Tuesday should be a beautiful night of baseball with a jam-packed MLB DFS slate on DraftKings that includes 11 games and gets underway at 7:05 p.m. ET. The slate includes three divisional matchups and the Phillies in Denver, facing the Rockies at Coors Field. Whichever stars you decide to target, you may need to compensate for big salaries with some value plays. Check out my top three MLB DFS Bargain Plays for Tuesday, 5/20/25, who bring high ceilings at very affordable salaries to start the week
As always for MLB DFS, be sure to double-check weather conditions and lineups before game time. Rain is in the forecast for Chicago and Minnesota, and all the games except Milwaukee’s will be played outside. It’s also always important to check beack once lineups are released to be sure that the value plays are starting and in good lineup spots.
As you make out your lineup card for this Monday night, be sure to check out the full range of MLB coverage from the team at DKNetwork, since these bargain values are just one piece of the MLB DFS picture to consider.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
SP Will Warren, New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers, $7,500
Warren and the Yankees welcome the Rangers to the Bronx on Tuesday night. The 25-year-old righty brings enough strikeout potential to be a great MLB DFS value at this salary. He had a season-high nine strikeouts in his last start, which was last Wednesday in Seattle. He got a no-decision in that matchup, but worked five innings and totaled 21.7 fantasy points. Warren was even sharper in his previous outing in Sacramento, allowing just one run over 7 1/3 innings for a total of 29.5 fantasy points.
In his last five starts, Warren has posted over 14 fantasy points four times while totaling 34 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings. He has given up some hard contact and a few runs, but his punchout potential is enough to overcome that on Tuesday against the visiting Rangers.
Texas’ offense ranks in the middle of the pack in most categories this season. Over the last week, they have averaged just 4.0 runs per game, though, and are hitting only .212 in those six games, which is the sixth-lowest mark in the majors. They have a 20.8% strikeout rate over that span, so Warren should be able to continue to rack up enough strikeouts to bring both a high ceiling and a good floor on Tuesday.
1B Nolan Schanuel, Los Angeles Angels at Athletics, $3,000
I had Schanuel in yesterday’s post, and he went off for 26 fantasy points, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a home run in the Angels’ fourth straight victory. Schanuel is still only 23 years old and less than two full years from being drafted, so he is just now settling in and finding his groove at the major league level.
Over his last 11 games, Schanuel is now 16-for-41 (.390) with four doubles, nine walks, 10 runs scored, and an average of 10.1 fantasy points per contest. He had at least nine fantasy points in eight of those 11 games, including last night’s big performance that showcased some of his power potential that comes with his excellent contact skills.
On Tuesday, he and the Angels will look to keep things rolling as they take on Athletics’ rookie Gunnar Hoglund ($8,500). Hoglund has a 3.78 ERA and 5.14 FIP in his three major league starts, but he has also given up four homers in 16 2/3 innings. Schanuel probably won’t have huge power nights like last night very often, but his upside at only $3K in a very hitter-friendly environment at Sutter Health Park makes him a great value for Tuesday night at 1B.
C Dalton Rushing, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, $2,900
After getting Monday off in the Dodgers’ 9-5 loss, Rushing will likely be back in the lineup on Tuesday night, when the team takes on Ryne Nelson ($5,700) in the second game of their series with Arizona. The Dodgers will have to get creative to getting Rushing at-bats after promoting their top prospect last week. MLB Pipeline ranked Rushing as the top prospect in the entire Dodgers’ system and the No. 15 prospect in all of baseball.
At Triple-A, Rushing hit .308 with five home runs, 23 runs scored, and 17 RBI in 24 games with a .416 wOBA and 45.0% hard-hit rate. He has impressed in his limited work so far, going 4-for-10 with a double and a 57.1% hard-hit rate in his first 10 at-bats. Rushing did play the outfield in the minors, but manager Dave Roberts expects to use him behind the plate primarily. If he’s in the lineup on Tuesday, he’ll be a good value play behind the plate with a ton of upside for an option under $3K.
If Rushing isn’t in the lineup, Victor Caratini ($2,900) and Danny Jansen ($2,400) are also affordable options behind the plate that you can pivot to and still get a high ceiling on Tuesday night.
