It's the final day of May and a Sunday full of MLB action with nine games on the DFS docket and the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. EDT. Let's end the month on a high note! Here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Shane McClanahan, TAM vs. LAA ($8,800): McClanahan has only allowed a run once over his last six starts. So, yeah, he's been locked in. The Angels maintain a sub-.700 OPS, so McClanahan should at least produce another strong outing.
Michael Wacha, KAN at TEX ($7,800): Wacha has now made it through 11 appearances with a 2.69 ERA. Maybe he can't sustain that, though he had a 3.32 in 2023 and that's certainly plausible. The Rangers are bottom-10 in runs scored and their ballpark is often kind to pitchers, so it could also end up being favorable for Wacha.
Sean Burke, CWS vs. DET ($6,400): Is this the jadedness of a Tigers fan speaking? Perhaps to a degree, but that's also merited as the club have been horrendous for a while. Is it only a matter of when, and not if, Tarik Skubal gets traded? Anyways, Detroit's careened into the territory of the bottom-five when it comes to offense while Burke enters with a 3.39 FIP built on improved K/BB and HR/9 rates compared to last season. At this salary, I'll take a shot on my beloved Tigers continuing to struggle.
Find out which projected starters are going and when with RotoWire's Probable Pitchers page!
Top Targets
I wouldn't stack Mets, yet I would gladly roster Juan Soto ($6,100) as his injury interlude has barely made a dent in his production with an OPS over 1.000 against righties and at home. I wanted him - even at his hefty salary - since Janson Junk has been woeful against southpaws as they've hit .323 against since 2024.
Bobby Witt ($5,500) hasn't quite fully turned the corner, but he's been able to get in some stats having posted a .284 average with nine homers, 14 doubles, and 16 stolen bases. Jack Leiter is currently at a 4.75 ERA that's in line with his career 4.79 mark, with bodes well for Kansas City's shortstop.
Bargain Bats
I don't know if Jake Bauers ($4,500) can keep this up. The eight home runs and 10 doubles don't feel surprising, though the southpaw has surprisingly batted .281 and .333 the last three weeks. Tatsuya Imai kicking off a combined no-hitter has left me unmoved as he still carries a 6.17 ERA and 1.28 K/BB ratio.
Colson Montgomery ($4,400) will never win a batting title because he swings for the fences whenever possible. He's also eligible at third base on DraftKings, so you could roster both him and Bobby Witt if you wanted. Montgomery has recorded a .233 average alongside 14 homers through 57 games. If I'm going to be dunking on Detroit, I might as well note Keider Montero holds a career 4.75 ERA and 1.7 HR/9 rate on the road.
Stacks to Consider
Atlanta at Cincinnati (Nick Lodolo): Matt Olson ($5,200), Ozzie Albies ($4,700), Mauricio Dubon ($3,300)
Lodolo's 5.57 ERA is built on only four starts. However, his 5.16 at home the last couple years is based on a lot more appearances. Lodolo really struggles to keep the ball in the park in Cincinnati, so I figured I'd include some Atlanta players.
Olson is a lefty and so is Lodolo, so what's the deal? Since 2024, Olson has slugged .490 against left-handers while southpaw bats have averaged .287 against Lodolo. Albies, a switch-hitter, has a .274 average with nine homers and 10 doubles. And while he can hit from both sides, he's batted .294 versus lefties the last three seasons. Since a lefty is starting, I figure Dubon will be in the lineup. He's slowed down after a hot start, but he's gone .254 with 17 extra-base hits. Given Dubon's low salary and the versatility to be rostered in the outfield or shortstop, I think he's worth a shot.
Padres at Nationals (Zack Littell): Xander Bogaerts ($4,100), Jackson Merrill ($3,600), Gavin Sheets ($3,100)
When do you stack a trio from one of MLB's worst offenses? When the opposing pitcher is someone like Littell. In his first season with the Nationals, he's struggled to a 6.60 FIP, an 1.73 K/BB ratio, and 2.53 HR/9 rate.
Bogaerts is a shortstop with eight homers and nine steals. His numbers have been held down this year by his struggles at home, but fortunately this game is in Washington while fellow righties have hit .257 against Littell since 2024. Merrill has a woeful slash line, yet it's the counting stats you want for DFS purposes and the lefty has notched five homers, 11 doubles, and 10 stolen bases. Sheets has been the best of the three with an OPS over .900 against righties and on the road to go with a 1.021 OPS the last three weeks.
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