DraftKings MLB Picks For May 23

Sep 12, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; A general view of the DraftKings sign board during the match with FC Dallas playing against New York City FC at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /

DraftKings MLB Picks For May 23

There are nine games tonight, so that means a lot of stats to go through, and a lot of tough decisions to make. Who should you spend on? Let’s hit the stats!

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NOTE: these picks are based solely on statistics. Some players have never faced their opponents, or have very little experience against them. I am not saying that none of those are good picks. The highest scorer of the day could be someone with no experience against his opponent. This is based on statistical analysis only. If you have a gut feeling, then by all means, follow that. This is not an exact science. The best lineups usually have a mix of proven stats and hot players.

Vince Velasquez has never faced the Tigers, but he is 5-1 with a 2.42 ERA and 0.99 WHIP on the season. Brandon Finnegan has never faced the Dodgers. Deploying him against Kershaw is probably a bad idea.

Taijuan Walker‘s nemesis, Josh Reddick, is on the disabled list. The only other Athletic to homer off of him, Mark Canha, is also on the disabled list. Walker suddenly turned into a decent option.

For you first time players, if you would like a free entry into the $1 million baseball contest, use this link for the referral bonus!

Next: Pitcher Picks

May 18, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; Washington Nationals starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez (47) pitches against the New York Mets during the sixth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Best Bets:

Gio Gonzalez ($9,900): Gio has held the Mets to a .220 average in 200 at bats with four homers, eighteen runs, and 46 strikeouts. That is a good line all around, and his matchup against Bartolo Colon gives him a really good chance at a win.

Rich Hill ($9,500) Hill has held the Mariners to a .229 average in 35 at bats with two homers, four RBI, and an impressive 14 strikeouts. The high strikeout total pushes Hill into the upper tier. The fact that he is cheaper than the elite options leaves you plenty to spend elsewhere.

Honorable Mention:

Ian Kennedy ($10,400): Kennedy has held the Twins to a .250 average in 44 at bats against the Twins, but he has only allowed two runs…..on a two run homer. He has also struck out nine. The Twins are offensively challenged and Kennedy is having a solid season. There is nothing here that suggests that trend wont continue.

John Lackey ($9,400): Lackey has allowed the Cardinals to a solid .262 average in 103 at bats, but he has only allowed seven runs. He has done a great job of limiting damage. If you take away the stats from the injured Jhonny Peralta, Those numbers drop to .222 and just three RBI. He has also notched 23 strikeouts. The strikeout total is not elite, but there is potential for a good game from Lackey tonight.

Dark Horses:

Adam Wainwright ($6,000): Wainwright has held the Cubs to a .222 average in 117 at bats, but he has given up five homers. The 32 strikeouts make Wainwright an enticing option if you are willing to overlook this year’s struggles.

Derek Holland ($4,700): All dark horses carry a risk. Holland’s is his 5.63 ERA and low strikeout rate. However, he has held the Angels to a .229 average in 179 at bats with six homers, 18 RBI, and a solid 33 strikeouts. That said most of that damage was done by two players, one of which may not be in the lineup. Holland could be a sneaky play, but there is risk involved.

Next: Who Are The Best Stacks?

May 22, 2016; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets center fielder Yoenis Cespedes (52) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after scoring a run in the fourth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports /

You have heard our FanDuel experts Matt Rogers and Brian Tulloch talk about “stacking” pieces of a lineup against certain pitchers. Here are the stacks that could work well on DraftKings today, based on past statistics.

What would you say if I told you that you needed to stack Reds against Clayton Kershaw tonight? Crazy, right? Well, maybe not so much. The prices are reduced against Kershaw, and guys like Jay Bruce ($2,800) have done well against Kershaw. Bruce is 5-17(.294) with a walk, two homers, and three RBI. Brandon Phillips can be yours for the low price of $2,700, and he is 9-25(.360) with a walk, a double, a homer, and three RBI against Kershaw. Joey Votto ($2,900) is 5-23(.217), but he has three walks, a double, two homers, and four RBI against Kershaw.

The Padres are hitting a cool .283 off of Johnny Cueto in his career (152 at bats). Jon Jay ($2,500) is 13-34(.382) with two walks, two doubles, three homers, and seven RBI against Cueto from their days in the NL Central. Matt Kemp ($4,100) is 7-24(.292) with two walks, a double, and two solo homers. Alexei Ramirez is only $2,000 and is 10-17(.588) with two doubles, a homer, and two RBI against Cueto. Even Christian Bethancourt ($2,000) is 3-4 with a double.

Just because Gio Gonzalez comes highly recommended doesn’t mean that he has dominated everyone in a Mets uniform. Yoenis Cespedes ($4,200) is 4-7 with two walks and a solo homer against Gio. Juan Lagares ($2,900) is 11-29(.379) with a walk, three doubles, a triple, a homer and four RBI against Gonzalez. David Wright ($4,100) is 6-24(.250) with six walks, a double, a triple, a homer, and four RBI off of Gio.

The Rays are very familiar with Wei-Yin Chen from his days with the Orioles. They are hitting .294 off of him with ten homers in 177 at bats. That said, Logan Forsythe has three of those homers, and is on the DL. Evan Longoria ($4,600) is 11-37(.297) with six walks, four doubles, two homers, and six RBI against Chen. Hank Conger ($2,300) has been awful this year, but he could get a start against Chen because of his 3-5 career mark with two doubles and a solo homer.

Bryce Harper ($5,300) is only 3-13(.231) against Bartolo Colon, but he has three walks, a homer, and two RBI. Anthony Rendon ($4,300) is 6-16(.375) with a homer and four RBI off Colon. Ben Revere ($3,600) is 8-24, but has no counting stats. Jayson Werth ($3,700) is 5-10 with four walks and two doubles against Colon.

Next: More Notes For 5-20

Apr 29, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard (6) is doused by gatorade after hitting a game winning home run during the eleventh inning against the Cleveland Indians at Citizens Bank Park. The Philadelphia Phillies won 4-3. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

Ryan Howard ($3,500) is 16-45(.356) with eight walks, two doubles, three homers, and seven RBI against Mike Pelfrey.

Trevor Plouffe ($3,200) is 4-9 with a two run homer off of Ian Kennedy. He is the only current Twins player that has driven in a run against Kennedy!

Robinson Cano ($4,400) is cheaper than he has been in two weeks, and is 4-8 with a walk, a homer, and three RBI against Rich Hill. Sign me up!

The Giants and daily fantasy players really hope that Hunter Pence ($3,600) can play tonight. Pence is 4-14(.286) against Drew Pomeranz, but all four of those hits are home runs and he has driven in eight. Buster Posey ($3,500) is 6-10 with two walks, two homers, and three RBI against Pomeranz.

Ichiro Suzuki ($2,900) racked up a couple of his yesterday, and may again today. Ichiro is 8-21(.381) with a RBI in his career against Matt Moore.

Salvador Perez ($3,700) is 6-19(.316) with three doubles, a homer, and two RBI against Ricky Nolasco. Mike Moustakas ($3,700) is only 4-17(.235) against Nolasco, but he has homered twice and driven in four.

Albert Pujols ($4,500) is 8-28(.286) with two walks, three doubles, three homers, and four RBI against Derek Holland. Mike Trout ($5,400) is 11-38(.289) with five walks, two doubles, a triple, two homers, and nine RBI against Holland. Just make sure he is in the lineup since he left yesterday’s game early.

Anthony Rizzo ($4,600) is 9-30(.300) with two walks, a double, a homer, and three RBI against Adam Wainwright. Miguel Montero ($3,000) is 5-18(.278) with two walks and a solo homer against Wainwright.

Be sure to check out the FanDuel picks from out experts in that area! Brian Tulloch provides the picks, while Matt Rogers tells you where to save in his FanDuel Economics articles. Don’t play an FanDuel without them!

Next: DFS Strategy - Take Your Game to the Next Level

Good luck out there, and check out our picks for FanDuel baseball!