MLB DFS Value Vault May 19: Rookie MJ Melendez On A Roll
We have a mess of different MLB DFS slates on Thursday, May 19th and it will make finding value plays across all sites extremely difficult. DraftKings is using a four-game daily fantasy baseball main slate starting at 12:35 pm ET. Yahoo is using an eight-game all-day MLB daily fantasy main slate, also starting at 12:35 pm ET. Lastly, FanDuel is using a three-game main starting at 7:05 pm ET, but we are going to use their five-game early-only slate as it’s the closest to DraftKings – the only difference being that it includes the Cincinnati Reds vs. Cleveland Guardians game. On the bright side, it doesn’t appear we will have any MLB weather concerns, but still keep an eye on today's MLB weather report. I do not love this daily fantasy baseball slate, but it should be an interesting one where value/contrarian plays could be huge – especially with no Coors Field on the slate. Lastly, don’t forget to check out the MLB implied runs totals on our Vegas Odds link and use our MLB DFS lineup generator to build winning daily fantasy baseball lineups. Now, let’s dive into our MLB DFS picks for today's action!
MLB DFS Value Pitchers
DraftKings - $7800 / FanDuel - $8100
Jordan Montgomery has pitched very well this season with a 3.06 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, and 29 Ks across 35.1 innings. His biggest problem is that despite those great ratios he hasn’t won a single game yet as his record stands at 0-1 on the year (so let’s hope the Yankees offense actually gives him some run support today). He has a great matchup against Baltimore. The Orioles have the 8th highest strikeout rate this season at 24.5-percent and that number jumps to 27.9-percent against lefties (third highest in the league). They are also 29th in scoring this season with a lousy average of 3.21 runs per game.
Yahoo - $33
Yahoo is the only site where Marcus Stroman is an option (unless playing different slates on DK or FD than the ones we are looking at – he is also a solid value at 7K on DraftKings 7:10 pm ET slate). Stroman makes his return to action tonight and despite his early-season struggles, it is easy to like his talent at this price in a matchup against the Dbacks. Arizona has the second-highest strikeout rate in all of baseball this season at a 25.4-percent clip and they are 24th in runs per game. On top of that, his last outing was his best performance of the season as he tossed seven shutout innings of two-hit ball with five strikeouts against the Brewers.
MLB DFS Value Hitters
DraftKings - $3400 / FanDuel - $2300 / Yahoo - $12
MJ Melendez is hot as he has homered in back-to-back games and is now hitting .265 with four RBI and four runs scored through his first 34 at-bats in the show. His price is great across all sites, considering who he is facing in Vince Velasquez. He has a 5.53 ERA and 1.52 WHIP this season, which is hardly worse than his career marks of 4.97 and 1.40, respectively. He is also sporting a 2.0 HR/9 this season. I expect Melendez to be highly rostered on DK and Yahoo, but he could be a sneaky good play on FD with the way people avoid catchers.
DraftKings - $2300 / FanDuel - $2000 / Yahoo - $7
Chris Owings has been really bad this season, but our options on a small slate are limited and as I’ve mentioned a few times throughout the year, he has been far better against lefties. He is slashing .182/.357/.227 against southpaws, compared to .063/.167/.063 against righties (neither line is good obviously, but at least there’s at least a pulse against lefties). On the bright side, at the minimum price it won’t take a whole lot for Owings to hit value and he probably will see very low rostership.
DraftKings - $2000 / FanDuel - $2500
AJ Pollock hasn’t been very good this year, but he is showing some life with a hit in three straight games, going 4-9 with two doubles, an RBI, and a run scored in that span. Most importantly is the fact that he is facing a pitcher who has a 9.11 ERA (!) and 2.03 WHIP (!) through six starts this season in Carlos Hernández. Those are not typos, the guy has been absolutely shelled and there is no reason to believe that won’t continue today as he just lacks talent.
FanDuel - $2500
Gleyber Torres isn’t much of a value on other sites, but this is a great on FanDuel. Over the past three games, he has scored 15.2, 12.2, and 12.7 points on FD, going 5-12 with two doubles, two walks, and three runs scored in that span. He has a .258 average and .581 SLG against lefties this season, compared to .247 and .395 against righties, respectively. That is similar to what we saw last season with Torres having more success against lefties as he slashed .293/.359/.443 against lefties, compared to .245/.318/.332 against righties.
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Player News
Rays optioned INF Coco Montes to Triple-A Durham.
Montes gets the boot from the active roster with Richie Palacios (finger) back off the injured list. The 28-year-old Montes will be up and down throughout the 2025 season and likely his career.
Dodgers optioned RHP Bobby Miller to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
Miller was going to head back to Oklahoma City even if he pitched well Wednesday, but it’s worth noting that the 26-year-old scuffled while allowing six runs in his start against the Rockies. The 26-year-old will likely get back at some point with Los Angeles in coming weeks/months, but for now he’ll head back to OKC with a corresponding move to be announced Friday.
Michael Tonkin (shoulder) is beginning a rehab assignment with High-A Fort Myers on Thursday.
Tonkin will likely need a good handful of appearances before he’s ready to rejoin the Minnesota bullpen. The 6-foot-7 right-hander will be a mid-inning option for the Twins’ relief group whenever he’s ready; likely around the end of April.
Braves optioned OF Bryan De La Cruz to Triple-A Gwinnett.
De La Cruz scuffled and then some in his 50 plate appearances before the demotion with a slash of .191/.240/.213. He’ll head to Triple-A with Alex Verdugo “ready” for a call-up to the Atlanta outfield. De La Cruz will probably be back at some point over the late spring.
Braves recalled OF Alex Verdugo from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Verdugo is up, Bryan De La Cruz is down. The 28-year-old will have a chance to make his debut with Atlanta after signing with the team late in the spring, and he hit .207/.303/.448 with the Stripers over 33 plate appearances. Verdugo would be worth a look in NL-only formats, but can be left alone in most leagues.
Brandon Marsh is not in the starting lineup against the Giants on Thursday due to a knee issue.
Marsh reportedly tweaked his knee while chasing a ball out in center field, and he’ll meet with team doctors. Knee issues have been a problem for the 27-year-old in the past, so there’s a bit of added reason for concern. His status should be updated before Friday’s contest, but for now, Johan Rojas will handle center for the Phillies in Marsh’s absence.