Best MLB DFS Picks Today, Sunday May 17: Top Value Plays for DraftKings Lineups

Sunday’s MLB DFS slate on DraftKings features 10 matchups, with the bulk of the action kicking off at 1:35 p.m. EDT and running through a late evening game between the Padres and Mariners. It is a busy afternoon of baseball that gives DFS players plenty of lineup construction flexibility, though the pitching options at the top of the board are fairly concentrated, meaning roster rates on the best arms will run high. Managing salary cap efficiently while targeting the right matchups will be the difference-maker today.

The approach for Sunday is to anchor the pitching slot with a reliable arm who has both strikeout upside and a soft opponent, then build around hitters who are catching fire lately and drawing favorable matchups against pitchers who have struggled. There are a couple of stacking opportunities worth exploiting, and the value tier has at least one name that stands out above the rest. Here are five MLB DFS picks to target across cash games and DFS promotions on May 17.

Zack Wheeler, SP — Philadelphia Phillies ($9,800 DK)

Wheeler is the top pitching option on the Sunday slate, and his salary of $9,800 on DraftKings is more than justified given what he has shown since returning to the mound this season. Across four starts in 2026, Wheeler has posted a 2.55 ERA and has pitched at least six innings three times, providing the kind of reliable volume that translates into big DraftKings scoring days. He has gone at least six deep in three of four outings, which significantly limits the chance of an abbreviated start cutting into your point total.

The matchup today is at PNC Park against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who have improved their offense in recent years but still represent a manageable opponent for a pitcher of Wheeler’s caliber. Wheeler was on a similar trajectory before health issues shortened his 2025 campaign, and the early returns suggest he has not lost any of the stuff that made him an elite DFS target. In cash games and GPP lineups alike, Wheeler belongs in a high percentage of your DraftKings lineups today. He is the kind of arm you can confidently roster in a week with limited elite pitching options.

Yordan Alvarez, 1B/DH — Houston Astros ($6,100 DK)

Yordan Alvarez is having one of the best seasons of his career, and today’s matchup against Nathan Eovaldi of the Texas Rangers makes him a must-roster name for your DraftKings lineup. Alvarez enters Sunday with a .322/.429/.649 slash line through 46 appearances, having launched 15 home runs and added 11 doubles. That .649 slugging percentage ranks among the best marks in the American League, and his .958 career OPS underscores just how dangerous he is when healthy and locked in.

The matchup could hardly be better. Eovaldi has made eight starts in 2026 and has surrendered eight home runs to left-handed hitters alone, which is a staggering rate that sets up perfectly for a left-handed power bat like Alvarez. At $6,100, Alvarez sits in a sweet spot where you are getting a true cleanup hitter with 30-plus home run potential at a salary that does not force you to sacrifice elsewhere in the build. This is one of the highest-floor, highest-ceiling plays on today’s MLB DFS slate, and he should be a cornerstone of DFS stacks targeting the Astros offense at Daikin Park.

CJ Abrams, SS — Baltimore Orioles ($5,700 DK)

CJ Abrams has quietly put together another excellent season, and at $5,700 on DraftKings he remains one of the more underpriced players on today’s board. The Baltimore shortstop enters Sunday with nine home runs, seven stolen bases, and a .393 on-base percentage — the kind of multi-category production that DFS players dream about from the shortstop position. He is a legitimate counting-stats machine who contributes across runs, RBI, stolen bases, and power in a way that maximizes the DraftKings scoring system.

The opposing pitcher today is Miles Mikolas of the Washington Nationals, which is about as friendly a matchup as you will find on this slate. Mikolas has struggled badly in 2026, carrying a 7.00 ERA and a 2.25 HR/9 rate through his outings this season. Since 2024, left-handed hitters have batted .277 against him and righties have gone .281, meaning the entire Orioles lineup has a shot at a big day. Abrams is a right-handed hitter, but given how freely Mikolas has been giving up runs and home runs at a historically bad clip, it is impossible to fade him in this spot. He is an excellent mid-range DraftKings value play for Sunday’s slate and a key piece in any Orioles stack.

Pete Crow-Armstrong, OF — Chicago Cubs ($4,600 DK)

Pete Crow-Armstrong is one of the more interesting DFS value plays on today’s slate, offering real speed and pop upside against a pitcher who projects as an easy target. Crow-Armstrong has been primarily a speed-first contributor this season, racking up two triples and 11 stolen bases. While the power production has been inconsistent, the 2025 version of Crow-Armstrong exceeded 30 home runs, which means this lineup can catch fire at any time against the right arm.

Today that arm is Erick Fedde of the Chicago White Sox, who carries a 3.77 ERA that is propped up by unsustainable strand rates given his 6.02 FIP. That gap between ERA and FIP is a clear indicator of regression coming, and left-handed hitters hit .310 against Fedde last season. Rate Field in Chicago also plays as a moderate hitters’ park, adding a bit of extra run-scoring context to a matchup that already favors Cubs hitters. At $4,600, Crow-Armstrong is a DFS salary play that fits nicely into a Cubs mini-stack alongside Ian Happ and Nico Hoerner. This trio is one of the better DFS stacks on Sunday’s full slate and a low-cost path to GPP upside in a game where the Cubs are solid favorites.

Travis Bazzana, 2B — Cleveland Guardians ($3,700 DK)

Travis Bazzana is the standout bargain bat on Sunday’s DraftKings slate. The first-overall pick has made his major league debut with the Cleveland Guardians, and while some of the power production is still developing, the on-base skills have been elite with a .406 OBP through his initial big league games. He has added seven stolen bases, making him a multi-category contributor who helps in the DraftKings scoring system even without a home run.

The matchup is outstanding. Bazzana, a left-handed hitter, will face Brady Singer of the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field on Sunday afternoon. Singer enters the game with a 5.79 ERA and has been one of the more hittable pitchers on today’s slate. Most notably, left-handed hitters have batted .388 against Singer in 2026, which is an extraordinary number and one of the more exploitable splits on the board today. At just $3,700 on DraftKings, Bazzana is the type of cheap play that allows you to fit a premium arm like Zack Wheeler while still rostering expensive power bats at other positions. His upside in this spot is real, and the salary discount relative to his projected output makes him one of the best DFS value plays on Sunday’s MLB slate.

Building Your Lineup

The core of Sunday’s DraftKings lineup construction starts with anchoring your pitching slot with Zack Wheeler, who at $9,800 is expensive but worth it given the scarcity of reliable starting options. From there, Yordan Alvarez at $6,100 gives you a true cleanup hitter on a day when his matchup against Nathan Eovaldi is about as favorable as it gets. Pairing those two premium plays is achievable because Travis Bazzana ($3,700) and Pete Crow-Armstrong ($4,600) free up meaningful cap space in the outfield and second base slots.

The Orioles stack against Mikolas is worth leaning into heavily for GPP lineups, with Abrams serving as the centerpiece alongside Pete Alonso and Gunnar Henderson if you want to go three-deep into that matchup. For cash games, the five plays listed above cover a mix of floor and ceiling that works well across all formats. The Cubs stack against Fedde is the other viable multi-player grouping, and combining one hitter from each of those games gives your lineup cross-game exposure that reduces correlation risk. Keep an eye on confirmed batting order spots before lock and adjust accordingly if any of these players end up down in the lineup.