Welcome to the Fantasy Alarm MLB DFS Playbook for Monday, May 12th! 

We have a bunch of early games to enjoy today, but the playbook is dialed in on this evening’s 8-game main slate on DraftKings starting at 7:10 PM ET and a 10-game main slate on FanDuel that starts a little earlier at 6:40 PM ET, which includes the Detroit Tigers vs. Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals vs. Philadelphia Phillies games. Our expert analysis is here to guide you through the top pitchers, value plays, and stackable offenses to target.

Whether chasing big GPP prizes or grinding cash games, we’ve got you covered with insights tailored to today’s matchups. Let’s jump right into the key plays and strategies to dominate the slate!

 

 

This season's MLB DFS picks and playbook will consist of a pitcher and hitter core players section with written analysis, player pool grid and core stacks section.

The core player section should be used as a starting point for all lineups, you may not be able to use all players in the same lineup, but those players should be the building blocks for you on a given night.

The player pool grid will feature both players from the core player section along with additional plays to help you build a complete lineup. The grid will be broken into top priced players, mid-priced players and value tier players.

The stacks section will bring you our favorite lineups stacks for the day and which players we would look to include in those stacks based on matchups and pricing.

Tune in to the daily MLB DFS Show at 5 PM ET to get some last-minute advice and answer your questions before the slate begins! 

Make sure you subscribe to the Fantasy Alarm YouTube channel so you never miss a show! Also, join the Fantasy Alarm Discord to get your DFS lineup questions answered by our MLB DFS team! Plus, as always, be sure to check in with our MLB DFS Tools, with the Daily MLB Projections, MLB DFS Rostership Projections, and our MLB DFS Lineup Generator when building those lineups today to help you decide which players you should be targeting.

 

MLB DFS Picks & MLB Playbook

MLB Weather: Monday, 5/12

Washington Nationals vs. Atlanta Braves

  • Possible delay or postponement in Atlanta today, keep a close eye on this one through the day if you are using players from this game. 
 

 

Recommended MLB DFS Starting Pitchers

We have some great pitchers at the top end today, highlighted by Paul Skenes at the top. Some of my honorable mentions to consider today are Tyler Mahle, David Peterson, and Colin Rea.

Let's get into today's core pitching plays for our DFS lineups

Core MLB DFS Pitchers

Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates

We haven’t gotten the most elite version of Paul Skenes over the last few outings, but it is still Paul Skenes. The Mets are a tough offense, but I trust Skenes enough to run back to him today, even with the struggles in his last two outings. His first double-digit strikeout game has to be coming soon, and I will still gladly pay the top dollar for him again today. 

Michael King, San Diego Padres

He only got the two strikeouts in his last outing, but it was still a quality start with 6 innings giving up only 2 runs off of 3 hits, and pitching in New York against the Yankees is tough. He gets a much easier matchup today against the Angels, and I expect him to get back to the 7+ strikeouts we have seen in 4 of his 8 starts so far this season. If you are weary of chasing Skenes against the Mets, you should still be paying for this top arm, and I would be willing to double up with these two at the top. 

Grant Holmes, Atlanta Braves

If you want somewhere cheaper to go to today, I really like Grant Holmes in this spot. We have gotten some mixed results so far, but he has shown the ability to get strikeouts, and I think he is going to continue to get better. The Nationals aren’t a roll-over offense, but they are still one you can attack fairly confidently. Keep an eye on the weather, and if it is bad, you might want to pivot to someone like Colin Rea or one of the top-end pitchers, but if the game is a go, I like taking Grant Holmes.   

 

 

 

Recommended MLB DFS Hitters

Let's check out today's core plays to build our lineups around.

Core MLB DFS Hitters

Paul Goldschmidt, 1B New York Yankees

Paul Goldschmidt is thriving in the pinstripes so far this year. He is slashing .349/.398/.500 on the season and has even started to add some more power recently. He has 3 homers over his last 10 games and is coming off a 3-hit game with 3 doubles. Seattle is a tougher place to hit than New York, but I don’t really trust Emerson Hancock and think this is an excellent price on Goldy.  

Ketel Marte, 2B Arizona Diamondbacks 

Ketel Marte is looking back and healthy, coming off a good series against the Dodgers, where he hit 3 homers, including a multi-homer game on Friday. Verlander isn’t who he used to be, and Marte is one of the best 2nd basemen in the game on one of the best offenses in the game. At a position without a ton of depth, I don’t mind going to the top with Marte today.  

Isaac Paredes, 3B Houston Astros

Isaac Paredes has settled into the offense in Houston very well. He has hits in 17 of his last 19 games and is slashing .306/.419/.468 over that stretch. He just got his first off day of the season on Sunday, and I think he comes back today rested and ready to continue to produce. Facing Cal Quantrill and the Miami Marlins should be a good opportunity for him to give good production today. 

Dansby Swanson, SS Chicago Cubs

Shortstop is a star-studded position that can make it easy to overlook someone like Dansby Swanson, but he has quietly been having a solid start to the season in Chicago in the middle of a really strong offense. The batting average is right in line with the last few seasons at .242, but it has come with 8 homers already with a good number of runs and RBIs, and at this price, I like the value and upside he brings today. 

 

 

 

Player Pool

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Stacks

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