This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Sunday's main slate seems to have a strict delineation of which pitchers to roster and target hitters against. In cash games, that should keep builds straightforward with a chalky build working aside from differentiating at perhaps one or two spots. In tournaments, it's a chance to get contrarian against some of the pitchers rostered at a higher-rate who may be vulnerable. Though they didn't make the cut in the stacking section of the article, the Phillies are a perfect example of a contrarian stack that could work well.
Pitching
The two highest-salaried pitchers on the slate are both viable, so choosing between Zack Wheeler ($10,400) and Lance McCullers ($10,000) comes down to small details. The Mets have gotten a lot of attention of late for their poor offensive performance, though that's largely an issue of recency bias. The team measures out in the middle of the pack offensively for the season, and actually above-average the last month. The point being, Wheeler isn't facing a cupcake of a matchup despite what the Mets' recent results indicate. Even so, I'd rather pay up for Wheeler from a skills perspective. For the season, he holds the advantage over McCullers in terms of strikeout rate and walk rate with a near identical homer rate. The Mets have been slightly more strikeout prone as compared to the Twins. For all of those reasons, I'll pay up the $400 for Wheeler.
Among the middle tier of pitchers, Max Fried ($8,800) stands out. His skills are fine compared to his value, but the primary draw is the matchup. This is an instance to throw out season-long lineup numbers, as the Nationals are without Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber and could well be without Juan Soto as he battles a knee injury. That would leave them with little to no pop in their lineup and a perfect spot for Fried to excel and earn the win.
With our last pitcher, let's get a little interesting. Kris Bubic ($5,700) has turned in four consecutive quality starts. He hasn't gotten particularly strong strikeout volume, but he's managed to score at least 18.5 DK points in three of those four outings. At his salary, that's enough. Bubic isn't exactly a cash play, but rostering him is a reasonable way to get different in tournaments.
Top Hitters
Garrett Richards has been one of the biggest losers since the league decided to crack down on the use of sticky substances allowing 2.9 HR/9 over the last 30 days. Meanwhile, George Springer ($5,500) has caught fire and also quietly retaken the leadoff role from Marcus Semien. To be honest, just about any Blue Jay hitter is in play on the slate, but Springer is a good place to start.
Bryce Harper ($6,100) represents the most expensive hitter on the slate, but rightfully so. Taijuan Walker has been struggling across his past few starts. This game will also take place in one of the better hitter's parks on the main slate with Harper posting a .324 ISO against right-handed pitching on the season.
Bargain Bats
Jorge Soler ($3,400) has smashed left-handed pitching all year with a .303 ISO across 115 plate appearances against southpaws. He'll have the chance to square off against Patrick Corbin, who has coughed up 2.0 HR/9 – the highest mark on the slate. Though that's reason enough to roster Soler at his low salary, he's also been locked into the second slot in Atlanta's lineup since being acquired at the trade deadline, so volume will also be on his side.
Zach Plesac has both given up a ton of contact and home runs this year having taken a large step back from a skills perspective compared to his breakthrough 2020. Akil Baddoo ($3,500) should be in a nice position to take advantage today, as he's typically penciled to lead off for the Tigers with a righty on the mound. Even if he doesn't go yard, he should have plenty of opportunity to get on base and come around to score.
Stacks to Consider
Reds against Bryse Wilson: Jesse Winker ($5,900), Joey Votto ($4,800), Nick Castellanos ($4,000)
The Reds have been the smash stack all weekend against the Pirates and there's little reason to believe that will change today. Wilson will take the hill for Pittsburgh and has only managed a 16.2 K% while allowing 1.5 HR/9. Votto is actually the key piece of this stack thanks to his power production against righties, while Winker provides the floor. For those looking at value exposure, track the lineup and consider Aristides Aquino ($3,100) or Tyler Naquin ($2,800).
Toronto Blue Jays against Garrett Richards: Vladimir Guerrero ($6,200), George Springer ($5,500), Marcus Semien ($5,200)
There's a lot of directions to turn with the Blue Jays on this slate for all the reasons discussed above. But this is both an expensive lineup to roster and likely a chalky one, so look elsewhere for tournaments. Alejandro Kirk ($3,300) should be a good way to get exposure at a low salary and should differentiate Jays stacks at least to some degree.
Tampa Bay Rays against Jorge Lopez: Brandon Lowe ($5,600), Austin Meadows ($5,300), Nelson Cruz ($5,200)
Similar to the previous two paragraphs, the Rays stack is expensive. However, it's reasonable to expect the two highest-rostered groups to be those listed above, so this should provide some leverage with plenty of ceiling still in play. The Rays will be facing Jorge Lopez, who has both a 10 percent walk rate and has allowed 1.4 HR/9 on the season. That's a perfect combination to stack against. For cheaper alternatives, Ji-Man Choi ($4,300) and Brett Phillips ($2,400) represent strong alternatives.
