hot, as he'd posted a .321 average and .817 OPS along with 15.2 percent walk and strikeout rates over the previous eight games. Contreras could also eventually give way to Mitch Keller, who was originally slated to start Wednesday's game, and who Happ has pounded for a .539 average with a trio of extra-base hits in 13 career plate appearances, and who's pitched to a 6.61 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, and 1.4 HR/9.
Bo Bichette - SS, HOU vs. Marco Gonzales ($5,300 DK, $3,400 FD)
Bichette is underachieving relative to preseason expectations, as he sports .247/.284/.370 slash line. However, Bichette is still enjoying his usual success against southpaws, as he sports a .286 average, .394 wOBA, and .238 ISO in that split, along with a massive 40.0 percent line-drive rate. Bichette also boasts a .293 xBA, .339 xwOBA, and career-high 48.2 percent hard-hit rate, while Gonzales has yielded a .394 wOBA, 3.0 HR/9, and 8.2 FIP to right-handed hitters on the road. He also carries a 5.61 xERA that's exponentially larger than his actual 3.38 figure and is facing a hitter in Bichette who thrives off his trademark sinker (.400 average, .484 wOBA).
Ryan McMahon - 3B, COL vs. Logan Webb ($4,700 DK, $3,700 FD)
Webb has started off the season with strong numbers once again, but there could be some trouble lurking below the surface for him. The right-hander is allowing a .264 xBA and has seen a 10% drop in strikeout rate to 16.2 percent. Webb has also given up a .304 average and .378 wOBA to lefty bats, including a .448 average and .526 wOBA to the 34 he's faced on the road. McMahon has already punished Webb for a .429 average and 1.286 OPS in 16 career plate appearances, and he sports a .310 average, .438 wOBA, and .345 ISO versus righties at Coors thus far this season.
Other options: Jared Walsh - 1B, LAA at Dane Dunning ($4,400 DK, $3,100 FD)
DraftKings, FanDuel Outfielders - MLB DFS Lineup Picks
Yordan Alvarez - OF, HOU at Nick Pivetta ($5,100 DK, $4,000 FD)
Alvarez has more than enough pop to take advantage of Pivetta, whose .333 average and .396 wOBA at home, including a .375 average and .465 wOBA to the 18 left-handed hitters he's faced there. Pivetta has a .293 xBA and .384 xwOBA while also conceding a career-high 50.5 percent hard-hit rate. Meanwhile, Alvarez is already sporting a .311 average, 1.202 OPS, and .504 wOBA against right-handed pitching on the road, and he owns a .378 xBA and .534 xwOBA against Pivetta's most often-used pitch, the four-seam fastball.
Adam Frazier - OF, SEA at Kevin Gausman ($4,000 DK, $2,700 FD)
Gausman isn't normally a pitcher one would pick on for DFS purposes, but Frazier checks in swinging a very hot bat and has some past skins on the wall against the veteran right-hander. Frazier went into Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays with a .378 average over his previous 10 games, and he sports a solid .275 average against right-handed pitching. He also is an above-average contact hitter as evidenced by a sub-12.0 percent strikeout rate, and his experience against Gausman includes a .379 average and .883 OPS in 30 career plate appearances. Meanwhile, Gausman has had some trouble with lefty hitters in his new home park of Rogers Centre, giving up a .344 average to that handedness in a sample of 32 batters.
Giancarlo Stanton - OF, at Jordan Lyles ($5,700 DK, $4,000 FD)
Stanton is always a consideration for cash games or tournaments, and he has more than enough firepower to exploit Lyles, who has been a bit fortunate to only carry a 4.38 ERA. The right-hander has a .287 xBA, .366 xwOBA, and 4.87 xERA, and he's allowed a .340 average, .359 wOBA, and 1.78 WHIP to right-handed hitters at Camden Yards. Stanton has a .306 average, .396 wOBA, and .224 ISO against righties on the road, along with a 23.5 percent line-drive rate and 41.2 percent hard-contact rate in that split. The fact he's also tormented Lyles for a .467 average in 17 career meetings and has .482 and .560 xwOBAs against the four-seam and slider, respectively, also bodes well, as those two offerings serve as Lyles' most-often-thrown pitches.
Other options: Bryan Reynolds - OF, at Drew Smyly ($4,000 DK, $2,700 FD)
DraftKings, FanDuel MLB DFS Stacks
Angels at Dane Dunning, TEX, RHP
Yankees at Jordan Lyles, BAL, RHP
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