This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Sunday's main slate is very interesting. At first glance, it appears very pitcher-heavy with the likes of Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer and Zack Wheeler. But there are a lot of different matchups to target in the middle and lower-end of the salary pool, which could lead to higher scoring than usual for a typical Sunday.
Pitching
There are three ace options (including Zack Wheeler) on the mound Sunday, though my preference is Max Scherzer ($10,700). Not only does he boast the slate's highest strikeout rate, but also faces the best matchup measured between he, Gerrit Cole and Wheeler as measured by wRC+ and K%.
Jake Odorizzi ($6,900) may get lost due to all the top-end pitchers. That could make him a nice option to pay down and potentially gain leverage on the field if some of the higher-rostered aces don't deliver as expected. Since returning from the injured list on May 29, Odorizzi has completed at least five innings in three of five starts (two of his last three) and has posted a 24:6 K:BB across 22.1 innings. Add in a matchup against the most strikeout prone team against right-handed pitching in the Tigers and there's a lot to like about Odorizzi.
Ross Stripling ($6,800) is another apparently misvalued player on the slate. He's also performed well of late, which has helped him surge to the eighth-highest strikeout rate among available pitchers. I'd prefer Odorizzi given Stripling's struggles with the long ball, as the latter has surrendered at least one homer in each of his last three starts with a 1.6 HR/9 on the season. On the other hand, Baltimore is not a daunting matchup and the salary is right to roster Stripling.
Top Hitters
Trevor Story ($5,700) won't have the benefit of Coors Field, but he'll draw a matchup against Eric Lauer and his history of home run problems having already allowed 10 long balls in 38 innings this season. Though a small sample, Story has crushed left-handed pitching when on the road in 2021 to the tune of a .280 ISO.
Nick Castellanos ($4,800) checks off a number of boxes that would appear to have the chance to lead to a big day. To start, he'll be playing at one of the friendliest ballparks for home runs with an unimposing matchup against Kyle Muller. He'll also have the handedness advantage, and he's posted a 169 wRC+, .273 ISO and 1.007 OPS against lefties this year.
Bargain Bats
While his skills profile is not nearly as appealing, Guillermo Heredia ($3,000) has the benefit of being undervalued and in a strong hitter's park on the opposite side of Castellanos. Heredia has quietly hit well when facing right-handed pitching this season with a .228 ISO and 128 wRC+. That combination makes him a nice tack on to the back of an Atlanta stack or as a stand-alone value option.
Gio Urshela ($3,200) comes in at a puzzling salary point. He's been as high as $4,600 this past week, and his ability suggests that wasn't a misguided tag. While Urshela was forced to miss Wednesday's game due to a shin injury, he's been in the lineup since. He'll draw a matchup against southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez. Urshela has posted a solid .215 ISO and 121 wRC+ against lefties this season, making him a cash game lock.
Stacks to Consider
Houston against Tarik Skubal: Jose Altuve ($5,700), Yordan Alvarez ($5,500), Carlos Correa ($5,000), Yuli Gurriel ($4,900)
Skubal has had fairly strong results this year, but Houston has hit everyone. Peaking under the hood also indicates he's susceptible to rallies and giving up a number of runs in various ways. Skubal's the only pitcher on Sunday's slate who has both allowed more than 2.0 HR/9 while also posting a walk rate above 10 percent. That makes him a decent target with one of the best lineups in the league. Given the promise Skubal has shown this season and the insanely high salary point of the stack, the Astros are an interesting fade in tournament contests as there are plenty of viable stacks that could produce.
Cleveland against J.A. Happ: Cesar Hernandez ($4,500), Harold Ramirez ($3,100), Jose Ramirez ($5,600), Amed Rosario ($4,000)
The Cleveland stack offers the chance for a much cheaper alternative to the Astros, but also should be popular based on the matchup against J.A. Happ. There also aren't a whole lot of desirable ways to diversify the build to get slightly different from the competition in larger contests. Even so, they have a number of players who can punish left-handed pitching, so this should be one of the safer stacks.
Milwaukee Brewers against Chi Chi Gonzalez: Christian Yelich ($6,200), Luis Urias ($5,200), Willy Adames ($4,900), Keston Hiura ($3,900)
This is one stack available to gain plenty of leverage in a GPP with also a realistic possibility to hit. Gonzalez has the lowest strikeout rate on the slate by over three percent, which should let a typically contact-challenged Brewers' lineup get plenty of balls in play. If that's the case, they have the talent in their lineup to put runs on the board. Unlike the Cleveland stack, there are also viable alternatives to this specific stack, highlighted by Omar Narvaez ($5,200), Kolten Wong ($5,500) – neither of whom may be in the lineup – as well as Avisail Garcia ($5,100).
Also consider: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Jorge Lopez, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Max Kranick
