This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
We're halfway through May. Soon enough, the summer weather will be here and may actually stick around. For Wednesday, there are nine MLB games starting at 7:07 p.m. EDT or later. And now, onto my MLB DFS lineup recommendations. Good luck!
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Pitching
Chris Bassitt, TOR vs. TAM ($9,500): Bassitt has an elite K/BB rate to start 2025. Through eight starts he's struck out 6.13 batters for each walk he's issued. All in all he has a 3.35 ERA, but at home his ERA is 2.20. Tampa's offense has a lot of lefties, and Bassitt is a righty, but the Rays also in the bottom 10 in runs scored and just trying to stay out of the bottom five.
Clay Holmes, NYM vs. PIT ($9,200): Armed with a new changeup and a role as a starter for the Mets, Holmes is crushing it so far. After years of being a quality reliever for the Yankees, Holmes has a 2.62 FIP through eight starts for New York's NL squad. The Pirates, meanwhile, are vying with the White Sox and Rockies for the "honor" of being the worst offense in MLB.
Patrick Corbin, TEX vs. COL ($7,800): I don't believe in Corbin's start to the season. Even with a 3.13 ERA through six starts, he has a 4.62 FIP. The strikeout numbers are low, and the walks are a little high, but then again this matchup is quite good. Colorado has a sub-.300 OBP as a team and is in the bottom three in runs scored and strikeouts.
Top Targets
Over the last three seasons, Mookie Betts ($3,900) has a .976 OPS at home. Also, while he's right-handed, in that same time frame he has an .899 OPS versus right-handed pitchers. Gunnar Hoglund has only made two MLB starts. They have gone quite well, as he has a 2.38 ERA, but he also faced the Marlins and Mariners. The Dodgers, and Betts, are a different level of competition. Plus, for what it's worth, so far righties have hit .381 against Hoglund.
The 34 homers and 31 doubles Pete Alonso ($3,900) hit last season were good, even if down for him. This season, though, he's up to nine home runs already and is batting .310 on the year as well. Since 2023, Alonso has slugged .507 against lefties. Bailey Falter is a lefty, and in his career he has a 4.59 ERA and 1.43 HR/9 rate.
Bargain Bats
Luis Robert ($3,000) is back, and while he has a sub-.300 OBP again, he also has five homers and 16 stolen bases. Nick Lodolo may have a 3.23 ERA, but for years he's had significant home/road splits. Since 2023 he has a 2.77 ERA in away starts. At home? He has a 6.77 ERA. This game? Yeah, it's in Cincinnati.
It's been the usual kind of campaign for Nico Hoerner ($2,900). He's stealing bases, hitting for average, but not bringing much power. The second baseman has a .281 batting average with eight stolen bases, and he doesn't need to have a lot of power for his position. Even so, since 2023 he's slugged .430 against lefties. Ryan Weathers is making his first start of 2025, but in his career he has a 5.08 ERA.
Stacks to Consider
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Padres vs. Angels (Kyle Hendricks): Jackson Merrill ($4,100), Manny Machado ($3,400), Jake Cronenworth ($3,200)
Hendricks' 2024 season with the Cubs was a disaster. He had a 5.92 ERA, a 5.99 K/9 rate, and a 1.45 HR/9 rate. This year he's now an Angel, but he's gotten no better on the mound. The righty has a 5.30 ERA, 5.30 K/9 rate, and 1.51 HR/9 rate. Hendricks used to get by on guile, but clearly that doesn't work any longer. It likely will continue not working against the Padres' lineup, including this trio.
Merrill has missed a lot of time this season but also been incredible when he's played. As such, I'll just combine this season with his rookie campaign to note he has a career .309/.343./.526 slash line with 20 homers and 17 stolen bases in 172 career games. Machado is having a strong season and he's now a quarter of a way through it. Maybe he won't get to 30 home runs again, but he's batting .331 with 14 doubles and seven swiped bags. Since 2023, righties have hit .272 against Hendricks. Cronenworth has missed a lot of time as well, but he has a .418 OBP when he's played. Over the last three years he has a .754 OPS versus righties, and a .749 OPS at home. For a second baseman with a good matchup, that works.
Rangers vs. Rockies (Antonio Senzatela): Wyatt Langford ($3,500), Josh Smith ($3,000), Evan Carter ($2,500)
Senzatela barely pitched the prior two seasons, and he came into this year having posted a 5.21 ERA since 2022. He may be healthy, but he's not pitching any better. Through eight starts he has a 5.77 ERA. Over the last three years, the righty has allowed right-handed hitters to bat .342 against him, while lefties have hit .368 against him. As such, even given Texas' slow start offensively, this is a worthy stack.
Langford sophomore season is off to a strong start. He has a .348 OBP with seven homers, seven stolen bases, and six doubles. Langford is off to a stronger start against his fellow righties, but even his .702 OPS in those matchups as a rookie is sufficient for me given the matchup with Senzatela. Smith has slashed .310/.389/.466 with four home runs and four stolen bases. Now, his back is bugging him, and the southpaw may not be able to play. Corey Seager is also banged up. So, if you need another lefty bat, Joc Pederson is perhaps your best option. Of course, Carter is also a lefty. He hasn't taken off as some imagined, but he can still handle this situation. In his career he has an .857 OPS against righties and an .886 OPS at home.
