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Happy Friday, RotoBallers! Because of a couple of early games and a bizarre two-game interleague series between Philadelphia and Tampa Bay starting tomorrow, there are "only" 13 games on Friday's featured slate. However, some big arms are taking the mound tonight, and there is also a fair share of fantastic values. As for the weather, there is a MASSIVE amount of rain and wind in the forecast. Several games all over the country, especially the NorthEast, seem like they could be in for delays or postponements.
Happy Gerrit Cole day! The Yankees ace opens the weekend against a mediocre Detroit unit. If you are playing in cash, you should get him in your lineup no matter the upcharge. The perennial Cy Young contender will be extremely popular, and if you don't have him on the squad when he goes off, you're sunk.
This article will provide you with my daily fantasy baseball lineup picks for DraftKings on 5/28/2021. The lineup will range from some of the elite players to mid-priced options and value plays. You can also check out today's FanDuel MLB DFS lineup picks and read more DFS advice and lineup picks for other sports too. It’s also important to monitor injury news and today's MLB starting lineups. If you have any questions or comments, contact me on Twitter.
DraftKings DFS Starting Pitchers
Ian Anderson - P, ATL at NYM ($9,700)
If you have a spare five minutes, read the 10-page paper that is the New York Mets Injury List. They have been decimated up and down their lineup. The result: Since May 8 (19 games), they have scored 2.6 runs per game, a league-worst mark. Now is the time to attack this Mets lineup, and I would do it with almost any pitcher at this point. While Ian Anderson isn't as good in 2021 as he showed us during his 2020 breakout, he's still an above-average pitcher. The right-handed hurler is rocking a 2.90 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, and 53 strikeouts in 51 innings during the campaign. Over his last six starts, Anderson is 4-1, and he's pitched at least six innings five times and scored at least 19.9 DraftKings points in four of six. Against a struggling Mets lineup, I will happily roster Anderson as I attempt to go cheap at starting pitcher.
Update: This game is doubtful to be played. Scroll down to the other options for some arms to pivot towards.
Martin Perez - P, BOS vs. MIA ($8,700)
"Is this real life?" This is the question I'm asking myself when considering Martin Perez. He has been nothing short of spectacular in his last two starts. Against the Angels, he scored 23.3 fantasy points, then followed it up last week with 21.3 points in Philadelphia, even with the ludicrous $9,400 price tag. Now, we can snag the left-hander for $8,700 against a terrible Marlins lineup. In May, Miami is striking out 32 percent of the time versus left-handed pitching and scuffling to a "are we sure this number is correct?" 66 weighted Runs Created Plus. The southpaw came away from his duels with Los Angeles and Philadelphia with two wins and should be in line for a third straight victory on Friday.
Other options: Gerrit Cole at DET ($11,200), Hyun-Jin Ryu at CLE ($8,400), Shohei Ohtani at OAK ($7,800)
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DraftKings DFS Infielders
Mitch Garver - C, MIN vs. Kris Bubic ($4,300)
Garver has been hammering the baseball for the entire month of May. After posting a .644 OPS in April, Garv Sauce (yes, that's his nickname) is slashing .286/.417/.551 in May. Earlier this week, Garver started three consecutive games and made an excellent case for more playing time. The backstop went 4-for-9 with three runs, three doubles, two RBI, and three walks against Cleveland and Baltimore. Tonight, he will see Kris Bubic on the mound, as long as the Twins write his name into the lineup. Bubic sports a 1.52 ERA, but a 4.82 xFIP suggests he has been on the lucky side in 2021. Minnesota is 5-0 in Garver's last five games, and they should continue to run him out there as they try to dig their way out of an early-season hole.
Trey Mancini - 1B, BAL at Dallas Keuchel ($5,000)
I'm, jumping on the narrative train right now and using this space as an excuse to write about Mancini. His bounceback from his cancer has been pretty inspiring. He's second in the league with 42 RBI and slashes .284/.359/.536 with 13 doubles and 11 home runs. Unfortunately, he was hit by a pitch in Thursday's contest, and his status for Friday's game is up in the air. However, the Orioles confirmed they didn't do require any further tests. Hopefully, Mancini can play through some soreness little because the matchup with Dallas Keuchel is one of the best on the slate.
Ty France - 1B/2B, SEA vs. Jordan Lyles ($2,800)
It seems like the break on the IL did Ty France quite well. After spending the minimum amount of time on the shelf, France returned to the Mariners this week and has subsequently gone 6-for-15 in four games. The infielder was crushing the baseball before being hit on the forearm on Apr. 28, and his performances declined drastically. Now that he is healthy, I expect another multi-hit performance from France, and it should only be a matter of time before he's hitting balls over the fence again.
Rafael Devers - 3B, BOS vs. Cody Poteet ($4,600)
Xander Bogaerts - SS, BOS vs. Cody Poteet ($5,300)
I'll be loading up on the Boston bats with Devers and Bogaerts as the centerpieces if this game goes ahead. Over Dever’s last seven games, the third baseman is destroying baseballs all over the diamond. He's slashing .321/.387/.786 with six runs, four doubles, three home runs, and nine RBI over the same stretch. All those numbers come out to 13.8 fantasy points per game, making him an autoplay on nights like tonight.
As for Bogaerts, he’s batting .339 on the year with 10 home runs, 31 RBI, and a .989 OPS. He and Devers have been phenomenal in the heart of the Red Sox lineup this year, and one of the biggest reasons they have been such an early-season surprise. A three-game set against the Marlins should offer Devers, Bogaerts, and the whole team an opportunity to boost their record and personal stats for the Memorial Day weekend.
DraftKings DFS Outfielders
Adolis Garcia - OF, TEX at Justus Sheffield ($3,500)
Garcia has taken the baseball world by storm this season. In 42 games this year, the outfielder has erupted in Dallas for 25 runs, 16 home runs, 41 RBI, and five stolen bases. While the swing and miss in his game is quite concerning (50 strikeouts in 42 games), he's consistently smacking the ball around the park. Garcia's season-long OPS sits at .929, but over his last 10 games, it's risen to .993, and he's averaging 13.1 fantasy points per contest. I expect the game between the Rangers and Mariners to be a bit of a shootout with Jordan Lyles and Justus Sheffield on the mound, and Garcia will be right in the middle of any outburst Texas can put together.
Avisail Garcia - OF, MIL at Jon Lester ($3,100)
I just mentioned Adolis Garcia, but now it’s Avisail’s turn. The other A. Garcia in the fantasy conscious has been swatting the ball consistently in his last eight games with a double, three home runs, and five RBI. His bat is hot enough to give him consistent playing time, and I think the righty will get another chance at a start with the left-handed Jon Lester on the mound for the Nationals. He’s only collected one long ball versus southpaws this year, but he has a .853 OPS against them compared to a .733 OPS when facing righties. While the bat is hot and the matchup is right, I have no problem continuing the discount theme at outfield and rostering both Garcia’s.
Anthony Santander - OF, BAL at Dallas Keuchel ($3,000)
We get to use DraftKings' pricing algorithm to our advantage this evening because Santander remains near the minimum price. For some reason, he's only $3,000 despite being scorching hot since returning from the IL. In those seven games, the Orioles outfielder is 12-for-30 with three runs, SIX doubles, a home run, and three RBI. To say Dallas Keuchel is less than average this season is being kind. The southpaw has a 12.5 percent strikeout rate and a 4.53 xFIP despite a relatively low .273 BABIP. It's not an intimidating matchup at all, and I expect Baltimore to put up some big numbers in Chicago to start the holiday weekend.
DraftKings DFS Stacks
- Toronto Blue Jays at Cleveland Indians (Eli Morgan, RHP)
- Boston Red Sox vs. Miami Marlins (Cody Poteet, RHP)
- Sneaky stack: Baltimore Orioles at Chicago White Sox (Dallas Keuchel, LHP)
- Game stack: Texas Rangers (Jordan Lyles, RHP) at Seattle Mariners (Justus Sheffield, LHP)
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