DFS MLB Early Only – Love, Like, Leave – 5/25 – Pay up for Pitching
By Jacob Zook
DFS MLB – Love, Like, Leave – 5/25
If you’re here, I hope you read the early only article, and that we crushed it again. Yesterday was a great day, and I hope to start a crazy streak. This is the second of three DFS MLB articles today, so look out for those as well. As always, follow me on twitter @ZookDFS for consistent updates to the lineups.
So, can I just say wow! If you played my exact lineup yesterday, you would have accumulated homers from Kepler, Arenado(x2), Story(x2), and Granderson. From those 4 players alone, you would have scored over 150 points at the time of writing this.
With mediocre contributions from Rodgers, Hiura, and, Grandal and Ray turning in a disappointing day, we still cashed across the board with no issues whatsoever. This lineup truly could have been a world beater, especially if you took my advice on twitter and pivoted down to Canning, and used the extra cash to upgrade Thames and Hiura! Follow @ZookDFS for updates as lineups come out every day!
Not one to rest on my past laurels though, I’m going to dive right into today’s work. Let’s aim for another day of cashing success!
DFS MLB – Love, Like, Leave – 5/25
Starting Pitchers
Love/Like
Charlie Morton/Patrick Corbin (9,100/11,200): I have two distinct favorite pitchers today, and I am having trouble choosing between them. Both Corbin and Morton have fantastic matchups on paper, with Corbin looking to have the obvious edge.
The Miami offense exploded last night, but with that lineup, I don’t see it happening again, especially against an elite arm like Corbin. Pivoting down to Morton saves you 2100, which is amazing, but I think Corbin has a higher ceiling. This play will likely come down to roster construction and value bats for me.
Leave
Carlos Carrasco (10,400): On the other side of the matchup in Cleveland, Carrasco toes the rubber. I am not a fan of how he matches up against a fantastic Tampa Bay roster, and while he has consistently put up showings of 25+ fantasy points, he can fail to limit baserunners, a mistake Meadows, Pham, and Lowe will be sure to take advantage of.
DFS MLB – Love, Like, Leave – 5/25
Starting Pitchers
Love
Wilson Ramos (2,700): Ramos comes into this game with multi hit performances in 3 of the last four games, including a home run yesterday. The veteran catcher has long been one of the better hitting catchers, and comes at a great discount against a very unproven pitcher in Ryan Carpenter.
Like
Rhys Hoskins (4,100): Sometimes it is best to not get pretty with DFS plays. There isn’t anything Hoskins doesn’t do well at the plate, combining a steady eye with immense power upside. He doesn’t carry an OPS of 1.076 for nothing. That is a number that is up there with MVP candidates most years. Hoskins is never a bad play, and Chacin shouldn’t scare anybody.
Leave
Edwin Encarnacion (3,800): I am very rarely a fan of playing bats in Oakland, especially when there are decent pitchers on the mound. Mike Fiers is the definition of a decent pitcher, and while Edwin possesses the pure power to hit it out of Oakland, the righty on righty matchup and park are enough to scare me off of him.
DFS MLB – Love, Like, Leave – 5/25
Second Baseman
Love
Adeiny Hechavarria (2,000): Second base continues to be an absolute barren wasteland of a position. Lowe headlines it, but his matchup leaves much to be desired. This leads me to roster Hechavarria. He is nothing spectacular, but is coming off of two good performances in three days, and has the best matchup on the slate. There is nobody else I like at all.
Like
Nobody: Like I said, second base is bad… like Charlotte Bobcats levels of bad. Roster Hech, and use the salary at a position with actual upside.
Leave
Everybody else: I don’t even know what to say here. There simply isn’t a play to make that I like. Lowe is fine, and i suppose Profar has some upside, but I refuse to pay 3,300 for a .200 hitter with 7 home runs.
DFS MLB – Love, Like, Leave – 5/25
Third Baseman
Love
Matt Chapman (3,900): Maybe I’m a hypocrite, considering I just advised staying away from Oakland, but Chapman has the power profile to be the exception. I like the way he matches up against Kikuchi, and he comes into the game on a solid run of form, even if the home runs haven’t been coming in bunches.
Like
Mike Moustakas (3,700): The Moose is loose! Or, at least, he will be tomorrow. Moustakas is very much a tale of two outcomes, as he seems to either have a great game or a horrible one. Arrieta is a good pitcher, but there are too many good bats on the Brewers for him to come out of this one unscathed. I think Moustakas has a good game tomorrow to make it three solid performances in a row.
Leave
Anthony Rendon (4,000): There isn’t anything bad that jumps off the page about Rendon today, but this column often contains a player who I think is a shade worse than others at a similar price point. That is the case with Rendon today, as I would rather roster one of Chapman or Moustakas instead of him.
DFS MLB – Love, Like, Leave – 5/25
Shortstop
Love
Amed Rosario (2,800): I am all in on the Mets today. They had a great night yesterday, and I think they keep the ball rolling today. Rosario is the beneficiary of injuries to McNeil and Nimmo, allowing him to slot into the top end of the roster. This may grant him more chances to use his speed. I like Rosario for 15 fantasy points today.
Like
Francisco Lindor (3,400): I will likely be rostering Morton today, but this price seems far too low for a bat the quality of Lindor. He had a slowish start to his year after returning from injury, but I think it’s important to remember that Lindor may be the best shortstop in the major leagues. If you aren’t on Morton today, Lindor is a fantastic one-off play.
Leave
Jean Segura (4,000): If I am paying 4k or more for a bat, I usually expect that they are in a fantastic matchup or have a lot of power upside. Segura provides neither today. He is likely to get you a few points, as his ability to hit for contact is elite, but at this price, it may be smarter to look elsewhere for some much-needed upside.
DFS MLB – Love, Like, Leave – 5/25
Outfielders
Love
Christian Yelich (4,700): Let us all bow down to the man, the myth, the legend, Christain Yelich. The reigning MVP smashed his 20th homer yesterday, keeping him on pace for over 70. While it is very unlikely he hits that many, it is simply foolish to bet against him right now. We all need to remember he has also missed a handful of games due to injury. He simply isn’t human. Sit at your own risk.
Like
Juan Soto (4,000): Speaking of fire, Soto is definitely on that. 6 for his last 7, and carrying a hit streak of 8 games, Soto has raised his season batting average nearly 40 points since coming off the injured list. There is absolutely no reason to think that doesn’t continue for the young phenom today.
Leave
Bryce Harper (4,300): As much as it pains me to say this, Bryce Harper is blacklisted for me until he figures it out at the plate. He’s shown flashes of him former self at times this year, but has failed to put it together consistently enough to warrant chasing his former glory. Until he shows me he can be consistent, bye-bye Bryce!
DFS MLB – Love, Like, Leave – 5/25
Sample Lineup
SP: Charlie Morton (9,100)
C/1B: WIlson Ramos (2,700)
2B: Adeiny Hechavarria (2,000)
3B: Mike Moustakas (3,300)
SS: Amed Rosario (2,800)
OF: Christain Yelich (4,700)
OF: Juan Soto (4,000)
OF: Adam Eaton (3,200)
Util: Miguel Cabrera (2,900)
Next. FanDuel Early slate Love, like, and leave. dark
I hope you guys enjoyed this rendition of DFS MLB Love, Like, Leave and if you’re playing multiple slates today, be sure to check out all three of my articles and follow me @ZookDFS for updates as the day progresses!