This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
This is a strange day for MLB. Maybe because it's the first day of the NFL season? There are only seven games on the day, but on DraftKings, the main slate of contest consists of three games and starts at 1:15 p.m. ET. There are no full-day contests to be found. As such, I am looking at this light schedule for my DFS recommendations.
Pitching
Adam Wainwright, STL vs. WAS ($8,600): The 40-year-old Wainwright has a 2.41 ERA at home, and a 2.70 ERA at home since 2020. He's still got it, and now he's facing a team that is in the bottom five in runs scored.
Adrian Sampson, CHC vs. CIN ($6,400): Looking to save some salary? Sampson is the option. He has a 3.72 FIP this season and has allowed the fewest home runs of his career. The Reds are on the border of the bottom 10 in runs scored, so is Sampson goes five innings I think he gets the win.
Top Target
On the season, Christian Yelich ($4,900) has 12 home runs and 16 stolen bases. He also has an .845 OPS over the last three weeks. After an opener, the lefty will get to face Jakob Junis, who is in line to be the primary pitcher for the Giants in the first half of their doubleheader in Milwaukee. Junis has a 4.66 road ERA, and since 2020 lefties have hit .306 against him.
Bargain Bat
While Jake Fraley ($2,800) truly can't hit lefties, since 2020 he has an .833 OPS versus right-handed pitchers. Sampson is a righty, and since there are only six teams in action, this is where I am looking for my bargain bat.
Stacks to Consider
Cardinals vs. Nationals (Josiah Gray): Nolan Arenado ($6,200), Nolan Gorman ($4,600), Lars Nootbaar ($3,500)
Gray has a 5.87 FIP in his career. Why? Because he has a terrible issue with the long ball. Gray has allowed 2.40 home runs per nine innings in his career. He's allowed at least one home run in each of his last 11 starts. There's a good chance that becomes 12 games in a row.
Arenado has hit 28 home runs and slugged .554, so he's primed to take advantage of this matchup with the homer-happy pitcher. He also has a .924 OPS over the last three weeks. Gorman DHs against righties, so he's being relied on for his bat. All 14 of his home runs have come against righties, and he's slugged .448 in those matchups. Nootbaar has six home runs over the last three weeks. He also has an .813 OPS versus righties.
Cubs vs. Reds (Luis Cessa): Ian Happ ($3,800), Christopher Morel ($3,700), Rafael Ortega ($2,000)
Cessa has primarily pitched out of the bullpen, but still has a 5.47 FIP. He's also allowed 1.85 home runs per nine innings. In his last three outings, Cessa has allowed four home runs in 11.0 innings. It's not looking for the Reds pitcher in Chicago.
Happ is a switch hitter, and while he's been better against lefties in 2022, since 2020 he has an .815 OPS versus righties. He also has an .850 OPS at home in that time. This matchup plays to Morel's strengths in his rookie campaign. He has an .800 OPS against righties and an .857 OPS at home. Ortega is the one lefty I have here to take advantage of the righty. Since 2020 he has a .781 OPS versus right handers, and over the last three weeks he has a .787 OPS.
