This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Rain has messed with MLB's schedule a bit recently, but the DraftKings featured slate of contests has shaken out for Sunday featuring seven games, the first of which starts at 1:35 p.m. ET. It's time to delve into the matchups to help with your DFS lineups.
Pitching
Gerrit Cole, NYY vs. TEX ($10,000): Cole will finally face the Rangers in the first half of a Sunday doubleheader. Rain has pushed things for the ace pitcher who hasn't allowed a run in his last 12.2 innings across two starts. The Rangers are middling in runs scored, but finished 28th last year so there could be regression as things stabilize.
Chris Paddack, MIN vs. OAK ($8,400): I almost wish Paddack was on the road in Oakland's spacious ballpark. But he's managed an 1.92 FIP through four starts, so I won't quibble. The Athletics' fire sale this offseason has left them with a lineup that's last in OBP, which should keep Paddack largely unthreatened.
Jordan Lyles, BAL vs. KC ($4,900): Lyles offers the lowest salary among starting pitchers Sunday, and in this matchup that makes him worth a role of the dice. He's at home against the team that ranks last in runs scored. It's a gamble, but going with Lyles will save you plenty to help bolster your lineup. If he takes advantage of the matchup, it'll be worth it.
Top Targets
I don't want to get overexcited, but we've recently been seeing a bit of the old Christian Yelich ($4,800). Over the last two weeks, he's posted an .894 OPS, and has produced four homers and three stolen bases on the season. Meanwhile, Charlie Morton has struggled to a 6.85 ERA and has really been hit hard by lefties as they've hit .357 against him in 2022.
Yes, it's the worst possible MLB matchup, but don't overlook the Pirates and the Reds for DFS. I'm honed in on Ke'Bryan Hayes ($4,400), who hasn't shown much power since he slugged .682 in his first season but also hit .318 with a .408 OBP this year. He'll get to face Tyler Mahle, who threw five scoreless innings in his first game and has since recorded an 8.71 ERA across five starts.
Bargain Bats
Let's not forget that is wasn't long ago Max Kepler ($3,600) hit 36 home runs in a season. He also sent 19 deep last season and stole 10 bases, even though he only hit .211. The southpaw's primary issue has been his fellow lefties, and right-hander Daulton Jefferies has allowed 11 runs over his last two starts.
Austin Hays ($2,900) hit 22 home runs last season, and this year he's slashing .287/.358/.457. He's my Oriole of choice with a lefty on the mound. Daniel Lynch has made two good starts and two bad ones, leaving him with a 4.64 FIP. The big concern for him is that he's given up 1.71 home runs per nine innings.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays vs. Kirk McCarty ($5,200): Bo Bichette ($5,200), George Springer ($5,100), Teoscar Hernandez ($4,300)
McCarty was brought up for his first MLB start on Apr. 24. He allowed four runs and two home runs in three innings before heading back to Triple-A. But due to some rain-related postponements, he'll be on the mound Sunday. Lucky for him, he gets to face the Blue Jays.
I keep coming back to Bichette in spite of his slow start for a simple reason. His career slash line is .296/.338/.492 and last year he hit 29 home runs and stole 25 bases. Springer tends to lead off for Toronto, and his .287/.348/.525 slash line justifies that. So does the fact he's posted a .917 OPS against lefties since 2020. Hernandez has been even better against southpaws like McCarty with an 1.078 OPS versus lefties since 2020.
Yankees vs. Dane Dunning ($6,100): Anthony Rizzo ($5,100), Giancarlo Stanton ($4,400), Isiah Kiner-Falefa ($3,300)
Dunning is starting the first half of this doubleheader. His 3.81 ERA is far from remarkable, but also the best of his career. Dunning has also really struggled away from home since joining the Rangers with a 6.39 ERA in away games in 2021 and a 6.00 this year.
Rizzo is the one lefty you can really count on for the Yankees. He's only hitting .242, but has also produced a .355 OBP and nine home runs. Stanton is struggling to get on base, but his career .357 OBP leaves me unconcerned. He also has five homers, and in his last two full seasons he's gone over the 30-homer mark. Kiner-Falefa doesn't offer power, but he can hit for average. Over the last three seasons, he's hit .275 and also stole 20 bases last year.
Astros vs. Wily Peralta ($5,600): Yordan Alvarez ($5,600), Jose Altuve ($5,000), Kyle Tucker ($4,300)
Peralta, who enters with a career 4.32 ERA, has been pitching entirely out of the bullpen this year. Maybe this start only goes two or three innings, but I'm not worried about the Tigers' bullpen (and I say that as a Tigers fan). Hoping Peralta is in long enough for a couple of turns through the lineup for the Astros - or at least 1.5 times - I've selected two lefties to face the righty.
Alvarez is getting on base at a .379 clip and has slugged .588. His career .579 mark tells me this kind of power is well within his grasp long-term. Altuve's numbers have picked up considerably since returning from injury notching two hits in each of his last three games with four home runs on the season. Last year, Tucker racked up 30 homers and 14 stolen bases, and this year he's at four and five. And since 2020, he's posted a .909 OPS against righties.
