This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
If you want to kick your feet up on Labor Day, you'd better make the most of your Sunday MLB DFS contests. To try and help you make this a successful weekend, here are some recommendations for your lineups.
PITCHING
Zack Wheeler, PHI at MIA ($10,400): Wheeler's last few starts have been poor, but I don't think he's hit some sort of wall based on his 3.01 ERA and 2.68 FIP. A matchup with the Marlins could help get his numbers back on track considering they rank 27th in runs scored.
Robbie Ray, TOR vs. OAK ($10,100): This is a case of betting on pitching talent even if the matchup isn't great, though the A's are only in the middle of the pack in terms of runs scored. Ray has struck out 11.41 batters per nine innings, well in line with his career 11.18 average. He also enters with a 2.71 ERA with a 2.53 mark at home. The lefty wipes out other lefties, so I would feel better if Oakland were heavy on that side - but at least Matt Olson should be kept in check.
Luis Castillo, CIN vs. DET ($8,900): Castillo's overall numbers are middling with his 4.30 ERA, but has gone with a 2.81 over his last 15 starts and a 1.79 at home - and that's with one awful start on the road against Cleveland in the mix. If you remove that appearance, he hasn't allowed more than three runs since the start of June. Detroit carries a middling offense, but it's still decidedly below average.
Josiah Gray, WAS vs. NYM ($8,100): Gray's numbers have not been great, but he was dealt from the Dodgers to the Nationals as one of baseball's best pitching prospects. I believe in his talent, especially as he gains more experience. Gray's numbers are being skewed by the fact his last start against the Phillies went quite poorly. The Mets offer a less-formidable offense sitting 29th in runs scored.
TOP TARGETS
Rafael Devers, BOS vs. CLE ($6,000): Devers' .275 average is consistent with his career .278 number, but both his OBP and his slugging percentage are up. The lefty has also produced a .956 OPS versus righties. The righty Zach Plesac comes in with a 4.82 FIP and has given up 1.48 homers per nine innings over his career.
Aaron Judge, NYY vs. BAL ($6,000): Judge's home run totals are up again this season, in part due to the fact he's stayed healthy. The slugger has crushed 30 long balls for only the second time, even though he's never slugged lower than .528 after his cup-of-coffee in 2016. Keegan Akin has posted a 6.90 ERA while allowing 1.67 home runs per nine innings. Judge may be going deep again today.
VALUE BATS
Rafael Ortega, CHC vs. PIT ($3,800): You have to keep Ortega away from lefties, who eat him for lunch. Against righties, he's excelled with a .939 OPS. That's helped him hit nine home runs and steal eight bases across 78 games. Bryse Wilson is a righty who has posted an underwhelming 4.61 ERA that actually is better than his career 5.16 total.
David Fletcher, LAA vs. TEX ($3,200): Fletcher hasn't done well getting on base and holds no power, but he's hit .290 and often leads off for the Angels. That last point has helped him rack up 70 runs while also swiping 14 bases. Taylor Hearn has mostly pitched out of the bullpen while holding a 4.78 FIP and Fletcher has produced an .883 OPS versus lefties like Hearn.
STACK TO CONSIDER
Rays vs. Griffin Jax: Randy Arozarena ($4,800), Wander Franco ($5,700), Brandon Lowe ($5,500)
The 26-year-old rookie Jax has only played in 12 games, eight of them starts. They have not gone well considering the 6.71 ERA, which rises on the road to 7.07. A big problem is the fact Jax has given up 2.68 home runs per nine innings. That's bad even by modern standards.
Arozarena couldn't keep up the torrid pace of his 2020 playoff run, but still has 19 home runs and 12 stolen bases along with an .888 home OPS. Franco is also a first-year player, but he's different from Arozarena in that he's a 20-year-old wunderkind. Over the last 21 days, he's starred with a 1.009 OPS. Lowe won't threaten to win a batting title, but that's largely because he struggles against lefties. But against righties - like Jax - he's slashed .252/.363/.548 with 25 homers.
