Happy Memorial Day, RotoBallers! Today we launch a new MLB DFS piece that is specifically focused on saving you DFS salary when you go to build your daily fantasy baseball lineups on FanDuel and DraftKings tonight!
It's pretty easy to write an article where I recommend playing Bryce Harper, Juan Soto, and Tarik Skubal, but how helpful is that for DFS players when you'll never fit all three of those high-priced stars in one lineup without some really cheap plays, too! We will be hunting for bargains daily because nailing some value picks that produce is one of the best ways to build a winning DFS lineup.
This article will provide my top DFS value picks for DraftKings and FanDuel on 5/27/2024. We aim for hitters who cost less than 4k on DraftKings and less than 3k on FanDuel. For pitchers, the general guideline is under 7k on DraftKings and under 8k on FanDuel. You can also read more DFS advice and lineup picks for baseball and other sports here. Don't forget to monitor MLB injury news and today's MLB starting lineups!
MLB DFS Value Picks - Pitcher(s)
Mitchell Parker at ATL ($6.5K DraftKings; $7.1K FanDuel)
If you are looking to pay down at pitcher on the DK main slate (DK main is at 1:05, FanDuel main is at 4:10 PM) then look no further than the Nationals rookie left-hander Parker.
Parker's solid 3.32 ERA through his first seven starts is backed by a strong 3.66 SIERA and he's struck out 32 hitters across 38 innings. He doesn't have big strikeout upside, but he does have some elite control with just a 5.2% BB%. He's allowed three earned runs or fewer in each start this season and has faced some pretty tough offenses already (HOU, TEX, LAD, BAL).
Mitchell Parker's 2Ks in the 1st. pic.twitter.com/tRbHrTwtEW
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 20, 2024
The Braves will be a good challenge today for Parker, but they certainly haven't been the same monster offense they were last season. Over the last month, Atlanta is just 13th in wRC+ against LHP and they lost their leadoff man Ronald Acuna Jr. to a torn ACL just yesterday.
MLB DFS Value Picks - Infielders
Gavin Sheets, 1B/OF - CHW vs. Chris Bassitt ($3.3K DK; $2.8K FD)
Something you should know about Chris Bassitt is that this season, his splits against LHH are horrible. His K% drops to 18% while his BB% jumps to 13% against southpaws. His batting average allowed is 30 points higher to lefties, while his WHIP jumps all the way to 1.77. And finally, his xFIP is a tidy 3.53 against righties, but is 5.00 against lefties likely because of his 2.22 HR/9 mark against them.
I know he dominated the Sox in his last start, but I wouldn't count on him to do it again. We often have to target some good hitters on bad teams, which is exactly how I would describe Gavin Sheets.
Keibert Ruiz, C - WAS vs. Charlie Morton ($2.4K DK; $2.4K FD)
Remember when Ruiz hit .260 last season with 16 home runs? Yeah, well after one of the worst months of his career in April, he's slowly starting to turn things around in May. The switch-hitting catcher has four multi-hit games over his last six, collecting six hits in three games against the Mariners this weekend including his third home run of the season.
Charlie Morton is not a pitcher we have to avoid entirely anymore. He has some significant splits this season with lefties faring much better at the plate. You have to play a catcher on DraftKings, but you can save a ton of salary by punting the position. And on FanDuel, playing a catcher will differentiate you from the field often as most players would rather use a first baseman in their C/1B slot.
Masyn Winn, SS - STL vs. Nick Lodolo ($3.2K DK; $3.0K FD)
If you haven't noticed, Winn is the hottest hitter in the Cardinals lineup and is starting to make a name for himself in the fantasy baseball community. He has been leading off against LHP and doing a great job of getting on base. He's riding a 15-game hitting streak with five multi-hit games in there.
It's a 15-game hitting streak for Masyn Winn, the longest by a Cardinal this season!#ForTheLou pic.twitter.com/SMhNq7lp7A
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 27, 2024
Lodolo is one of the better pitchers on the hill today, but Winn's elite contact metrics make me think he will be able to get the bat on the ball and do some damage.
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— Jon Irvin (@jonjirvin) April 17, 2024
MLB DFS Value Outfielders
Jacob Hurtubise, OF - CIN vs. Lance Lynn ($2.5K DK; $2.5K FD)
The Reds have a new leadoff man vs. RHP and it's rookie Jacob Hurtubise. He's been up with the club for a few weeks now but is finally earning regular playing time.
Former #ArmyBaseball outfielder Jacob
Hurtubise with first MLB RBIHurtubise also swiped his first MLB base today
— Sal Interdonato (@salinterdonato) May 24, 2024
We won't get much power from Hurtubise as he has just nine home runs total in his minor league career. But he has shown some solid contact skills and base-stealing potential. He's collected a hit now in four straight games and scored a run in three of his last five. He's only hit double-digit DK points twice so far, but if you want a guy who is a solid bet to score more than zero points today, I think it's him.
Jonathan Rodriguez, OF - CLE vs. Austin Gomber ($3.1K DK; $2.5K FD)
We go from one rookie to another here with Rodriguez, a former third-round pick, getting some playing time with Cleveland. He's projected to start and hit 6th for the Guardians today as they travel to Coors Field to face the lefty Austin Gomber. This will be just the fifth start of Rodriguez's career and he happens to be coming off his best game as a pro as he went 2-4 with a double and run scored against the Mets yesterday.
Gomber has pitched well this season, but I will take a shot on a talented young hitter at this price in an elite hitting environment like Coors any day.
Kevin Kiermaier, OF - TOR vs. Nick Nastrini ($2.8K DK; $2.1K FD)
And finally, we end with a hitter who is almost the stone minimum on DraftKings today - Kevin Kiermaier. The veteran lefty has long been a favorite value play of mine when the matchup is right and today the matchup couldn't get much better!
Nastrini comes into today's game with a SIERA over 7.00 and a .534 wOBA allowed to LHH. What if I told you that he's faced 24 lefties so far and allowed a hit or a walk 14 times? That's pretty crazy and of course, it's also a small sample size. The Blue Jays are a top stack today, just don't forget about their #9 hitter who can pile up fantasy points in a hurry with extra-base hits or stolen bases.
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