MLB DFS Value Plays May 31: Top DraftKings and FanDuel Picks

For everything from MLB weather today, to MLB DFS projections and everything in between, we got you covered here at Fantasy Alarm! We got a split slate today, and with Major League Baseball action spanning the whole day, I figured I’d give you some value plays for both slates of the day! On DraftKings, the featured early slate has seven games, while the evening slate has just six games. On FanDuel, both the early and main slates have seven games. From a value perspective, pitching in the evening slate is a bit sparse, so I’m likely planning to pay up for pitching on the evening slate, but there are plenty of budget bats on both slates to allow you to get the ace(s) you want for the slates. Be sure to check out all of the tools we have here at Fantasy Alarm, including our MLB starting lineups, Vegas Odds, daily MLB projections, and more. Here are my favorite value plays for your MLB DFS lineups on FanDuel and DraftKings for Wednesday, May 31.

MLB DFS Value Pitchers

Early Slate Picks

Dane Dunning, SP Texas Rangers (FanDuel: $8,400 / DraftKings: $7,500)

For the 2023 season as a whole, the Tigers have an 84 wRC+ against right-handed pitching, which is the sixth-lowest mark in Major League Baseball. Over the last two weeks, they’ve been better overall, posting a 98 wRC+, but they are hitting just .216 as a team during that stretch. Dunning certainly does not carry slate-breaking upside, seeing as he has a miniscule 5.44 K/9 on the season, but he has a 1.67 ERA on the season, and in his four starts, he’s posted a 1.59 ERA, 47.8 GB% and has allowed just four earned runs across 22.2 innings. For a smaller slate, Dunning carries quite a bit of value today, and is priced down just a smidge.

Jared Shuster, SP Atlanta Braves (FanDuel: $8,300 / DraftKings: $6,500)

If you are squaring off against Oakland, you are going to get some consideration. Hey, that’s just how it works, I don’t make the rules! The price on DraftKings is very surprising given the matchup, as the Athletics have the fifth-worst wRC+ against southpaws over the last two weeks. Shuster hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in any of his last three starts, and he’s posted a 12:4 K/BB ratio over his last 11.2 innings of work. He’s a fly ball pitcher, and the spacious confines of RingCentral Coliseum should help him a bit. He used his slider more in his last start than any start prior, and that has been his best pitch this year. However, it came at the expense of dropping his changeup usage, which is something he shouldn’t do altogether, considering as he’s primarily a two-pitch guy against lefties. At the end of the day, it’s a great matchup at a very affordable price, especially on DraftKings.

Evening/Main Slate Picks

Tommy Henry, SP Arizona Diamondbacks (FanDuel: $7,800 / DraftKings: $5,700)

Henry’s 12.6 percent strikeout rate on the year is never a pretty sight when considering him for your DFS lineup. Ultimately, the hope here is that Colorado’s struggles against southpaws plays Henry’s skills up a bit tonight, and we can get four or more strikeouts across five or six innings with a win. That’s not asking for too much, right? He has a 3.71 ERA as a starter at home this season, and the Rockies have the sixth-highest strikeout rate, third-lowest wOBA, and the worst wRC+ against lefties this season. Take a look at this:

Henry is an intriguing value option on the mound tonight, more so on DraftKings where you can pair him with a higher-end ace.

Clarke Schmidt, SP New York Yankees (FanDuel: $7,700 / DraftKings: $7,700)

Value pitching options are a bit limited on the evening slate tonight, but Schmidt is somewhat appealing, seeing as the Mariners have the fifth-highest strikeout rate against right-handed pitching for the 2023 season.They haven’t been much better in that department over the last two weeks, and if we remove his putrid start against the Rays, he’s allowed two or fewer earned runs in his last four outings. He hasn’t been strong on the road this year, so I do have some cause for concern there, but he’s steadily increased the usage of his sweeper, and the overall trendline for his cutter usage is up as well, so perhaps the Yankees have uncovered something with him.

MLB DFS Value Hitters

Early Slate Picks

Matt Thaiss, C Los Angeles Angels (DraftKings: $2,400)

Lance Lynn has been pitching better of late, I’ll give him that, but to be frank, matchups against the Tigers, Royals, and Guardians in your last three outings certainly don’t hurt. Thaiss may be hitless in his six career at-bats against Lynn, but you have to play a catcher on DraftKings and you can do worse than Thaiss’ .308 average, .376 wOBA, and .863 OPS against right-handed pitching this season. He’s hitting .350 with a .476 wOBA and 209 wRC+ over his last 23 plate appearances, and Lynn has not fared well against lefties this year (.342 BAA, .436 wOBA). I don’t know about a full Angels stack today, but Thaiss and Mickey Moniak are affordable options today, with the latter being a better value over on FanDuel ($2,700).

Dansby Swanson, SS Chicago Cubs (FanDuel: $3,200)

Zach Eflin at home has been very, very good this year, whereas Eflin on the road has been a bit more volatile. Across three starts on the road this year, not only does he have a 5.29 ERA, but he’s allowed five home runs in 17 innings of work, which comes out to a 2.65 HR/9 mark! Righties have had better success against him this year, and righties are hitting a cool .306 with a .472 SLG against him when Eflin is not pitching in his home park. Swanson has a .753 OPS and 111 wRC+ against right-handers this season, and the wind should be blowing out at Wrigley today, and despite Swanson’s numbers being better against lefties, he’s hitting .306 with a .556 SLG over his last 10 games, including hitting safely in nine of those 10.

Michael Harris, OF Atlanta Braves (FanDuel: $2,900 / DraftKings: $3,100)

Harris has been a bust this year. I know. I had my concerns coming into the season about him, but a porous season to this extent is something I didn't see coming. However, he is hitting .267 over his last five games, and during this run, not only does he have a 137 wRC+, but his average exit velocity, barrel rate, and contact rate are all above his marks for the season as a whole. He’s also done a better job of staying in the zone of late, and the Atlanta left-handed bats are going to have a field day against James Kaprielian today. The Oakland right-hander has served up a .328 average and .672 SLG to left-handed hitters this season, as well as a 3.29 HR/9 and 40.4 percent hard hit rate. The elite Atlanta bats are pretty expensive, but Harris is an affordable option for any Atlanta stack, with the hopes that he can turn the lineup over and be on base for the likes of Ronald Acuna Jr. and Matt Olson.

Rodolfo Castro, 2B/SS Pittsburgh Pirates (FanDuel: $2,500 / DraftKings: $3,600)

I won’t beat around the bush too much here, as I’ll keep it short and sweet. Castro against a lefty always warrants consideration. He’s hitting .339 against southpaws this year, not to mention a 1.094 OPS, .321 ISO, and 188 wRC+. Castro may be running a tad cold of late, but he had two hits last night, and gets a good matchup against Alex Wood, a veteran southpaw who has served up a .286 average and .373 wOBA to right-handed hitters in 2023.

Corey Dickerson, OF Washington Nationals (FanDuel: $2,500 / DraftKings: $2,400)

Since returning to the lineup, Dickerson has been excellent for Washington, slashing .323/364/.613 with two home runs, three doubles, and eight RBI over his last 10 games (8 starts). He has an .819 OPS and .258 ISO versus righties this season, and while Syndergaard has been better at home than on the road this year, he has still served up a .297 average and .486 SLG to left-handed hitters.

Evening/Main Slate Picks

Jake McCarthy, OF Arizona Diamondbacks (FanDuel: $2,600 / DraftKings: $3,000)

After a demotion to the minors, McCarthy has come back with a relative vengeance. In five games since returning, he’s slashed .357/.438/.429 with one run scored, two RBI, and five stolen bases. He’s walked a handful of times as well, and the key for McCarthy is getting on base, because then he can start racking up the fantasy points. He’s posted multiple hits in back-to-back games, and gets to face Dinelson Lamet who is returning from a stint on the IL. Lament has primarily worked as a reliever this year, so he may not have a very long leash, but even in a relief role, lefties had a .304 average, .609 SLG, and .416 wOBA against him. If Lamet gets pulled early, McCarthy then gets to face a Colorado bullpen that has the second-worst ERA, third-worst BAA, and third-worst FIP over the last two weeks. 

Owen Miller, 2B/3B Milwaukee Brewers (FanDuel: $2,800 / DraftKings: $3,100)

Let’s pick on Alek Manoah, shall we? The guy has been bad this year, and even worse at home. He’s allowed a 7.23 ERA at home this year, including a .323 BAA, 2.15 WHIP, and 2.28 HR/9. I like the lefty bats in the Milwaukee lineup tonight, but I’ll make an exception for Miller, who has a .375 average on the road this year and a .333 average and .940 OPS against righties. He’s hit safely in 10 straight road contests, and either has multiple hits, or a run/RBI in eight of those contests. On DraftKings, you can play him at second base or third base, but on FanDuel, he adds outfield eligibility to his ledger.

Nick Senzel, 2B/3B/OF Cincinnati Reds (FanDuel: $3,000)

Much like Brandon Belt above, we need to keep an eye on Senzel’s status for tonight’s game. He was scratched late yesterday with knee soreness, but they expect him to be in there today, so, fingers crossed! Should Senzel’s name find its way to the lineup card, I love the matchup. Senzel has decimated southpaws this year, hitting them at a .463 clip with a 1.159 OPS. Even away from his home park, he has a .750 SLG, 1.230 OPS, and 228 wRC+ against lefties! Senzel has hit safely in six of his last seven, and he’s posted a .346/.406/.423 line during that span. He can be played at second base, third base, outfield, or the utility spot on FanDuel, where he’s a better value than DraftKings.

Trea Turner, SS Philadelphia Phillies (FanDuel: $2,800)

On DraftKings, Turner costs $5,000 and is the second-highest-priced shortstop commanding 10 percent of your team’s budget. On FanDuel, he’s the 13th-highest-priced shortstop and commands just eight percent of your team’s budget. Shoutout FanDuel for the value on Turner today against Carrasco, a right-hander who has served up an ERA north of 10 in his two home starts this season. Right-handed hitters have posted a .561 SLG and .402 wOBA against Carrasco in 2023, and when Carrasco has been at home, those numbers skyrocket to .714 and .484 respectively. Not only is Turner 6-for-8 in his career against Carrasco, but he’s better against righties, better on the road, and while the numbers may not show it, his batted ball profile has been more encouraging over the last week and a half. Take the value and run on FanDuel.

Connor Wong, C Boston Red Sox (DraftKings: $2,900)

We need a catcher on DraftKings, and while he isn’t a left-handed bat, he’s a logical addition to the lineup if you’re looking to do a game stack or just stack Red Sox. He’s hit righties at a .254 clip this year with an .833 OPS, and he has a .291 average and .928 OPS at home. Wong will be on the best side of his splits this evening, and over his last six games, he’s slashing .333/.364/.714 with six extra-base hits (1 HR), six runs scored, and two RBI. Furthermore, Weaver has served up a .326 average and .628 SLG to right-handed hitters this season, which further fuels this fire. Wong and Reese McGuire have been alternating starts of late, and McGuire got the nod last night, but keep an eye out to ensure that Wong cracks the lineup.

Raimel Tapia, OF Boston Red Sox (FanDuel: $2,500 / DraftKings: $2,200)

If Tapia leads off for Boston tonight, I love him in DFS. If he doesn’t lead off, I just like him in DFS tonight. Tapia has a .328 average, .854 OPS, and 134 wRC+ against righties this season, and he’s coming off a monster three-hit outing last night. If you remove last night’s offensive outburst, he was hitting .286 with a 34.8 percent hard-hit rate in the nine games prior. Keep an eye on where Tapia is hitting tonight, but if he leads off, and you’re looking to stack Boston bats, Tapia becomes a logical play in a great matchup. UPDATE: Tapia is not in the starting lineup.

Brandon Belt, 1B Toronto Blue Jays (FanDuel: $2,500 / DraftKings: $2,300)

We’ll need to ensure that Belt is in the lineup tonight, as he was removed early from yesterday’s game due to illness. If Belt is in the lineup and healthy, he’s way too cheap for tonight. Belt has been money at home and against a right-hander. Overall, he’s hit safely in 11 of his last 15 games, slashing .318/.464/.364 in the process. Furthermore, he’s 8-for-20 with two home runs in his career against Julio Teheran, and the veteran right-hander has been more susceptible to left-handed hitters this season and his career as a whole. UPDATE: Belt is not in the starting lineup.

Fantasy Alarm is the home of expert MLB Fantasy content. We also bring you all of the best online sportsbook free bets & promo codes and fantasy sports bonuses. 

Dominate your MLB DFS contests this week with our DFS Playbook, Lineup Generator, Player Projections, & Draft Percentage Forecaster

MLB DFS Podcast May 31

Take listen to today's MLB DFS Podcast as the guys break down the early afternoon MLB DFS slate on DraftKings and build an example lineup at the end!