MLB DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Lineup Strategy for Thursday, May 18

MLB DFS Picks: FanDuel Plays and Lineup Strategy for Thursday, May 18

This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.

Pitchers

Dylan Cease CHW vs. CLE ($9,800): Taj Bradley ($10,200) is in this conversation for a cash pitcher but he's on the road and facing a potent Mets' lineup. Cease toes the rubber against the Guardians who aren't great on the road against right-handed pitching with a team .294 wOBA (ninth-worst in the league). Since 2021, Cease has a 2.93 ERA and a 1.05 WHIP while striking out over a batter per inning at home as a member of the White Sox since 2021.

Eury Perez, MIA vs. WAS ($8,500): Perez had a mixed bag of results his first time out with seven strikeouts but also allowing two home runs. That added up to a 29-point performance for fantasy purposes and he should be able to match that against the Nationals tonight. Washington has the seventh-worst walk rate (7.9 percent) against right-handed pitching and no longer has Juan Soto, Bryce Harper or Trea Turner in their lineup.

Top Targets

Josh Lowe, TB vs. NYM ($3,800): Are you looking for the hot hand/flavor of the week? Lowe has been on fire for the last two weeks and basically worked his way into an everyday role for the Rays. He has at least 15.7 or more fantasy points in 12 of his last 21 games and has a good matchup against Tylor Megill of the Mets tonight. Megill has allowed a .295 batting average against opposing left-handed hitters since 2021 which bodes well for Lowe tonight.

Luis Robert, CWS vs. CLE ($3,600): I'm not going to lie here, Robert did go 0-for-4 last night but has been on fire for the month of May. This was only the second time of the month he didn't score fantasy points and has had at least 12 or more fantasy points in the other 11 games. This is a good matchup against Logan Allen who isn't a top prospect and is a lefty who Robert has had a 1.083 OPS since 2021 against that handedness.

Bargain Bats

Tim Anderson, CHW vs. CLE ($2,800): I'm going to continue to pick on Allen, as on a small slate of games, it does make some sense. Anderson's hit to your salary cap is near minimum especially when you consider positional scarcity. Anderson has 20-20 upside so he can deliver fantasy points with both his speed and power. He also had a .961 OPS against left-handed pitching last season.

Austin Hays, BAL vs. LAA ($2,700): Hays should hit towards the top of the lineup and may even lead off facing a lefty in Tyler Anderson. Hays has the righty-vs-lefty advantage in this matchup and has hit safely in nine of his last ten games. Hays also has hit better at home (.805 OPS) and against left-handed pitching (.801) since 2021.

Stacks To Consider

Rays vs. Mets (Megill): Randy Arozarena ($4,100), Wander Franco ($4,000), Yandy Diaz ($4,000), Lowe

This should be one of the more popular stacks of the night and it's conceivable to use this in cash contests given the solid floor. Somehow it seems like Yandy is still underrated despite being in the middle of a breakout season and along with Franco they can fill the 3B/SS spots in your lineup. Arozarena has 18.7 fantasy points in three of his last five games and the case for Lowe has already been made.

Marlins vs. Nationals (Trevor Williams): Jorge Soler ($3,300), Luis Arraez ($2,800), Garrett Cooper ($2,700), Bryan De La Cruz ($2,700)

This lineup may be a bit under the radar today but there are only four games being played for the main slate. Williams isn't an elite pitcher but to be fair he's not the worst starter out there either. He does have the task of pitching on the road and has a 5.53 ERA, 1.59 WHIP on the road since 2021. This is a good economical stack to use if you want a couple of big bats along with an elite pitcher for this small slate.

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. Kevin Payne plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: Fanduel: kevinccp, Draft Kings: kevinccp, Yahoo: kevinccp.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kevin Payne
Kevin has worked for RotoWire over a decade and has covered basketball, baseball and football. A glutton for punishment, he roots for his hometown Bills, Sabres and the New York Yankees. You can follow him on Twitter @KCPayne26.
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