Daily Fantasy Baseball Picks: Lineup advice for May 22, 2018

(Photo credit: Keith Allison)

I love 15-game contests, especially when there are some aces on the mound. That is what we have today, with a full contest starting at 7:05pm ET. That gives us 30 starters and too many hitters to count. So let's not waste any time and get straight into who should be in your lineup, starting with the pitchers.

Gerrit Cole Vs. San Francisco Giants ($12,900)

I get that Chris Sale is going today, but Cole is out-performing him in basically every category and has a marginally better matchup as well. The giants are one of the worst road offenses in the Majors and are fourth in strikeouts, which is very nice for a pitcher with a 13.6 K/9.

Cole has been so good this year that this price tag represents no barrier. He is well worth the risk, with a 32.4 average score Cole is the ace you need today.

Garrett Richards @ Toronto Blue Jays ($7,800)

Richards continues to have trouble with walks this season, which is a frustration given his previous impressive control. However, with that has come an uptick in strikeouts as well. His 10.2 K/9 is a career-best mark. However, Richards has started to look more like his old self of late. He has issues just two walks in his last three starts, two of which were shutout performances. It's a tricky matchup for Richards, but he is good enough to return solid value at this price.

Jameson Taillon @ Cincinnati Reds ($7,300)

Taillon is still finding himself this season, but he has been solid more often than not for the Pirates in 2018. His last three starts have been good, even if one was shortened due to a cut on his finger. He's cut almost a run off his ERA in May, but that number (3.97) is still heavily inflated by just two poor starts in mid-April. In four outings he has allowed one or fewer runs, and that is a very nice option to have against a weak lineup when your #1 pitcher is eating up so much of your budget.

JD Martinez @ Tampa Bay Rays ($5,200)

The JD bandwagon is still paying out well. He is averaging 13.4 points a game over his last 10, with six homers, three doubles, and 13 RBI in that period. In short, he is the hottest hitter in baseball right now with the possible exception of Mookie Betts, who is $800 more expensive. If you can only get one $5k+ bat in your lineup, make sure it is JD Martinez.

Eric Hosmer @ Washington Nationals ($4,000)

Hosmer has been in pretty good form of late. He's slashing .282/.349/.487 in the last 10 games, with a homer, eight RBI, and two steals. Away from home he is hitting .338 with two homers and a 1.004 OPS. That is the kind of form you want to lean on, especially with Jeremy Hellickson on the mound.

Ketel Marte @ Milwaukee Brewers ($2,700)

With AJ Pollock's injury pushing Chris Owings into the outfield, the second base spot in Arizona has been up for grabs. Marte isn't exactly setting the world alight, no one in Arizona is, but he is seeing at-bats, and if you need to save money in your lineup to pay for Cole, Martinez, or others then a very cheap hitter that will see three or four at-bats is very nice.