FanDuel MLB DFS Picks: Tuesday 5/20/25

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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

Tarik Skubal, Tigers ($11,000)

If Tarik Skubal is pitching, he probably paces our MLB DFS projections, and that's the case today as we peg him to score 35.0 FanDuel points in a road date with the St. Louis Cardinals. Skubal won the Cy Young last year and is somehow better this season, pitching to a 2.25 SIERA and 33.6% strikeout rate. He's amazing. With that said, he carries a massive salary, and there are some other quality options. I'll likely be light-ish on him today as I want to save some salary for bats.

Dylan Cease, Padres ($9,900)

Dylan Cease is the main reason I feel OK fading Skubal. For $1,100 less in salary, Cease brings big-time upside to the table in a friendly matchup with a Toronto Blue Jays offense that is just 19th in wOBA (.309). Cease is sporting a 3.42 SIERA, 28.6% K rate and 15.5% swinging-strike rate. The swinging-strike rate is a career-best clip, and Toronto's 3.86-run implied total is a number we can feel good about. We project Cease for 34.2 FanDuel points, making him our top point-per-dollar play among those salaried above $8,500.

Will Warren, Yankees ($8,400)

On a Coors slate and with a few high-salary offenses in great spots, Will Warren catches my eye as a value pick. Warren is at home against the Texas Rangers. While Yankee Stadium isn't the ideal venue, Texas has been bad offensively, sitting 27th in wOBA (.291). Warren's underlying numbers -- including a 3.47 SIERA and 27.9% K rate -- are pretty darn good for someone at this salary. I'm also intrigued by rookie Logan Henderson ($8,200) as another value option, but I give Warren a slight edge.

Stacks to Target

Philadelphia Phillies

Players to Target: Bryce Harper ($4,300), Kyle Schwarber ($4,500), Trea Turner ($3,900) and Max Kepler ($3,100)

It's a great night for offense as four teams have implied totals of at least 5.20. We'll start with the obvious stack of the night. The Philadelphia Phillies are showing a slate-leading 6.73 implied total for a Coors clash with Antonio Senzatela. Kyle Freeland mostly quieted the Phils last night, and the Phillies still plated nine runs. That's the beauty of facing this Colorado Rockies pitching staff at Coors; even if the starter does okay, the bullpen will probably mess it up. Senzatela has allowed nine taters in just 43.2 innings. Everyone in Philly's lineup is in play, and I'm using Bryce Harper and Max Kepler as core plays with Kepler offering some much-needed salary relief.

Athletics

Players to Target: Lawrence Butler ($2,900), Tyler Soderstrom ($3,400), Brent Rooker ($3,200) and Nick Kurtz ($2,500)

The Athletics (5.58 implied total) can cook today versus Kyle Hendricks -- a righty with a 5.15 SIERA and 14.5% strikeout rate -- and this game is at the Athletics' dinger-happy temporary home. Given that the three other teams with lofty implied totals are big-name lineups, I think there's a chance the A's go a wee bit overlooked on this slate, and that makes them very enticing. When you add that to their manageable salaries, they're my favorite stack of the night. Lawrence Butler will likely be atop the lineup, and Tyler Soderstrom has racked up a .381 wOBA and 43.8% hard-hit rate against RHP this year.

Los Angeles Dodgers

Players to Target: Mookie Betts ($4,000), Shohei Ohtani ($4,800), Max Muncy ($2,900) and Hyeseong Kim ($2,800)

The Los Angeles Dodgers have lost four in a row, and they can take out some frustration today as they have a 5.47 implied total against Ryne Nelson. Mookie Betts launched two jacks last night and might be ready to go on a tear after a slow -- by his standards -- start to the campaign. Shohei Ohtani -- who has +176 home run odds -- also went deep last night and is a quality play every night. Max Muncy is easy to like at his modest salary, and Hyeseong Kim can be used in wrap-around stacks.

New York Yankees

Players to Target: Aaron Judge ($4,800), Paul Goldschmidt ($3,500), Anthony Volpe ($3,100) and DJ LeMahieu ($2,300)

Getting to face Patrick Corbin at Yankee Stadium is about as good as it gets, and the Bronx Bombers hold a 5.26 implied total. That number would lead most slates, but it ranks only fourth today. Aaron Judge figures to attract a lot of attention versus Corbin. Judge has a .706 wOBA -- yes, .706 -- with the platoon advantage this year. Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Volpe and DJ LeMahieu also hit from the right side. LeMahieu is a handy piece to the lineup puzzle as he can slot in at 1B, 2B or 3B.

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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.