Daily Fantasy Baseball: FanDuel Pitcher Picks for May 24

Apr 27, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jason Hammel (39) pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports

All 30 pitchers starting today are in the big FanDuel tournaments. Who are the best options? Based on statistics, here are the ones worth paying for, and ones that are worth the risk if you are looking to save money.

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NOTE: This is based on a pitcher’s statistics against their current opponents only. There may be some with inadequate data to make a choice based on statistics. That does not mean that these pitchers are bad bets. It only means that there is no statistical evidence to support them for the purposes of this article.

Here are my FanDuel pitcher picks for May 24:

High Priced ($8,000 and up):

Best Bet:

Jason Hammel, Cubs ($8,800): Hammel has done well against the Diamondbacks in his career. They are only hitting .229 off of him. The bad part is he has only struck out one of every seven batters he faces. On the bright side, he has the best chance for a win in the top tier since he is facing Jeremy Hellickson.

Honorable Mention:

Michael Wacha, Cardinals ($8,500): Wacha has faced the Royals twice in his career, and has only allowed two runs combined in those games. He has held the Royals to a .200 average in 35 at bats, but has only struck out three batters. That limits his value some.

Stay Away:

James Shields, Padres ($9,200): The current Dodgers roster is lighting up Shields. They are hitting .348 off of him in 112 at bats with four homers. He will get some strikeouts, but the runs he gives up will erase most of those.

Next: Who Are The Best Mid Range Options?

May 19, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Taijuan Walker (32) pitches during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Mid Range ($6,900 – $7,900):

Best Bet:

Yovani Gallardo, Rangers ($7,000): Gallardo has rebounded nicely since a rough start. Today he gets to face a Yankee team that he has actually done very well against. The boys in pinstripes are hitting just .222 off of Gallardo in 144 at bats with 34 strikeouts. Add to that the fact that he is squaring off against the struggling Chris Capuano, and Gallardo might be the best bet of the day regardless of price.

Honorable Mention:

Taijuan Walker, Mariners ($7,600): Walker has settled down lately. He has faced the Blue Jays once in his career, and he was very good. He gave up two runs in six innings while striking out six. He has a good chance of doing the same today.

Stay Away:

Jon Niese, Mets ($7,300): This is only partially because the Pirates destroyed Matt Harvey yesterday. The Pirates have hit .288 off of the lefty in 80 at bats while driving in more runs (14) than they struck out (13). This is a situation best left alone.

Next: Is There A Cheap Option Worth Taking A Chance On?

May 17, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Kyle Gibson (44) pitches in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Low Price ($6,800 and under):

Best Bet:

Kyle Gibson, Twins ($6,400): Gibson has had his ups and downs in his young career, but he has been nothing short of dominant against the South Siders. The Sox are only hitting .152 off of Gibson in 66 at bats with one homer, three RBI, and 13 strikeouts. Gibson is never a high strikeout guy, which limits his FanDuel upside, but you can’t argue with this kind of dominance.

Honorable Mention:

Erasmo Ramirez, Rays ($5,300): Ramirez fared well against the A’s in his time with the Mariners. The A’s hit only .235 off of him in 51 at bats. Ben Zobrist is the only guy who has had success off of Ramirez, and he is on the DL. He could be a really good cheap option if you are a little brave.

Stay Away:

Roberto Hernandez, Astros ($6,000): The Tigers bombed Hernandez when he was in the AL Central. They hit .339 with four homers and 22 RBI off of him in only 127 at bats. Stay far away from this one!

Stay tuned for the hitter picks!

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