MLB DFS Picks & Playbook For Today’s Games: Thursday, May 30
Published: May 30, 2024
Thursday's MLB DFS main slate features just four games on DraftKings and FanDuel. With the smaller slate we have a smaller player pool to pick from and the rostership is going to be high on the top plays here today.
Before building your DFS lineups here today make sure you check out the MLB DFS Preview Show with myself and Howard Bender as we give you a first look at today's DraftKings main slate and break down our top plays, values and fades before building an example lineup at the end of the show.
There are lots of great players to talk about, so let’s just dive right into today’s playbook and some of my favorite MLB DFS picks for the day!
MLB DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook Thursday, May 30
MLB Weather Today, 5/30
No major weather concerns today.
MLB DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
As I said in the open, we have just four games which means pitching specifically is going to be uber chalking, especially on DraftKings where you need to pick two starters.
Zac Gallen against the Mets is the most popular option, and he is also the top priced play and should be in all cash game lineups. For tournaments you can certainly fade the chalk on smaller slates and hope that he has a less than stellar performance, but I'd rather plug him in and look to be different with my SP2 on DraftKings.
When it comes to your lineup construction, the lack of a player pool means less obvious value plays. The lack of value plays can make it difficult to fit in multiple top priced hitters.
This is a slate where we can look to punt catching to help save salary so we can spend up at other positions.
Recommended MLB DFS Starting Pitchers
Top Options For Strikeouts
- Zac Gallen vs New York Mets
- Jack Flaherty vs Boston Red Sox
- Nick Pivetta vs Detroit Tigers
- Carlos Rodon vs Los Angeles Angels
Best Odds For A Win
Core MLB DFS Pitchers
Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks
The Mets lineup today is likely without Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor who are both day-to-day with injuries which will only make this matchup that much easier for the top priced and highest expected rostered starter on this slate.
Lock in Gallen today because cashing without him should he put up 25+ fantasy points today on DraftKings and 35+ fantasy points on FanDuel will be hard to do.
Nick Pivetta, Boston Red Sox
Which version of Nick Pivetta shows up today? In two of his last four starts he has negative fantasy points. In the other two starts he has over 20 which included a 30 FP effort against the Cardinals two starts prior.
Pivetta has solid strikeout potential, and the Tigers lineup isn't anything special.
I'm looking for Pivetta to give us a something like we saw against the Rays where he went 5.2 innings with two earned runs and had eight strikeouts for 22 FP and if he gets the win thats an added bonus.
Trevor Williams, Washington Nationals
We've talked a lot about Trevor Williams this season as the Nationals starter had continued to outpitch what his metrics were suggesting however as he's continued to find success those numbers on Fangraphs have also come down where his 2.29 ERA is matched by a 3.19 xERA and a 2.78 FIP.
If Williams is the real deal, then this is a great price against a struggling Braves lineup.
Recommended MLB DFS Hitters
Highest Expected Run Totals
- New York Yankees vs. Patrick Sandoval
- Atlanta Braves vs. Trevor Williams
- Boston Red Sox vs. Jack Flaherty
- Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Christian Scott
Core MLB DFS Hitters
*Note: Will Be Updated As Official Starting Lineups Are Released
Rafael Devers, 3B Boston Red Sox
It's honestly not that I think Devers is the best hitter on the slate but when the slate is small, and the player pool doesn't give you many options you have to decide whether you are spending up for the top priced play at the position or just completely punting.
I'm going with the former here and spending up for Devers who has the homer upside that could be what it takes to cash in your tournaments here today.
Aaron Judge, OF New York Yankees
If you aren't spending up for Devers or even if you are I still think you need to get Judge in your lineup here today. The Yankees outfielder is hitting .314 with an OPS of 1.247 over the last 10 games. He has five home runs during that stretch with 10 runs and nine RBI.
The Yankees face lefty Patrick Sandoval today and this season against southpaws Judge has a .466 wOBA and a .361 ISO.
Los Angeles Angels
With a lefty on the mound, I'm just going to combine this play with all my favorite Angels who are a top three offense against left-handed pitching this season.
Yes, Carlos Rodon is a very good starting pitching but when Luis Rengifo and Zach Neto have the best batting averages in baseball against lefties and Kevin Pillar is as hot as he is right now you have to take that into consideration.
Add to the fact that rostership suggests that Rodon is a popular pitching play today, then stacking against him is a nice contrarian play on a small slate.
Player Pool
| $ Tier | SP | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Zac Gallen  $10,600 |  Rafael Devers $3,900 |  Aaron Judge $4,500 | |||
 Juan Soto $4,400 | ||||||
| Medium | Carlos Rodón $9,600 |  Christian Walker $3,600 | Ketel Marte $3,300 | Anthony Volpe $3,400 | Giancarlo Stanton $3,400 | |
 Nick Pivetta $8,800 |  Luis Rengifo $3,200 | Jarren Duran $3,200 | ||||
 Gleyber Torres $3,000 | Wilyer Abreu $3,200 | |||||
 Lane Thomas $3,200 | ||||||
 Michael Harris $3,200 | ||||||
 Kevin Pillar $3,100 | ||||||
| Riley Greene $3,000 | ||||||
| Taylor Ward $3,000 | ||||||
| Low |  Trevor Williams $7,700 | DJ LeMahieu $2,800 | Colt Keith $2,500 | Matt Vierling $2,800 | Zach Neto $2,800 | Corbin Carroll $2,900 |
| Joey Meneses $2,800 | Ildemaro Vargas $2,400 | David Hamilton $2,500 | Joc Pederson $2,900 | |||
| Jacob Young $2,700 | ||||||
| Jake McCarthy $2,600 | ||||||
| Jarred Kelenic $2,500 |
Player News
Brandon Marsh is not in the starting lineup for Thursday’s tilt against the Rockies.
Marsh will get the finale off Thursday with Johan Rojas getting a start in center for the Phillies against Jordan Hicks and the San Francisco bullpen.
Edgar Quero is starting behind the dish and hitting seventh for the White Sox on Thursday against the Athletics.
Quero will be making his MLB debut and figures to serve as the starting catcher as long as he remains with the big league team. Hitting seventh on an offense as weak as Chicago’s will limit his counting stat upside, so this is more exciting for White Sox fans than it is for fantasy managers.
Brewers optioned INF Oliver Dunn to Triple-A Nashville.
Dunn had a clutch bunt to drive in a run during Wednesday’s win, but he’s slashing .167/.205/.222 through 41 plate appearances this season. There are rumors that the Brewers are calling up Caleb Durbin to take Dunn’s place on the roster, but the team and beat writers have not confirmed the rumors as of yet.
MLB has suspended Nationals RHP Jorge López three games and manager Davey Martinez one game after Wednesday night’s benches-clearing fight against the Pirates.
With the Nationals down 2-0 in the seventh, Lopez hit Pirates left fielder Bryan Reynolds with a pitch and then threw a fastball over Andrew McCutchen’s head three pitches later. Pittsburgh manager Derek Shelton complained, and both teams cleared the dugout and yelled at each other a little bit. No warnings were issued by the umpires, and Martinez was not ejected from the game, so the suspension is a bit of a surprise here.
Brent Rooker is starting in left field and batting fourth for the Athletics on Thursday.
That noise you hear is the footsteps of top prospect Nick Kurtz nearing the major league roster. With Kurtz crushing the ball in Triple-A, the Athletics are trying to make room in the lineup, and Rooker being able to play the outfield regularly would allow Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom to trade off between 1B and DH. You should be stashing Kurtz in your leagues if he’s still available.
White Sox activated Andrew Benintendi (adductor) from the 10-day IL.
Benintendi wound up spending the minimum amount of time on the IL with his adductor strain. He will return to a .290/.333/.484 slash line with two home runs and six RBI in nine games. He remains on the deep league fantasy radar despite playing for the White Sox.