This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
The main slate of MLB DFS contests on FanDuel doesn't include the first game of the day along with those that start after 4 p.m. ET. What does that leave us? Nine games, with the first at 1:35 p.m. ET. Here are my recommendations.
Pitching
Ian Anderson, ATL at CHC ($8,800): Anderson has endured a rough year with a 4.81 ERA paired with a 4.51 FIP, not to mention a career ERA of 3.69. The Braves rank in the top-10 in runs scored while the Cubs are in the bottom-10, so I think there's a good chance Anderson can pick up a win and hopefully produce a quality start.
Dane Dunning, TEX at DET ($8,600): Dunning hasn't been much better than Anderson with a 4.04 ERA. That being said, this matchup is stellar as the Tigers are last in runs scored and team OPS. There's no better opponent out there, and even a mediocre pitcher offers plenty of upside.
Alex Cobb, SF at PIT ($7,600): Cobb is coming off the injured list after a neck injury, but he's got himself a nice matchup to step into with the Pirates sitting 28th in runs scored and team OPS. Note that Cobb has recorded a 5.73 ERA, but a 2.63 FIP.
Top Targets
Lots of people enjoy hitting at Coors Field, but nobody loves it like C.J. Cron ($4,100). Since joining the Rockies, he's comfortably posted an OPS over 1.000. And since 2020, he's managed a .934 OPS against lefties and the southpaw Blake Snell - and his 5.04 ERA - will be on the mound for the Padres.
Thanks to a breakout campaign, Dansby Swanson ($3,800) is now batting second for the Braves. He's slashed .290/.361/.461 with nine home runs and nine stolen bases. Suddenly, Kyle Hendricks has become thoroughly hittable on the mound having posted a 4.83 ERA over the last two seasons while allowing 1.55 home runs per nine innings.
Bargain Bats
Typically, Ji-Man Choi ($3,400) is reliable against righties with an .815 OPS in those matchups since 2020. This year, the lefty is hitting better than ever with a .293/.379/.493 slash line. Jordan Lyles is right-handed, and his 5.10 ERA is right in line with a career 5.20 mark.
Maybe Hunter Renfroe ($3,100) doesn't get on base much, but he's slugged .484 with 12 home runs. Last year, he slugged .501 with 31 homers. And on Sunday, he gets to square off with Mike Minor. He's pitched 14.2 innings this season and has struggled to a 7.36 ERA while giving up six home runs.
Stacks to Consider
Padres at Rockies (Antonio Senzatela): Manny Machado ($4,500), Jake Cronenworth ($3,900), Eric Hosmer ($3,400)
I mentioned Coors Field earlier. It makes sense to return to that offense-happy ballpark for a stack. Senzatela's 4.79 ERA isn't surprising and neither is his career 4.84 number. Having said that, he actually doesn't allow a lot of home runs but has let lefties hit .292 against and righties .297 since 2020, so he's clearly hittable. That's what I focused on here. Doubles drive in runs too.
Machado has crushed plenty of homers, with 12 this year and five seasons of at least 30 to his name. He's also recorded 17 doubles while batting .329 on the year. Cronenworth is a career .266 hitter, but he's been red hot of late going .333 along with a .981 OPS across the last three weeks. Hosmer is hitting .288 this season and lists a career .278 mark. He doesn't boast much power, but he's slugged .427 against righties the last two years.
Yankees at Blue Jays (Yusei Kikuchi): Aaron Judge ($4,100), DJ LeMahieu ($3,400), Gleyber Torres ($3,200)
Kikuchi never found his footing in Seattle, and Toronto hasn't been any kinder to him with a 5.18 ERA. His biggest issue is the fact he's given up 1.62 homers per nine innings. The southpaw does keep lefties in check, so I'm definitely looking for righties in my stack.
Judge is, you know, having the best season in baseball at the plate having slashed .306/.381/.657 with 25 home runs. He's never had fewer than 27 over a full season and seems likely to register his second one of at least 50. Often leading off thanks a career .355 OBP, LeMahieu doesn't have as much power but is teeing off on lefties this year with a .918 OPS versus southpaws. Torres has tipped over .500 in terms of slugging percentage and has hit 12 home runs while managing 38 in a previous campaign.
Rangers at Tigers (Drew Hutchison): Adolis Garcia ($3,700), Marcus Semien ($3,000), Nathaniel Lowe ($2,800)
Hutchinson has posted a 4.58 ERA this season even though he's mostly pitched out of the bullpen. He likely can't keep suppressing homers so easily if he's starting and has allowed 1.26 home runs per nine innings through his career. A 31-year-old that has spent time in Triple-A is rarely a good bet on the mound in the Majors
Hitting .253 is likely as good as it will get for Garcia, but he racks up the fantasy numbers with 31 homers and 16 steals in 2021 and 13 and 10 this year. Semien's slow start was puzzling after he went deep 45 times last season while swiping 15 bases. He's now at six and 11 of each with a .920 OPS over the last three weeks. The lefty Lowe has batted .274, and he's preferred being on the road this year with an .893 OPS.
