FanDuel MLB DFS Picks: Monday 5/19/25

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Be sure to incorporate our MLB DFS projections into your research process.

Let's check out the top options on today's main slate.

Note: All MLB odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook. All stats come from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant unless noted otherwise.

Top MLB DFS Picks

Pitcher Breakdown

Christopher Sanchez ($9,900)

Cristopher Sanchez has a near five-figure salary pitching at Coors Field. In other words, he isn't for the faint of heart tonight.

But the southpaw has been SO good and the Colorado Rockies have been SO bad, I'm not entirely sure the venue matters. It hasn't to this point in the year; Colorado ranks 28th in home wRC+ and has struck out at a 25.1% clip at Coors.

Somehow, they've been even worse against lefties. Southpaws have diced up the Rockies for the league's second-highest K% (28%) and eighth-lowest wOBA (.278).

That's horrific, and it makes Sanchez my favorite pitcher to roster at salary.

Granted, Sanchez's own play is a big reason for his appeal, too. Sanchez is in the midst of a full-on breakout, pitching to a 3.22 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) and recording a 28.4% K%. His 56.4% ground-ball rate should do wonders at Coors, and there's legitimate 50-FanDuel point (FDP) upside here.

Sanchez has cracked 40 FDP in consecutive games and has a 61-FDP gem in his back pocket from mid-April. That's within his range of outcomes tonight.

Bailey Ober ($9,400)

Our projections love Bailey Ober tonight -- to the point he's our second highest-projected player (33.3 FDP) and top point-per-dollar value on the mound despite a relatively high salary.

But that love is warranted. Though Ober is coming off a poor showing, he'd exceeded 30 FDP in all six of his previous starts. Over that six-start stretch, Ober racked up 4 wins, pitching to a 1.95 ERA and posting 29 strikeouts to just 4 walks.

Perhaps his best start in that stretch came against the same Cleveland Guardians lineup he'll face tonight. Ober lasted 7 2/3 innings in that one, permitting just a single run and zero walks.

The Guardians are just 21st in wOBA (.310) against right-handed pitching -- something that's bound to happen when you lead the league in soft contact rate in this split.

I'd like the strikeout rate to be higher, but there's no denying what a rock-solid option Ober is tonight. He's a fine play who could go under-rostered given the lack of flash.

Stacks to Target

Phillies

Players to Target: Kyle Schwarber ($4,500), Bryce Harper ($4,300), Trea Turner ($3,900), Nick Castellanos ($3,300), Edmundo Sosa ($3,000)

The Philadelphia Phillies begin a four-game series at Coors Field, and early draft percentage projections around the industry peg them as an uber-popular stack.

I'm not willing to fade consensus opinion. Philly has a massive 6.3-run implied total on a slate where only three teams crack a 5.0-run implied total. They're up against Kyle Freeland -- a lefty with a 5.63 ERA and .363 wOBA against at Coors Field since the start of last season.

Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper are our model's two highest-projected hitters on the main slate. Schwarber (.896 OPS) and Harper (1.033) have historically both mashed at Coors, and neither has struggled with southpaws in 2025. Trea Turner hasn't found as much success against lefties this season, but he's compiled a .950 OPS across 26 Coors games.

You can dip down to lower salaries here, too. Among $3K hitters, Nick Castellanos is our top point-per-dollar value (15-FDP projection). He's quietly third on the Phils in wOBA versus lefties (.389) and has a career 1.010 OPS in Denver. Otherwise, consider Edmundo Sosa if he cracks the starting lineup. He's second on the team in wOBA (.396) for this split.

Dodgers

Players to Target: Shohei Ohtani ($4,800), Freddie Freeman ($4,200), Andy Pages ($3,300), Max Muncy ($2,900), Hyeseong Kim ($2,800)

Brandon Pfaadt's hot start was never really supported by the numbers. The third-year righty held a 2.78 ERA through his first six outings but had managed just a 20.4% K% while stranding 85.7% of baserunners. That, predictably, didn't last. He's given up 4+ runs in two of his last three starts and now boasts a 4.41 FIP on the year.

The righty's one good start in that stretch came against the same Los Angeles Dodgers lineup he'll face tonight. Though Pfaadt tossed 6 1/3 scoreless innings against LA just 11 days ago, I'll jump back aboard the Dodgers train in a home rematch.

This is LA's preferred split, and they have several potential fantasy options in their lineup. I'll start building around either Shohei Ohtani (1.119 OPS vs. RHP) or Freddie Freeman (1.134). From there, LA has several worthy candidates.

Mookie Betts can pop in the right matchup but hasn't been especially impactful against righties to this point in the season.

Instead, I'll target mid-range options such as Tommy Edman (.843 OPS vs. RHP), Andy Pages (.898), Will Smith (.849), Max Muncy (.795), or Hyeseong Kim (1.065).

Just give yourself some flexibility and stay glued to LA's pregame lineup release.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.