The weekend kicks off as May ends tonight; we have ourselves a 13-game slate with a lot of solid matchups. With as many teams in action as there are, let’s get into where to go and what chances we might be able to take. The focus of this article is to sort through the myriad of options on larger slates and find not only some solid foundational plays but also some spots that could go overlooked. We focus on stacks that are solid for small-field and SE as well as overlooked spots for large-field GPPs, and we discuss players that have good past history vs. the pitchers they’re facing. Come on in and join the discussion!
FIVE Stacks
Texas Rangers (4.52 IRT)
Even on this large slate, the Rangers are projecting as one of the more highly owned teams. It’s not necessarily because of their recent play (they have won three in a row after coming out of a 2-13 stretch), but it’s also because they’re getting Sixto Sanchez who has been awful since moving into the rotation (he’s given up 17 earned runs in just 24.1 innings while striking out just 14 batters). The Marlins also have the league’s worst bullpen ERA, so if the Rangers can come out of their funk, this could be a solid spot. Corey Seager should be a foundational piece all over (he’s got six HR and 11 RBI in his last seven games, good for a 1.739 OPS); Josh Smith is hitting .304 with three RBI over the last week while Marcus Semien and Adolis Garcia are solid pieces as well, of course.
May 30, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) celebrates after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Cleveland Guardians (4.49 IRT)
The Guardians are showing a decent ownership, and they should be somewhat popular not just because they’ve been playing well lately (they’re averaging six and a half runs per game over the last two weeks and are in the middle of a 13-3 stretch) but also because they are at home facing the tire fire that is Patrick Corbin, he of the 6.12 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, and 14.7% K-rate. Consider the trio of Jose Ramirez (1.469 OPS in L7, including four HR and 12 RBI), Josh Naylor (three HR and seven RBI), and the somewhat-out-of-nowhere David Fry (1.200 OPS with two HR and six RBI) as your starting spot. Kyle Manzardo has been hitting well lately as well since coming up (he’s hitting .300 with four doubles and a couple of RBI in the last week). They are pricy, but they’re worth the spend-up in this matchup.
Atlanta Braves (4.77 IRT)
The Braves should be a strong choice tonight even though they’ve been slumping (and with Ronald Acuna, Jr. out, their upside overall takes a hit). However, as of this writing, they’re projecting as the fourth-highest owned team on DK and second on FD (the fifth-best leverage stack on the former and the second on the latter). A big reason is the matchup with Oakland and JP Sears, who’s just not been that great this season; he’s only struck out 40 batters in 11 starts and has given up four or more runs in nearly half (five of 11) of his outings this season. Atlanta is just too talented to stay this cold for long, and I’d rather be too early than too late in getting some solid exposure to him. Michael Harris is hitting close to .300 since moving into the leadoff spot in Acuna’s place; Ozzie Albies (1.006 OPS) and Matt Olson (.934 OPS) have been solid in their last week as well, and Jarred Kelenic is a solid and inexpensive piece at the back of the order, hitting .316 in his last seven games.
Sep 18, 2022; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates with first baseman Anthony Rizzo (48) after hitting a home run during the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
New York Yankees (4.03 IRT)
At first glance, a visiting team in the Bay Area doesn’t scream productivity, but the Yankees have been doing positive Yankee things; they’ve hit the most home runs (25) over the past 14 games of any team in the league, with Aaron Judge (seven), Juan Soto (six), Giancarlo Stanton (four) and Alex Verdugo (three) leading the way. New York seems to ebb and flow multiple times during the season, and they’re in a bull market at the moment, so taking advantage of that here is worth consideration. They face Jordan Hicks tonight who has been solid in his first season as a starter, though his 22.7% K-rate could be better. He’s only gone over five innings in one of his last eight starts, so if the Yankees can get to him early, that could play well into their hands as the Giants have the second worst bullpen ERA in the league. Mix and match the four mentioned above with Anthony Volpe (who just had a 21-game hitting streak snapped last night) and Gleyber Torres (.836 OPS in the last two weeks). Solid tournament option, especially as they are grading out as the the fourth-best projected team stack on DK in our leverage tool.
Kansas City (3.83 IRT)
Yes, the Royals are facing Dylan Cease and his ridiculous 35.0% K-rate. Still, over the past two weeks, Kansas City has the highest team batting average (.288) and has scored the most runs (80 in 13 games) while hitting the second most HR (18). Cease is also 5-1 away from home (0-2 at Petco), but if he’s not spot on, the Royals have shown they can take advantage of any mistakes. Salvador Perez has the fourth-best batting average in the league and has a HR and five RBI against Cease in his career, MJ Melendez (4-13 with two HR and four RBI) and Vinnie Pasquantino (3-5 with a 2B, HR, and two RBI) have both fared well also, and Bobby Witt Jr. is playing his usual elite baseball (40 RBI and 16 SB on the season while hitting safely in 12 of his last 13 games, nabbing four HR and 17 RBI along the way). In large-field tournaments, this is a perfect spot to get some exposure to a high-upside offense in an overlooked spot.
May 30, 2022; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) hits an RBI single in the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
FOUR BvP Matchups
Luis Arraez vs. Michael Wacha: 4-13 with two HR and five RBI
Charlie Blackmon vs. Walker Buehler: 17-47 with two HR and eight RBI
Francisco Lindor vs. Jordan Montgomery: 6-11 with a HR and two BB
MJ Melendez vs. Dylan Cease: 4-13 with two HR and four RBI
THREE Value Plays
JP Crawford ($2900 DK / $2700 FD): leading off with a .905 OPS in L7; 2-5 vs. Soriano
Jarred Kelenic ($3100 DK / $2500 FD): hitting .316 in L7 with a HR and three RBI (.883 OPS); back end of order and perfect for wraparound stacking
Isiah Kiner-Falefa ($3400 DK / $2600 FD): eight-game hitting streak (1.238 OPS during that span)
