MLB DFS Value Vault May 24: George Kirby Against Oakland Athletics
We have a consistent MLB DFS slate across the board today as all three DraftKings, FanDuel, and Yahoo Fantasy will be using a 12-game slate starting at 7:05 pm ET. The MLB daily fantasy value options for hitting were a lot stronger last night, but we still have a couple of options for Tuesday, May 24th. On the flip side, we have two great daily fantasy baseball value arms in prime spots tonight against the worst offenses in baseball. As far as MLB weather concerns go, things look clear tonight and we may be able to avoid any issues there - but still keep an eye on the latest MLB weather report. Before you build your daily fantasy baseball lineups, don’t forget to check out the MLB implied runs totals on our Vegas Odds link and our MLB DFS lineup generator. Let’s dive into our MLB DFS top picks today!
MLB DFS Value Pitchers
Sonny Gray, Twins (DraftKings - $6800 / FanDuel - $8200)
Gray is putting together another nice season thus far with a 3.48 ERA and 25 strikeouts across 20.2 innings of work while scoring at least 17 points on DK in three straight outings. He has a great matchup against Detroit today too. The Tigers are dead last in scoring this year, averaging just 2.78 runs per game (well below the 29th ranked team’s average of 3.29) and they have the 9th highest strikeout rate (2nd highest in the league over the past week). On top of all that, they are second to last in wOBA against righties.
George Kirby, Mariners (DraftKings - $6000 / FanDuel - $7000 / Yahoo - $34)
Kirby hasn’t pitched very well in his last two outings, but those outings were against the Mets and Red Sox. Today he gets to face Oakland and it doesn’t get much better than that. The A’s are 28th in runs per game this season with an average of 3.32 and they have the 7th highest strikeout rate. To make it even better for Kirby, they are dead last in wOBA against righties.
MLB DFS Value Hitters
Alek Thomas, Diamondbacks (DraftKings - $2900 / FanDuel - $2800)
Thomas has been very impressive through 15 games, hitting .300 with three home runs, four doubles, six RBI, and seven runs scored. He has a strong matchup against Jonathan Heasley tonight, who has a 4.32 ERA and 1.80 WHIP through two starts. The Dbacks offense has been better as a whole lately too, scoring 10, 7, 4, and 9 runs over their last four games, which could lead to more RBI and run-scoring opportunities tonight for Thomas.
Tommy La Stella, Giants (DraftKings - $2700 / FanDuel - $2700)
La Stella has the toughest matchup (facing Bassitt) of anyone I have listed, but he’s also probably the best bat of anyone listed here as well. He has kicked off his season in an impressive way as he is 5-17 (.294) with a home run, three doubles, and two RBI through five games. That is good enough for a .647 SLG and .980 OPS. He bats leadoff against righties, which is always a plus as well.
Gilberto Celestino, Twins (DraftKings - $2000 / FanDuel - $2000 / Yahoo - $9)
Celestino is hitting .359 with a .438 OBP through the first 28 games of the season. He hasn’t homered or stolen a base, which really limits his upside, but he has hit well and at minimum prices (or close to it on Yahoo) there is value in a player who scores around 10 points. He has a nice matchup against Brieske, who has a 5.13 ERA and 1.33 WHIP with seven home runs against him in just 26.1 innings of work. The Twins as a stack are a solid option and Celestino bats last, so he can be in the stack as a wrap around.
Gio Urshela, Twins (DraftKings - $3100 / FanDuel - $2700)
Yes, another Twins bat that has a cheap price and this great matchup against Brieske. Urshela has been swinging it well lately, slashing .292/.400/.583 over his last eight games with two home runs, seven RBI, and six runs scored. There is no reason to believe that he won’t stay hot today with this matchup and at these cheap prices, he makes for a great play. Righties are the ones doing the damage against Brieske too, slashing .296/.371/.574 against him, compared to the .167/.231/.354 line that lefties have produced.
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Chris Sale fanned a season-high 11 while allowing one run over seven innings in the Braves’ 7-1 victory over the Brewers on Monday.
Sale had three 10-strikeout games this season, but he had yet to reach 11, something he fixed tonight. Since going 0-2 with a 6.17 ERA in his first five starts, Sale is 4-2 with a 1.41 ERA and a 75/18 K/BB over 57 1/3 innings in nine starts. He’ll make his next start at home against the Rockies, so we’re already on no-hitter alert.
Raisel Iglesias tossed a perfect eighth with the Braves up 5-1 on the Brewers on Monday.
Iglesias struck out Jackson Chourio and Christian Yelich, with William Contreras hitting a routine flyout in between. Iglesias has lost his hold on the closer’s gig in Atlanta after blowing his fourth save on Thursday, but it’s hard to see how any of the other righties in the Braves bullpen are better bets going forward. Southpaw Dylan Lee, who finished up tonight’s game, might be, but he’s also likely more valuable being matched up against tough lefties. Iglesias is worth considering in leagues in which he was dropped.
Aaron Civale yielded two runs in 4 2/3 innings and struck out five Monday in a loss to the Braves.
Civale pitched four scoreless innings before giving up a homer and a double in the fifth. After he was lifted, DL Hall surrendered another homer, scoring the inherited runner. Civale has allowed one or two runs in each of four of his starts since coming the injured list last month, though he’s pitched a total of 19 innings in those games The Brewers’ quick hooks will continue to help his ERA, but they make him a weaker bet from wins. He’s slated to face the Cardinals next.
Ronald Acuña Jr. hit his fifth homer and walked twice Monday against the Brewers.
The second walk should have been a strikeout; it came on an up and in pitch in which Acuña dropped his bat to get out of the way. The problem was that the knob of the bat quite clearly made contact with the baseball, which was then held on to for what should have been a foul tip out. At least it probably didn’t make much difference with the Braves already up 5-1 in the ninth. Acuña’s homer left off Aaron Civale left the bat at 107 mph and was projected at 404 feet. His five homers have come in just 16 games since he returned from a torn ACL.
Rhys Hoskins struck out all four times up against the Braves in Monday’s loss.
Hoskins is 4-for-26 with no extra-base hits this month, dropping his OPS from .849 to .789. The Brewers might hit him a little lower in the lineup against right-handers as a response, but they don’t have much choice other than to stick with him until his next hot streak.
Brandon Marsh came off the bench to go 2-for-3 with the game-winning hit as the Phillies edged the Cubs 4-3 in 11 innings on Monday.
This one shouldn’t have been so close, given that the Phillies outhit the Cubs 12-4 in regulation and 16-5 by game’s end. Some baserunning mistakes set them back, though. Marsh was out of the lineup against a lefty, as per usual, but he entered the game in the seventh and wound up with his first career walkoff hit with the bases loaded and no outs in the 11th. He was facing just a two-man outfield at the time, but his shot to center left the bat at 105 mph and traveled 380 feet; even if Pete Crow-Armstrong had been playing straight up, he probably wouldn’t have been able to get to it.