This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Welcome to the final Sunday of August. It's a nice day for MLB DFS players with 11 games on the slate for the main docket of contests. The first pitch, as per usual, is at 1:35 p.m. EDT. Let's end the last weekend of the month on a high note! Here are my recommendations.
Pitching
Max Scherzer, NYM vs. COL ($11,400): Two future Hall of Famers (and former Tigers, I say solemnly as a Detroit sports fan) are on the mound Sunday. In addition to Justin Verlander, there's Scherzer. The Mets hurler loves his new home park based on his 1.71 ERA there. You obviously have to pay attention to the Rockies' home/road splits as their away offensive numbers are less robust.
Noah Syndergaard, PHI vs. PIT ($8,200): In four starts since joining the Phillies, Syndergaard has posted a 3.60 ERA. He's kept long balls in check all year, which is expected based on his career where he's only allowed 0.82 homers per nine innings. The Pirates aren't exactly homer-happy ranking 28th in runs scored and team OPS.
Ross Stripling, TOR vs. LAA ($7,400): Stripling hasn't spent the whole season in the rotation, but has a 2.83 ERA overall. And he's gone 12.1 innings across his last two starts while only giving up one run. The Angels sit 25th in offense while also maintaining a sub-.300 team OBP.
Top Targets
Interestingly, the lefty Corey Seager ($5,500) has hit both left-handed and right-handed pitchers effectively well. However, he's been much better in his new home ballpark on the campaign with a .903 OPS. Drew Hutchison lists a career 4.85 ERA and lefties have hit .285 against this year.
The southpaw Kyle Tucker ($4,600) has produced an .888 OPS against righties in 2022, which has helped him to 22 homers and 19 stolen bases. The Orioles have improved this season, but their upside is still tamped down by a lack of quality pitching options. Case in point, Austin Voth will take the mound Sunday and enters with a career 5.05 ERA.
Bargain Bats
Rookie shortstop Bryson Stott ($4,100) has accumulated eight home runs and eight steals thus far. He's preferred his home park, where he's recorded a .785 OPS. Roansy Contreras is getting his chance in the Pittsburgh rotation, but the fellow freshman has struggled to a 4.82 FIP.
The Reds decided to give Donovan Solano ($3,100) a shot, and the 34-year-old has responded with a .965 OPS the last three weeks and an .854 OPS against lefties since 2020. Whenever Patrick Corbin takes the mound, I'm reminded of the meme of Jesse Pinkman saying: "He can't keep getting away with this!". Corbin posted a 5.82 ERA in 2021 and it's at 6.81 this year.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays vs. Angels (Tucker Davidson): Teoscar Hernandez ($5,000), Matt Chapman ($4,700), Alejandro Kirk ($4,500)
The Blue Jays at home against a lefty is usually a smart idea for a stack. When that lefty has a career 5.59 ERA? Yeah, that works even more. Toronto's ideal lineup is basically all righties, but this is the trio I went with.
Hernandez is particularly enticing in a matchup like this with a 1.043 OPS versus southpaws the last couple seasons. He's dealing with a foot contusion, but it doesn't seem serious. Hernandez's success against lefties is enough for me to recommend him, but obviously keep an eye on his status. Chapman has crushed 24 home runs and has developed an affinity for his new home ballpark with an .888 OPS. Kirk doesn't boast a lot of power, but he's a catcher who's hit .300 with a .383 OBP. And since 2020, he's maintained an .856 OPS at home and an .870 against lefties.
Giants at Twins (Aaron Sanchez): Joc Pederson ($4,300), Wilmer Flores ($4,200), Mike Yastrzemski ($3,300)
The Twins are giving Sanchez another shot, even though he comes in with a 7.36 ERA this season. Even down at Triple-A St. Paul, that number was 3.80 and that's not very exciting. I think Minnesota will be sweating this one, but the Giants will be happy.
Pederson has posted a .926 OPS the last three weeks. Perhaps he's faced a lot of righties considering his .849 OPS in those matchups. Flores has racked up 16 homers and righties have hit .400 against Sanchez this year. Sure, that's in only 101 at-bats. It's been a tough season for Yastrzemski, but he's registered an .817 OPS versus right-handed pitchers the last two seasons and has produced 12 homers and five stolen bases in 2022.
Brewers vs. Cubs (Adrian Sampson): Hunter Renfroe ($4,000), Christian Yelich ($3,900), Rowdy Tellez ($3,700)
When the Brewers get to face a middling righty, they often see their way into my stacks. Sampson? He lists a career 5.15 FIP while allowing 1.87 home runs per nine innings. Bingo.
Renfroe has an .872 home OPS. While he's a righty, Sampson has let righties hit .297 against. Yelich has recorded a .361 OBP, 10 homers, and 16 steals along with a .773 OPS versus righties. Tellez swings for the fences with a .229 average and 27 homers. The former Blue Jay has crushed it in his home park with a .956 OPS.
