FanDuel MLB DFS Pitching Primer for Friday 5/24/24

Nailing the pitcher slot is the first step to having success in MLB DFS on FanDuel.

While it's possible to cash if you get a bad outing from a starter, it's markedly easier to do so when you get a good or excellent showing from your pitcher, and it's darn near impossible to take down a contest without a big score from your hurler.

Weighing the importance of a pitcher's skill, salary, matchup and park factors is the game within the game in MLB DFS. This piece is your home for a breakdown of the top pitching options on today's main slate.

All betting references come from the MLB odds at FanDuel Sportsbook. All stats come from FanGraphs and Baseball Savant unless noted otherwise.

MLB DFS Pitcher Picks

Top Options

Shota Imanaga, Chicago Cubs, ($11,000)

What a start it's been for Shota Imanaga ($11,000) in his first season in the MLB. He currently has the lowest ERA in baseball among qualified starters, at a miniscule 0.84.

Imanaga's advanced numbers look good, as well. He has a 27.2% strikeout rate and just a 4.3% walk rate. His skill interactive ERA (SIERA) is a superb 3.02.

The Chicago Cubs will take on their division rivals, the St. Louis Cardinals, tonight. The Cards have been dreadful against left-handed pitching, with just a 71 weighted runs created plus (wRC+) in the split. That's the third-worst mark in the league.

It won't be easy to fit in Imanaga at this salary, but he could be worth it given his matchup and performance so far this season.

Corbin Burnes, Baltimore Orioles ($10,600)

In his first season with the Baltimore Orioles, Corbin Burnes ($10,600) is showing why the team went out and traded for him.

Burnes has had a dominant stretch over his last five games. He's recorded a quality start in all of them, striking out at least six batters in four of the five. Overall, he has a 25.6% strikeout rate to go with a 3.04 expected FIP (xFIP) so far in 2024.

Tonight, Burnes will face the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox have been a team to target with pitchers all season long. They have the second-lowest wRC+ in the league against right-handed pitching, sitting at just 85. They also strike out 23.0% of the time against righties.

With Burnes not having dipped below 20 FanDuel points in any start this season, he's a safe option with lots of upside. Chicago has the lowest implied team total tonight (2.91 runs), so Burnes is likely to get another quality start.

Keep an eye on the weather in this game, however, as there is a chance for rain, which could put Burnes at risk of a short start if they get a mid-game delay.

Next Tier

Kutter Crawford, Boston Red Sox ($9,200)

Kutter Crawford ($9,200) has been excellent to start the season for the Boston Red Sox. He's 10th in Fangraphs' WAR among starting pitchers.

Crawford has allowed three or fewer runs in six of his last seven starts, notching at least five strikeouts in six of the seven. He owns a 3.86 SIERA and 3.99 xFIP, both solid numbers.

The Red Sox are facing the Milwaukee Brewers tonight. Milwaukee is not an easy matchup for righties, but they do strike out 21.8% of the time against them.

With Boston a -134 moneyline favorite in this game, Crawford should be a fairly safe option for lineups tonight.

Bailey Ober, Minnesota Twins ($8,400)

Bailey Ober ($8,400) has put his massive 6'9" frame to good use this season. He doesn't throw hard even at that size, averaging just 92 MPH on his four-seam fastball, but he's still been effective.

Ober has a career-best 26.6% strikeout rate this season. His SIERA (3.41) and xFIP (3.65) are also career-best clips. He's issuing a walk to only 4.9% of batters -- not quite a career-best number but just barely worse than his 4.8% mark from 2022.

He'll have a tough task tonight against the Texas Rangers. Texas has a deep lineup that won't be easy to navigate.

That's why I'd go with Ober in only tournaments. He has two 50-point fantasy games this year, so he has the upside we want for GPPs. The tough opponent makes me shy away in cash games, though.

Ober is listed as the best point-per-dollar value on the slate, per FanDuel Research's projections.

Value of the Day

Miles Mikolas, St. Louis Cardinals ($7,400)

Let's be honest: no one gets excited to roster Miles Mikolas ($7,400). However, he could make some sense tonight.

Mikolas' surface numbers look ugly. He's carrying a 5.77 ERA so far this season. However, his expected ERA (xERA) is down at 4.97 while his SIERA is 4.23 and his xFIP is 4.11. The latter two numbers are respectable.

Facing a Cubs team that strikes out 23.9% of the time against righties and has a below-average 98 wRC+ in the split, Mikolas could give us a solid outing at a very low salary. If we want to get some bats from Coors Field into our lineups -- or another of the night's top offenses -- we may have to consider using Mikolas for salary relief.

Quick Mound Visits

Zac Gallen ($10,200) is in a good spot against the Miami Marlins and is coming off of three straight quality starts, with 20 strikeouts in 18.2 innings in that time. He's up there with Imanaga and Burnes as the best pitchers on this slate, and he is a backup option if weather pushes us off Burnes.

Carlos Rodon ($9,500) has quietly been excellent of late, with 40 FanDuel points in four of his last games. He'll face a San Diego Padres team that doesn't strike out much against lefties (17.6% of the time) but also has just an 80 wRC+ against them.

Christian Scott ($8,200) and the New York Mets are favorites at home tonight against the San Francisco Giants. Scott has struck out 23.9% of batters and has a 3.61 SIERA, so he's an intriguing option, especially at this salary.

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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.