This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The All-Star starters have been named, reminding us we've gotten deep into the MLB season. It's not exhibition time yet, though. Sunday is your typical, full day of MLB action, though for DFS purposes I am looking at the main slate of contests that feature seven games. The first of those games start at 1:35 p.m. ET. Here are my recommendations.
Pitching
Eric Lauer, MIL vs. PIT ($10,100): There are home-run concerns with Lauer, but not so much at home. In Milwaukee, he owns a 2.13 ERA and has allowed 1.2 home runs per nine innings. Of course, the Pirates don't hit many homers themselves, which is a part of why they're 28th in runs scored.
Michael Kopech, CWS vs. DET ($8,200): Kopech's strikeouts are down, but he still has a 3.34 ERA. Facing the Tigers is a good way for Kopech to boost his numbers and perhaps pick up a rare win. Detroit sits 29th in both runs scored and team OPS.
Shane Baz, TAM at CIN ($8,100): One of the top pitching prospects in baseball, Baz has been crushing it after a rough first post-injury start. Over his last four starts, he has a 1.21 ERA. The Reds have been better offensively than I expected but are still below-average in terms of runs scored.
Top Targets
First, Randy Arozarena ($5,000) was the rookie coming out of nowhere to dominate the postseason. Next, he was a guy putting together a 20-20 campaign. The righty has dipped a bit this year, but he still has nine home runs and 18 stolen bases. Nick Lodolo has not struggled like his fellow Reds rookie Hunter Greene, but he has a 4.19 ERA through four starts and has allowed righties to hit .290 against him.
He had a strong first season with the Nationals, but this year Josh Bell ($4,400) has taken things to the next level. The former Pirate has slashed .308/.389/.497. He's been particularly good recently, hitting .358/.447/.679 over his last 22 games. Ian Anderson and his 5.09 ERA shouldn't make for a particularly tough opponent.
Bargain Bats
Over the last three weeks, Luis Urias ($4,400) has an .817 OPS. He also has an .828 OPS against lefties on the season. Jose Quintana has a 3.33 ERA, but he hasn't had an ERA lower than 4.03 since 2016, so consider me skeptical he can keep this up.
While Andrew Benintendi ($4,100) has slap-hitter numbers this year with his measly three homers, his .317 average and .387 OBP mean he's still helping fantasy players. Plus, with a righty on the mound he's slugged .439, which is more palatable than his .319 mark against southpaws. Zach Plesac has a 4.32 FIP, which is in line with his career 4.45 FIP.
Stacks to Consider
Braves vs. Nationals (Paolo Espino): Ronald Acuna ($6,200), Austin Riley ($5,500), Matt Olson ($4,700)
Espino has a 3.33 ERA, but he didn't start the season in the rotation. Since moving from the bullpen, he has a 4.91 ERA through five starts. That changes the landscape and makes me more enthused for stacking these Atlanta hitters.
Having returned from injury with gusto, Acuna has eight homers and 17 stolen bases. Plus, he loves his home ballpark, posting an 1.036 OPS at home since 2020. Last year, Riley had an .898 OPS and hit 33 home runs in a breakthrough campaign. This year, his average has dropped to .278, but he's slugged .550 and hit 22 home runs. Olson has slugged .516 against righties this year and he has a .951 OPS over the last three weeks.
White Sox vs. Tigers (Drew Hutchison): Jose Abreu ($5,400), Tim Anderson ($5,000), Gavin Sheets ($2,800)
Hutchison hasn't been a regular starter since 2015, which isn't surprising given his career 4.93 ERA. He returned to MLB with the Tigers last season after not pitching in 2019 or 2020. This year, he owns a 4.30 ERA and 4.33 FIP. When a 31-year-old pitcher is a backup plan for the rotation for a team like the Tigers, you know his upside is quite low.
Though his power is down from his .511 career slugging percentage, Abreu is hitting .295. Plus, he's slugged .500 over the last three weeks. Anderson is an elite hitter with a .318 average this year and a .321 average over the last four seasons. He also has five homers and 10 stolen bases in 57 games. Sheets is a lefty with a career .788 OPS against righties and a .952 OPS at home.
Guardians at Royals (Zack Greinke): Jose Ramirez ($5,400), Andres Gimenez ($3,900), Steven Kwan ($3,500)
Greinke is in the Royals' rotation mostly as a feel-good narrative for a team not exactly expecting to contend. The 38-year-old is not the pitcher he used to be, as he has a 4.85 ERA through 13 starts this year. Over the last three seasons his ERA is 4.28, so clearly the one-time elite pitcher has slid into mediocrity, as time waits for no man. Neither do these Guardians hitters.
Ramirez is excellent at getting on base, as his career .355 OBP indicates. Plus, he has 17 home runs and 12 stolen bases after recording his second 30-20 season last year. Gimenez is having a breakout campaign, with a .300/.355/.481 slash line, nine homers and six stolen bases. He also has an .874 OPS against righties. The lefty Kwan doesn't have power, but he's leading off because he has a .279 average and .363 OBP. He's remained strong at the plate after his hot start, as he's hit .282 and posted a .370 OBP over the last 21 days.
