This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Welcome to May! Wednesday's MLB action is divvied out across the day, leaving us with seven games starting at 6:35 p.m. EDT or later. Let's start the month on a high note! Here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Justin Verlander, HOU vs. CLE ($10,000): Verlander had a 3.22 ERA in his age-40 season, and he's started this year with an 1.74 ERA through two starts. I have a slight concern given that he went only 4.1 innings in his second outing, but the future Hall of Famer feels unencumbered by age. Cleveland is above average in terms of runs scored so far, but last season it finished 27th in runs scored and last in home runs, so consider me skeptical.
Kutter Crawford, BOS vs. SF ($9,700): Crawford has been an early surprise in the MLB ranks. Through six starts he has an 1.35 ERA, and even his 2.19 FIP is impressive. Maybe he will regress, but the Giants are below average in terms of runs scored, so this matchup should help him stay on track for the Red Sox.
Top Target
His slow start aside, Corey Seager ($3,400) had an 1.075 OPS against righties in 2023, as well as an 1.113 OPS at home. Trevor Williams may have a 2.70 ERA, but he's also allowed zero home runs this season. Last year, he allowed 2.12 homers per nine innings, so that won't continue. Plus, while the righty has kept his fellow right-handers in check, lefties have hit .295 against Williams to start 2024.
Bargain Bat
The 23-year-old Trey Lipscomb ($2,800) quickly got the call up to the majors and is currently handling third base for the young Nationals. It's early, but he's hit .278 with one homer and five stolen bases. Andrew Heaney has a career 4.53 ERA, and the southpaw has also allowed 1.60 home runs per nine innings in his career.
Stacks to Consider
Astros vs. Guardians (Triston McKenzie): Kyle Tucker ($4,000), Yordan Alvarez ($3,900), Joey Loperfido ($2,200)
While many pitchers bounce back with no issues after an injury, that isn't true 100 percent of the time. McKenzie had a 5.06 ERA in four starts last season after returning from an elbow issue, and this year he has a 4.91 ERA through five starts. He's looking further and further from the guy he was in 2022. Houston is off to a slow start, but it still has some notable bats that make for a good stack.
Tucker was my preseason pick for AL MVP, and while the Astros' record may hinder that prediction, his production has not. The lefty has a .300/.412/.555 slash line with seven home runs and five stolen bases, so he's in line for his third 25/25 season in a row. Alvarez has slashed .263/.333/.474 with seven homers, and that's a slow start for him. He's never slugged below .531 over the course of a season, so there is room for an uptick in power. Loperfido was just called up from Triple-A. The 24-year-old had an 1.106 OPS at that level, and last season he had a .940 OPS at Double-A. He's also a lefty, which gives the Astros a third southpaw for stacks.
Red Sox vs. Giants (Daulton Jefferies): Rafael Devers ($3,200), Rob Refsnyder ($3,000), Jarren Duran ($3,000)
With injuries to the Giants rotation, namely Blake Snell, Jefferies is getting a start. He has gotten one already this year, and he only went 2.0 innings and allowed nine runs, five earned. The righty now has a career 6.33 ERA. Circumstances leaving the Giants to give Jefferies another start bodes well for the Red Sox, which is why I'd stack this trio.
Devers missed some time with a bit of injury, but he's slashed .282/.407/.465 while healthy. Additionally, since 2022 he has an .898 OPS versus righties. Refsnyder is off to a strong start to the season, and Jefferies is hittable for both lefties and righties, so I figured he was worth a shot. After a strong game Tuesday, he has a .379/.486/.690 slash line. Duran doesn't have a ton of power, but he stole 24 bases last year and already has nine stolen bases through 30 games this season. Plus, since 2022 he has a .795 OPS at home, and Fenway Park is often kind to lefties.
