Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: MLB DraftKings Ideal Lineup Picks for May 18

With less than half of the teams in action on a quiet Monday, picking the right players in daily fantasy baseball will be much more difficult. In order to be successful, you have to make sure to get the most production out of each position.

Pitchers

Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians ($10,100)

Tony Dejak/Associated Press

Monday will feature an interesting duel between Corey Kluber and Chris Sale, two of the top pitchers in the league last season. They both struggled for much of the early part of the season before coming back strong in their most recent start.

While Kluber is unlikely to tally 18 strikeouts again like he did the last time out, he still should be successful taking advantage of an easy matchup. The Chicago White Sox have been one of the worst offenses in baseball and won't be much better in the next game, giving Kluber more upside than Sale or even Matt Harvey.

Mike Fiers, Milwaukee Brewers ($8,600)

Picking a player with a 5.00 ERA against a deep lineup like the Detroit Tigers doesn't seem like a smart decision on paper, but Mike Fiers has been encouraging in his recent play. Over the last three starts, the right-hander has 27 strikeouts while allowing just 13 total hits.

The strikeouts will keep him valuable in fantasy, while the quality pitching will eventually turn into some better starts.

Drew Pomeranz, Oakland Athletics ($5,900)

Consistency hasn't been a strength for Drew Pomeranz this season, but the risky pick represents a lot of value when he performs well. The matchup against the Houston Astros represents a good chance for this type of big game considering the squad ranks last in the American League in strikeouts.

After allowing just one earned run in seven innings in his last start, Pomeranz can provide fantasy owners with a lot of bang for their buck.

Hitters

Stephen Vogt, C/1B, Oakland Athletics ($4,100)

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

A run of left-handed starting pitchers kept Stephen Vogt either on the bench or ineffective in the lineup over the past few days. However, the catcher will have a chance to get back on track against Lance McCullers of the Houston Astros, a right-handed pitcher who will be making his major league debut Monday.

While the 21-year-old pitcher had good numbers in Double-A this season, Vogt and the rest of the Athletics will have a chance to have a big day.

Ryan Braun, OF, Milwaukee Brewers ($4,900)

After a slow start, Ryan Braun is back on the right track with three home runs and 10 RBI in the last nine games. It's only a matter of time for his success against left-handers throughout his career to carry over into this season.

This can happen against Detroit Tigers starter Kyle Lobstein, who is coming off a rough start his last time out.

Curtis Granderson, OF, New York Mets ($3,700)

The New York Mets offense has struggled lately, but there was more success over the past two games thanks to Curtis Granderson. The leadoff hitter had four hits and two home runs as the team totaled 19 runs in this stretch.

While St. Louis Cardinals pitcher John Lackey has been solid to start the year, he shouldn't be able to slow down Granderson's recent strong play.

Note: All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

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