This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We head into the final weekend of August with a lot on the table in MLB. The trade deadline nears, and we're much closer to the end of the season than the beginning. Friday features two games that wanted to get a slight jump on the rest, starting at 6:40 p.m. ET, and those got nixed from the DFS lineup as a result. Still, 13 games means plenty of options, and here are my recommendations.
Pitching
Alek Manoah, TOR vs. DET ($9,400): If you are willing to dish out the salary, this is as close as a lock as you can find. Manoah is a workhorse who also delivers the goods in terms of production, as he has a 2.24 ERA that has helped him rack up an 11-4 record. The Tigers are last in runs scored for good measure. No pitcher is ever truly guaranteed a win, but if there was ever a situation that was practically a guarantee, it's Manoah at home against the Tigers.
Martin Perez, TEX at LAA ($8,400): Perez has been one of the pleasant surprises of the season, returning to Texas and posting a 2.59 ERA. Even his 3.12 FIP is quite impressive. The Angels are flirting with being in the bottom five in runs scored, and with Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon out, it wouldn't be surprising to see them drop into that range and stay there.
Lance Lynn, CWS vs. OAK ($6,800): Lynn has put up bad numbers in limited action, but his 4.33 FIP is better than his 6.43 ERA. Plus, he did go six innings and allow zero runs in his last start. This is about the matchup for me, as the Athletics are 29th in runs scored and last in team OPS. Maybe Lynn will replicate his last outing Friday.
Top Targets
If you don't judge him based on his gaudy numbers from 2021, Vladimir Guerrero ($5,600) is having a fine campaign. He's hit .281 and slugged .499 with 21 home runs. Plus, he just stole a base the other day! He's got the need for speed! Bryan Garcia has a career 6.12 ERA, and he just got called up from Triple-A to make his first MLB appearance this season. He probably only goes three innings or so, but that should be enough for Vladito to get a couple shots at him.
DJ LeMahieu ($5,400) is delivering what you want from a leadoff hitter, namely a .386 OBP. He has an .878 OPS against lefties and an .832 OPS at home as well. The Royals, meanwhile, are trotting out the lefty Kris Bubic, who has a 5.53 ERA.
Bargain Bats
Once upon a time, the Diamondbacks drafted Dansby Swanson ($5,000) first overall, dealing him before he got a chance to show what kind of player he would develop into. Now, he's a guy who has hit .295 with 15 home runs and 14 stolen bases. Madison Bumgarner has dropped his ERA from 4.67 last year to 3.71 this year, but his FIP has only dropped from 4.63 to 4.49. Plus, he has a 4.71 ERA on the road in 2022.
It's not surprising that the southpaw Gavin Sheets ($3,300) has been better against righties, as he has a .775 OPS in those matchups in his career. What's notable is that he's also been way better at home. His career OPS in home games is .976. Sheets will be home against James Kaprielian on Friday, and the Oakland pitcher has a 4.74 ERA.
Stacks to Consider
Cardinals at Nationals (Anibal Sanchez): Nolan Arenado ($5,300), Tommy Edman ($4,000), Nolan Gorman ($3,200)
Well, the Nationals are going to try it again. They are going to trot out Sanchez for a third start, even though he has a 6.30 ERA through two starts. Given that in his last MLB action – 11 starts in 2020 – he had a 6.62 ERA, that's not surprising. Back from Toronto, the Cardinals are ready to swing their bats in the nation's capital.
Arenado should be well rested after not playing in Toronto because he refuses to get vaccinated, and he brings an .887 OPS to the table. On top of that, in the road spots he's legally allowed to play in he has a .906 OPS. Edman has hit .256, and he has speed and base-running abilities. He's swiped 20 bags after stealing 30 last season. The rookie Gorman basically doesn't play against lefties, and all 10 of his home runs have come against righties. He has an .808 OPS in away games as well.
Dodgers at Rockies (Chad Kuhl): Freddie Freeman ($5,800), Justin Turner ($4,700), Gavin Lux ($3,600)
Kuhl started the season off surprisingly well, but the bloom has come off the rose for the Rockies. Over his last eight starts, the former Pirate has a 6.25 ERA. Now he has to face the Dodgers at Coors Field. Admittedly, Kuhl has been better at home this year, but that may simply be Coors not having had a chance to do some damage yet. It's not like Kuhl solved thin air and elevation.
Freeman has been scorching, as he has an 1.306 OPS over the last three weeks. He also has an 1.011 OPS against righties since 2020. Turner has been hot recently too, notching a .976 OPS over the last 21 days as well. He's been better at home than on the road, but most road ballparks aren't Coors. Lux's counting stats aren't great (four home runs and five stolen bases), but he's a lefty who has hit .307 with a .382 OBP. Plus, he has 15 doubles and a whopping five triples, so he's still grabbing extra bases.
Brewers at Red Sox (Brayan Bello): Rowdy Tellez ($4,600), Christian Yelich ($4,500), Kolten Wong ($3,800)
The Red Sox are in dire straits, so much so Bello is getting another start. In each of his first three starts he's gone exactly four innings. He has posted a 10.50 ERA, even though he has yet to allow a home run, which feels inevitable. Since he is a righty, I have stacked three left-handed hitters from the Brew Crew.
Tellez is bringing the power with 20 home runs, and a lot of that has been because of teeing off on righties. He's slugged .504 versus right-handed pitchers. Yelich's power is gone, but he does have eight home runs, and he has slugged .402 against righties. He still has skills on base, though, having swiped 13 bags. Wong has stark splits, but an .828 OPS against righties. He's also been strong the last couple of weeks, notching a .921 OPS over the last 14 days.
