This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The first day of September was light in MLB. Friday is back to business as usual. Every team is in action, but 13 games are on the DFS docket. Here are my lineup recommendations to kick off Labor Day weekend.
Pitching
Luis Castillo, SEA at CLE ($9,900): Castillo had a 2.86 ERA in 14 starts with the Reds. Since being traded to the Mariners, through five starts he has a…2.84 ERA. New uniform, same strong performance. The Guardians are fighting to avoid being in the bottom 10 in runs scored, mostly because the lineup lacks power.
Charlie Morton, ATL vs. MIA ($9,300): It's been a bit of a tough campaign for Morton, who played hero in the playoffs for the Braves last season. However, he does have a 3.07 ERA at home. The Marlins, meanwhile, have been struggling offensively and are at risk of falling behind the Pirates into 28th in runs scored.
Dean Kremer, BAL vs. OAK ($7,100): The first couple campaigns for Kremer were tough, but this season he has a respectable 3.24 ERA. Plus, over his last five starts he has a 2.25 ERA. The Athletics are 29th in runs scored and team OPS, and the Tigers are threatening them on the OPS front.
Top Targets
All season long, Nolan Arenado ($6,000) has been providing stellar output with his bat, and he's not slowing down. Over the last three weeks he has a .985 OPS. Adrian Sampson is going to be on the mound for the Cubs on Friday. He has a career 5.12 FIP, and this year righties have hit .298 against him.
Jose Altuve ($5,700) has racked up 22 homers and 12 stolen bases, and he's absolutely crushed lefties this year. He has an 1.063 OPS versus southpaws in 2022. Reid Detmers is a lefty, and he has a 4.14 FIP.
Bargain Bats
Across the last 21 days, Adam Frazier ($3,000) has a .768 OPS. He has eight stolen bases this year too, and they have all come against righties. Right-hander Zach Plesac has a 4.49 FIP, and he's allowed lefties to hit .281 against him.
This year Victor Reyes ($2,000) has performed evenly against lefties and righties, but since 2020 he has a .774 OPS versus southpaws. He also has a .753 OPS at home in 2022. In his career, Daniel Lynch has a 5.10 ERA. A big reason for that? Righties have him .294 against him.
Stacks to Consider
Red Sox vs. Rangers (Dallas Keuchel): Xander Bogaerts ($5,100), Trevor Story ($4,800), Tommy Pham ($4,500)
I can't explain to you why Keuchel is getting a start Friday. He's on his third team this season and has an 8.84 ERA. Last year he had a 5.28 ERA. The lefty has lost it, but since he is a lefty, I'm going with three right-handed batters.
Bogaerts has an 1.013 OPS versus lefties this season. He also has an .880 OPS at home. Story has 15 homers and 12 stolen bases in 85 games this season. Plus, since 2020 he has a .967 OPS against southpaws (which Coors may have played a part in, admittedly). Over the last three weeks Pham has a .797 OPS. On the season, though, he has an .862 OPS versus lefties.
Mets vs. Nationals (Josiah Gray): Pete Alonso ($5,000), Jeff McNeil ($4,300), Daniel Vogelbach ($4,000)
Gray has now pitched nearly 200 innings in MLB. He has a 5.76 FIP in his career. Gray's big issue is that he's possibly the most homer-prone starter in the majors. In his career, he's allowed 2.37 home runs per nine innings.
Alonso and home runs are synonymous, and he has 31 homers this year. He's also hit .269 to go with his .506 slugging percentage. McNeil has a .904 OPS over the last three weeks. The lefty has slashed .319/.365/.470 against right-handers as well. In terms of lefties with home-run power, Vogelbach provides nice potential value. He can't hit southpaws, but he has an .897 OPS versus righties.
Twins at White Sox (Davis Martin): Carlos Correa ($4,700), Luis Arraez ($4,400), Nick Gordon ($2,200)
The rookie Martin has a 4.62 ERA and has struck out a mere 6.46 batters per nine innings. He has a 5.18 ERA in Triple-A this year as well, so perhaps we shouldn't be surprised. Martin has only pitched a handful of innings at home, but so far he has a 7.71 ERA there.
Correa has hit .271 with a .352 OBP and has 15 homers as well. He also has an .851 OPS across the last 21 days. Arraez has a .318 average and .383 OBP, and that's even though he has issues with his fellow lefties versus righties, Arraez has a .341 average. Gordon has hit .279 with six homers and six stolen bases. He has an .815 OPS over the last three weeks as well.
