This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Memorial Day is always a great day to sit back and enjoy some baseball. MLB knows it's a great day to showcase its sport, so they've scheduled a ton of games on what's usually a travel day for most teams. Almost all of them are during the day, so we will focus on those. With that in mind, let's dive into this Memorial Day slate.
Pitching
Joe Ryan, MIN vs. KC ($10,300)
We aren't too enthused to use a pitcher against Kansas City, but Ryan is too good to fade right now. The right-hander hasn't allowed more than four runs in any start this season, generating a 3.15 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 9.6 K/9 rate. That sort of form makes him an outstanding option when looking at his career averages against the Royals, scoring at least 17 DraftKings points in all seven starts against them. Ryan has a 5-0 record against the Royals, thanks to his 1.52 ERA, 0.87 WHIP and 10.0 K/9 rate.
Charlie Morton, ATL vs. WAS ($8,600)
Morton had a rough 2023 season, but that's his only blip on an otherwise clean radar. The veteran has a 3.54 ERA and 1.19 WHIP since 2017, totaling a 3.35 ERA and 1.20 WHIP so far this season. He's also got at least 15 DraftKings points in six of his nine starts, doing that damage against teams like the Dodgers, Guardians and Rangers. Washington is far from those amazing offenses, with the Nationals ranked 25th in runs scored and 28th in wOBA. That's why Morton enters this matchup as a -205 favorite, scoring 26 and 28 DraftKings points in his last two starts against the Nationals.
Chris Bassitt, TOR at CWS ($8,200)
Bassitt got off to a slow start, but his recent outing against Chicago shows how special he can be. The veteran threw seven scoreless innings against the White Sox, which is more in line with his 3.37 ERA and 1.15 WHIP since 2018. It's no surprise he sliced right through Chicago's lineup, with the White Sox ranked last in runs scored, on-base percentage (OBP), OPS, wOBA and xwOBA. All of that has Bassitt entering this matchup as a -190 favorite.
Top Targets
Jose Ramirez, CLE (vs. Austin Gomber) $6,400
It's frightening how hot Ramirez is right now. The perennial All-Star always finishes in the top five in fantasy points and comes into this matchup scoring at least 14 DraftKings points in 11 of his last 19 games. He's also got a .388 OBP and 1.185 OPS in that span, despite having a homer robbed on Sunday. He's done a good amount of that damage against left-handed pitching, registering a .394 OBP and 1.032 OPS against lefties this season. That's scary in an environment like Coors Field, which we will dive into later.
Marcell Ozuna, ATL (vs. Mitchell Parker) $5,700
Atlanta just lost Ronald Acuna (knee) for the season, so, it'll be up to the rest of the team to step up. That's just what Ozuna has been doing, leading the team with 10 DraftKings points per game. The slugger has 15 homers and 47 RBI to go along with his .396 OBP and 1.008 OPS. Those are some of the best numbers in baseball. We also love that he has a .482 OBP and 1.104 OPS against lefties as well.
Parker has gotten off to a solid start but his 4.64 ERA and 1.39 WHIP at Double-A and Triple-A would indicate he has some negative regression right around the corner, with this Braves offense looking like a good bet to kickstart it. Ozuna is not the only Atlanta bat we like, with Ozzie Albies ($5,200) and Adam Duvall ($3,300) also getting the platoon advantage against Parker.
Bargain Bats
Ryan McMahon, COL (vs. Xzavion Curry) $4,800
It's hard to believe McMahon is below $5,000. This guy has been the Rockies' best hitter and he's amid the best stretch of his career right now. The third baseman has a .374 OBP and .995 OPS across his last 14 fixtures. That's amazing since most of that has been on the road, but like most Rockies hitters, McMahon is a much better hitter at the best hitter's park in baseball.
That's rough for an inexperienced pitcher like Curry, who has compiled a 5.35 career xFIP and 1.38 WHIP. It also gives McMahon the platoon advantage, amassing a .419 OBP and .981 OPS against righties. A full-on Rockies stack wouldn't be the worst idea as one of the highest-projected offenses, with Ezequiel Tovar ($4,600) and Charlie Blackmon ($4,400) looking like good pairings.
Christopher Morel, CHC (vs. Robert Gasser) $4,300
Morel's average doesn't look pretty, but this guy is an elite DFS option with his power-speed combo. He has 35 homers and 10 steals across 159 games since the start of last season, batting cleanup every day for the Cubs. That prime batting spot is no surprise when peeking at his stupendous splits, sporting a .874 OPS against lefties since the start of last season. Gasser has been a pleasant surprise, but his 2.65 ERA looks like a fluke when you see his 4.63 xFIP and 8.5 percent strikeout rate. We wouldn't mind using Seiya Suzuki ($4,700) and Dansby Swanson ($3,400) to pair with Morel.
Stacks to Consider
Cleveland Guardians at Colorado Rockies (Austin Gomber): Jose Ramirez ($6,400), David Fry ($5,000), Andres Gimenez ($5,400)
You might look at Gomber's numbers and want to avoid Cleveland, but we have other ideas. The Guardians have been one of the hottest offenses in baseball, ranking third in runs scored over their last 13 games. That hot streak should continue in Coors Field because Cleveland is projected to score six runs, the highest team total on this slate. Gomber's 2.76 ERA and 1.11 WHIP are impressive, but this guy had a 7.05 ERA and 1.59 WHIP at home last season.
We already talked about Ramirez as our top play of the day, but Fry is a fantastic pairing with him. The catcher/outfielder has been hitting fifth for the Guardians, generating a .578 OBP and 1.487 OPS across his last 13 games. He's also got a .610 OBP and 1.452 OPS against lefties this year. Gimenez doesn't have quite as dominant of splits, but he's been much better against southpaws. The second baseman has a .385 OBP and .939 OPS over his last 12 outings while posting a .781 OPS against lefties since 2022.
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Chicago White Sox (Nick Nastrini): Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($5,000), Bo Bichette ($4,500), Davis Schneider ($4,200)
Stacking Toronto sounds like a terrible idea when you see their season-long averages, but this talented offense is finally starting to get hot. Despite losing three straight, the Blue Jays are averaging 6.4 runs across their last five games. That's one of the highest totals in the league and it should keep happening when looking at this matchup. Nastrini has made three starts this season, tallying an 11.91 ERA and 2.56 WHIP. He also had a 5.83 ERA and 1.51 WHIP at Triple-A, making it hard to understand why he's even at this level.
Guerrero is the premier piece when looking at this Blue Jays stack, accruing a .465 OBP and .977 OPS across his last 23 games. Bichette has been getting hot right beside him, accumulating a .414 OBP and .969 OPS over his last 14 games. Schneider is the sneaky option of the stack because he's been moved up to the leadoff spot recently. The second baseman has a .375 OBP and .889 OPS since his call-up last season.
