MLB DFS Picks: DraftKings Top Plays and Strategy for Tuesday, May 20

MLB DFS Picks: DraftKings Top Plays and Strategy for Tuesday, May 20

This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.

There are a lot of games every day this week, and after a relatively busy Monday we return with a full schedule Tuesday. There are 11 games on the main slate, which kicks off at 7:05 pm EDT. Pitching matchups will always be a key tool to identify the top plays, but there are several noteworthy home parks in play, including Coors Field, George Steinbrenner Field (Rays) and Sutter Health Park (A's).

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Pitchers

Tarik Skubal ($11,500) takes the mound Tuesday and is predictably the most expensive pitcher, this time in a matchup against the Cardinals. He is always an option and is on quite a run, having struck out at least 11 batters in three of his last four starts, though St. Louis has the fifth-lowest strikeout rate in the league. There should be a safe floor for Skubal, but it looks less likely to be a day on which he reaches his ceiling.  

We can drop down a few tiers from Skubal to Dylan Cease ($8,800), who remains underpriced after regaining his strikeout form his last few times through the rotation. He has a 19:3 K:BB across his last two starts and 13.1 frames. That's clearly a small sample, but Cease has a track record of success and presents excellent value in a matchup at Toronto.

There are several interesting options in the $7,000 price range. Most intriguing are Gavin Williams ($7,600) and Will Warren ($7,500). Williams has suffered from a couple of blowup starts but has at least 15.8 DK points in four of his last five outings. Unsurprisingly, the Twins have swung the bat well in their recent run of strong play, but they still aren't an overly scary matchup. Warren has had a very similar trajectory to Williams, having topped 14.5 DK points in four of his last five starts. The  Rangers have yet to fully click at the plate despite the talent in their lineup, making Warren a solid option Tuesday.

Hayden Birdsong ($6,300) is the punt of the day. He'll enter the Giants' rotation after swapping places with Jordan Hicks, and he steps into a very exploitable matchup against the Royals. It's unclear how deep Birdsong will work into the game, but he doesn't need a dominant performance to return value at this salary.

Top Hitters

The Phillies' lineup and Coors Field is a very enticing combination, and they are pretty clearly one of the better stacking options. Kyle Schwarber ($6,600) and Bryce Harper ($6,300) have both been very productive of late, and should keep going against Antonio Senzatela.

Isaac Paredes ($3,700) isn't a traditional "top hitter" as measured by his salary. However, his pull-heavy approach has started to pay off in Houston, and he'll now bring that swing to a hitter-friendly environment against a contact-heavy pitcher in Zack Littell.

Value Bats

Taylor Ward ($3,500) is on the higher end of the price range for a value bat, but he's popped five homers with 13 RBI and seven runs scored across his last 10 games. The Angels will enjoy a strong hitter's environment at Sutter Health Park, while Gunnar Hoglund has been tagged for four homers in three big-league starts.

Curtis Mead ($2,000) has started exclusively against lefties this season, and the Rays are set to face Brandon Walter. He has been hit hard in a small sample in the majors and Mead is the ultimate value play at minimum cost.

Stacks to Consider

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Milwaukee Brewers vs. Baltimore Orioles (Chayce McDermott): Jackson Chourio ($4,500), William Contreras ($4,200), Rhys Hoskins ($3,800)

The Brewers haven't delivered from an offensive perspective this season, and particularly recently. They draw an excellent spot Tuesday however against McDermott, who has a limited sample in the majors but even more limited success. The top and middle of the Brewers' order has plenty of firepower, with Contreras and Hoskins both swinging hot bats lately. They are also reasonably priced, likely making it possible to pay up at a few additional spots.  

Seattle Mariners vs. Chicago White Sox (Bryse Wilson): Cal Raleigh ($5,400), Julio Rodriguez ($4,500), Randy Arozarena ($4,600)

There are several strong stacking options that we've already alluded to, but the Mariners will be our second choice. Seattle is known for its pitching, but they quietly rank inside the top 10 in wOBA, ISO and wRC+ this season. Wilson has just a 12.4 K% and 3.3 K-BB% this season, paired with a 2.18 HR/9. He's particularly struggled since switching to a starting role.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Dan Marcus plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: marcusd91 DraftKings: dmarcus87.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dan Marcus
Dan started covering fantasy sports in 2015, joining Rotowire in 2018. In addition to Rotowire, Dan has written for Baseball HQ and Rotoballer.
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