Fantasy Baseball Picks: Top DraftKings MLB DFS Lineup Strategy for Mariners vs. Padres Showdown on May 21

The San Diego Padres finally have a full squad once again, and the regulars have picked up right where the replacements left off. The Fathers have now won nine of 10, and begin a three-game home set against the exciting Seattle Mariners this weekend. With plenty of fun sure to ensue, let’s get right into how to construct your DraftKings lineups for Friday night’s Showdown contest.

Seattle Mariners vs. San Diego Padres

Captain’s Picks

Fernando Tatis Jr. ($16,500 CP) - On this Showdown slate it simply doesn’t get much better than Tatis, who has collected eight hits in his last three games, racking up 71.0 DKFP in the process. He may once again have the advantage here of hitting in the meat of the order, where he was against Chi Chi Gonzalez in his return from the COVID list on Wednesday, and will face a similarly bad pitcher in Chris Flexen ($9,600). Tatis has actually averaged more DKFP against righties for his career, and he owns a .294 ISO within the split. The only negative thing I can say is that he’s incredibly expensive, so the rest of your lineup might be hurting.

Jake Cronenworth ($12,300 CP) - If you want to fit Tatis Jr. in your lineup as well as some other big names, you should look no further than Cronenworth, who carried the load for San Diego while it had its big bats out last week. The utility man has been an equal-opportunity masher lately, having big games against lefties and righties, though his .225 ISO against right-handers signals a clear advantage here in the splits. I always love playing Cronenworth because of the floor you get with a guy that’s so great at racking up hits, but a couple of doubles and an inside-the-park homer over the last two games show the kind of upside and pop he has in that bat. You should have exposure to him one way or another.

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UTIL Plays

Kyle Seager ($9,000) - This isn’t exactly cheap, but we’re bereft of true value options in this game. I don’t feel like paying almost $8K for Jarred Kelenic ($7,800), who has a bright future, but has only recorded a hit in three of seven games so far. Seager has mashed righties this year and, in the middle of this order, is probably your best bet at a homer against Chris Paddack ($10,600). He’s the definition of a boom-or-bust player, with such a low floor, but it appears he’s beginning to see the ball better with either a hit or a walk in six of his last seven games. I’ll take my chances here.

Jurickson Profar ($6,800) - It’s impossible to find a cheap bat I really trust here, but I think Profar is the closest I can get. The Padres have had him hitting as high as sixth in recent games, and he’s delivered with four hits in as many contests and a stolen base to boot. He represents a relatively safe option with good strikeout and walk rates, and has enough of a track record at the plate at this point that it wouldn’t be outlandish to expect 7-10 DKFP.

Fades

Chris Paddack ($10,600) - It’s not as if the Mariners have been all that menacing at the plate lately, but I can’t pay this much for a struggling pitcher, even in a Showdown where you generally want to take an arm. Paddack’s strikeout rate is below league average, so the fact that he’s posted a 4.45 ERA offers him little to fall back on if he allows hits and runs. That’s the main reason he’s failed to get up to 13.0 DKFP over his last three outings, he’s got just 11 strikeouts in 12.1 innings in that span, and he punched out just two against the Cardinals. That also reminds me to tell you he’s never finished the sixth inning this year, further limiting his upside. The chances of him getting you 15-20 DKFP here are pretty slim, so why break the bank?

The Outcome

The Mariners’ bats have gone cold lately, but Chris Paddack could be just what they need to wake up. I don’t foresee Seattle winning this game, but at the very least, it should chase Paddack early and get a respectable number on the board. With Chris Flexen going on the other side, this should turn into a high-scoring affair, and I’ll take the better of the two offenses.

Final Score: San Diego 7, Seattle 4

Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB Showdown $8K Extra Inning [$2K to 1st] (SEA vs SD)

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