This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Memorial Day weekend means Sunday isn't the end of the action, but that doesn't mean it isn't a busy day in MLB with nine games on the DFS slate and the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. EDT. Here are my lineup recommendations. Get yourself a win and use your prize winnings to celebrate the holiday!
Pitching
Luis Castillo, SEA at HOU ($9,200): In four of the last five starts, Castillo has gone at least six innings and allowed no more than one run. The ball is staying in the park and his line-drive rate is down while the groundball rate is up. Houston is only just under the league average in offense, but that's sufficient for me based on how Castillo has been pitching.
Bailey Ober, MIN vs. KAN ($7,500): If you look past Ober's disastrous opening start to the season, he's gone on to post a 2.40 ERA through nine starts. The Royals are sit bottom-five in runs scored, so he should be able to continue to put that one subpar outing behind him.
Davis Martin, CWS vs. TEX ($6,500): Both teams are bottom-five in offense alongside a sub-.300 OBP. I'm going with Martin as he's at home and his salary is lower than Texas starter Patrick Corbin. In fact, he's actually not that bad of a pitcher with a career 4.24 ERA and a 3.49 this year.
Find out which projected starters are going and when with RotoWire's Probable Pitchers page!
Top Targets
The Cubs' two best hitters are lefties, though Seiya Suzuki ($5,500) is no slouch from the right-handed side of the plate. He's slugged .552 with 13 homers this season and a .479 career slugging percentage. Nick Lodolo is a southpaw, which is why I was looking for a right-handed Cub. He's also registered truly remarkable splits since 2023 with a 2.70 ERA and 0.7 HR/9 rate on the road and 6.68/1.9 marks at home.
Julio Rodriguez ($5,000) hasn't really rebounded, yet he still brings the counting stats with nine homers, two triples, and six stolen bases. Facing a lefty helps, but being on the road actually seems to matter more with an .819 OPS there the last couple campaigns. Sunday's matchup is in Houston, and lefty Colton Gordon will be starting. He has a 5.59 ERA through two MLB appearances that came against the Rays and Royals.
Bargain Bats
Prior to this season, Brendan Donovan ($4,800) wasn't really seen as the batting title type, but here he is with a .320 average. He's also tallied 16 doubles among his many hits. Brandon Pfaadt has regressed from last season, especially on the road with a 6.15 ERA and 3.4 K/9 rate.
Though Ryan O'Hearn ($4,200) barely appears against lefties, he provides value to the Orioles by crushing right-handed pitching. The southpaw has been particularly solid in those matchups this year with a .948 OPS. O'Hearn also has an .868 road OPS the last three seasons. Walker Buehler will probably succeed in not being ejected this time around, but lefties have hit .292 against over the last two campaigns (he missed all of 2023 due to injury).
Stacks to Consider
Red Sox vs. Orioles (Dean Kremer): Jarren Duran ($5,000), Rafael Devers ($4,900), Wilyer Abreu ($4,300)
After an ERA over 4.00 in each of the last two years, Kremer is currently at 5.50. His strikeouts are down while his home runs allowed have increased. Lefties have also gone .312 against, so I'm going with three southpaws in this stack.
It's unlikely Duran will get to 20 homers again, yet he's notched six triples and 12 steals. He also enjoys playing at Fenway Park with an .839 OPS there since 2023. Whatever position he's playing, Devers knows how to hit with an OPS over 1.000 against righties and at home. Abreu has made some strides this season as he's already at 12 homers while walking more and striking out less. Though he does particularly struggle against lefties, he holds a career .851 OPS versus right-handed pitchers.
Giants at Nationals (Michael Soroka): Jung Hoo Lee ($4,500), Heliot Ramos ($4,400), Mike Yastrzemski ($3,900)
Soroka missed a couple seasons and has never really regained his form with a 5.33 ERA the last three years. Lefties are batting .283 against, which is why there are two of them in this combo. They all may be outfielders, but you need three outfielders for your DFS lineups anyway.
Lee has already logged more games than he did during his first MLB campaign. The return is decidedly more encouraging at .281 with six homers, two triples, 14 doubles, and an .827 road OPS. Ramos has been on fire of late with a 1.057 OPS the last three weeks and a .939 on the road, but also notably an .868 versus his fellow righties. Yastrzemski doesn't boast a lot of power, yet he's managed a .366 OBP to go with five home runs and five steals.
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