Happy Memorial Day! Welcome to Fantasy Alarm's MLB DFS picks and daily fantasy playbook for Monday, May 25th. Our MLB DFS projections combine advanced pitching metrics, platoon splits, strikeout prop data, and ownership positioning to identify the sharpest plays on every slate. Whether you are targeting DFS projections, running lineups through our DFS optimizer, tracking ownership trends, or checking confirmed lineups, Fantasy Alarm has the tools to sharpen your edge. We have more early games than late games today and already had a playbook out for today’s earlier games but now are covering today’s 5-game slate for this evening.This MLB DFS playbook covers every key position on DraftKings and FanDuel with our best MLB DFS picks for today.

Slate: 5-Game Night  |  Lock Time: 6:40 PM ET, Monday May 25, 2026

Vegas Totals: SEA/ATH (highest-projected game), COL/LAD (second-highest), HOU/TEX (third-highest)

Highest K-Projections: Jesus Luzardo 6.5 O/U (-102), Emmet Sheehan 6.5 O/U (+105), Trey Yesavage 5.5 O/U (-152)

MLB Weather Today, 5/25

No weather issues for tonight’s games. 

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Starting Pitchers

MLB DFS Top Pitchers

Jesus Luzardo (PHI)

Analysis: The Padres have been terrible against lefties this season with the third lowest OPS vs. Lefties in the league (.609), with a 23.7% strikeout rate while only batting .214. Luzardo hasn’t gotten over the 6 strikeout threshold for his last three starts but has two double-digit strikeout games this season and I think will at least get up above 6 today.  

Trey Yesavage (TOR)

Analysis: Trey Yesavage had his best start in his last outing. He threw 6 scoreless innings against the Yankees giving up only 2 runs and with a season high 8 strikeouts. Now he gets to face Miami and 6 strikeouts feels like a lock from him and the upside is through the roof. 

Emmet Sheehan (TOR)

Analysis: The problem with Sheehan recently has been his ability to go deep into games only making it past the 5th inning once in his last 4 outings. He gets to face Colorado on the road today which is about as good a matchup as you can hope for, and so he should be able to go deep and dominate the Rockies lineup.   

MLB DFS Value Pitchers

Tatsuya Imai (HOU)

Analysis: I mostly want to pay up for pitchers today, but Tatsuya Imai is really cheap and does provide some interesting upside. It is a very risk play, and I would rather just pay up but if you want to try something different Imai’s price makes it easy for him to return value today if he can get some strikeouts. 

Top Options For Strikeouts

Even with a smaller slate we have a few elite strikeout arms today. The pitching get’s rough at the bottom but these guys all give decent options for high strikeout upside. 

Our model identifies these arms as the highest-ceiling plays for Alt-K lines today:

Trey Yesavage 28.7 K% (10.3 K/9) 

Jesus Luzardo: 28.0 K% (10.7 K/9)

Emmet Sheehan: 26.4 K% (10.1 K/9)

Tatsuya Imai: 25.3 K% (10.9 K/9)

Best Odds For A Win

The following MLB DFS picks offer the best chance of snagging a win today giving you a chance for them to both go deep into the game, stack up some Ks, as well as get those extra points for that win. 

MLB DFS Lineup Picks: Stacks & Hitters

MLB DFS Top Hitters

Shea Langeliers & Nick Kurtz (C, 1B, ATH)

Analysis: There are a lot of positions without high price options today, and while I do want to pay up for pitchers, I also like finding a way to pay up for Catcher and First base to get this Athletics duo. They both crush the ball and Castillo has been struggling especially away from home, and I don’t know if we can trust Bryce Miller to flourish as the follower either. 

Kyle Schwarber (OF, PHI)

Analysis: Schwarber hasn’t homered in his last 5 games after a stretch where he racked up 9 homers in just eight games. Randy Vazques has been getting great results so far this season but I don’t believe it will last and think Schwarber breaks this short homerless stretch. 

Seattle Outfield (Julio Rodriguez, Randy Arozarena, Luke Raley) (OF, SEA)

Analysis: I don’t mind building an outfield entirely (or maybe 2 of 3 if you can afford Schwarber) today. I don’t trust Aaron Civale pitching in Sacramento and I think there is a reason this game has the highest expected run total by a wide margin. I don’t mind stack a lot of players from both sides of this game.   

MLB DFS Value Hitters

Cole Young & Colt Emerson (2B, 3B/SS, SEA)

Analysis: I like the Seattle rookies in Cole Young and Colt Emerson as great cheap options at weak positions in a lineup that I really like today.  

Daulton Varsho (OF, TOR)

Analysis: Varsho is slashing .324/.405/.486 over his last 10 games. Now there has been no power but to have an almost .900 OPS without a homer means you are hitting the ball quite well and we know Varsho can give some power as well.  

Jake Burger (1B, TEX)

Analysis: Obviously I like paying up for Kurtz today, and even Josh Naylor is a solid option for the Mariners but if you need to find somewhere to save some money Burger has to be one of the best cheap options as someone who is crushing the ball lately with 4 homers in his last 10 games.   

MLB DFS Top Stacks

Primary Stack: Athletics vs Luis Castillo/Bryce Miller (SEA RHP)

Why: I love both sides of this game but prefer the Athletics slightly. Castillo has struggled on the road for a while now and this isn’t just a normal road game it is Sacramento. He could give up quite a few homers and plenty of runs in this matchup even as the opener before Miller gets to get into the game. 

Primary Stack: Seattle Mariners vs Aaron Civale (ATH RHP)

Why: I don’t trust Civale either and think the Mariners could keep this a close high scoring game if their offense can get going against him today.   

"Contrarian" Stack: Philadelphia Phillies vs Randy Vazquez (SDP RHP)

Why: Randy Vazques has had great results so far this season, but I just don’t fully believe it and don’t think it will last. I don’t mind using Phillies to fill the gaps between my Mariners and Athletics picks when it works. 

MLB DFS Lineups: Core MLB DFS Hitters & Pitchers

The "Chalk" (Popular)

The "Pivot" (Low

Owned)

The Winning Logic
Yesavage (SP, chalk)Luzardo (SP, lower owned)I love Yesavage here too but I actually prefer Luzardo in this matchup and he is cheaper and lower owned.  
LAD as primary stackSEA & ATH as contrarian stacksThe Dodgers against Colorado will be highly owned today, but I prefer just stacking the Sacramento game.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The foundation for every MLB DFS lineup you build today. These are the core MLB DFS picks by position across DraftKings and FanDuel.

  1. Jesus Luzardo (SP1)
  2. Trey Yesavage (SP2)
  3. Nick Kurtz (Core Bat)
  4. Kyle Schwarber (Core Bat)
  5. Julio Rodriguez (Core Bat)
  6. Cole Young (Core Value Bat)
  7. Colt Emerson (Core Value Bat)

Player Pool

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Stacks

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