FanDuel MLB DFS Picks: Wednesday 5/14/25

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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

Yoshinobu Yamamoto ($10,600)

Yoshinobu Yamamoto is the only pitcher with a five-figure salary tonight, but he leads the way in our MLB DFS projections. Despite the salary cap hit, it's pretty easy to get behind a guy with a 2.65 xERA, 2.72 SIERA, 30.3% strikeout rate, and 61.7% ground-ball rate. The Athletics' active roster has an 18.9% strikeout rate versus righties, which could limit Yamamoto's ceiling, but it's hard to find a better floor on Wednesday's slate. As of this writing, the A's have a 3.05 implied team total, one of the day's lowest marks.

Chris Bassitt ($9,500)

Chris Bassitt has the night's second-best projection, giving him some solid value at an $1,100 discount compared to Yamamoto. Bassitt has cooled off since a hot start to the season, but he still carries a 3.17 xERA, 25.0% K rate, and 4.1% BB rate. He could have nice upside tonight versus a Tampa Bay Rays active roster with the third-highest strikeout rate (25.5%) against right-handers.

Clay Holmes ($9,200)

Clay Holmes's pitch count tends to max out in the low 90s, but this is a plus matchup versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. Against right-handed pitching, Pittsburgh's active roster is showing the league's third-worst wRC+ (82) and second-worst ISO (.105). Add in cool temperatures and 10-15 mph winds blowing in at Citi Field, and we get a 2.81 implied team total for the lowly Pirates. Holmes is no slouch, too, producing a 3.06 xERA, 24.7% strikeout rate, and 53.0% ground-ball rate this year.

Stacks to Target

Texas Rangers

Players to Target: Wyatt Langford ($3,500), Adolis Garcia ($3,100), Josh Smith ($3,000), and Josh Jung ($3,000)

The Texas Rangers (5.44 implied team total) have been an underwhelming offense this season, but a matchup against Colorado Rockies right-hander Antonio Senzatela should help them get going for at least one night. Senzatela comes in with a 6.98 xERA and 10.3% strikeout rate, and other than showing a high ground-ball rate versus lefties (62.4%), there really isn't much of anything to scare us here. Note that Josh Smith has missed the last two games with a minor back issue, but he's eligible at five different positions and should bat leadoff if he starts.

Cincinnati Reds

Players to Target: Elly Del La Cruz ($3,600), Austin Hays ($3,200), Matt McLain ($3,000), and TJ Friedl ($2,900)

Chicago White Sox right-hander Davis Martin has produced a 6.12 xERA and 15.2% strikeout rate this year, suggesting his respectable 4.01 ERA isn't built to last. The Cincinnati Reds are another team that boasts a high implied team total (5.52), and it never hurts to stack a lineup playing at hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park. Austin Hays has been one of the Reds' best overall sluggers (.415 xwOBA) while Elly De La Cruz, Matt McLain, and TJ Friedl all bring added upside through stolen bases.

San Diego Padres

Players to Target: Jackson Merrill ($4,100), Fernando Tatis ($4,000), Manny Machado ($3,400), and Gavin Sheets ($2,900)

While Kyle Hendricks still does a good job of suppressing loud contact with a 30.9% hard-hit rate (91st percentile), that's simply not enough to keep runs off the board when you're also bringing a 14.2% K rate and 10.1% BB rate to the fight. He can be attacked by both sides of the plate, but he's showing an especially egregious 5.98 xFIP versus lefty sticks, which should make Jackson Merrill a top priority in San Diego Padres stacks. It might be hard to fit both Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. together, in which case Jake Cronenworth ($3,200) and Luis Arraez ($2,700) are other guys to consider, as well.

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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.