MLB DFS DraftKings Picks Breakdown (Tuesday, May 27th)

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MLB DFS Pitching Picks

MLB DFS Stud Pick

Hunter Brown ($11,000) Houston Astros (-220) vs. Athletics

Tuesday’s start against the top-ten Athletics offense will serve as a great litmus test for Hunter Brown. The breakout ace is a top-five Cy Young candidate with a 2.04 ERA but has benefited from some favorable matchups so far this season.

The fact that Brown had similarly elite numbers in the second half of last season makes his ascension feel a bit more real, as do his sub-3.00 marks in every ERA predictor. I’d still bet against him maintaining an ERA this low all season, but mid-twos is starting to feel like a real possibility. He’s also improved both his swinging strike and strikeout rates considerably, with the latter figure now over 30%.

Plus, the betting market is clearly on his side, with the A’s having one of the lowest team totals on the slate and the Astros as heavy favorites. A good game is pretty likely for Brown, and he leads our projections in median and ceiling.

Of course, he needs more than “good” to justify an $11,000 salary that also leads the slate. That’s somewhat less likely, which makes him a bit of a tough GPP sell. That’s mitigated by very reasonable ownership projections, though, making him a solid pay-up to be contrarian option.

Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper promo code FL55.

MLB DFS Value Pick

Cade Horton ($8,000) Chicago Cubs (-345) vs. Colorado Rockies

Get used to seeing Cubs pitchers featured somewhere in this article this week, as they host the Rockies at Wrigley Field. Colorado has the worst wRC+ in the majors by a wide margin and has scored the second-fewest runs in baseball despite playing half their games at Coors Field.

With Wrigley Field downgrading scoring by more than 30% relative to Coors, the outlook for the Rockies is bleak. Especially today, when the famous Chicago Wind is expected to lower scoring another 15%, according to Weather Edge.

Our strong projection for Horton is more about the conditions than his ability, as the rookie is set to make his fourth career start. His 4.40 ERA is fine but nothing special, although his xERA is a full run lower. Additionally, while he’s only struck out about 15% of the hitters he’s faced, his swinging strike rate suggests he should end up in the low 20s in that category.

Colorado strikes out at the second-highest rate in the majors, so he should be able to realize some of that positive regression. He has the best Vegas data on the slate and a moderate price tag, making him a solid value play. He’s tied for the lead in Pts/Sal projection and is a good option for all contest types.


Now available: our MLB DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.


MLB DFS GPP Pick

Carlos Rodon ($10,500) New York Yankees (-200) at Los Angeles Angels

The only team to strike out more than the Rockies is the Angels — and Los Angeles strikes out more against lefties than righties. That points to some massive upside for Yankees southpaw Carlos Rodon, who already carries a 31% strikeout rate — good for fourth in the majors and just ahead of Brown.

He’s not projecting quite as well as the Astros’ ace due to somewhat worse Vegas data. Los Angeles is implied for 3.9 runs, which is somewhat in the middle on Tuesday’s slate. However, that total probably has more to do with the Yankees bullpen, since Rodon has a sub-3.00 ERA and xERA on the season.

Our current ownership projections have him slightly less popular than Brown, but it’s easier to make the case for Rodon having the higher ceiling. With a $500 cheaper price tag, that makes him an elite GPP pivot tonight.

If you’re craving more MLB DFS or betting tools, be sure to check out one of our most powerful tools on the site—PlateIQ.

MLB DFS Hitters and Stacks

Notable Stack

With the Lineup Builder, it’s easy to incorporate stacks into DFS rosters.

Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups.

The top DraftKings stack in the FantasyLabs MLB Player Model when generated by rating using an aggregate projection set belongs to the Arizona Diamondbacks:

We’ve got four teams with a team total of five or more on Tuesday, but the clear leader is the Diamondbacks. Arizona checks in with a 5.7-run implied total, well clear of their nearest competition.

While they aren’t cheap by any stretch, their first five hitters come in a full $1,000 cheaper than the Yankees’ equivalent despite having a better run total. That makes them the best overall option if you can find the salary.

They’re taking on Mike Burrows ($5,500) of the Pirates, who gave up four runs in five innings in his only previous start this season. The righty has just 8.1 total innings in the majors, with a 5.40 ERA. A matchup with the Diamondbacks’ top-three offense against right-handed pitching probably doesn’t improve those numbers.

Not interested in messing around with optimizer settings? No worries, you can use our MLB DFS Simulations and let it find the best way to control your stacks, exposure, correlations, and more!

Click here to find out how SimLabs can elevate your MLB DFS game, and watch the video below.

Other MLB DFS Hitter Picks

One of the great features of being a FantasyLabs Pro member is the option to purchase additional items in the FantasyLabs Marketplace.

In addition to our in-house MLB projections,  THE BAT X from Derek Carty of RotoGrinders is available in our marketplace. With this purchase, you can use his projections alone or create aggregate projections within our Player Models.

For this example, we created a 50/50 blend with THE BAT X and the FantasyLabs projections to pinpoint some hitters that stand out.

Paul Goldschmidt 1B ($4,600) New York Yankees at Los Angeles Angels (Tyler Anderson)

Despite what I mentioned above, I still want some exposure to the Yankees. While it would be great to squeeze Aaron Judge ($6,600) into some lineups, his price tag makes that difficult.

New York has another option with elite numbers against lefties, though, and that’s Goldschmidt. Outside of Judge, he has by far the best splits in PlateIQ:

Since he’s $2,000 cheaper, he’s a solid option to get some Yankees exposure without having to downgrade at other positions. He’s the highest-rated player in our Tournament Models.

Isaac Paredes 3B ($4,300) Houston Astros vs. Athletics (JP Sears)

Paredes has had some strong seasons in the past, but he’s having a breakout 2025. He’s hitting .276 with a .490 slugging percentage, both of which are career highs. Five of his 11 home runs this season have been in the last eight games, but his salary hasn’t really caught up to his production.

He has a solid matchup tonight against JP Sears ($7,900), a lefty with a 4.00 ERA but worse underlying numbers on the year. While Paredes has struggled against southpaws this season, his career numbers against them are better than against righties, so it’s a good time to take a shot.

Brandon Nimmo OF ($3,600) New York Mets vs. Chicago White Sox (Jonathan Cannon)

The Mets are another team with a five-run total, but superstar hitters are priced prohibitively. The exception at the top of the lineup is Nimmo, who costs just $3,600.

Nimmo is hitting just .219 this season, which explains the savings, but he has solid power with eight home runs. His BABIP and HR/FB ratio are both below his career average despite his hard-hit and barrel rates being career bests, which suggests he’s been more unlucky than bad.

That, plus his #2 spot in the Mets lineup, points to him being a solid value option tonight.

Interested in more MLB action? Check out Fanatics Sportsbook and use our Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.

Pictured: Hunter Brown

Photo Credit: Getty Images

The MLB Breakdown offers data-driven analysis using the FantasyLabs Tools and predictive metrics to highlight notable players within our MLB Player Models.

Become an All-Access Member Today

Lineup builder and optimizer

Real-time DFS models & projections

Data-driven analysis & tutorials
 

MLB DFS Pitching Picks

MLB DFS Stud Pick

Hunter Brown ($11,000) Houston Astros (-220) vs. Athletics

Tuesday’s start against the top-ten Athletics offense will serve as a great litmus test for Hunter Brown. The breakout ace is a top-five Cy Young candidate with a 2.04 ERA but has benefited from some favorable matchups so far this season.

The fact that Brown had similarly elite numbers in the second half of last season makes his ascension feel a bit more real, as do his sub-3.00 marks in every ERA predictor. I’d still bet against him maintaining an ERA this low all season, but mid-twos is starting to feel like a real possibility. He’s also improved both his swinging strike and strikeout rates considerably, with the latter figure now over 30%.

Plus, the betting market is clearly on his side, with the A’s having one of the lowest team totals on the slate and the Astros as heavy favorites. A good game is pretty likely for Brown, and he leads our projections in median and ceiling.

Of course, he needs more than “good” to justify an $11,000 salary that also leads the slate. That’s somewhat less likely, which makes him a bit of a tough GPP sell. That’s mitigated by very reasonable ownership projections, though, making him a solid pay-up to be contrarian option.

Be sure to check out all the pick’ems Sleeper has to offer with Sleeper promo code FL55.

MLB DFS Value Pick

Cade Horton ($8,000) Chicago Cubs (-345) vs. Colorado Rockies

Get used to seeing Cubs pitchers featured somewhere in this article this week, as they host the Rockies at Wrigley Field. Colorado has the worst wRC+ in the majors by a wide margin and has scored the second-fewest runs in baseball despite playing half their games at Coors Field.

With Wrigley Field downgrading scoring by more than 30% relative to Coors, the outlook for the Rockies is bleak. Especially today, when the famous Chicago Wind is expected to lower scoring another 15%, according to Weather Edge.

Our strong projection for Horton is more about the conditions than his ability, as the rookie is set to make his fourth career start. His 4.40 ERA is fine but nothing special, although his xERA is a full run lower. Additionally, while he’s only struck out about 15% of the hitters he’s faced, his swinging strike rate suggests he should end up in the low 20s in that category.

Colorado strikes out at the second-highest rate in the majors, so he should be able to realize some of that positive regression. He has the best Vegas data on the slate and a moderate price tag, making him a solid value play. He’s tied for the lead in Pts/Sal projection and is a good option for all contest types.


Now available: our MLB DFS SimLabs Lineup Generator that creates advanced DFS lineups using the power of simulation.


MLB DFS GPP Pick

Carlos Rodon ($10,500) New York Yankees (-200) at Los Angeles Angels

The only team to strike out more than the Rockies is the Angels — and Los Angeles strikes out more against lefties than righties. That points to some massive upside for Yankees southpaw Carlos Rodon, who already carries a 31% strikeout rate — good for fourth in the majors and just ahead of Brown.

He’s not projecting quite as well as the Astros’ ace due to somewhat worse Vegas data. Los Angeles is implied for 3.9 runs, which is somewhat in the middle on Tuesday’s slate. However, that total probably has more to do with the Yankees bullpen, since Rodon has a sub-3.00 ERA and xERA on the season.

Our current ownership projections have him slightly less popular than Brown, but it’s easier to make the case for Rodon having the higher ceiling. With a $500 cheaper price tag, that makes him an elite GPP pivot tonight.

If you’re craving more MLB DFS or betting tools, be sure to check out one of our most powerful tools on the site—PlateIQ.

MLB DFS Hitters and Stacks

Notable Stack

With the Lineup Builder, it’s easy to incorporate stacks into DFS rosters.

Also, don’t forget that for large-field tournaments, you can utilize our Lineup Optimizer to effortlessly create up to 300 lineups.

The top DraftKings stack in the FantasyLabs MLB Player Model when generated by rating using an aggregate projection set belongs to the Arizona Diamondbacks:

We’ve got four teams with a team total of five or more on Tuesday, but the clear leader is the Diamondbacks. Arizona checks in with a 5.7-run implied total, well clear of their nearest competition.

While they aren’t cheap by any stretch, their first five hitters come in a full $1,000 cheaper than the Yankees’ equivalent despite having a better run total. That makes them the best overall option if you can find the salary.

They’re taking on Mike Burrows ($5,500) of the Pirates, who gave up four runs in five innings in his only previous start this season. The righty has just 8.1 total innings in the majors, with a 5.40 ERA. A matchup with the Diamondbacks’ top-three offense against right-handed pitching probably doesn’t improve those numbers.

Not interested in messing around with optimizer settings? No worries, you can use our MLB DFS Simulations and let it find the best way to control your stacks, exposure, correlations, and more!

Click here to find out how SimLabs can elevate your MLB DFS game, and watch the video below.

Other MLB DFS Hitter Picks

One of the great features of being a FantasyLabs Pro member is the option to purchase additional items in the FantasyLabs Marketplace.

In addition to our in-house MLB projections,  THE BAT X from Derek Carty of RotoGrinders is available in our marketplace. With this purchase, you can use his projections alone or create aggregate projections within our Player Models.

For this example, we created a 50/50 blend with THE BAT X and the FantasyLabs projections to pinpoint some hitters that stand out.

Paul Goldschmidt 1B ($4,600) New York Yankees at Los Angeles Angels (Tyler Anderson)

Despite what I mentioned above, I still want some exposure to the Yankees. While it would be great to squeeze Aaron Judge ($6,600) into some lineups, his price tag makes that difficult.

New York has another option with elite numbers against lefties, though, and that’s Goldschmidt. Outside of Judge, he has by far the best splits in PlateIQ:

Since he’s $2,000 cheaper, he’s a solid option to get some Yankees exposure without having to downgrade at other positions. He’s the highest-rated player in our Tournament Models.

Isaac Paredes 3B ($4,300) Houston Astros vs. Athletics (JP Sears)

Paredes has had some strong seasons in the past, but he’s having a breakout 2025. He’s hitting .276 with a .490 slugging percentage, both of which are career highs. Five of his 11 home runs this season have been in the last eight games, but his salary hasn’t really caught up to his production.

He has a solid matchup tonight against JP Sears ($7,900), a lefty with a 4.00 ERA but worse underlying numbers on the year. While Paredes has struggled against southpaws this season, his career numbers against them are better than against righties, so it’s a good time to take a shot.

Brandon Nimmo OF ($3,600) New York Mets vs. Chicago White Sox (Jonathan Cannon)

The Mets are another team with a five-run total, but superstar hitters are priced prohibitively. The exception at the top of the lineup is Nimmo, who costs just $3,600.

Nimmo is hitting just .219 this season, which explains the savings, but he has solid power with eight home runs. His BABIP and HR/FB ratio are both below his career average despite his hard-hit and barrel rates being career bests, which suggests he’s been more unlucky than bad.

That, plus his #2 spot in the Mets lineup, points to him being a solid value option tonight.

Interested in more MLB action? Check out Fanatics Sportsbook and use our Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.

Pictured: Hunter Brown

Photo Credit: Getty Images

About the Author

Billy Ward writes NFL, MLB, and UFC DFS content for FantasyLabs. He has a degree in mathematical economics and a statistics minor. Ward's data-focused education allows him to take an analytical approach to betting and fantasy sports. Prior to joining Action and FantasyLabs in 2021, he contributed as a freelancer starting in 2018. He is also a former Professional MMA fighter.