This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
There are 15 games on the MLB schedule, as per usual. And they're almost all in the afternoon, with the first batch starting at 1:05 p.m. ET. I'm naturally going to be paying attention to what's happening for DFS purposes, but I'm also going to dedicate a decent portion of my emotional bandwidth to rooting for the Padres to beat the Cardinals. I don't have anything against the Redbirds, per se, but the idea of going from the Padres or the Reds making the playoffs to the Cards is kind of a bummer. St. Louis is…just kind of boring. Now that I've alienated the residents of the Gateway to the West, let's get to my recommendations.
PITCHING
Gerrit Cole, NYY vs. CLE ($11,500): If you're willing to spend a little extra on your pitcher, Cole is worth it today. People were worried about his spin rate and strikeouts after MLB cracked down on foreign substances, but he's been just fine. In fact, Cole has posted a 1.35 ERA over his last six starts. Cleveland ranks in the bottom-10 in runs scored. And if you can silence Jose Ramirez, you've basically stopped their entire offense.
Sandy Alcantara, MIA vs. PIT ($10,800): If I were playing favorites, this is the pitcher I would go with. Alcantara has logged a 3.10 ERA, which drops to 2.21 at home. Since he got shelled at Coors Field – which is forgivable – he's produced a 1.55 ERA across seven starts. Then, of course, there's the Pittsburgh offense. The Pirates have been at the bottom of the league in runs scored for a while, and have recently fallen way behind the pack.
Nathan Eovaldi, BOS vs. BAL ($10,500): Eovaldi has a 3.52 ERA, but a 2.78 FIP. And his home ERA of 2.88 more accurately reflects his FIP. While Baltimore is no longer in the midst of a 19-game losing streak, it still claims one of the MLB's worst records, not to mention the fact they sit in the bottom-five in runs scored.
Lucas Giolito, CWS at TEX ($9,300): It's been an up-and-down season for Giolito, who enters with a 3.77 ERA. He still strikes out plenty of batters and has a 3.09 ERA in his last 10 starts. Texas is 29th in runs scored, and ranks last in team OBP at .294.
TOP TARGETS
Juan Soto, WAS vs. COL ($4,300): Soto wields a bat as well as anybody in the majors. He's never failed to have an OBP over .400 and he's going to hit over .300 for the second straight season. The lefty has also posted a 1.039 OPS versus right-handed pitchers. Ryan Feltner might not be in the game long as he's pitched 6.1 innings over two starts for the Rockies. That being said, he also has an 11.37 ERA.
Nolan Arenado, STL vs. SD ($4,100): Arenado's OBP hasn't bounced back this year, but he's still showing plenty of power since leaving the Rockies slugging .496 with 32 home runs. Jake Arrieta struggled to a 6.88 ERA with the Cubs before the Padres picked him up out of desperation. It hasn't worked since considering he's maintaining an 8.25 ERA with his new team.
VALUE BATS
Yoan Moncada, CWS at TEX ($3,800): The switch-hitting Moncada has traditionally hit righties better with an .848 OPS since 2019. He's strangely only has 12 home runs this season, but racked up 25 in 2019. Jordan Lyles is a right-handed pitcher who comes in with a 5.44 FIP.
Ty France, SEA at KC ($2,000): Over the last two seasons, France has slashed .292/.363/.444. He's also hit 16 homers this year. France will be facing off against KC rookie Jackson Kowar and his 11.50 ERA and 6.38 FIP from six appearances.
STACKS TO CONSIDER
Red Sox vs. Alexander Wells: J.D. Martinez ($4,400), Xander Bogaerts ($4,100), Enrique Hernandez ($3,600)
Wells has been shellacked this season when taking the mound. He's got a 7.76 ERA – which is at least close to patriotic – and has given up a whopping 2.36 home runs per nine innings. Perhaps the wildest thing is the lefty has allowed righties to hit .369 against. Naturally, I had to go with three right-handed hitters.
Martinez slowed down after a red-hot start, but still has a .285/.349/.515 slash line with 26 home runs. Bogaerts is hitting .303 even without the boost of facing guys like Wells every day. On top of that, he's managed a .943 home OPS. Hernandez often leads off for the Red Sox, which raises his opportunity to score runs. He's also produced an .841 OPS versus lefties and an .821 home OPS.
Yankees vs. Eli Morgan: Aaron Judge ($4,200), Giancarlo Stanton ($4,000), Joey Gallo ($3,300)
I'm bringing out the big guns for this matchup. These three mashers will be facing a pitcher with a 6.03 ERA. Morgan has also allowed 2.13 home runs per nine innings. I would be surprised if the Yankees didn't hit multiple homers today, and this trio are the most likely to do it.
A healthy Judge has reminded us of the hitter he was as a rookie slashing .287/.371/.536 with 35 homers. Stanton just hit number 30 himself and has posted a .943 OPS over his last 10 games. In spite of the fact he's under the Mendoza line with the Yankees, Gallo has crushed 12 home runs. He's got 37 on the season and as a lefty will be happy to see a righty on the mound. Assuming his neck is OK, that is.
