Fantasy Baseball Picks: Top DraftKings MLB DFS Lineup Strategy for Angels vs. Mariners Showdown on May 1

The Saturday night Showdown game on DraftKings this week is an AL West matchup between the Los Angeles Angels and the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners took the first game of this weekend series, 7-4, on Friday night behind three home runs and a strong bullpen performance. They improved to 15-12 with the win and sit just one game behind the Oakland Athletics for first place in the AL West, and 1.5 games ahead of the Angels, who are now 12-12.

Saturday night’s starting pitching matchup features a pair of young righties as Griffin Canning ($10,400) takes the mound for the Angels against Ljay Newsome ($9,600) of the Mariners. Canning is the more well-known of the two options, but Newsome has been in better form so far this season. DraftKings Sportsbook has the over/under for this game at 8.5 runs with the Angels as -140 favorites.

Let’s jump right into how to construct your DraftKings lineups for Saturday night’s Showdown contest.

Refer a friend and get $20 DK Dollars! Head to the DraftKings Playbook Promo page for more details!

Captain’s Picks

Kyle Lewis ($10,500 CP) - The reigning AL Rookie of the Year has started the season slow after a knee issue kept him out for the first few weeks of the season, but he’s starting to hit more now and brings a very high ceiling at this very affordable Captain’s Pick price. He has gone just 5-for-31 (.161) but has a decent .226 ISO and has been the victim of some bad BABIP luck, with a .150 BABIP compared to the league average of about .300. He also has a very high 22.7% barrel rate and 38.1% hard-hit rate, so his swing appears to be in good shape, setting him up for positive regression in this matchup with Canning.

Canning has been a mess this year (more below), but he has especially struggled against slugging right-handed hitters like Lewis. Five of the six home runs Canning has allowed have come to righties, who have a .449 wOBA against him this season. Canning has faced Lewis three times in the past, allowing a walk and a home run in that minuscule sample size.

Mitch Haniger ($12,600 CP) - Haniger is also on the right side of that favorable split against Canning and has been a consistent contributor from the top of the Mariners’ lineup. He has a .267 ISO and .364 wOBA as a result of an impressive 43.6% hard-hit rate. Haniger got two games off earlier this week while not feeling well but connected on a leadoff home run in his return on Friday, giving him six home runs on the season. He has at least seven DKFP in four of his past seven games and is an affordable Captain’s Pick which should allow you to stack up solid offensive options throughout your FLEX spots as well.

Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB Showdown $5K Extra Inning [$1K to 1st] (LAA vs SEA)

Value Plays

Jared Walsh ($9,200) - Walsh has a .403 wOBA and .220 ISO in his 23 games this season and is establishing himself as the cleanup hitter in the Angels’ lineup. As a left-handed hitter, he has thrived against righties, with a .232 ISO and .439 wOBA against right-handed hurlers like Newsome. Walsh has at least seven DKFP in four straight and will look to continue that run with another big night in the heart of the Angels’ lineup.

David Fletcher ($6,800) - While the Angels’ power bats of Mike Trout ($11,000) and Shohei Ohtani ($10,200) are worth adding if you can due to their power potential, they don’t really qualify as value plays. Fletcher bats right in front of those two mashers, though, and he’s surprisingly affordable under $7K. He doesn’t offer much power but has been a steady producer with a .250 wOBA. He has at least five DKFP in five straight games and seven of his past eight. He has scored 14 runs in 24 games and usually provides something partly due to his volume of opportunities hitting in the leadoff spot.

Fades

Griffin Canning ($10,400) - Neither starting pitcher is set up to be a good play in this showdown since Canning has struggled and Newsome hasn’t thrown more than 54 pitches in any of his four games this season, meaning he won’t go deep enough to be worth his salary. Canning has posted a 7.01 FIP and 8.40 ERA in his first four outings, allowing six home runs in just 15 innings. He is giving up an 11.4% barrel rate and getting hardly any called or swinging strikes with a below-league-average 28.0% CSW rate. Canning has given up multiple runs and at least one home run in each of his four games this season, so I’m avoiding paying up for his current form.

The Outcome

The Mariners will have to rely on their bullpen heavily again after getting five innings of one-run relief on Friday. They should be able to get to Canning, though, so I expect there to be plenty of offense in this game. I’d build around bats for the showdown slate and try to catch some power numbers while leaning toward options at the top of the lineup where possible. Ultimately, I think the Mariners will get another win since I don’t think Canning will be able to turn things around.

Final Score: Mariners 8, Angels 5

Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB Showdown $5K Extra Inning [$1K to 1st] (LAA vs SEA)

Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.

For sports betting, head over to DraftKings Sportsbook or download the DraftKings Sportsbook app.

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).

Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA/MI), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO), 1-800-BETS OFF(IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN).

21+ (18+ NH). CO/IL/IN/IA/NH/NJ/PA/TN/VA/WV/MI only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.