FanDuel Picks and Lineup for Tuesday, May 22

1 of 8

Welcome into the Tuesday edition of the FanDuel daily fantasy baseball column! We have the monster slate on hand of all 30 teams in action so let’s dig in!

Tonight is going to be a beast of a slate with all the teams in MLB in action but we’re here to get you all set. For the fourth straight night, we went over 160 points and we needed every bit of it last night. We scored 188.3 and the cash lines hovered around 175 so we needed every bit of it. Since we have all 30 teams playing tonight, there’s a ton to do. Let’s not waste any more time and get moving.

Braves at Phillies

Braves Probable Starter – Brandon McCarthy, RHP

5.05 ERA, 1.64 WHIP and 18.5 strikeout rate

Vs LHH – .227 average, .342 wOBA, 27.3 fly ball rate and 23.6 hard contact rate

Vs RHH – .368 average, .406 wOBA, 19.6 fly ball rate and 32.3 hard contact rate

McCarthy is such a weird pitcher to try and target against. All the numbers scream to go after him except his fly ball and hard contact rates. I’m not using McCarthy in any format but I’m not sure how many Phillies are going to be in my lineup. Rhys Hoskins is typically the player I want to go after when a pitcher is bad against righty batters but he’s ice cold right now. You can take a stab at Carlos Santana, Cesar Hernandez or Odubel Herrera if you want. There are likely better spots as we go along.

Phillies Hitters to Target

Elite Options – Rhys Hoskins

Secondary Options – Carlos Santana, Cesar Hernandez, Odubel Herrera

Phillies Probable Starter – Vince Velasquez, RHP

4.37 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 27.1 strikeout rate

Vs LHH – .310 average, .412 wOBA, 47.2 fly ball rate and 31.5 hard contact rate

Vs RHH – .174 average, .230 wOBA, 43.6 fly ball rate and 25.9 hard contact rate

Any time a pitcher carries a strikeout rate this high, he’s normally fairly interesting,. However, I don’t play pitchers against Atlanta virtually ever and it certainly won’t be on a day that he should face four really good lefty batters. I’m not going to mess with the righties on this slate but any Braves lefty is an elite play tonight. Freddie Freeman is one of the best plays on the entire slate, even though this is only the first game we’ve tackled.

Braves Hitters to Target

Elite Options – Freddie Freeman, Nick Markakis, Ender Inciarte, Ozzie Albies

Secondary Options – Ronald Acuna

Home Run Pick – Rhys Hoskins

CLEVELAND, OH – APRIL 7: Starting pitcher Trevor Bauer #47 of the Cleveland Indians pauses on the mound during the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field on April 7, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Trevor Bauer /

Indians at Cubs

Indians Probable Starter – Trevor Bauer, RHP

2.59 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 27.2 strikeout rate

Vs LHH – .211 average, .259 wOBA, 34.2 fly ball rate and 39.2 hard contact rate

Vs RHH – .196 average, .267 wOBA, 31.6 fly ball rate and 36.7 hard contact rate

On a slate this large, this side of the game doesn’t seem all that attractive. Bauer has been fantastic and I would still maybe try him in tournaments Given the offensive capabilities of the Cubs, he’s not in cash game considerations. He’s only had one start under six innings all season long and he’s hit the quality start mark in seven of nine starts. All that is great but you just don’t generally make a living by playing pitchers against Chicago. If you think Bauer is going to struggle, I’d play the big names or avoid it totally.

Cubs Hitters to Target

Elite Options – None

Secondary Options – Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Kyle Schwarber

Cubs Probable Starter – Tyler Chatwood, RHP

3.14 ERA, 1.49 WHIP and 21.5 strikeout rate

Vs LHH – .234 average, .329 wOBA, 31.0 fly ball rate and 37.1 hard contact rate

Vs RHH – .164 average, .281 wOBA, 31.9 fly ball rate and 27.1 hard contact rate

It’s almost impossible to use Chatwood himself in just about any matchup. His 18.3 walk rate is astronomical and it only takes one mistake to ruin a start. He can’t go deep into games so the quality start bonus seems unattainable. I’d play the lefties from the Indians but here’s the issue – Chatwood isn’t giving up a ton of hard contact. He’s taking the phrase “effectively wild” to a whole new level.

My favorite play is Michael Brantley because of his high contact skills and plate discipline. I don’t really have a read on this game and that typically means I’ll avoid it. Cleveland isn’t in the easiest of spots and there’s likely teams that are better spots tonight.

Indians Hitters to Target

Elite Options – Michael Brantley

Secondary Options -Jose Ramirez, Yonder Alonso, Francisco Lindor

Home Run Pick – Michael Brantley