Fantasy Baseball Picks: Top DraftKings MLB DFS Lineup Strategy for Cardinals vs. Padres Showdown on May 14

The San Diego Padres will try to stay hot on Friday against the St. Louis Cardinals, beginning a three-game weekend series after winning three of four. Offense could be harder to come by after playing three games in Coors Field, but at home at Petco Park perhaps their bats will find the same level of success they had last time they were in San Diego. With plenty of fun sure to ensue, let’s get right into how to construct your DraftKings lineups for Friday night’s Showdown contest.

St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Diego Padres

Captain’s Picks

Johan Oviedo ($14,700 CP) - If you want to shock your opponent, or win a GPP, Oviedo could be your guy here. He has the stuff to make you believe in him, with a whiff rate in the top 4% of the league, which has led to 13 strikeouts in 13 ²⁄₃ innings. That type of strikeout upside is what you want to see when investing some DFS coin in a pitcher. The Padres’ bats have looked uninspired lately, and against a great swing-and-miss guy who’s allowed hard contact at just a 32.4% rate, I think we could be in for a surprise here. Oviedo is a guy who I think will round into form as a solid starter.

Paul Goldschmidt ($14,700 CP) - Same team, same price, same upside. Goldy has been one of the hottest hitters in the game, coming in on a five-game hitting streak which has seen him rack up seven knocks, including two homers, five RBIs and a couple of walks. He’s been a machine at the plate, and I’m willing to take him even without a splits advantage, given he’ll be locked into the third spot in the lineup against Joe Musgrove ($16,500 CP; $11,000), who has come back to Earth quite a bit.

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Value Plays

Dylan Carlson ($7,800) - Now’s the time to buy low on the talented Dylan Carlson. He’s still hitting second, and I think the Cardinals should have their fair share of success at the dish against a regressing Musgrove. He’s averaging a modest 5.6 DKFP over the past 10 and has a slight advantage in the splits against the right-handed throwing Musgrove. Plenty of plate appearances will be had, and I love Carlson to pick up multiple hits.

Brian O’Grady ($6,400) - With the Friars decimated by a COVID-19 outbreak, O’Grady is one of the guys in line for plenty of playing time in the outfield. He’s not a guy with the highest ceiling in the world, but he’s a career .252 hitter in the minors, which is actually pretty decent compared to some of the call-ups we’ve been seeing by teams riddled with injuries. He’ll have a splits advantage here, picked up a hit in his last appearance and might hit sixth or higher here. He’s a good value shot.

Fades

Tommy Pham ($7,600) - Don’t fall into the trap. Pham is hitting fourth now due to all the absences, but he’s still the same hitter as he’s been all season long. Aside from one explosion at Coors Field against one of the worst pitchers in the league in Antonio Senzatela, he’s struggled to even get any points at all. His floor is apparent, and his ceiling is probably 5 DKFP. There’s no reason to pay this price for a slumping hitter.

The Outcome

Runs will be scored here by both sides, with Oviedo lacking experience and Musgrove lacking a large enough sample size over his career for me to trust he’s better than what he’s shown lately. The Cardinals’ bats are peaking and the team as a whole will stay hot here against a team in despair.

Final Score: Cardinals 5, Padres 4

Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB Showdown $10K Extra Inning [$2K to 1st] (STL vs SD)

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