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On Memorial Day, Major League Baseball has a full schedule of fantasy baseball spread throughout the day. The main DFS fantasy baseball slate starts at 1:05 p.m. ET on DraftKings and includes six games scheduled for the afternoon. There are three American League matchups on the schedule, two interleague games and a National League West contest to help close out the slate at 4:10 p.m. ET in Arizona. Of the dozen teams in action, there are plenty of good plays to consider, and my favorite options are listed below.
Make sure to keep a close eye on pregame lineups and the latest player news by installing the DK Live app and following DK Live on Twitter (@dklive). I’m also on Twitter (@ZT_Sports), where you can keep up with all my picks as the season continues.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
For up-to-the-minute news, analysis, and lineups, download the DK Live app. You also can follow DK Live on Twitter @dklive.
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PITCHER
Stud
Nathan Eovaldi, Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers ($10,500) – The Rangers are two games up in the AL West after a strong start to the season and have the third-most wins in the Major Leagues. They’ve been able to do that for the most part without Jacob deGrom in part because Eovaldi has pitched like such an ace. In his 10 starts, Nasty Nate has gone 6-2 with a 2.60 ERA and 2.46 FIP, while stacking up 66 strikeouts in 69 1⁄3 innings.
While that strikeout rate isn’t the best he has had in his career, he has been extremely effective, allowing just four runs over his past five starts. He has gone seven-plus innings in each of those outings and averaged 35.5 DKFP per contest. He had a complete-game six-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates in his most recent start, striking out five and earning his sixth win of the season. This matchup should be a similarly soft one against the Tigers, who did just take three of four from the Chicago White Sox over the weekend, but remain in the bottom three in the Majors in runs scored, with just a .126 team ISO and .295 team wOBA, which also rank them in the bottom three teams in the league. Eovaldi has a high ceiling and is worth spending up for as the most expensive pitcher on the slate.
Other Options – Taj Bradley ($9,600), Logan Allen ($8,100)
Value
J.P. France, Houston Astros vs. Minnesota Twins ($7,000) – France has had three strong outings in his four appearances this season for the Astros, with his only rough outing coming at home against the Chicago Cubs two starts ago. He bounced back from that outing with a season-high eight strikeouts last Tuesday against the Brewers. He totaled 23.2 DKFP in that start by going 5 2⁄3 innings in a loss, but allowing just one earned run on five hits.
In each of his three good starts, he has over 18 DKFP. In his 21 innings overall, he has totaled 18 strikeouts after striking out 26 in 19 1⁄3 innings in Triple-A to start the year. The 28-year-old rookie will be in a tough head-to-head matchup with Sonny Gray ($10,000) in this series opener against the Twins, but he has been steady enough to be the best option under $8K by a wide margin. The other cheap pitching options on this slate come with many red flags and not nearly as high a ceiling as France brings.
Other Options – Ryne Nelson ($6,700), Mike Mayers ($5,400)
INFIELD
Stud
Wander Franco, Tampa Bay Rays at Chicago Cubs ($5,100) – Franco has collected multiple hits in three straight games after going 2-for-5 on Sunday, and has six multi-hit performances in his eight most recent games. During that stretch of success, he has gone 12-for-27 (.444) with two triples and four stolen bases while averaging 12.8 DKFP per contest. Franco and the Rays are at Wrigley Field to start the week in a matchup against Marcus Stroman ($8,300). He’s still only 22 years old, but is establishing himself as a top fantasy option whenever the Rays are in a favorable matchup. On the season, he has raised his totals to 18 stolen bases, seven home runs, a .299 batting average and .362 wOBA for an average of 10.2 DKFP per contest.
Stud
Josh Jung, Texas Rangers at Detroit Tigers ($4,900) – Jung’s health and emergence as a run producer has been another key piece of the Rangers’ hot start. The former top prospect is hitting .282 with 11 homers and a .358 wOBA on the season, and he has been especially effective against lefties with a .340 batting average, four home runs and an impressive .439 wOBA against southpaws. In a matchup against Matthew Boyd ($6,900), Jung is a great option at the hot corner given his salary is under $5K.
Other Options – Marcus Semien ($6,000), Nolan Gorman ($4,800), Yandy Díaz ($4,700)
Value
Nolan Jones, Colorado Rockies at Arizona Diamondbacks ($3,200) – If you go cheap at 1B or need an affordable outfield play, Jones is worth a look as he continues to try to lock up a regular spot in the Rockies’ order. The 25-year-old hit an impressive .356 with 12 homers and a .504 wOBA in 39 games in Triple-A with the Albuquerque Isotopes. He went 0-for-4 in his season debut on Friday, but has hit safely in each of his two games since, going 3-for-8 with a double and two RBI. The lefty slugger will have a higher ceiling when playing at Coors Field, but at this price he’s worth a look even in this matchup in Arizona. It helps that he’s facing Ryne Nelson ($6,700), who has given up four of his seven home runs to left-handed hitters and let them post a collective .414 wOBA against him in his 10 starts this season.
Value
Royce Lewis, Minnesota Twins at Houston Astros ($2,000) – The Twins plan to activate Lewis from the 60-day IL on Monday, and the 23-year-old top prospect will look to make an immediate impact. He tore his ACL last June after hitting .300 with two homers and a .370 wOBA in 12 games in his first look at the Major Leagues. Lewis was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 MLB draft and has impressed every at every stop in his rise to the Majors. In his 10-game rehab stint, Lewis went 13-for-39 (.333) with four home runs and four stolen bases. He has a sky-high ceiling as a top producer with both his power and his speed if he’s ready to contribute on a regular basis. Getting him at the minimum price won’t be an option long, so get him in your lineup at this salary while you can.
Other Options – Isaac Paredes ($3,600), Brendan Donovan ($3,000), Michael Massey ($2,200)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Colorado Rockies ($5,100) – Carroll powered the Diamondbacks to a win on Sunday afternoon with his eighth home run of the season. He has added 14 stolen bases as well while hitting .277 with a .374 wOBA. Over his past dozen games, he has averaged 11.4 DKFP per contest with eight games of at least nine DKFP. Carroll and the D’Backs should be in a good matchup to attack as they face Karl Kauffmann ($4,800), who has allowed 10 runs in 8 2⁄3 innings in his first two MLB starts of the season.
Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies at Arizona Diamondbacks ($4,500) – On the other side of this NL West matchup and at the other end of his career, Chuck Nazty is a solid midrange play you can use to attack the struggles Nelson has had against left-handed hitters. Blackmon has been turning back the clock lately and had two home runs in the Rockies' weekend series at Coors Field against the New York Mets. He only has five homers on the season, but he has gone 12-for-38 (.316) with four doubles, a triple, two home runs and an average of 10.5 DKFP per game over his 10 most recent contests. He’s up to a .277 batting average and .374 wOBA after his recent success and usually hits leadoff in matchups like this against right-handed pitching. He’s not an elite play like he was at the height of his powers, but he can still be a great option in his current form at this salary in a matchup tilted in his favor like this one.
Editor’s Note: Charlie Blackmon has been placed on the bereavement list and will not play vs. the Diamondbacks on Monday.
Other Options – Yordan Alvararez ($6,300), Adolis García ($5,500)
Value
Jose Siri, Tampa Bay Rays at Chicago Cubs ($3,100) – How good have things been going for the Rays this season? Siri is locked in as their everyday No. 9 hitter and has recently emerged as a great value play in the outfield. Siri joined the Rays at the trade deadline in 2022 in the trade that sent Trey Mancini from Baltimore to Houston. Siri has been a regular part of the Rays’ outfield mix this season, playing 29 games and going 24-for-96 (.250) with nine home runs and four stolen bases. Five of those home runs and two of those stolen bases have all come in his 10 most recent games as he has caught fire and gone 11-for-36 (.306) with an average of 11.9 DKFP per contest. He had at least 17 DKFP in three of his four most recent contests, and at this price, he’s too hot to overlook given that he can contribute both power and speed. You can even build a sneaky stack with Siri and more expensive Rays at the top of the order since they often drive him in if he’s on base from the ninth spot.
Value
Corey Julks, Houston Astros vs. Minnesota Twins ($2,500) – Julks is another multi-faceted outfielder picking up his production lately. He had another multi-hit game with a double, a run scored and 12 DKFP on Sunday in the Astros’ romp past the Oakland Athletics. Julks had a good series in Oakland and a strong trip overall. He has gone 12-for-38 (.316) with three stolen bases, three doubles and a home run in his past 10 games while producing 9.4 DKFP per contest. Houston has been committed to giving the rookie plenty of playing time in LF this season, and their patience appears to be paying off. At just $2.5K, he’s a great cheap way to fill in an OF spot and still get good upside Monday afternoon.
Other Options – Jake McCarthy ($3,000), Robbie Grossman ($3,000), Mike Tauchman ($2,500)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.