FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball Helper: Sunday 5/15/22
Our daily helper is available every day to analyze FanDuel's main slate and help give you a starting point when you're building lineups. Be sure to also incorporate our great tools into your research process. Whether you're looking for daily projections, the latest starting lineups and weather, or batting and pitching heat maps to find the best matchups -- we've got you covered!
Let's check out the top options on today's main slate.
Pitchers
Justin Verlander ($10,500)
Despite a 4.8% drop in his strikeout percentage, Houston's veteran right-hander has been in solid form through six starts, producing a 3.26 expected Fielding Independent Pitching rating (FIP) and a 1.55 expected Earned Run Average (ERA) in 40.2 innings.
Verlander will take the hill on Sunday afternoon versus a Washington Nationals' lineup with a 23.8% strikeout rate and a .297 weight on-base average (wOBA) against right-handers including seven projected batters with contact rates lower than 76.3%.
With a 2.7% decrease to his lowest salary point this month, the 39-year old is definitely an option to consider with his 26.6 FanDuel point projection.
Brandon Woodruff ($9.500)
At his second lowest salary point this season, Woodruff stands as numberFire's top ranked pitcher with a 34.5 fantasy projection and 6.6 strikeouts.
While some may be hesitant when looking at his 5.97 ERA, the 29-year old still meets various requirements for an effective starting pitcher with his 13.3% swinging strike rate, 29.4% K-rate, and 3.35 expected FIP.
Today's matchup presents an ideal opportunity to reduce his earned run average against a Miami Marlins team with a 22.9% K-rate including 66% of their expected lineup with strikeout percentages higher than 21.2% and contact rates lower than 73.7%..
Robbie Ray ($8,800)
Ray is an interesting value option to consider in an average matchup against a New York Mets' lineup with a projected 20.7% strikeout percentage, 77.5% contact rate, and a .329 wOBA.
Despite occasional home run and control lapses, Seattle's left-hander has slightly outperformed his 4.22 ERA with a 3.91 expected FIP and a 3.62 expected earned run average.
Ray currently ranks second among pitchers today with a 33.3 FanDuel point projection and 6.2 expected strikeouts.
Stacks
In baseball's most exciting offensive environment, Daniel Lynch will take the mound on the road against a Rockies' team with an eye-popping 6.0 implied run total.
Through 92.2 career innings, the 25-year old has struggled throughout his Major League tenure, recording a 5.01 expected FIP and a 19.1% strikeout percentage.
With heavy splits against right-handed bats (5.15 expected FIP, .368 wOBA), ideal targets from Colorado include C.J. Cron (14.3% barrel rate, .386 expected wOBA), Brendan Rodgers (10.6% barrel rate, 45.5% hard hit percentage), Connor Joe (.354 expected wOBA, 6.3% barrel rate), and Randal Grichuk (43.9% hard hit rate).
In a matchup against Austin Gomber, Kansas City is in a similar offensive situation with right-handed options against a lefty who struggles against this particular split (4.33 expected FIP, 13.2% Home run to fly-ball percentage).
Infield options including Emmanuel Rivera (47.1% hard hit rate, .384 expected wOBA), Salvador Perez (10.1% barrel rate), and Hunter Dozier (10.7% barrel percentage) can be utilized in Kansas City's stacks while Whit Merrifield (.260 expected average) and Michael Taylor (10.3% barrel rate) are potential outfield targets.
The Astros offer another undervalued stack with their 5.1 expected run total against Patrick Corbin.
In his fourth year with Washington, the veteran has replicated his struggling form last season, accounting for a 4.29 expected FIP and a 5.27 expected earned run average.
Houston's top hitters including Jose Altuve (9.8% barrel rate), Jose Siri (.361 expected wOBA), and Alex Bregman (.318 expected wOBA) are all ideal options with Corbin's struggles against right-handed bats while Yordan Alvarez (22.7% barrel rate) and Michael Brantley (.377 expected wOBA). are too hot to ignore.
