Penned By: @Ryan_Humphries on Twitter and LineStar Chat.

• Rate LineStarApp on the App store and get a shoutout on Twitter from @LineStarApp official account!

• Have questions? Check out the LineStar Tutorial Wiki.

• LineStar’s 2024 MLB DFS Primer & Strategy Guide ⚾

Top DFS Offers 5/22/24 💸

Our editors found the top deals in sports-books so you don’t have to! Tapping below links will help support LineStar through an affiliate referral.

• Sleeper DFS - Deposit Match up to $100 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

• Underdog DFS - 50% Deposit Match up to $250 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

• Chalkboard DFS - Deposit Match up to $100 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Must be 18+ (some states may require 21+) and be present in an eligible state; if you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.

OnDeck MLB DFS & Prop Bet Podcasts 🎙️

Like, Subscribe, and Comment @ LineStar YouTube channel! You never know when we’ll shout you out or give you something cool. New episodes drop Mon-Fri feat. hosts Shannon Sommerville & Tyler Wiemann! Every episode is quick, informative, & easy to watch.

Main Slate Rundown 🏟

An active MLB Wednesday arrives and, depending on your DFS site of choice, there will be a 10-game (DraftKings) or 8-game (FanDuel) main slate to dive into. Both slates will get underway a tad earlier than usual, with a 6:40 ET start time. However, FanDuel has elected to exclude the two late games -- COL @ OAK and ARI @ LAD. It’s a little annoying if you’re someone who plays both sites or if you have to write an impartial MLB article but, fortunately, these misaligned main slates between DK and FD haven’t been as common as they’ve been in seasons past. Anyhow, this should be another fun, yet tricky, slate of games to dissect so let’s hop to it! Best of luck!

Main slate match-ups with implied run totals and moneyline odds:

🆕💣New “Dinger Report” Feature💣🆕

While many overpriced DFS services are content to sit on their hands and rarely roll out new features, that’s not how things work at LineStar! Premium LineStar subscribers now have access to the new “Dinger Report” feature on the desktop website (coming to the mobile app soon). Here you’ll find all the juicy info needed when home run hunting! This tool will be very useful for both DFS lineup building and when making home run prop bets/parlays!

Today’s Top Dinger Odds (sorted by LineStar projected odds)

Main Slate Weather Outlook 💨🌦️☁️

Check LineStar's MLB Daily Dashboard to see an overview of the most up-to-date game forecasts.

• SF @ PIT (6:40 ET): A few scattered rainstorms are around the area but generally arrive before and after the game so they should have a big enough window to get this game in without any major issues. We’ll pin this one with a low-end chance for a delay of some sort just in case some rain pops a bit earlier than expected.

• SD @ CIN (6:40 ET): More scattered storms will be around the Cincy area but nothing resembling a downpour. Still, there will be a non-zero chance for a delay but nothing too problematic.

• TEX @ PHI (6:40 ET): Mid-70s temps with 5-10 mph winds OUT to left/center. There is some rain in the forecast but it should not move in until after the game is over.

• ATL @ CHC (7:40 ET): Winds OUT to right around 10 mph or so.

Pitchers to Consider ⚾

Freddy Peralta (RHP), MIL | DK: $10.2k, FD: $10k | @ MIA

Given that Peralta has had some up-and-down results lately, if folks are paying five figures for a high-end SP, I imagine most DraftKings players will elect to find the extra $400 and click Tyler Glasnow’s name into their lineups. So Peralta could go a touch overlooked on this slate despite drawing an enticing match-up. Peralta’s 4.17 ERA is higher than what we’d expect out of him but he does own a strong 3.28 xFIP across his nine starts, indicating he’s been the victim of some bad luck. The kRate is still excellent at 31.2% and, over the last month, he has limited average batted-ball exit velo to just 82.8 mph (95th percentile).

Despite trading away their best contact hitter, Luis Arraez, to the Padres earlier this month, the Marlins have managed to hit for a decent average against RHPs in recent weeks. Their .261 AVG vs. RHPs L2Weeks ranks 9th in MLB. However, they do not possess much power in the lineup (.125 ISO vs. RHPs L2Weeks, ranks 26th) and their kRate has been slowly creeping up to 22.4% in that same span. Runs should be at a premium in this game, which possesses a slate-low 7.0 over/under, and if Peralta can shake some of his road woes (-26.2% less FPPG in away games) then he could push for the highest DFS score of any pitcher on this slate.

Max Fried (LHP), ATL | DK: $8.6k, FD: $9k | @ CHC

It’s been a somewhat turbulent season for Fried but, prior to his previous outing against the Padres, he was looking like prime Max Fried over a four-start stretch between 4/23 to 5/11. In that span, which included a CGSO and two starts where he went 6+ innings without allowing a hit, Fried emerged with a 1.24 ERA, 3.08 xFIP, 0.52 WHIP, .076 opp AVG, and 24.8% kRate while forcing a huge 65.7% Groundball Rate.

If Fried can snap back into that same sort of form, he’ll be in line for a nice evening. The Cubs began the season hitting lefties very well but, over the last month vs. LHPs, they’re down to a .228 AVG, .616 OPS, .277 wOBA, .084 ISO, and 79 wRC+. Their 20.7% kRate vs. LHPs in that span isn’t necessarily high but there are still Ks to be had in this lineup. Neither offense took major advantage of the prime hitting conditions in Chicago last night when winds were blowing out at well over 20 mph for much of the game. Winds will still be blowing out tonight, though at much lower speeds around 10 mph. It’s still some solid hitting conditions at the wind-sensitive Wrigley Field but Fried forces so many ground balls that it should be something that kills him. He’s been a little hard to trust this season but the Cubs have been fairly dormant against southpaw pitching and, when he’s “right”, Fried can pitch deep into games while putting up decent strikeout totals.

Mitch Spence (RHP), OAK | DK: $4k, FD: N/A | vs. COL

This will be a DraftKings-only SP2 play since this game isn’t on the FanDuel main slate. Due to injuries to their rotation, the A’s are giving Mitch Spence a shot as a starter. Spence had six appearances out of the bullpen this season where he went on to cover at least three innings and he earned his first official start last Friday against the Royals. By all means, he had a nice outing, covering 4.2 innings on 77 pitches while allowing one run on five hits and a walk and he struck out four. On the season, Spence has accounted for a 3.90 ERA, 3.38 xFIP, 1.13 WHIP, and 21.8% kRate. Nothing spectacular, but solid numbers overall. His 13.5% SwStr% also indicates that he could trend closer to about a 27% kRate since you can generally double a pitcher’s SwStr% to find where their kRate should be.

Against RHPs on the road, away from the very hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field, the Rockies have gone on to post a lackluster .233 AVG, 89 wRC+, and 25.6% kRate. Oakland heads into this game as moderate -148 ML favorites and, if Spence’s leash is extended to around 80-85 pitches tonight, that could be plenty enough to get him through five-plus innings and possibly in line to earn a win bonus. Of course, the main appeal for Spence is the fact that he’s the stone minimum (for pitchers) of $4,000 on DraftKings. I expect Spence to be very popular considering he can be easily paired with Glasnow (on DK) while still leaving plenty of salary left over for some quality bats. But, if you’re fine with eating some chalk, that does seem like a very safe approach tonight, specifically for cash games. Even if you’re not pairing him with Glasnow, we rarely get a $4,000 starter that has a decent chance to succeed so Spence is going to be some tough value to pass on this evening.

Other Pitchers to Consider

Tyler Glasnow (RHP), LAD | DK: $10.6k, FD: N/A | vs. ARI

Jared Jones (RHP), PIT | DK: $9.6k, FD: $10.6k | vs. SF

Nestor Cortes (LHP), NYY | DK: $9.3k, FD: $9.6k | vs. SEA

Chris Bassitt (RHP), TOR | DK: $7.2k, FD: $8.4k | vs. CWS

Justin Steele (LHP), CHC | DK: $7k, FD: $7.5k | vs. ATL

Team Stacks to Target 🎯

Disclaimer: Stacking in MLB DFS is not a requirement but it is a very common strategy used to take down GPPs. This strategy is covered in more detail in the MLB DFS strategy guide linked in the header at the top of this newsletter. Check out the MLB StackFinder on LineStar.

Philadelphia Phillies (LHBs Preferred) vs. Dane Dunning (RHP), TEX

+ Phillies: 5.3 implied runs (ranks 1st on the slate).

+ Dunning has not been horrible this season (4.10 ERA, 3.72 xFIP, 1.15 WHIP, 28.1% kRate) but he does own a poor 5.52 xERA while accounting for a slate-worst 48.9% HardHit%.

+ Phillies LHBs will be preferred as Dunning has allowed a huge .298 ISO and 29.4% HR/FB Rate to lefty bats.

+ Dunning is much more of a “five and dive” pitcher who has not cleared more than 5.1 innings in five consecutive starts -- this may mean more innings against a Rangers bullpen that has been awful over the L2Weeks: 7.68 ERA, 4.73 xFIP, and 1.75 WHIP.

+ The Phillies have been the #1 home offense, averaging 5.61 runs/gm (vs. 4.95 runs/gm away).

+ The Phillies have posted an MLB-low 15.7% kRate vs. RHPs L2Weeks.

- It’s still an above-average figure, but the Phillies’ 107 wRC+ vs. RHPs L2Weeks (ranks 13th) isn’t necessarily dominant.

- Core PHI bats are going to be fairly expensive.

Favorite PHI Bats: Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Bryson Stott

Bargain Bat: Edmundo Sosa

San Diego Padres vs. Nick Martinez (RHP), CIN

+ Padres: 5.1 implied runs (ranks 2nd on the slate).

+ The Padres have been one of the best offenses when playing on the road against RHPs: .304 AVG (1st), .787 OPS (2nd), .346 wOBA (1st), 125 wRC+ (1st), and 17.0% kRate (2nd lowest).

+ Martinez has bounced back and forth between a starting and bullpen role; he’s been just “okay” this season with a 4.23 ERA, 4.22 xFIP, 1.20 WHIP, and 17.7% kRate.

+ Great American Ballpark is a very favorable hitter’s park and Martinez has posted some noticeably worse splits at home where he owns a 5.48 ERA, 4.51 xFIP, 1.48 WHIP, and .319 opp AVG.

- The Reds have had a top-10 bullpen L2Weeks: 2.93 ERA, 3.50 xFIP, 1.11 WHIP, and 27.7% kRate.

- Martinez has only allowed two home runs across his 38.1 IP this season (0.47 HR/9 Rate) and his average exit velo of 81.4 mph L30Days ranks in the 95th percentile. Martinez has also maintained a minuscule 3.0% Walk Rate this season.

Favorite SD Bats: Fernando Tatis Jr., Jurickson Profar, Jake Cronenworth

Bargain Bat: Jackson Merrill

Low-Owned Stack That Just Might Work Out 🤔

San Francisco Giants vs. Jared Jones (RHP), PIT

+ Every Giants hitter has a < 5% pOwn%.

+ Jared Jones has been excellent in his first MLB season (2.89 ERA, 2.72 xFIP, 0.91 WHIP, 30.6% kRate) but he does allow a lot of hard contact -- his 45.8% HardHit% is the 3rd highest among today’s starters.

+ The Giants’ offense has been fairly dormant for much of this season but they’re coming in hot -- over the last week, the Giants own a .317 AVG (1st), .898 OPS (1st), .391 wOBA (1st), .189 ISO (8th), 159 wRC+ (1st), and 14.6% kRate (2nd lowest).

+ If the Giants can force Jones off the mound early, they’ll get some extra at-bats against a Pirates bullpen that has struggled over the L2Weeks: 5.49 ERA, 5.04 xFIP, and 1.55 WHIP.

+ Every Giants hitter ranges from “affordable” to “dirt cheap”.

- Giants: 3.4 implied runs (T-3rd lowest on the slate).

- As mentioned, Jones has been great and the Giants have mostly been a below-average offense without much power for the majority of the season. It wouldn’t be a surprise if their hot bats cool off quickly tonight.

Favorite SF Bats: Thairo Estrada, Mike Yastrzemski, Patrick Bailey

Bargain Bat: Luis Matos

One-Off Bats ☝️

A maximum of one hitter per team will be listed below. Feel free to use these players as one-off options, one-half of a two-man mini-stack, or a core piece to a full team stack.

1B/OF Shohei Ohtani, LAD | DK: $6.5k, FD: N/A | vs. Ryne Nelson (RHP), ARI

OF Juan Soto, NYY | DK: $6.4k, FD: $4.2k | vs. Bryce Miller (RHP), SEA

SS Elly De La Cruz, CIN | DK: $6.3k, FD: $4.4k | vs. Michael King (RHP), SD

1B Bryce Harper, PHI | DK: $5.8k, FD: $4k | vs. Dane Dunning (RHP), TEX

3B Rafael Devers, BOS | DK: $5.5k, FD: $3.9k | vs. Ryan Pepiot (RHP), TB

OF Marcell Ozuna, ATL | DK: $5.5k, FD: $4.1k | vs. Justin Steele (LHP), CHC

SS Corey Seager, TEX | DK: $5.4k, FD: $3.5k | vs. Taijuan Walker (RHP), PHI

OF Christian Yelich, MIL | DK: $5.3k, FD: $3.8k | vs. Jesus Luzardo (LHP), MIA

OF Cody Bellinger, CHC | DK: $5k, FD: $3.3k | vs. Max Fried (LHP), ATL

1B Vlad Guerrero Jr., TOR | DK: $4.9k, FD: $3.2k | vs. Nick Nastrini (RHP), CWS

OF Julio Rodriguez, SEA | DK: $4.8k, FD: $3.1k | vs. Nestor Cortes (LHP), NYY

3B Ryan McMahon, COL | DK: $4.6k, FD: N/A | vs. Mitch Spence (RHP), OAK

3B Isaac Paredes, TB | DK: $4.7k, FD: $3.4k | vs. Brayan Bello (RHP), BOS

OF Brent Rooker, OAK | DK: $4.5k, FD: N/A | vs. Austin Gomber (LHP), COL

OF Bryan Reynolds, PIT | DK: $4.4k, FD: $3k | vs. Blake Snell (LHP), SF

OF Joc Pederson, ARI | DK: $4.2k, FD: N/A | vs. Tyler Glasnow (RHP), LAD

OF Jurickson Profar, SD | DK: $4.1k, FD: $3.2k | vs. Nick Martinez (RHP), CIN

Bargain Batters 💸

Note: Additional hitting value may open up once all official starting lineups are released. For now, here are some cheap hitters who are already confirmed or currently expected to be on the field tonight and find themselves in a good spot to pay off their modest DFS salaries.

Default cut-off to qualify as a “Bargain Batter” is <$4,100 on DraftKings

2B/3B Abraham Toro, OAK | DK: $4k, FD: N/A | vs. Austin Gomber (LHP), COL

1B Yandy Diaz, TB | DK: $4k, FD: $3.1k | vs. Brayan Bello (RHP), BOS

C Travis d’Arnaud, ATL | DK: $3.9k, FD: $3k | vs. Justin Steele (LHP), CHC

SS Ezequiel Tovar, COL | DK: $3.9k, FD: N/A | vs. Mitch Spence (RHP), OAK

C Tyler Stephenson, CIN | DK: $3.8k, FD: $2.7k | vs. Michael King (RHP), SD

2B Thairo Estrada, SF | DK: $3.8k, FD: $3k | vs. Jared Jones (RHP), PIT

OF Jackson Merrill, SD | DK: $3.7k, FD: $2.7k | vs. Nick Martinez (RHP), CIN

SS Dylan Moore, SEA | DK: $3.6k, FD: $3k | vs. Nestor Cortes (LHP), NYY

OF Luis Matos, SF | DK: $3.4k, FD: $2.5k | vs. Jared Jones (RHP), PIT

SS Paul DeJong, CWS | DK: $3.3k, FD: $2.8k | vs. Chris Bassitt (RHP), TOR

C Mitch Garver, SEA | DK: $3.2k, FD: $2.8k | vs. Nestor Cortes (LHP), NYY

C Patrick Bailey, SF | DK: $3.1k, FD: $2.7k | vs. Jared Jones (RHP), PIT

2B Otto Lopez, MIA | DK: $3k, FD: $2.5k | vs. Freddy Peralta (RHP), MIL

OF Jacob Hurtubise, CIN | DK: $2k, FD: $2.1k | vs. Michael King (RHP), SD

Home Run Calls of the Day 💣

Make sure you’re following @LineStarApp on Twitter. Retweet the Home Run Calls of the Day tweet below for your chance to win prizes!

Ryan’s PrizePicks Power Play of the Day⚡

Here is a two-pick “Power Play” I’m liking for today's MLB action over on PrizePicks! Nothing is ever a guarantee to hit but I put my own money on these picks so I don't just lightly throw them out there without believing they'll cash! If it hits, it will return 3x the wager.

Max Fried MORE than 27.5 Pitcher Fantasy Score

Bryce Harper MORE than 8.0 Hitter Fantasy Score

🔥 Props AI 🔥

In LineStar’s ongoing mission to improve, innovate, and help you reel in some cash, we are introducing Props AI for MLB! This tool can help you find value and mispriced odds on player props from sportsbooks and, more specifically, for PrizePicks and UnderDog Fantasy!

Speaking of props, put the Props AI tool to use by signing-up for UnderDog Fantasy for 2-months of LineStar Premium (Promo code: LINESTAR). Plus $100 deposit match for new customers. What many people may not realize is that you can legally place prop bets in most states using UnderDog (or PrizePicks) – it’s called Pick'Em and it’s insanely easy.

Best of luck out there today, everyone!