Daily Fantasy Baseball 2015: MLB DraftKings Ideal Lineup Picks for May 28

Whether it's the $4 million Fantasy Baseball World Championship qualifier or any of the other DraftKings Major League Baseball contests on Thursday, Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber would appear to be an essential selection for owners looking to contend.

He carries the highest salary of any player on the board at $11,600, but he’s proven to be worth it as of late. 

In his last three starts, Kluber is averaging 41.3 fantasy points per contest. He’s gone at least eight innings in each of those starts and struck out a whopping 37 men in 25 innings. On Thursday, Kluber and the Indians will be on the road against the Seattle Mariners. Kluber has been solid against current members of Seattle’s  roster. 

In all, 10 current Mariners have faced Kluber in their careers—including Nelson Cruz (4-for-13), Robinson Cano (2-for-7), Kyle Seager (1-for-3) and Austin Jackson (4-for-18)—but collectively, they are hitting just .190 against him. In 63 at-bats from the group, Cruz is the only member of the Mariners to have hit a home run against Kluber. 

Anything can happen, but it's hard to make a stronger case for drafting a guy in a one-day fantasy baseball contest. The cases for the rest of the lineup may not be as airtight as the one for Kluber, but there’s reason to like the other names on the following list.

Let’s take a closer look at four other players I’ve spotlighted from my optimal lineup. 

Position	Player	Opponent	Salary
P	Corey Kluber	Seattle	$11,600
P	Shelby Miller	San Francisco	$9,300
C	Robinson Chirinos	Boston	$3,600
1B	Prince Fielder	Boston	$5,400
2B	Neil Walker	San Diego	$3,700
3B	Josh Harrison	San Diego	$3,800
SS	Alexi Amarista	Pittsburgh	$2,700
OF	Slade Heathcott	Oakland	$2,500
OF	Gregory Polanco	San Diego	$3,800
OF	Rajai Davis	Los Angeles Angels	$3,600

Shelby Miller ($9,300) at San Francisco Giants

David Goldman/Associated Press

Another hot arm to tab for Thursday is the Atlanta Braves’ Shelby Miller. He too carries a fairly hefty price tag, which is why we had to find some affordable, yet productive bats. That said, Miller figures to also be worth the investment.

He’s actually averaged more FPPG (23 to 22.8) than Kluber this season, and he’s been almost as good as the Indians ace of late.

Miller’s last outing was a so-so 13.5 fantasy-point performance, but the three prior were stellar. He averaged 34.8 FPPG in those three starts, with two complete game shutouts. He’s not a huge strikeout pitcher, but he’s efficient. He has thrown 100 pitches in just one of his last four starts, despite averaging more than seven innings pitched in those outings.

Miller and the Braves will be in the Bay Area to challenge the San Francisco Giants on Thursday. The 24-year-oldhasn’t handled San Francisco’s lineup as well as Kluber has stymied the Mariners’ bats. Nori Aoki and Brandon Crawford are hitting a combined .391 against Miller.

However, those numbers haven’t been compiled this season, which is clearly Miller’s breakout campaign. I expect him to continue to pitch well and to generate some solid fantasy points for his owners.

Prince Fielder ($5,400) vs. Boston Red Sox

Phil Long/Associated Press

The Texas Rangers will be facing left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez in his major league debut on the road on Thursday. The Boston Red Sox rookie pitched well with Triple-A Pawtucket this season. Rodriguez posted a 2.98 ERA with 44 strikeouts in 48.1 innings pitched.That’s impressive, but Prince Fielder isn’t a Triple-A hitter. Fielder has been on a mission over the last week.

The Dallas Morning News recognized his hot hitting:

"

Prince Fielder's week at the plate has been one to remember. He's been absolutely raking. It's just been that type of streak for Fielder, who either sits atop, or is near the top, of the American League in every major statistical batting category over the last week.

"

Rodriguez is a southpaw with a good arm, which theoretically could make him a tough matchup for a lefty slugger like Fielder.However, when a hitter is talented and seeing the ball well, the platoon rules can be overrated. Fielder is hitting .368 with 10 home runs and 38 RBI this season, and he’s been almost as tough on lefties as he has been on right-handed pitchers. 

In 69 at-bats, Fielder is hitting .319 against southpaws with four home runs and 11 RBI. He’s also hitting .395 at home with four homers and 11 RBI. He could make this a very rough debut for Rodriguez.

Slade Heathcott ($2,500) vs. Oakland Athletics

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Only hardcore New York Yankees fans and those who follow baseball prospects are familiar with Slade Heathcott, but if he continues his current pace, everyone will know who he is shortly. Heathcott is filling in for the injured Jacoby Ellsbury and doing a bang-up job. 

The 24-year-old lefty has had just 13 at-bats, but he’s hitting .353 with a home run and three RBI in that limited action. Heathcott figures to have his opportunities to shine again on Thursday night, when he and the Yankees host the Oakland Athletics.

The A’s are sending right-hander Kendall Graveman to the mound, and he hasn’t been especially sharp this season. His ERA is 6.04, and his WHIP is an ugly 1.70. Only one of his five starts this season has lasted six innings. This is a matchup Heathcott should be able to exploit. For just $2,500 in DK salary, Heathcott could be the biggest steal of the day.

Alexi Amarista ($2,700) vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

Admittedly, this is a risky selection. The San Diego Padres’ Alexi Amarista has struggled mightily all season. He’s hitting just .186 with a home run and nine RBI. To compound the downside of this pick, Amarista and the San Diego Padres are hosting A.J. Burnett and the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.

That’s Burnett of the league-leading 1.37 ERA. Those details certainly build a case against drafting Amarista, but there are two reasons to strongly consider him.

In 15 career at-bats against Burnett, Amarista is hitting .333 with a home run and two RBI. That represents sustained success over almost four games. His on-base percentage against Burnett is .444, having also drawn two walks in his other plate appearances against the 38-year-old veteran.

With the likes of Justin Upton(.429) and Will Venable (.421) also experiencing success against Burnett, you’d think Amarista would have a decent chance to score and/or drive in some runs on Thursday. 

The other reason to draft Amarista is his low salary. His $2,700 price tag is what allows you the flexibility to draft both Kluber and Miller, while hopefully getting some high-value production from the Padres shortstop.

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All stats per ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.

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