MLB FanDuel Lineup and Picks for Thursday, May 24

Welcome into the Thursday edition of the FanDuel daily fantasy baseball column! We have a weird split slate on hand today so let’s jump in.

I wanted to just make things easy today and do the All Day slate since there’s only eight total games. The issue with that is the All Day contests on FanDuel are hot garbage, as usual. In light of that, we’ll break down both the Early and Main slates. They only have 3 games each so be wise with your bankroll today. The margin for error is going to be small.

Unfortunately, the streak of cashing came to an end last night. We were just one big home run away and I wasn’t heavy enough on the Yankees to get the job done last night. I sent out an early lineup on Twitter that did well so our streak was at six straight before the miss last night. All that means is it’s time to get back on the horse today and tonight!

SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 30: Josh Bell #55 of the Pittsburgh Pirates points skyward after hitting a solo home run during the ninth inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at PETCO Park on July 30, 2017 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

Pirates at Reds – Early Slate

Pirates Probable Starter – Ivan Nova, RHP

4.79 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 17.8 strikeout rate

Vs LHH – .330 average, .376 wOBA, 34.7 fly ball rate and 32.7 hard contact rate

Vs RHH – .242 average, .302 wOBA, 23.3 fly ball rate and 35.2 hard contact rate

Even though he’s a ground ball pitcher, Nova isn’t very good and there’s basically zero chance I’d use him in Cincinnati. Since he’s a ground ball pitcher, the Reds hitters carry just a bit more risk than they normally would against a mediocre pitcher. I’m probably going to shy away from the righties which leaves us with four main options. Scooter Gennett is swinging a hot bat lately and might be the best option form this team. Jesse Winker has had a very quiet year but he’s still tempting at $2,300. Joey Votto hasn’t really hit on all cylinders yet but that’s only a matter of time.

Reds Hitters to Target 

Elite Options – Scooter Gennett, Joey Votto

Secondary Options – Scott Schebler, Jesse Winker

Reds Probable Starter – Luis Castillo, RHP

5.61 ERA, 1.50 WHIP and 22.1 strikeout rate

Vs LHH – .276 average, .382 wOBA, 43.2 fly ball rate and 41.9 hard contact rate

Vs RHH – .278 average, .328 wOBA, 23.2 fly ball rate and 31.7 hard contact rate

Castillo’s numbers look pretty dreadful but he’s actually been coming to life a little bit. he did struggle his last time out against Chicago and couldn’t find the strike zone. He’s still a very talented pitcher and I think I might have two GPP lineups today. One’s going to have Castillo because of the upside. The other is going to have a Pirates stack in case he blows up. We want lefty bats that hit the changeup and fastball well because Castillo’s main weapon is the change. The two that jump off the page are Corey Dickerson and Josh Bell. Gregory Polanco is up there as well, but he’s been pretty cold as well. I think you need to pick a side from this game or let it be.

Pirates Hitters to Target 

Elite Options – Corey Dickerson, Josh Bell

Secondary Options – Gregory Polanco, Colin Moran

Home Run Pick – Josh Bell