This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
After an exciting weekend of baseball, it's always fun to turn the page and look forward to a fresh week. That's one of the beauties of baseball, because the juice is worth the squeeze. Watching these guys go at it every day motivates me to be better at what I do because we're all grinding right away with them. With that in mind, let's start with two young pitchers in promising spots.
Pitching
Dustin May, LAD vs. MIA ($9,500)
May is coming off of his worst start of the season, but that's an outlier. The Cubs have been doing that to everyone recently, with May maintaining a 1.06 ERA and 0.76 WHIP through his first three starts. That elite form is on par with his 3.16 career ERA and 1.06 WHIP, but we've seen Dodgers pitchers do this for as long as I've been alive. A home matchup with Miami only adds to his intrigue, with the Marlins ranked 28th or 29th in runs scored, OBP, OPS and wOBA since the start of last season. That's why May enters this matchup as a -300 favorite, posting a 1.08 ERA, 0.72 WHIP and 9.2 K/9 rate across three career starts against Miami.
Ronel Blanco, HOU vs. DET ($8,300)
This is risky when you look at the 5.01 ERA and 1.37 WHIP, but those numbers will drop. We're talking about a guy who had a 2.80 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across 29 starts last year, and it's just a matter of time before he creeps closer to that. His recent form is what's most encouraging, with Blanco scoring at least 21 DraftKings points in two of his last three starts. He also has a 3.20 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 9.5 K/9 rate at home since the start of last season. That shouldn't be an issue against a Detroit lineup that ranks 16th in wOBA and 25th in K rate. When he faced them last season, Blanco threw seven no-hit innings!
Top Targets
Brent Rooker, ATH (at Patrick Corbin) $5,400
It's impossible to avoid Corbin when he's pitching on any slate, and we'll discuss that more in the stacks section. Let's focus on Rooker because he's been one of the best power hitters in baseball over the last three years. The slugger has 76 homers since 2023, generating a .343 OBP and .866 OPS in that span. That makes him an easy option in the heart of this underrated A's lineup, especially since he has a .379 OBP and 1.072 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor this year.
Brenton Doyle, COL (vs. Bryce Elder) $4,500
Doyle missed some time last week due to a personal issue, but it feels like DraftKings doesn't realize he's back. Seeing him at $4,500 in Coors against a weak pitcher should make him one of the highest-priced options on this slate. Doyle has 36 homers and 54 steals across 292 games since his call-up, compiling a .356 OBP and .894 OPS at home since last year. He's also expected to be in the heart of a Rockies lineup that is projected to score the second-most runs on this slate!
Bargain Bats
Noelvi Marte, CIN (vs. Andre Pallante) $3,800
Marte has always been talented, and we're finally seeing him live up to his potential. The third baseman had a .358 OBP and .803 OPS throughout his minor league career and has been even better at this level this year. In fact, Marte has a .381 OBP and 1.022 OPS through 11 games this season. That ability means he should be above $4K, mainly since he faces a pitcher with a 5.40 FIP and 1.39 WHIP.
Jordan Beck, COL (vs. Elder) $3,500
We briefly mentioned Colorado's opposition earlier in the Doyle write-up, so let's dive into that. Elder is simply filling in for a shorthanded Atlanta rotation, amassing a 6.24 ERA and 1.58 WHIP since the start of last season. That's horrifying in a place like Coors Field, particularly against their hottest hitter. That's Beck, who's been moved up to the leadoff spot thanks to his .444 OBP and 1.5531 OPS across his last seven outings. That's the prospect potential fans have been waiting to see, and it's hard to believe he's only $3,500 in this situation.
Stacks to Consider
Athletics at Rangers (Corbin): Rooker ($5,400), Tyler Soderstrom ($5,100), Shea Langeliers ($4,500) and Miguel Andujar ($3,800)
We hate to pile on a guy, but how does Corbin still have a job in MLB with so many talented pitchers at lower levels? That's a discussion for another day, but we're talking about the guy who has had the worst ERA in baseball since 2020, posting a 5.58 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in that span. That's a 759-inning sample size, and that certainly won't bode well against this blossoming A's lineup.
We already kickstarted our stack with Rooker, but there are plenty of other outstanding options. Soderstrom has been their best bat this year, tallying a .365 OBP and .967 OPS. Langeliers has some of the best power at the catcher position, collecting a .364 OBP and 1.000 OPS against lefties this season. Andujar is the sneaky option of the bunch, accruing a .404 OBP and .951 OPS against southpaws since 2023.
Atlanta at Rockies (Ryan Feltner): Austin Riley ($5,900), Matt Olson ($5,500), Michael Harris ($4,800) and Alex Verdugo ($4,000)
There's no doubt that Atlanta has played well below expectations this season, but this is still one of the most talented lineups in baseball. That would make them an easy option in Coors Field because they're the highest-projected offense on this slate. That's less surprising when seeing Feltner's averages, amassing a 5.13 career ERA and 1.42 WHIP.
Riley has to be the first piece of our stack, registering a .361 AVG and 1.006 OPS across his last 17 outings. Olson has the platoon advantage against Feltner, flirting with a .950 OPS against righties since joining ATL. Harris also hits from the right side and is a 25-25 threat. Verdugo is projected to hit leadoff, posting a .296 AVG and .766 OPS since going hitless in his debut.
