DFS MLB - Love, Like, Leave - 5/26

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MAY 14: Chris Paddack #59 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Dodger Stadium on May 14, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Whew, back to a regular day of DFS MLB Love, Like, Leave. yesterday went absolutely gangbusters, as I nailed the top stacks of all three slates, especially on the middle slate. Yesterday was wildly profitable if you listened, and to top it all off, the Toronto Raptors won game 6 to go to the NBA Finals.

I know this is a baseball article, but this is a wildly emotional moment for me. It could not have been a better day. Kawhi not us?

Enough basketball talk though (keep your head up for some references through the article). We get an awesome 10 game midday slate that doesn’t have one obvious route to build upon. I’m really excited to keep this awesome run of success the article has had, now reaching 4 consecutive successful slates.

Let’s jump right into the picks!

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – MAY 15: Jake Odorizzi #12 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Los Angeles Angels during the first inning of the game on May 15, 2019 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

DFS MLB – Love, Like, Leave – 5/26

Starting Pitcher

Love

Chris Paddack (10,600): Paddack has been nothing short of remarkable this season, in fact, he’s been almost as impressive as the Toronto Raptors! In all seriousness, the rookie has cruised through the beginning of his career, as he carries a 1.93 ERA with an absolutely ludicrous 0.76 WHIP.

Paddack has been so good I would consider rostering him against the best offense in the league, which the Blue Jays most certainly aren’t.

Like

Jake Odorizzi (8,700): There are plenty of great options on today’s slate, but I think one that may go overlooked is Odorizzi. Kyle Gibson just posted 55 FD points on this same roster, and while I think it may be ambitious to aim that high, there is no reason that Odorizzi can’t succeed against this team.

He has had his own personal renaissance this season, and I think he turns in a solid outing today.

Leave

Justin Verlander (11,700): Think of Verlander as Giannis today. An absolute superstar, one of the best at what he does, but unable to carry his (or in this case, your) team to victory. Verlander toes the rubber against Boston today, and it could turn into a clash of titans.

Verlander may be the best pitcher in the MLB but I think the Rox provide a tough test for any pitcher, especially if their lineup is at full strength.

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – MAY 25: Rhys Hoskins #17 and Jean Segura #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrate after Hoskins hit a home run in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on May 25, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

DFS MLB – Love, Like, Leave – 5/26

First Baseman

Love

Josh Naylor (2,100): First of all, I’d like to offer a massive congratulations to Naylor, a Toronto product. It’s only fitting that his first series be against the Blue Jays. Naylor looks quite impressive yesterday, but gets a much tougher test against Stroman today.

Naylor possesses both the power profile and the plate discipline to be a tough out, and I love him at this price, especially if he gets slotted into the two spot again. We the North!

Like

Rhys Hoskins (4,200): Hoskins homered again yesterday, capping off an impressive performance that also consisted of 2 more hits. Hoskins is known to go on massive power binges, but the difference with him is that even when he doesn’t go deep, he still offers so much fantasy relevance.

Sometimes it can be smart to not get pretty, and Hoskins is the kind of no thought bat that can be an easy plug and play when he’s hot, which he certainly is right now.

Leave

Pete Alonso (4,000): I haven’t checked, but I think Alonso may be on this list more than anybody else. Unfortunately for him, it’s usually on the leave list. Instead of pure matchup reasons today though, I think the league may finally be starting to figure him out.

He’s struck out 9 times in his last 6 games, and eventually the power numbers will become unsustainable. He’s getting riskier and riskier to bet on.

HOUSTON, TEXAS – MAY 24: Aledmys Diaz #16 of the Houston Astros scores as he avoids the tag attempt by Sandy Leon #3 of the Boston Red Sox in the second inning at Minute Maid Park on May 24, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

DFS MLB – Love, Like, Leave – 5/26

Second Baseman

Love

Aledmys Diaz (2,800): Second base continues to offer little to no upside, so it’s important to spend down unless you think one of the top bats will produce, which I don’t. Diaz is at least wielding a semi hot bat and is a competent hitter, so for 2,800, I don’t think you can go very wrong.

Like

Dj LeMahieu (3,700): If you’re going to spend up at second base, which I wouldn’t recommend, LeMahieu is probably your best bet. At the very least, he offers the best chance at getting on base, as his .320 batting average remains strong.

He doesn’t offer any speed or power upside, but if he can get on base twice and score, he may have some value in a broken down position.

Leave

Everyone Else: It seems like I’m becoming a broken record, but man, second base is BAD. Like Giannis in-game 3 bad (last pot shot at the Freak, I promise). There just isn’t anybody who you can faithfully roster without the strong possibility of a 0.

CINCINNATI, OHIO – MAY 16: Eugenio Suarez #7 of the Cincinnati Reds hits a run scoring single in the 7th inning against the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park on May 16, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

DFS MLB – Love, Like, Leave – 5/26

Third Baseman

Love

Mike Moustakas (3,600): The Moose is officially loose. Moustakas went yard again yesterday, and it was against the tough righty Jake Arrieta, showing the world that he can do it against all comers. He gets another tough matchup in Eflin today, but you know what they say, don’t get in the way of a charging Moose!

Like

Eugenio Suarez (3,600): Suarez continues to be one of the best third baseman in the league, and his price continues to not reflect that. Quintana brings a tough test to the table, but Suarez gets the advantage of hand matchup, and he has been swinging a hot bat recently.

Like 2

Alex Bregman (4,100): If you have the salary, Bregman represents the top third baseman on the slate for me. Since I’m pretty set on Paddack today, Bregman will likely not be in my roster, but he has immense upside and a more than solid floor. Set in the heart of one of the leagues best lineups, and an incredible bat himself, Bregman is a great play today.

HOUSTON, TEXAS – MAY 12: Carlos Correa #1 of the Houston Astros singles in two runs in the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers at Minute Maid Park on May 12, 2019 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /

DFS MLB – Love, Like, Leave – 5/26

Shortstop

Love

Corey Seager (3,100): Seager’s price continues to rise, but so does his quality of play. He posted his third game of more than 10 FD points yesterday, and the power hasn’t even come yet. He’s clearly seeing the ball very well, and Archer is known for having command issues.

Seager may finally get the power numbers on the board today, and even if he doesn’t, is a solid and safe bet to reach base.

Like

Carlos Correa (3,900): Another Houston bat who carries a boatload of upside, Correa continues to showcase what made him the rookie of the year. Correa has long been one of the top breakout candidates in baseball, and he’s putting it all together this year. If he can stay healthy, the sky is the limit for Correa.

Leave

Trea Turner (4,100): Turner has been slow to adapt back to the major leagues after returning from injury, and Caleb Smith has been one of the biggest surprises of the year, constantly shutting down offences. The short rehab stint after a long injury seems to have Turner a half second behind, and until he shows that he’s up to snuff, leave him on the bench.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MAY 24: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Chicago Cubsbats against the Cincinnati Reds at Wrigley Field on May 24, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

DFS MLB – Love, Like, Leave – 5/26

Outfielders

Love

Curtis Granderson (2,500): The Miami bats continue to provide extreme value at an incredible price, and even though their price tags are slowly creeping up, Granderson remains a good shot against any righty when he’s less than 3k. At 2,500, he allows you to play some big bats and a star pitcher.

Like

Kyle Schwarber (3,200): Schwarber continues to bat leadoff against right-handed pitchers, and he continues to return value on a very consistent basis. His combination of power and ability to get on base makes him a very appealing option on most nights, especially considering Bryant, Rizzo and Baez are the three bats behind him.

Leave

Christain Yelich (4,800): Is it possible that Yelich is in fact… human? The maniac still has 20 homers in 46 games, and can down a beer in a pretty impressive time, but at 4,800, the price tag handcuffs the rest of your lineup a lot. Eflin is a great pitcher, and anything short of a homer doesn’t really return value for Yelich. I like to refer to this situation as the Cody Bellinger Fallacy.

DFS MLB: MIAMI, FL – MAY 19: Curtis Granderson #21 of the Miami Marlins rounds second base after hitting a home run in the eighth inning against the New York Mets at Marlins Park on May 19, 2019 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images) /