This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
It's a busy afternoon of baseball, with 12 games on the slate. Your DFS options are plenty, and I am here to help with your decisions. First pitch is 1:35 p.m. EDT. Let's get to the recommendations.
Pitching
Tony Gonsolin, LAD at PHI ($8,900): Gonsolin is off to a strong start this season, as he's managed an 1.64 ERA through seven starts. He also gets plenty of offensive support playing for the Dodgers, helping him go 4-0. The Phillies are in the top 10 in runs scored, but Bryce Harper is dealing with an elbow injury.
Shane Bieber, CLE vs. DET ($8,600): Saturday's game may have gotten rained out, but the Tigers won't avoid Bieber. The one-time Cy Young winner's current numbers are impacted by one bad start against the Blue Jays. The Tigers are last in runs scored, so they likely won't hit around Bieber like Toronto did.
Yusei Kikuchi, TOR vs. CIN ($8,200): Kikuchi's last few starts have gone quite well, as he has an 1.56 ERA in his last 17.1 innings. The Reds are surprisingly not in the bottom five in runs scored, but they are headed that way. They also have a sub-.300 OBP.
Top Targets
Although Jose Altuve ($4,200) got Saturday off, he seems healthy. He's also been productive, posting a .900 OPS with eight home runs. The righty faces lefty Taylor Hearn, who has a 5.46 ERA in his first season as a full-time starter.
The move to Los Angeles is suiting Freddie Freeman ($4,000) well. He's batted .311/.402/.480 after leaving Atlanta for the West Coast. Since 2020 he has an 1.010 OPS against righties, and right-hander Zach Eflin has allowed lefties to hit .281 against him in that same time frame.
Bargain Bats
Switch-hitting Anthony Santander ($2,800) prefers his home ballpark, where he has an .867 OPS since 2020. He also has more power against righties, as in that same time frame he's slugged .480 against right-handed pitchers. Corey Kluber is not the pitcher he used to be, and he has a 4.29 ERA through seven starts.
Randy Arozarena ($2,700) has six hits and two home runs in his last two games. That gives him four homers and six stolen bases. With his recent surge, it seems like Randy Arozarena is primed to take advantage of the fact Spenser Watkins has allowed 2.02 home runs per nine innings in his career, and he can take advantage of Watkins' career .332 average against righties as well.
Stacks to Consider
Mariners vs. Nathan Eovaldi: Ty France ($3,400), J.P. Crawford ($2,800), Julio Rodriguez ($3,000)
This isn't about the fact that Eovaldi allowed five home runs in his last start, though that is pretty significant. He has a 6.01 FIP this season, and since 2020 he's allowed righties to hit .280. Eovaldi has a fastball that is indeed fast, but it doesn't seem to miss enough bats.
France might win a batting title this year, as he's hit .323. On top of that he has a .391 OBP and .476 slugging percentage. Crawford showed upside last season when he hit .273, and this year he has a .299 average. He also has an .874 OPS against righties in 2022. As a rookie, Rodriguez is all about speed to start his career. He's stolen 12 bases already, and he's hit .311 over the last three weeks.
Blue Jays vs. Graham Ashcraft: George Springer ($3,800), Vladimir Guerrero ($3,700), Bo Bichette ($3,600)
Ashcraft will make his MLB debut in place of the injured Connor Overton. On the road against the Blue Jays? That's not an ideal way to make your first appearance in the majors, but it bodes well for this trio.
Since joining the Blue Jays, Springer has slashed .266/.348/.537 with 29 homers and six stolen bases in 116 games. It's been a bit since Guerrero hit a home run, but they should arrive in due time. After all, he hit 48 homers last year, and he does still have a .268 average this season. Bichette is starting to pick up the pace, and he has six home runs and four stolen bases this year after 29 homers and 25 swiped bags in 2021.
Mets vs. Austin Gomber: Pete Alonso ($4,300), Starling Marte ($3,800), Mark Canha ($3,300)
The Mets have one last game this weekend to take advantage of Coors Field. Gomber moved to the Rockies last season and posted a 4.53 ERA. This year he has a 4.38 ERA. Also, he's allowed more home runs than he did in St. Louis, and this season he's allowed 1.38 homers per nine innings.
Alonso is having his best season since his rookie campaign when he hit 53 home runs. It's not just that he's slugged .516, but the fact he has a .286 average and .357 OBP. Marte is back in the lineup and has four home runs and five stolen bases. He's a career .289 hitter who had 47 stolen bases in 2021. Canha hasn't shown much power this year, but he has a .286 average and .372 OBP. Plus, last season he had 17 homers and 12 stolen bases.
