FanDuel MLB DFS Picks: Saturday 5/17/25

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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

Zac Gallen ($10,200)

Picking on the Colorado Rockies in both phases of baseball typically produces good results in DFS, and Zac Gallen's salary is palatable given a matchup with MLB's worst offense against righties (64 wRC+). Colorado also fans at the second-highest rate (26.5%) against them. This hasn't been Gallen's best campaign, but his 3.65 xERA and 24.8% K rate are up to this small task.

Tyler Mahle ($8,800)

Tyler Mahle and Ronel Blanco are in similar positions opposite each other. In a solid park for pitchers, they'll face average offenses against righties that don't whiff much. I'll trust Mahle of the two -- and not just because he's at home. Mahle has done a great job generating groundballs (49.1% rate) and limiting hard contact (30.9% rate) to allow just 0.37 HR/9 so far.

Clayton Kershaw ($8,000)

It's the season debut for Clayton Kershaw, and luckily for him, the Los Angeles Angels aren't much of a step up from Triple-A. L.A. has mustered just a .530 team OPS against lefties with a 30.0% strikeout rate against southpaws. Both of those marks are easily worst in baseball. Kershaw's pitch count should be in the low 70s, but his muted upside is a good trade for the slate's best bats in cash games.

Stacks to Target

Arizona Diamondbacks

Players to Target: Corbin Carroll ($4,500), Ketel Marte ($3,700), Josh Naylor ($3,000), and Pavin Smith ($2,900)

We're not done with Colorado. Former All-Star German Marquez is a shell of his former self, posting an 8.27 ERA that's well-supported by a 5.25 skill-interactive ERA (SIERA) as poor. He's allowing a career-high 83.8% contact rate despite doing a good job of keeping the ball in the yard (0.97 HR/9). The Arizona Diamondbacks sport MLB's best team OPS against righties (.821) and are capable of producing damage by stringing together knocks.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Players to Target: Shohei Ohtani ($4,600), Mookie Betts ($3,900), Will Smith ($3,200), and Kike Hernandez ($2,700)

Is this the best matchup for the Los Angeles Dodgers ever? No, but they'll be an intriguing tournament pivot off Arizona against Tyler Anderson. The lefty has done a good job limiting hard contact (31.0%) rate, but his 75.0% contact rate isn't ideal, either. Anderson's 1.39 HR/9 allowed is the highest for him since 2021, and it might rise against this vaunted lineup in MLB's second-best park for bombs.

Kansas City Royals

Players to Target: Bobby Witt Jr. ($4,100), Maikel Garcia ($3,100), Vinnie Pasquantino ($2,800), and Jonathan India ($2,800)

I love the Kansas City Royals as a tournament pivot tonight. They'll face Miles Mikolas (5.11 SIERA) and MLB's sixth-highest bullpen SIERA (3.91) on a warm night at Kauffman Stadium. Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia are already raking against right-handed pitching, and expect Jonathan India and Vinnie Pasquantino to join the fun soon with improving hard-hit rates in the split. These salaries fit like a glove with Gallen.

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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.