FanDuel Lineup and Picks for Thursday, May 3

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Welcome into the Thursday edition of the FanDuel daily fantasy MLB column! We have a split slate on our hands today so let’s jump right in.

Yesterday was a bit of a rough day as I didn’t put Bryce Harper and Matt Adams in the lineup and it went down hill form there in the evening. The only good thing that came out of the afternoon was a GPP lineup that had Edwin Encarnacion and Mookie Betts in it, which combined for six home runs.

Just as a side note before we get started, both slates are pretty small today. This is the kind of day that I recommend dialing back your bet a little bit. Ownership is going to be condensed pretty heavily. The margin for error is a lot smaller because of you miss one game, that’s likely all she wrote for your lineup. I love playing just as much as everyone, it’s just a day to be smart with your bankroll. We’re only going to be breaking down the Early slate today. It has more games and I won’t be around for the evening slate so I don’t want to leave you guys hanging.

PITTSBURGH, PA – APRIL 26: Corey Dickerson #12 of the Pittsburgh Pirates hits a walk off home run in the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers during interleague play at PNC Park on April 26, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

Pirates at Nationals

Pirates Probable Starter – Trevor Williams, RHP

2.29 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 5.86 K/9

Vs LHH – .217 average, .296 wOBA and 20.0 hard contact rate

Vs RHH – .159 average, .231 wOBA and 35.6 hard contact rate

Not to be a Pirates homer, but what if I told you Trevor Williams is actually developing into a solid major league pitcher? He’s not someone I want to play in fantasy because the strikeout totals are so low. Still, he carries the perception of someone you want to attack and that’s not true on most days. Williams actually has a really good pedigree as he was taken 44th overall in the 2013 draft. He just turned 26 years old and even though the Nationals have a couple of really good hitters, I’m not sure how much I want to play the premium for them. Bryce Harper is always in play and he’s on the right side of the splits for Williams. On a larger slate, I’d leave Harper alone. On a small one, it becomes dangerous to not play him. The size of the player pool makes him a better play than he likely is. It’s also worth noting that I faded Harper and Adams yesterday and paid for it.

Nationals Hitters to Target

Elite Options – Bryce Harper

Secondary Options – Trea Turner just for the stolen base upside, Matt Adams

Nationals Probable Starter – Jeremy Hellickson, RHP

4.11 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 5.28 K/9

Vs LHH – .275 average, .356 wOBA and 23.5 hard contact rate

Vs RHH – .222 average, .263 wOBA and 33.3 hard contact rate

Hellickson has only pitched a little over 14 innings this season but the splits are fairly representative of his career. He’s just a mediocre pitcher at this point in his career and there’s definitely some interest in some Pirates bats today. Hellickson is doing a decent job at generating ground balls and the Pirates offense isn’t the most consistent unit in baseball, so a stack might not be the way to go. It’s likely best to stick to the lefty hitters and maybe choose a player like Francisco Cervelli if he’s playing. Cervelli has undergone a renaissance this year and is a much better hitter against righties. His fly ball percentage against the handedness has spiked by almost 20 percent from last year.

Pirates Hitters to Target

Elite Options – Gregory Polanco, Corey Dickerson, Adam Frazier

Secondary Options – Francisco Cervelli(if he plays), Elias Diaz if he doesn’t, Colin Moran

Home Run Pick – Francisco Cervelli, if he sits it’s Corey Dickerson