MLB DFS Picks & Playbook For Today’s Games: Tuesday, May 14
Published: May 14, 2024
We have another monster slate here today with 11 games on tap over on DraftKings and FanDuel for us to sink our teeth into! Today's slate is going to be interesting as there is a clear choice at who the top pitcher should be, but the types of lineups you can create with him given the price tag could be a challenge.
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MLB DFS Picks & Daily Fantasy Playbook
MLB Weather: Today, 5/14
Chicago Cubs vs. Atlanta Braves
- Summertime in Atlanta. There is always the potential for pop-up thunderstorms and if they end up over the ballpark, then we could see some type of delay.
MLB DFS Lineup Construction Thoughts
Ok, so, Dylan Cease is the top priced pitcher on the slate, and he draws the Colorado Rockies. This is an absolute ace spot for Cease who has already been pretty dynamite this season. I really see no reason NOT to play him. So, that said, we need to find enough value or a cheaper SP2 on DraftKings to pair him with because if you watched the MLB DFS Preview Show, you saw that Howard and I really went back and forth on our example lineup.
Recommended MLB DFS Starting Pitchers
Top Options for Strikeouts
- Dylan Cease vs. Colorado Rockies
- Chris Sale vs. Chicago Cubs
- Carlos Rodon vs. Minnesota Twins
- Logan Gilbert vs. Kansas City Royals
Best Odds for a Win
- Dylan Cease vs. Colorado Rockies
- Chris Sale vs. Chicago Cubs
- Sonny Gray vs. Los Angeles Angels
- Logan Gilbert vs. Kansas City Royals
- Gavin Stone vs. San Francisco Giants
Core MLB DFS Pitchers
Dylan Cease, Chicago White Sox
Coming off seven shutout innings with 12 strikeouts against the Cubs, Cease now draws an even better matchup with a home start against the Colorado Rockies. The price tag isn't cheap but there is a clear reason why he is not only the most expensive but the most popular pitcher on today's main slate to roster.
Sonny Gray, St. Louis Cardinals
Great bounce back opportunity here for Gray who got lit up against the Brewers in his most recent outing. Gray draws a start against the Angels today, a lineup that ranks 21st in wOBA, 17th average and a strikeout rate of 24% against right-handed pitching this season.
Gavin Stone, Los Angeles Dodgers
In the mid-tier Stone has some win equity with the Dodgers powerful lineup behind him in this matchup against the Giants. Stone has allowed just one earned run in each of his last three starts while going at least six innings in those outings. We'd like to see more strikeout upside but if we can get another 18-20 FP here today we will be happy.
Slade Cecconi, Arizona Diamondbacks
Pure GPP play here but the Diamondbacks are -120 favorites at home here today and the Reds offense has struggled on the road against right-handed pitching this season. Cecconi has looked good in three of his four outings this season but has just one win to show for it. If the DBacks can get him in position for those win points he will easily pay off the price tag.
Recommended MLB DFS Hitters
Highest Expected Run Totals
- Texas Rangers vs. Ben Lively
- Houston Astros vs. JP Sears
- Milwaukee Brewers vs. Quinn Priester
- Atlanta Braves vs. Jameson Taillon
- Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Keaton Winn
Core MLB DFS Hitters
Note: Will Be Updated As Official Starting Lineups Are Released
Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians
We got the Rangers sending Jack Leiter out to the mound for his third career MLB start. His first two did not go well as he allowed 13 runs (11 ER) over 7.2 innings to begin his MLB career while facing the Tigers and A's. The Guardians will toss a lefty-heavy lineup at him today and Ramirez has the ability to impact the game both at the plate and on the base paths.
Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates
Yes, he still strikes out way too much but Cruz is hot right now, hitting .368 with four homers and a stolen base over his last 10 games. He now has seven homers and four steals on the season. Today he steps into the box against Brewers righty starter Joe Ross and Cruz owns a .204 ISO and .392 wOBA against right-handed pitching this season.
Brent Rooker, Oakland Athletics
Rooker is on another level right now, going 2-for-3 last night with a double which brings his last 10 games totals to a .474 average and an OPS of 1.450. He has four homers during that stretch and draws Ronel Blanco today, a pitcher whose underlying numbers scream regression as he draws a HOT hitting Oakland Athletics lineup.
Jake Meyers, Houston Astros
How about Jake Meyers for an outfield value play today? The Astros righty is hitting .313 with an OPS of .840 over the last 10 games and with a lefty on the mound he should be in today's lineup. Meyers owns a .360 ISO with a .391 wOBA against left-handed pitching this season.
Player Pool
| $ Tier | SP | 1B | 2B | 3B | SS | OF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High |  Dylan Cease  $11,000 |  Josh Naylor $3,800 |  Marcus Semien $4,100 |  José Ramírez $4,000 |  Elly De La Cruz $4,500 |  Shohei Ohtani $4,800 |
 Sonny Gray $10,800 | Freddie Freeman $3,500 |  Jose Altuve $3,800 |  Rafael Devers $3,500 | Mookie Betts $4,300 |  Kyle Tucker $4,200 | |
 Chris Sale $10,400 |  Bobby Witt $4,300 |  Christian Yelich $3,900 | ||||
| Medium |  Carlos Rodón $9,100 |  Nathaniel Lowe $3,100 | Nico Hoerner $3,200 |  Willi Castro $3,100 |  Willy Adames $3,600 | Yordan Alvarez $3,700 |
| Jake Cronenworth $3,000 | Brice Turang $3,100 |  Josh Rojas $3,000 | Corey Seager $3,500 |  Brent Rooker $3,400 | ||
 Andrés Giménez $3,000 |  Oneil Cruz $3,100 |  Tyler O'Neill $3,200 | ||||
| Jeremy Peña $3,300 | Corbin Carroll $3,100 | |||||
| Jurickson Profar $3,100 | ||||||
| Low | Gavin Stone $7,900 | Jake Bauers $2,900 | Abraham Toro $2,800 | Alex Bregman $2,500 |  Josh Lowe $3,000 | |
| Carlos Santana $2,800 | Wilyer Abreu $3,000 | |||||
| Joc Pederson $2,800 | ||||||
| JJ Bleday $2,700 | ||||||
| Jackson Merrill $2,700 | ||||||
| Jake Meyers $2,400 |
Player News
Orioles manager Brandon Hyde told reporters that Zach Eflin (lat) is likely to return and start Sunday against the Angels
It was assumed that Eflin would be back this weekend, but now we have a concrete date. The 31-year-old may not be at full strength after throwing fewer than 60 pitches in his rehab start, but the Orioles feel confident enough to have the right-hander back on the bump for the series finale against the Angels.
Riley Greene is not in the lineup for the first game of a doubleheader against the Rockies on Thursday.
Greene will get a break and likely return to the lineup for the second game of the twin-billing. Zach McKinstry will get the start in left field while Greene rests.
Yu Darvish (elbow) is facing live hitters on Thursday.
Darvish has been throwing bullpen sessions and traveled to the team’s complex in Arizona to face live hitters on Thursday. It will be his first time facing live batters since a spring training appearance on March 13th. He will likely need a few sessions like this before the Padres can map out a rehab appearance timeline for him.
Adael Amador is starting at second base and batting ninth for the Rockies on Thursday.
Amador has now started three of the last four games at second base for the Rockies. He’s gone just 7-for-43 this season with 15 strikeouts in 16 games. He’s just 22 years old, so there is plenty of time for him to adjust to the MLB level, but he doesn’t need to be on redraft radars right now.
Jackson Holliday is playing second base and batting second for the Orioles on Thursday against the Twins.
With Cedric Mullins sitting out on Thursday, Gunnar Henderson will bat lead off, and Holliday will jump up from sixth in the order to second. Holliday is riding a hot streak right now, and the Orioles are taking advantage. This is likely just a one-game sample with no Mullins or Adley Rutschman in the lineup, but Rutschman has been struggling, so perhaps it could become a more permanent spot in the lineup for Holliday moving forward.
Endy Rodriguez (finger) had his splint removed this week.
Rodriguez suffered a lacerated right index finger on April 14th. Now that he is out of his splint, he “is playing catch and doing a slightly modified swing.” Once he can progress to taking full swings, we’ll have a better sense of the timeline for his return.