clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Fantasy Baseball Rankings: DraftKings MLB DFS Picks for May 5

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

MLB: San Francisco Giants at San Diego Padres Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

Wednesday’s main DraftKings MLB slate has a start time of 7:05 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.


Get a free DraftKings contest ticket with your first deposit! Claim the offer at the DraftKings Playbook Promo page!


Refer a friend and get $20 DK Dollars! Head to the DraftKings Playbook Promo page for more details!


Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]


Notable Lineup Absences

Team Name Position Injury Status
Team Name Position Injury Status
Chicago Cubs Anthony Rizzo 1B Kris Bryant will slide to 1B in Rizzo's absence.

DraftKings Sportsbook Betting Odds

Teams Moneyline Total Runs
Teams Moneyline Total Runs
CHI White Sox +112 Over 8.5
CIN Reds -132 Under 8.5
SF Giants -106 Over 10
COL Rockies -109 Under 10
BAL Orioles +102 Over 7.5
SEA Mariners -120 Under 7.5
ARI Diamondbacks +125 Over 7.5
MIA Marlines -148 Under 7.5
HOU Astros +123 Over 9
NY Yankees -143 Under 9
MIL Brewers -148 Over 8
PHI Phillies +128 Under 8
ATL Braves -136 Over 8.5
WAS Nationals +116 Under 8.5
DET Tigers +165 Over 9
BOS Red Sox -195 Under 9
TEX Rangers +148 Over 9
MIN Twins -175 Under 9
CLE Indians -165 Over 7
KC Royals +143 Under 7
PIT Pirates +225 Over 6.5
SD Padres -265 Under 6.5
TOR Blue Jays +112 Over 8
OAK Athletics -130 Under 8

Pitchers

All

Player Name Position Opp Salary
Player Name Position Opp Salary
Shane Bieber SP KC $10,400
Yu Darvish SP PIT $10,200
Walker Buehler SP CHC $9,700
Lewis Thorpe RP TEX $4,000

Hitters

Studs ($5,000+)

Player Name Position Opp Salary
Player Name Position Opp Salary
Freddie Freeman 1B WAS $5,800
Ronald Acuna Jr. OF WAS $5,800
Jose Ramirez 3B KC $5,700
Mike Trout OF TB $5,600

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

Player Name Position Opp Salary
Player Name Position Opp Salary
Giancarlo Stanton OF HOU $4,700
Trea Turner SS ATL $4,700
Yordan Alvarez OF NYY $4,300

Salary Relief ($3,900 and under)

Player Name Position Opp Salary
Player Name Position Opp Salary
Brandon Lowe 2B LAA $3,900
Jordan Luplow OF KC $3,800
Kike Hernandez 2B/OF DET $3,800
Eddie Rosario OF KC $3,700
Austin Meadows OF LAA $3,400
Lorenzo Cain OF PHI $3,200
Avisail Garcia OF PHI $3,000

Offense Notes

Searching for Value

Wednesday night’s MLB DFS slate has some top-end pitching priorities with Yu Darvish ($10,200), Shane Bieber ($10,400), and Walker Buehler ($9,700) as the standout options, and as a result there’s going to be a salary crunch when trying to build lineups. Much of the pricing value seems to be coming from the Brewers (against the Phillies), and from the Rays (against the Angels). The Rays are expected to be facing Shohei Ohtani which isn’t necessarily a great matchup, but the prices are so low across the board that they still figure to be among the most popular offenses. Using one of these cheaper offenses with the stud pitchers is pretty clearly the best way to maximize expected points, but the problem is that this is going to be the most popular strategy for the field too. Finding an alternate pitching option and another stack is probably a better route in GPPs, though the Brewers and Rays are going to make a lot of sense for cash games.

Contrarian Expensive Teams

Overpriced offenses are generally the best place to look when trying to come up with a contrarian stack, but it’s especially true when there’s good pitching like there is on Wednesday’s slate. The Braves, Red Sox, and Yankees are all much harder to afford but all are actually in really good spots, and while some of the players on these teams are going to be popular, there’s just not going to be enough room for all of them to be highly owned. At least one of these three teams is likely going to go overlooked, but it’s not that clear which one it will be. All of them make for good stacks regardless, and they’re probably the three teams that have the most upside on Wednesday night.

Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]


For sports betting, head over to DraftKings Sportsbook or download the DraftKings Sportsbook app.


Major League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of the applicable MLB entity. All rights reserved.


Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.


All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA/MI), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO), 1-800-BETS OFF(IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN).

21+ (18+ NH). CO/IL/IN/IA/NH/NJ/PA/TN/VA/WV/MI only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.