FanDuel MLB DFS Picks: Tuesday 5/13/25

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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

Dylan Cease, Padres ($9,000)

Per our MLB DFS projections, Dylan Cease is the slate's top arm, and it's hard to argue. He's at his pitcher-friendly home park versus the Los Angeles Angels, an offense that ranks 27th in wOBA (.292) and sports the highest strikeout rate (27.3%). Cease is equipped to take advantage as he boasts a 3.67 SIERA, 27.0% strikeout rate and 14.4% swinging-strike rate. His upside is through the roof, and we project him for 37.5 FanDuel points. Given the matchup and modest salary, Cease is probably going to be very popular, but that doesn't scare me too much.

Ben Brown, Cubs ($8,300)

Ben Brown is an excellent second option if you want to either fade the Cease chalk or need $700 more for your bats. Brown is at home versus the lowly Miami Marlins, and he's shown he can cook when he's got his best stuff as he's gone for at least 33 FanDuel points in three of his seven starts, including a 43-point outburst against the Los Angeles Dodgers. A 12.2% walk rate coupled with a short leash -- 85-plus pitches just twice this year -- sometimes leads to abbreviated outings, but while Cease is a tier above him today in my eyes, Brown is plenty viable and a stellar value play.

Spencer Schwellenbach, Braves ($8,900)

Most people who are looking for a pitcher in this range will likely find the extra $100 for Cease, making Spencer Schwellenbach a fun pivot. Schwellenbach is backing up his outstanding rookie season with similar numbers this year, pitching to a 3.36 SIERA and 13.6% swinging-strike rate. He draws a decent matchup against a middle-of-the-road Washington Nationals lineup, one that is 16th in wOBA (.307) with the 18th-highest K rate (21.6%).

Stacks to Target

Chicago Cubs

Players to Target: Kyle Tucker ($4,400), Michael Busch ($2,900), Seiya Suzuki ($3,600) and Nico Hoerner ($2,900)

The night's top implied total (5.32) belongs to the Chicago Cubs for their date with Valente Bellozo, a righty who has a career 5.39 SIERA and allows 1.66 homers per nine innings. The Cubs are seventh in wOBA (.331) versus righties, and if you're stacking them in this split, you almost have to plug in Kyle Tucker. Tucker's first year in Chicago could hardly be going better as he's mashed his way to a .390 wOBA and is in the 86th percentile or better in all of barrel rate, expected slugging and expected wOBA. Busch is mauling RHP to the tune of a .386 wOBA and is the other priority for me in Cubs stacks.

Texas Rangers

Players to Target: Wyatt Langford ($3,400), Josh Jung ($3,000), Adolis Garcia ($3,000) and Marcus Semien ($2,700)

The Texas Rangers flopped as a popular stack last night. I hope that keeps some people away as the Rangers are in another smash spot today, this time versus Kyle Freeland. The Colorado Rockies' southpaw has some better numbers overall this season, but he's still got a measly 16.5% K rate. The Rangers' salaries aren't too hard to get to, and I'm really into Josh Jung and Wyatt Langford, who have career wOBAs of .366 and .375, respectively, with the platoon advantage.

San Diego Padres

Players to Target: Fernando Tatis Jr. ($4,000), Jackson Merrill ($4,300), Manny Machado ($3,400) and Gavin Sheets ($2,900)

The San Diego Padres' 4.42 implied total might slip through the cracks a bit, and that intrigues me. They're at home against Jose Soriano, who is a pretty good pitcher but is also a guy with a meh 19.1% strikeout rate this season. The Padres have plenty of pop, and while it takes a significant chunk of salary to get to them, Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and Jackson Merrill bring top-notch upside to the table. Gavin Sheets offers some salary relief and has been elite versus RHP this year, racking up a .398 wOBA.

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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.