This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
You may think of Sunday as the first big weekend of the NFL season. I think of it as another day to strive for DFS MLB glory. There are 15 games on the slate, but the Tigers and Rays decided to get a jump on the NFL as they start at 12:15 p.m. ET. Get your lineups in early! Here are some recommendations.
PITCHING
Logan Webb, SF at CHC ($9,700): Webb missed all of June with injury, but has posted a 1.79 ERA in 12 starts since. When looking at the Cubs' season numbers, you have to remember that Kris Bryant (now a Giant!), Anthony Rizzo, and Javier Baez are all gone. Even though that trio was there for a while, Chicago still ranks in the bottom half of the league in runs scored.
Sonny Gray, CIN at STL ($9,200): Being on the road has benefited Gray this season having compiled a 3.02 ERA. The Cardinals weren't expected to be down toward the bottom of the league in runs scored. While the four worst teams in that category are in a tier of their own, St. Louis is fighting not to finish 26th.
James Kaprielian, OAK vs. TEX ($8,300): Oakland's expansive ballpark has really benefited Kaprielian. While his away ERA of 5.26 is woeful, his home mark sits at a robust 2.42. The Rangers, meanwhile, are in the running for the league's worst offense. Going into action today, only one team has produced a collective sub-.300 OBP. That would be Texas.
TOP TARGETS
Bryce Harper, PHI vs. COL ($4,400): Harper has been one of the best hitters in the majors this year. His 31 home runs and 12 stolen bases are all well and good, but I'm looking specifically at how he hits righties (1.125 OPS) and at home (1.067 OPS). Ryan Feltner will be starting for the Rockies. He's made one start in his MLB career where he gave up six runs over 2.2 innings.
Jose Abreu, CWS vs. BOS ($3,800): Abreu's power has slightly dipped, but for him that means 29 home runs and a .494 slugging percentage. Oh, and he might lead MLB in RBI. Nick Pivetta's 4.67 ERA isn't good, but it's better than his career 5.22 number. The pitcher has also struggled with allowing homers with 1.56 per nine innings during his career.
VALUE BATS
Miguel Sano, MIN vs. KC ($3,100): Sano doesn't make much contact, but the ball often goes far when he does. His career slugging percentage is .491 and he's hit 26 home runs across 115 games this year. The 28-year-old is also better at home where he's slugged .541 over the last two seasons. Speaking of long balls, Kris Bubic has given up a staggering 2.7 home runs per nine innings in road games in 2021.
Avisail Garcia, MIL at CLE ($3,000): Garcia doesn't walk much, but he sometimes trots around the bases with a career-high 25 homers. He's also posted a .950 OPS versus lefties. We have southpaw Logan Allen as the expected starter for Cleveland and he comes in with a 6.86 ERA.
STACKS TO CONSIDER
Astros vs. Jaime Barria: Jose Altuve ($4,300), Yordan Alvarez ($3,400), Michael Brantley ($2,600)
Barria has wild home-versus-road splits. At home, he's impressed with a 2.88 ERA. On the road, he's struggled to a 7.97 mark. This isn't strange for Barria, as he's gone 3.14 at home and 7.70 on the road since 2019. For some reason, the Angels decided to start him today in Houston. Since Barria is a righty, I decided to work two lefties into my stack.
Leading off for a strong Astros lineup and hitting .273 has helped Altuve score 97 runs. Hitting 27 home runs has led to a handful of those runs. Alvarez hasn't totally torn the cover off the ball like he did as a rookie, but who would complain about a .282/.350/.531 slash line with 28 homers? Brantley is more about hitting for average and getting on base with a .311 batting average and .369 OBP since joining the Astros in 2019.
Reds vs. J.A. Happ: Nick Castellanos ($4,100), Jonathan India ($3,900), Jose Barrero ($2,000)
Happ posted a 6.77 ERA with the Twins before being dealt to the Cardinals. Has he been better in St. Louis? Sure, but he's still carrying a 4.72 ERA over seven starts. Since Happ is a southpaw, I ended up with three righties. The lefty hitters for Cincinnati have some pretty big splits, including Joey Votto.
Castellanos is enjoying a career year with a .317/.371/.578 slash line. His form hasn't slipped considering a .948 OPS over the last 21 games. India has a chance to win Rookie of the Year with 20 home runs and nine stolen bases along with a .905 road OPS. Barrero is the gamble here. The 23-year-old shortstop has barely played in the majors, but it already thought of as Cincinnati's top prospect and is right-handed. His value also opens the door for other higher-salaried players.
