Friday, May 28, brings a lot of weather situations heading into the holiday weekend. Let’s get into the top MLB DFS picks for hitters and stacks for Yahoo, DraftKings and FanDuel.
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MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Hitters and Stacks, Friday, May 28th
Yahoo Stack of the Day: Los Angeles Dodgers — 4.4 implied runs
While the Los Angeles lineup is thinned out due to Cody Bellinger, Corey Seager and A.J. Pollock being out with injuries, at least there is no worry about adverse weather. Anthony DeSclafani was cruising along to one of his best seasons until tonight’s opponent got to him on Sunday. The Dodgers rolled him for 10 earned runs, and DeSclafani was unable to close the book on the third inning. Opposite-handed batsmen have always been his Achilles heel, and even with Bellinger and Seager on the shelf, there are solid options.
Over his last 566 matchups with lefties, DeSclafani has allowed a .208 ISO, a 9.9% walk rate and a 45.0% hard-hit rate. He is able to induce righties into groundballs more often than not, which helps him survive most games. Gamers will want to target the Dodger lefties for upside tonight.
Gavin Lux will likely be promoted to a prime position in the batting order either leading off or batting fifth. On Sunday he was at the top of the order and hit a grand slam against DeSclafani, so that is likely where he will be again. Max Muncy continues to rake; over his last 762 matchups against opposite-handed hurlers, he has a .255 ISO and a 17.8% walk rate. While they are not particularly exciting, Matthew Beaty and Yoshi Tsutsugo will provide discounted differentiation. The San Francisco bullpen has four lefties, so that bodes well for Justin Turner, Mookie Betts, Chris Taylor and Will Smith in the later innings.
Evening Slate
Minnesota Twins vs. LHP Kris Bubic — 4.7 implied runs
It looks like the Twin Cities are not going to be a weather risk, with a sub-5% chance of rain and temperatures in the low 60s. Anytime Minnesota is squaring off against a lefty, they are automatically going to be on the short list for stacking options. Kris Bubic does an admirable job of limiting power as a budding ground baller, but he has a 10.8% walk rate along with a pedestrian 20.9% strikeout rate. Tonight’s projected lineup for Minnesota is a patient group with a collective 12.5% walk rate against southpaws over the last two seasons.
Kyle Garlick should be leading things off, and he is a solid discount dandy with a bargain salary across the DFS sites. He will be followed by a power gauntlet comprised of Josh Donaldson, Nelson Cruz and Miguel Sano. If Mitch Garver is in the lineup, he is a priority play where catchers are required. For the evening slate, sprinkle in Jorge Polanco, Andrelton Simmons and Rob Refsnyder for some differentiation.
Late Slate
Seattle Mariners vs. RHP Jordan Lyles — 4.3 implied runs
There is no weather concern in T-Mobile Park with the retractable roof, and the Mariners get a nice matchup against Jordan Lyles. While he has suffered only one homerun in his last three starts, Lyles is among the league leaders with 10 allowed on the season. Since joining the Rangers last season, Lyles has compiled 107.2 innings of subpar performance, making him a prime pitcher to target every five days. Same-handed hitters have tattooed him for a 2.29 HR/9 and a .244 ISO. Lefties have not produced as much power with a .157 ISO, but they are quite effective at getting on base, with just a 15.0% strikeout rate and an 11.7% walk rate.
The top of the Mariners order should be the focus, with Kyle Seager, rookie Jarred Kelenic, Mitch Haniger and Kyle Lewis comprising the core four. The talent level drops off for the back half of the Mariners lineup, but on the late slate gamers can also give attention to Ty France and J.P. Crawford. This duo does not have much power upside, but they are not going to break the bank either.
Final Thoughts for the Friday, May 28th MLB DFS Slate
There is precipitation risk for nearly every game in the Midwest and East Coast, so stay vigilant. As always, be mindful that salaries and scoring formats differ across the various fantasy sites, and a home run play on Yahoo may be a below-average MLB DFS pick on DraftKings or FanDuel.