X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

MLB Hitter Cheat Sheet (5/14/16): Daily Fantasy Baseball Value Picks

Welcome to the weekend, RotoBallers. You've worked hard all week at your jobs to make your money, so now its time to sit back and relax and watch baseball players do it for you on DFS. We have 16 games today, thanks to a double header in Washington with the Marlins. The early slate includes six contests, with the main slate covering the other ten. Since I enjoy playing both early and main (late) slates, I thought I would break today's value picks down for you just in case you plan on doing the same. Remember, these picks are not the absolute best plays of the day, but rather the best possible return on your investment (bang for your buck). If you can afford Giancarlo Stanton, he's hitting .400 with three bombs versus Stephen Strasburg FYI, then by all means take him. But then proceed to use this cheat sheet in order to find cheaper studs to fill the rest of your lineup.

That is the purpose of this article -- to provide you with the best value hitters available each day.

Today I'll be bringing you five value hitters from each slate for MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball on FanDuel and DraftKings for May 14th, 2016. Let's get rowdy.

 

DFS Hitters - Lineup Picks for FanDuel and DraftKings

Early Slate:

Yan Gomes, CLE (C)

FanDuel: $2,300/ DraftKings: $3,300

Gomes had failed to record a hit in his past five games going into yesterday's matchup with Ricky Nolasco. In his career, he had two HR in seven PA versus him, and what do ya know....he hit a bomb to LF in his first AB. BvP stats to the rescue!

He has very similar career numbers against Ervin Santana, with one HR and .857 SLG in only eight PA. Gomes makes for a nice GPP play thanks to his ugly numbers on the season. For cash games, consider Jason Castro versus Clay Buchholz

 

Mike Napoli, CLE (1B)

FanDuel: $3,600/ DraftKings: $3,500

Napoli is hitting .300 with two HR in his past five games. He absolutely owns Ervin Santana. In his career he's hit three HR with a .368/.478/1.000 line in 23 PA. I always love finding a cheap option at first base, because you know everyone and their momma is paying top dollar for theirs. With these types of career numbers, fire up Napoli in both GPP and cash games today.

 

Luis Valbuena, HOU (3B)

FanDuel: $2,700/ DraftKings: $3,400

Clay Buchholz owns a 5.90 ERA with a 1.44 WHIP. He has been awful against left handed batters, allowing a .325 BA, .416 OBP, and a 1.17 K/BB ratio. Valbuena is hitting .308 with one HR versus Buchholz in his career. This game's score could resemble an NFL game, and Valbuena should certainly get his share of the action today. His struggles this season make Valbuena a GPP-only play today. For cash games, consider Danny Valencia versus Matt Andriese

 

Melky Cabrera, CWS (OF)

FanDuel: $3,000/ DraftKings: $3,500

Melky is quietly having a strong season in 2016, batting .308 with 15 BB versus only 13 SO. He only has two HR and zero SB, so the upside has certainly vanished with his age, but he's still got enough in the tank to score some solid points for your DFS lineup. Today he faces off against Ivan Nova, who he has humiliated so far in his career, boasting a .583/.615/1.167 line with two HR in 13 PA. Hitting in the heart of the White Sox lineup against Nova makes Melky a safe, high floor pick today. Use in cash games.

 

Brock Holt, BOS (OF)

FanDuel: $3,100/ DraftKings: $3,300

So, the Red Sox can hit. They rank first in runs scored and just snapped their four game double digit scoring streak with "only" six runs against Houston yesterday. Today they square off against Collin McHugh, who Holt is hitting .400 against in his career. As previously mentioned, this game could get out of hand. You honestly can't go wrong with any of the Sox OF today, but Holt is by far the easiest on your wallet. As long as he gets on base, he will score runs. He's rocking a .365 OBP at Fenway this season, so it's a safe bet. Use in GPP games.

 

 

Main Slate:

Welington Castillo, ARI (C)

FanDuel: $3,200/ DraftKings: $3,700

The prices are just too low for the current number one catcher in fantasy. Not to mention, he's facing Jake Peavy and his 8.47 ERA/ 1.91 WHIP at home. Castillo has a HR and a .500 BA in seven career PA versus Peavy, and I really like his chances at clubbing number two today. Use in GPP and cash games.

 

Justin Smoak, TOR (1B)

FanDuel: $2,700/ DraftKings: $3,400

This dude has been smoaking the ball recently. His BA for the season is up to .297, with a ridiculous .430 OBP. Against RHP, he's sporting a .341 BA and a .508 OBP. Colby Lewis loves giving up the long ball, and Smoak has taking advantage of this generosity twice already in his career. This is another opportunity to save some dough at a hefty position, which could help you roster a stud like Jake Arrieta. Use in GPP and cash games. Also consider Pedro Alvarez versus Anibal Sanchez

 

Martin Prado, MIA (3B) *versus Tanner Roark

FanDuel: $3,100/ DraftKings: $3,300

Remember, if you are playing in an All Day slate, you can only select players for the early game of this double header. This recommendation is for the main slate only, as I would much rather play Prado against Roark than Stephen Strasburg. Don't make the mistake.

Prado is slashing a .467/.500/.667 line with a HR in 16 career PA versus Roark. He is hitting .421 over his last five games. Use in cash games. For GPP games, consider Jake Lamb versus Jake Peavy. 

 

Norichika Aoki, SEA (OF)

FanDuel: $3,200/ DraftKings: $3,500

Aoki has to be my favorite pick of the day. He has not quite been effective so far in 2016, with zero HR, a .238 BA, and has been caught stealing a league-leading five times. But never fear, BvP stats to the rescue again. This contact hitter who hit only one HR in a full season with the Royals in 2014, has three bombs against Jhoulys Chacin in only 13 career PA. I can't explain it, but I love it. It is crazy enough to scare me away in cash games, but in GPP games you can end up looking like a genius when Aoki hits 2016 HR number one and two today.

 

Matt Holliday, STL (OF)

FanDuel: $2,800/ DraftKings: $3,700

Just 34 games into the 2016 campaign, and Holliday already has two more HR than he did in 73 games last season. Three of his six dingers have come in his last five games, accompanied by a .333/.417/.857 slash. Oddly enough, he has yet to take a southpaw yard this year, but today might change that split. He has two HR in only 11 career PA versus Jeff Locke. Holliday makes for a great cash game pick today.

 

Full Season MLB & DFS Premium Pass

Get a Premium Pass for the entire MLB season - including the playoffs - for only $29.99. That's Premium access to over 10 tools, and over 20 valuable resources, for one incredible price. Here's a taste of what you get:

  • DFS lineup picks and cheat sheets for FanDuel and DraftKings - seven days a week
  • Three expert lineups: FanDuel, DraftKings, and Stack of the Day - seven days a week
  • Top DFS value plays, avoids and injury updates - seven days a week
  • Lineup tools: daily premium hitter and pitcher matchup ratings

All of this for just $29.99... it's simply the best deal around. No other site offers this type of deal. What are you waiting for?

 

Live Expert Q&A Chats - Every Weekday @ 1 PM and 6 PM EST (DFS)

Fantasy Baseball Chat Room

[iflychat_embed id="c-55" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="400px"]

 

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Player Comparisons
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

NFL14 mins ago

Browns Fire Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey
Tony Pollard8 hours ago

Likely Good To Go Against Houston
Darnell Mooney8 hours ago

A "Long-Shot" To Suit Up On Sunday
Zay Flowers8 hours ago

Likely Sustains Knee Sprain In Week 18
Ja'Marr Chase9 hours ago

Leads The Way In Week 18
Tee Higgins9 hours ago

Leaves With Ankle Injury
Jerry Jeudy11 hours ago

Sets Browns Record In Week 18 Loss
Bogdan Bogdanovic11 hours ago

Ruled Out For Saturday
Jalen Johnson11 hours ago

Unavailable On Saturday
Trae Young11 hours ago

To Play On Saturday
Kawhi Leonard11 hours ago

To Make Season Debut On Saturday
Gabe Vincent11 hours ago

Tagged As Doubtful For Sunday
Alex Caruso12 hours ago

Remains Sidelined On Sunday
Jeremy Sochan12 hours ago

Will Suit Up Saturday
Jalen Brunson13 hours ago

Will Play Saturday
Anthony Davis13 hours ago

Listed As Probable For Sunday
LeBron James13 hours ago

Probable For Sunday
Khris Middleton13 hours ago

Will Face The Blazers
Giannis Antetokounmpo13 hours ago

Cleared For Action On Saturday
Bradley Beal14 hours ago

Will Play Saturday
Los Angeles Dodgers14 hours ago

Hye-seong Kim Received Larger Offer From The Angels
Cade Cunningham14 hours ago

Available For Saturday
Chase Brown14 hours ago

Inactive For Week 18
Dejounte Murray14 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday
Jakob Junis14 hours ago

White Sox Showing Interest In Jakob Junis
Zay Flowers14 hours ago

Won't Return In Week 18
Clayton Kershaw14 hours ago

Intends To Pitch In 2025, Expected To Return To Los Angeles
Max Scherzer14 hours ago

Likely To Sign One-Year Deal
Justin Verlander14 hours ago

Multiple Teams Interested In Justin Verlander
Noah Clowney15 hours ago

Upgraded To Available On Saturday
Joel Embiid15 hours ago

Active For Saturday Night Matchup Against Nets
Brandon Miller15 hours ago

Questionable Heading Into Sunday Against Cavaliers
LaMelo Ball15 hours ago

Questionable For Sunday's Game Against Cleveland
Trendon Watford15 hours ago

Resumes On-Court Workouts, Will Be Re-Evaluated In One Week
Kelly Oubre Jr.15 hours ago

Officially Ruled Out For Saturday's Game Against Nets
Dallas Goedert16 hours ago

Eagles Activate Dallas Goedert From Injured Reserve
Austin Ekeler16 hours ago

Activated From Injured Reserve Ahead Of Week 18
Chris Olave17 hours ago

Ruled Out For Week 18
Green Bay Packers17 hours ago

Jaire Alexander Placed On Injured Reserve
Jameis Winston17 hours ago

Inactive For Week 18, Serving As Emergency Quarterback
Nelson Agholor17 hours ago

Inactive For Week 18
Tee Higgins18 hours ago

Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins Hope To Play Together For "Years To Come"
Amari Cooper18 hours ago

Downgraded To Out For Week 18
Andrew Velazquez19 hours ago

Signs Minors Deal With Yankees
Thatcher Demko19 hours ago

Joining Team For Five-Game Road Trip
Pyotr Kochetkov20 hours ago

Starts Against Wild On Saturday
Joseph Woll20 hours ago

In Maple Leafs Net On Saturday
Scott Wedgewood20 hours ago

Unavailable On Saturday
Jack Drury20 hours ago

Back For Hurricanes Saturday
Auston Matthews20 hours ago

Returns To Action On Saturday
Jordan Binnington23 hours ago

Shuts Out Senators
Brandon Saad23 hours ago

Ends Goal Drought With A Hat Trick
Mike Matheson23 hours ago

Records Two Assists Friday
Nick Foligno23 hours ago

Pots Two Goals In Friday's Win
Juuse Saros24 hours ago

Logs Fourth Shutout Of The Season
Leon Draisaitl24 hours ago

Nets Game-Winner On Friday
Chase Brown1 day ago

Needs To Improve To Have A Shot At Playing On Saturday
Tee Higgins1 day ago

Expected To Play Against Steelers
Alek Manoah2 days ago

Hopes To Return In August
Diego Cartaya2 days ago

Designated For Assignment
René Pinto2 days ago

Rene Pinto Designated For Assignment
Charlie Morton2 days ago

Signs One-Year Deal With Baltimore
Chris Olave2 days ago

Saints List Chris Olave As Questionable For Week 18
Jaylen Waddle2 days ago

Dolphins Optimistic About Jaylen Waddle Despite Questionable Tag
Jared Spurgeon2 days ago

To Miss 2-3 Weeks
Oskar Sundqvist2 days ago

Unavailable Friday
Justin Faulk2 days ago

Iffy For Friday's Action
Colton Dach2 days ago

Set For NHL Debut On Friday
Connor Murphy2 days ago

Misses First Game Of The Season
David Savard2 days ago

A Game-Time Call Friday
Los Angeles Dodgers2 days ago

Dodgers Agree With Hye-seong Kim
Tyler Jay2 days ago

Brewers Designate Tyler Jay For Assignment
Texas Rangers2 days ago

Rangers Acquire Mason Molina From Brewers
Ceddanne Rafaela2 days ago

Red Sox Want To Keep Ceddanne Rafaela In The Outfield "As Much As Possible"
Vaughn Grissom2 days ago

The Favorite For 2B Job In Boston In 2025
Grant Anderson2 days ago

Traded To Brewers
Alex Bregman2 days ago

Likely To Sign With Tigers Or Blue Jays
Jack Flaherty2 days ago

Unlikely To Sign With Orioles
Jeff Hoffman2 days ago

Seeking Nearly $40 Million
Jack Eichel2 days ago

Tallies Two Helpers On Thursday
Alex DeBrincat2 days ago

Tallies Three Points On Thursday
Jonathan Quick2 days ago

Leads The Way On Thursday
Alex Bregman3 days ago

Mets Unlikely To Pursue Alex Bregman
Pete Alonso3 days ago

Giants Could Be Losing Interest On Pete Alonso
Xander Schauffele4 days ago

Hoping To Find Success Again At Majors In 2025
Chris Kirk4 days ago

Starts 2025 Defending The Sentry Title
Max Homa4 days ago

Hopes To Rebound After Disappointing 2024 Season
Nick Dunlap4 days ago

Looks To Build On Impressive Rookie Season
Collin Morikawa4 days ago

Heads To The Sentry After Excellent 2024 Season
PGA4 days ago

Sungjae Im Hoping To Start 2025 Season Strongly At The Sentry
Russell Henley4 days ago

Closes Out 2024 Season Strong
Jason Day4 days ago

Looks Ahead To 2025 Season At The Sentry
Akshay Bhatia4 days ago

To Repeat Last Year’s Sentry Performance?
Ludvig Aberg4 days ago

Returns To The Sentry
Maverick McNealy4 days ago

Making First Career Start At Kapalua
Corey Conners4 days ago

Making Third Consecutive Start At Kapalua
Viktor Hovland4 days ago

A Gametime Decision For Year's First Event
Tony Finau4 days ago

Making Sixth Start At Kapalua After Rumor-Filled Offseason
Justin Thomas4 days ago

Looks To Get Off To Fast Start In 2025 At Kapalua
Patrick Cantlay5 days ago

Looks For Hot Start In 2025
Sam Burns5 days ago

In Top Form Ahead of Kapalua
Cameron Young5 days ago

Needs To Avoid Bad Rounds In Hawaii
Sahith Theegala5 days ago

Looking For Big 2025 Start In Hawaii
Hideki Matsuyama5 days ago

Always A Threat In Hawaii
Billy Horschel5 days ago

Seeks To Build Off Great 2024 Campaign

MORE RECENT ARTICLES

 

NFL Week 18 Predictions: Picks, Analysis, and Motivations for Every Game

Hello, football fans, and welcome to the final week of the NFL regular season! As we head into Week 18, we got things kicked off with a pair of games on Saturday featuring four AFC North squads. Moving into Sunday, motivation will be key for several teams in the regular-season finale. Who is fighting to […]


Amari Cooper - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Fantasy Football Injury Reports For Week 18 (Sunday Morning Updates): Tony Pollard, Amari Cooper, Darnell Mooney, Austin Ekeler, and more

Heading into Week 18 of the NFL season, injuries continue to impact the upcoming schedule. These play a huge factor in start/sit decisions for fantasy managers. Our injury updates and reports for Week 18 as of Sunday, January 5, 2025, will give you the latest updates on key fantasy football players. The injury news for […]


Sam Darnold - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

NFL DFS Lineup Picks For FanDuel, DraftKings - Vikings vs. Lions SNF Showdown (Week 18)

Welcome back, RotoBallers! It's the showdown we've all been waiting for and certainly the most pivotal of all showdowns through this point of the season. We have Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings (14-2) taking on division rival Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions (14-2). Not only is this game for the NFC North crown, […]


Michael Penix Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Week 18 Superflex 2QB Rankings for Fantasy Football: Updates for Sam Darnold, Bryce Young, Michael Penix Jr., Joshua Dobbs, Drew Lock, Drake Maye

The Week 18 slate is here, meaning several teams who are eliminated from postseason action or have already locked up a playoff spot are set to rest some key starters. We're here to help you sort through it all with our Week 18 fantasy football Superflex rankings (2QB) for 2024. If you're still chasing a […]


Zach Charbonnet - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL DFS Picks

Week 18 PPR Rankings for Fantasy Football Playoffs: Overall Updates Include Isaac Guerendo, Zach Charbonnet, Blake Corum, Jordan Addison, Jayden Reed

If your league championship is in Week 18, you surely already know it's a difficult week to navigate. Below, you'll see our NFL team's updated Week 18 fantasy football PPR rankings for 2024. Let's see where key players like Isaac Guerendo, Zach Charbonnet, Blake Corum, Jordan Addison, and Jayden Reed stand for the must-win Week […]


Jalen McMillan - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

Week 18 FLEX Rankings for Fantasy Football (RB, WR, TE) - Updates Include Jalen McMillan, Adam Thielen, Rico Dowdle, Ray Davis, J.K. Dobbins, Ray-Ray McCloud III

The closing week of the 2024 NFL regular season has arrived, and we're here to help your lineup or DFS calls with our NFL team's updated Week 18 fantasy football FLEX rankings for 2024. Comparing two flex options at different positions can be a tough task, so let's see where key FLEX options like Jalen […]


Ray Davis - Fantasy Football Rankings, Draft Sleepers, NFL Injury News

Week 18 Running Back Rankings for Fantasy Football: RB Updates Include Rico Dowdle, Zach Charbonnet, Ray Davis, Blake Corum, Isaac Guerendo, more

Week 18 is here, and many backup running backs will be in featured roles this weekend as several teams are resting starters. That said, let's get to crucial start-or-sit decisions with help from our updated Week 18 fantasy football running back rankings for 2024. Let's see where key players such as Rico Dowdle, Zach Charbonnet, […]


Jameson Williams - Fantasy Football Rankings, Waiver Wire Pickups, Draft Sleepers

Week 18 Wide Receiver Rankings for Fantasy Football: WR Updates Include Tyreek Hill, Jalen McMillan, Adam Thielen, Jameson Williams, Jauan Jennings

Week 18 is here, and several teams will either not play starters or pull them early in the game. That said start-or-sit decisions are tough when comparing two flex-level wide receiver options, so we're here to assist with our NFL team's updated Week 18 fantasy football wide receiver rankings for 2024. Let's see where key […]


Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans - Tampa Bay Bucs, Fantasy Football

Fantasy Football Start 'Em, Sit 'Em - Week 18 Matchups Analysis

Welcome back, RotoBallers, to another start'em and sit'em piece as we look ahead to Week 18! This Week 18 matchups analysis and Start 'Em, Sit 'Em will help you make the right lineup decisions in the final week of the regular season.  Whether you play in a Week 18 fantasy football championship or are looking for some DFS […]


Patrick Mahomes - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL Inactives Week 18 (Updated): Which Teams Are Resting Starters? Who's Sitting or Playing in Week 18

If your fantasy football league extends to Week 18, you either forgot to change that setting, or you love living on the edge. The final week of the NFL regular season is always tricky to navigate, as several teams either do not play their key starters or pull them early. Many teams have already clinched […]


Marvin Harrison Jr. - Fantasy Football Rankings, WR, Waiver Wire, NFL DFS, Rookies

Key Starters and Tough Calls - Week 18 Lineup Spotlights for Fantasy Football And DFS Include Blake Corum, Marvin Harrison Jr., Ricky Pearsall

For the final week of the 2024 season, those who are still participating in Week fantasy football Super Bowls must do two things. First, vote in a new league commissioner for next season. Secondly, consult our rundown of our best streamers and lineup pluggers to win a league championship. Using RotoBaller’s Week 18 Lineup Rankings […]


Joe Burrow - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS and Betting Picks

NFL DFS Lineup Picks For FanDuel, DraftKings - Steelers vs. Bengals Showdown (Week 18)

Welcome back, RotoBallers! It is the final week of the regular season, and we have a couple more showdowns left, including a big game for the AFC North. The Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) host the Cincinnati Bengals (8-8). The Bengals are still alive for a playoff spot but need some help, along with a win. The […]


Derrick Henry - Fantasy Football Rankings, NFL Injury News, DFS Lineup Picks

NFL DFS Lineup Picks For FanDuel, DraftKings - Browns vs. Ravens Showdown (Week 18)

Welcome back, RotoBallers! We have an AFC North Showdown on the docket as Bailey Zappe and the Cleveland Browns (3-13) head to Baltimore to take on Lamar Jackson and the Ravens (11-5). While Cleveland doesn't have anything to play for, they can still play spoiler for their division rival as Lamar and the Ravens are […]