Josh Shepardson | Fri, May 22nd 2026, 6:58am EDT

MLB DFS Picks & Underdog Player Props: Friday (5/22)

Friday’s MLB DFS slate is stacked, featuring 12 games and starting at 7:05 p.m. ET at DraftKings and FanDuel. The Underdog pick’em choices are also from those 12 games.

Friday’s Top MLB DFS Picks & Player Props

Friday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings (5/22)

Jacob deGrom (SP – TEX) at Los Angeles Angels

Jacob deGrom is spinning it this year. According to FanGraphs, the 37-year-old righty has posted the following numbers in nine starts spanning 50.2 innings this season:

3 wins
3 quality starts
3.02 ERA
3.16 xERA
3.06 xFIP
2.82 SIERA
0.91 WHIP
16.9% SwStr%
30.6% CSW%
110 stuff+
114 location+
123 pitching+

The veteran righty has a tantalizing matchup and favorable betting info tonight. The Angels are tied for 28th in wRC+ (88) with a 26.2% strikeout rate versus righties and 30th in wRC+ (70) with a 26.8% strikeout rate at home in 2026.

Los Angeles is also 29th in wRC+ (76) with a 31% strikeout rate in the previous 30 days. The Rangers are -156 favorites, and the game’s total is eight runs.

Davis Martin (SP – CWS) at San Francisco Giants

Davis Martin is having a breakout campaign, and he’s in white-hot form. In his previous five starts spanning 31 innings, Martin has tallied the following stats:

3 wins
4 quality starts
1.16 ERA
2.92 xERA
2.15 xFIP
2.26 SIERA
0.97 WHIP
3.3% walk rate
33.1% strikeout rate
15.1% SwStr%
31.9% CSW%
92 stuff+
105 location+
96 pitching+

Martin has a plus-matchup and decent betting info tonight. The Giants are tied for 26th in wRC+ (90) with a 21% strikeout rate versus righties and 26th in wRC+ (85) with a 21.2% strikeout rate at home this season.

The White Sox are only slight favorites (-115), but the game’s total is a pitcher-friendly seven runs.

Michael Soroka (SP – ARI) vs. Colorado Rockies

Michael Soroka will likely be a super-chalky SP2 at DraftKings, making him a compelling cash games pick. He’s also a viable GPP selection because he has a GPP-friendly ceiling.

The Rockies are tied for 28th in wRC+ (88) with a 23.3% strikeout rate versus righties and tied for 20th in wRC+ (91) with a 27.4% strikeout rate on the road this season. The Rockies have also been MLB’s worst offense in the last 30 days, with a 61 wRC+ and a 28.2% strikeout rate.

Soroka’s 4.77 xERA isn’t optimal. However, his 3.49 ERA in nine starts spanning 49 innings is supported by his 3.20 xFIP and 3.35 SIERA. Soroka also has six wins, three quality starts, a 26.2% strikeout rate and 1.33 WHIP. The Diamondbacks are -200 favorites, and the game’s total is 8.5 runs.

Suggested Lineup Stacks

Home (Truist Park)
Game Total/Moneyline: 9.0 Runs/ATL -194

Miles Mikolas and Washington’s bullpen are dreamy matchups for the Braves. Mikolas has a 6.91 ERA, 5.33 xERA, 4.39 xFIP, 4.44 SIERA and 1.49 WHIP in 10 appearances (six starts) in 2026. In addition, the Nationals have the fifth-highest bullpen ERA (4.91) this year.

Road (Angel Stadium)
Game Total/Moneyline: 8.0 Runs/TEX -156

Grayson Rodriguez will make his second start after getting shelled for seven runs on seven hits and four walks on May 17th. The Angels also have a dreadful bullpen, which ranks 31st in ERA this season.

The Rangers don’t have a particularly potent offense, but they offer a blend of decent hitters and value salaries, making them a compelling stack in a plus-matchup.

Core Studs

Matt Olson has belted 14 bombs with 37 runs, 42 RBI, one stolen base, a .353 on-base percentage (OBP), .294 ISO, .394 wOBA, and 152 wRC+ in 224 plate appearances this season.
Josh Jung has hit 19 dingers with a .311 OBP, .149 ISO, .319 wOBA and 106 wRC+ in 665 plate appearances against righties since 2024.
Samuel Basallo is having a breakout sophomore campaign. He’s hit seven homers with 19 runs, 18 RBIs, a .336 OBP, .219 ISO, .362 wOBA, .336 expected wOBA and 132 wRC+ in 149 plate appearances this season.

Value Plays/Punts

Michael Harris ripped his 10th and 11th round-trippers last night. In 176 plate appearances this year, he also has 11 runs, 29 RBI, three stolen bases, a .324 OBP, .226 ISO, .369 wOBA and 135 wRC+.
Ezequiel Duran has hit four homers with 21 runs, 23 RBIs, four stolen bases, a .352 OBP, .194 ISO, .368 wOBA, .324 xwOBA and 136 wRC+. As the gap between his wOBA and xwOBA suggests, Duran has exceeded expectations on his batted balls. Nevertheless, his salary makes him a compelling DFS selection, even if his xwOBA is a more accurate depiction of what gamers should expect from him.
Mike Yastrzemski has hit 35 homers with a .327 OBP, .196 ISO, .331 wOBA and 113 wRC+ in 959 plate appearances against righties since 2024.

Friday’s Top 3 Underdog Player Props

Check out our best picks on the MLB Underdog Cheat Sheet

Riley Greene (OF – DET): 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs — Higher (0.88x Payout)

Riley Greene has recorded 59 hits, including four homers, with 29 runs, 24 RBI, a .326 batting average, .422 OBP, .149 ISO, .401 wOBA and 157 wRC+ in 51 games and 211 plate appearances in 2026.

Conversely, Chris Bassitt has permitted 140 hits, a .294 batting average, .368 OBP, .476 slugging rate and .367 wOBA to 542 left-handed batters since 2025.

Jacob deGrom (SP – TEX): 1.5 Walks — Lower (0.73x Payout)

Jacob deGrom hasn’t issued more than one walk in five straight starts, and he’s issued fewer than 1.5 walks in seven out of nine starts this season.

The Angels are only 16th in walk rate (9.1%) against righties this season. The Dodgers (10.6% walk rate) and Mariners (10.4% walk rate), fifth and seventh, respectively, in walk rate against righties, are the two teams to walk two or more times against deGrom in 2026.

Josh Jung (3B – TEX): 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBIs — Higher (0.81x Payout)

Josh Jung is having a career year at the plate. He has rattled off 54 hits (five homers), 22 runs, 21 RBI, a .309 batting average, .303 expected batting average (xBA), .365 OBP, .166 ISO, .371 wOBA, .359 xwOBA and 138 wRC+ in 46 games and 192 plate appearances.

Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.

NFL

MLB

NBA

NHL