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Fantasy Baseball Rankings: DraftKings MLB DFS Picks for May 13

Matt Meiselman ranks the top fantasy baseball plays in each salary range for Thursday’s main DraftKings MLB slate.

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh Pirates Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Thursday’s main DraftKings MLB slate starts at 7:10 p.m. ET. For up-to-the-minute news related to today’s DraftKings MLB slate, download the DK Live app and follow DK Live on Twitter at @dklive.

The idea of this fantasy baseball rankings page is to rank the top DraftKings options in each salary range, helping you make quick decisions when debating which players to roster for the upcoming main DraftKings MLB slate.

One of the best ways to find hitter value in DraftKings MLB contests is through lineup slot upgrades after pricing has been set. These lineup slot upgrades often do not happen until teams release lineups a few hours before the game locks. Check back before lock to see potential updates to the rankings.


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DraftKings Sportsbook Betting Odds

Teams Moneyline Total Runs
Teams Moneyline Total Runs
TOR Blue Jays +135 Over 8.5
ATL Braves -157 Under 8.5
PHI Phillies -114 Over 8
WAS Nationals +100 Under 8
KC Royals -103 Over 9
DET Tigers -117 Under 9
STL Cardinals +110 Over 6.5
MIL Brewers -129 Under 6.5
MIN Twins +120 Over 7.5
CHI White Sox -139 Under 7.5
SF Giants -162 Over 7.5
PIT Pirates +140 Under 7.5
OAK Athletics -103 Over 9
BOS Red Sox -113 Under 9
NY Yankees -143 Over 8
TB Rays +123 Under 8
TEX Rangers +165 Over 8.5
HOU Astros -195 Under 8.5
CIN Reds -148 Over 11
COL Rockies +125 Under 11
MIA Marlins -120 Over 8.5
ARI Diamondbacks +102 Under 8.5
CLE Indians -125 Over 7.5
SEA Mariners +108 Under 7.5

Pitchers

All

Player Name Position Opp Salary
Player Name Position Opp Salary
Cristian Javier SP TEX $10,000
Zach Plesac RP SEA $8,300
Jameson Taillon SP TB $7,700
Luis Castillo SP COL $6,200

Hitters

Studs ($5,000+)

Player Name Position Opp Salary
Player Name Position Opp Salary
Nick Castellanos OF COL $6,000
Trevor Story SS SD $5,300
Jose Ramirez 3B SEA $5,300
Yordan Alvarez OF TEX $5,200
Jesse Winker OF COL $5,100

Midrange ($4,000-$4,900)

Player Name Position Opp Salary
Player Name Position Opp Salary
Eugenio Suarez 3B/SS COL $4,900
Mike Moustakas 1B/3B COL $4,700
Charlie Blackmon OF SD $4,500
Matt Olson 1B BOS $4,200
Corey Dickerson OF ARI $4,100
Mark Canha OF BOS $4,100
Adam Duvall OF ARI $4,000

Salary Relief ($3,900 and under)

Player Name Position Opp Salary
Player Name Position Opp Salary
Nick Senzel 2B/OF COL $3,700
Kyle Tucker OF TEX $3,500
Eddie Rosario OF SEA $3,300
Tim Locastro OF MIA $2,700

Offense Notes

Are the Reds Too Chalky?

The visiting team at Coors Field is always a popular option, but tonight’s set up for the Reds is likely going to lead to unprecedented levels of ownership due to the combination of improving weather, low pricing, and a below-average Rockies pitcher in Chi Chi Gonzalez ($5,500). It’s been cold in Colorado for much of the 2021 season, and while 60-70 degrees isn’t hot by any stretch, the temperatures are no longer a significant negative for bats at Coors Field like they’ve been for the first few weeks. The Reds are also extremely affordable, with Nick Castellanos at ($6,000) and Jesse Winker ($5,100) being the only somewhat expensive hitters, and then the rest of the team priced below $5K. Nick Senzel ($3,700) has been batting leadoff in recent games and is eligible at both 2B and OF, and if he remains in that lineup spot he’s nearly a lock to be the slate’s highest owned hitter. It’s difficult to advise going away from the Reds hitters with how great of a set up this is, but the ownership is going to be such that you’ll need to work hard to sufficiently differentiate in GPPs when using them as a stack.

Undervalued Leverage Stacks

The next tier of ownership after the Reds figures to consist of the Rockies, Astros, and maybe the Marlins, A’s or Cleveland, and while there’s nothing wrong with any of those teams, there’s a few stacks further off the board that seem to present a much larger ownership edge. The Rangers and Mariners don’t look all that appealing on the surface, but the benefit to stacking them is that they’re both going up against chalk pitching. Cristian Javier ($10,000) and Zach Plesac ($8,300) are going to be two of the highest owned pitchers tonight, largely because this slate doesn’t have anyone resembling an ace. Neither pitcher is that far above average, and the likelihood of both of them doing poorly (even against bad offenses) looks as though it’s going to be underestimated by the field. Both the Rangers and Mariners have the capability of knocking out pitchers in the 30-50% ownership range if they score well in their respective matchups.

Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $150K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]


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