MLB

3 MLB FanDuel Studs to Target on Tuesday 5/25/21

Matt Kupferle  —  @MKupferle May 25th, 2021
Shohei Ohtani has been bombing the ball at the dish, and he's got a dream matchup tonight. Who else should we think about?

Just like in other sports, the focal point of your daily fantasy baseball lineups will be your high-salary studs. These guys take up by far the biggest chunk of your cap space, but they also offer the highest ceiling. And in the case of pitchers, the high-salary options typically come with the highest floors, too.

For hitters, we're looking for guys with big numbers, strong matchups, and with players around them that are likely to produce well, too, increasing our chances for runs and RBI. For pitchers, we want big strikeout numbers, while the ability to go deep in a game and pick up a win is also valuable.

With your high-salary picks playing such a big role in your lineup, you need to be right on these guys, so let's take a look at a few top-end options you can count on to anchor your lineup today.

Jacob deGrom, SP, New York Mets ($12,000)

Some folks could be a bit gun shy in playing Jacob deGrom, who's returning from a very brief stint on the injury list, but he should be ready for a big night.

The Mets' ace has been absurd this season. Prior to his injury-shortened start last time out, deGrom rocked his way to a 15-strikeout, complete-game performance. That will play.

And against the Colorado Rockies? Yup, that's one of the worst offenses in the league with a .305 wOBA and 23.5% strikeout rate. Our projections have deGrom generating 34.6 FanDuel points, tops on the slate.

Matt Olson, 1B, Oakland Athletics ($3,600)

While he had to deal with a zero last night, Matt Olson of the Oakland Athletics could continue his monster season against Logan Gilbert.

The left-handed slugger has mashed his way to 12 home runs this season, and he could add to that total against a rookie hurler who holds a lot of promise but has REALLY struggled since his call-up. He's logged a 9.45 ERA and 1.83 WHIP, and his inability to command the strike zone is a major concern. To retire eight batters last time out, Gilbert needed 74 pitches and only 43 were for strikes.

It won't help that the park is pitcher-friendly, but Olson is a good bet for a long ball.

Shohei Ohtani, OF, Los Angeles Angels ($4,100)

One of baseball's most amazing stories is what Shohei Ohtani is doing after returning from Tommy John surgery. Not only is he throwing fastballs over 100 MPH, but he's absolutely obliterating the baseball.

And tonight, facing Hyeon-jong Yang of the Texas Rangers, he could add to his legendary status. Yang will get at least one more turn in the Rangers' rotation, and his 3.38 ERA belies some good luck -- he's rocking an unsustainable .220 BABIP and 81.7% strand rate. His 17.4% strikeout rate is far below league average, too.

Expect Ohtani to be in for a big night.


Matt Kupferle is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Matt Kupferle also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username MKupferle. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.