This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Let's end July with a bang! There are 11 games on Sunday's DFS slate, the first kicking off a 1:35 p.m. EDT. With that in mind, here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Dylan Cease, CWS vs. OAK ($10,900): Even at this salary, it's hard to avoid the siren song of Cease in this matchup. Has any pitcher been hotter than someone with a 0.42 ERA over his last 11 starts? And Cease now goes up against a team ranked 29th in runs scored and OPS? He might somehow lower than ERA!
Max Fried, ATL vs. ARI ($10,400): Start with Fried posting a 2.47 FIP and a 10-3 record. Then you throw in the fact he's a lefty and several key Arizona bats are left-handed. That doesn't help a club that's already in the bottom-half of the league in terms of offense.
Taijuan Walker, NYM at MIA ($9,700): With the injuries the Mets have suffered in their rotation, the performance of Walker has been key with a 2.67 ERA through 17 starts and a 2.12 from his last eight. Meanwhile, the Marlins rank 24th in runs scored.
Top Targets
Likely AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodriguez ($4,000) just makes things exciting when he's out there having hit .271 with 18 home runs and 21 stolen bases. Jake Odorizzi's season has seen him sandwich a few good stats with poor ones on either side and has posted a 5.91 ERA over his last four starts. Rodriguez did pick up a knock on his wrist Saturday, but he was able to stay in and play defense before being pinch hit. If he can go, he'll be out there.
Although Randy Arozarena ($3,200) isn't hitting quite as well as last year, but still has 12 homers and 20 stolen bases after producing 20 of each in 2021. Bryan Shaw is listed as the starter for the Guardians, but last time he started he was the opener before giving way to Kirk McCarty. Both have ERAs over 5.00, but Shaw is a righty and McCarty is a lefty so I wanted a right-handed hitter from Tampa's lineup.
Bargain Bats
Darick Hall ($2,900) has become the DH for the Phillies whenever a righty is on the mound since Bryce Harper went down. Hall has shown power having slugged .512 after .548 down in Triple-A. JT Brubaker enters with a 3.96 ERA, but his career mark is 4.77. That's in part because he's allowed 1.46 home runs per nine innings while in the major, but this year has only given up 0.90.
I have a propensity to turn to Gavin Sheets ($2,700) whenever he gets to face a righty at home. During his career, the southpaw has a .772 OPS versus right-handed pitchers and a .966 at home. But maybe all I need to say is that Adam Oller has a 7.51 FIP and has allowed 2.51 home runs per nine innings.
Stacks to Consider
Yankees vs. Royals (Zack Greinke): Aaron Judge ($5,000), Matt Carpenter ($3,900), DJ LeMahieu ($3,200)
At 38 with a fastball that averages only a hair over 89 miles per hour, Greinke is trying to get by on guile. He's only struck out 5.12 batters per nine innings, which is a concern given he's allowed a .277 average to opposing hitters. Greinke is testing his defense, and on the road that hasn't worked out with a 7.38 road ERA. And now, he's in the home ballpark of the best offense in baseball.
Judge has clearly been MLB's best hitter with an OPS over 1.000 and 42 home runs. I don't really need to sell you on him, but I will note he's not slowing down having racked up an 1.356 OPS the last three weeks. Carpenter is the one lefty I'm recommending considering he's slashed .311/.425/.792, including a 1.656 OPS at home. Unsustainable, but staggering nonetheless. LeMahieu is leading off for the top offense and his .388 OPS has helped him score 64 runs. He also has recorded an .889 OPS the last three weeks.
Cardinals at Nationals (Josiah Gray): Paul Goldschmidt ($4,400), Nolan Arenado ($3,800), Nolan Gorman ($2,800)
Gray has never lived up to his former status as a top prospect because he can't keep the ball in the park having allowed 2.25 home runs per nine innings across his career. And over his last five starts, he's gone 28.2 innings and given up nine long balls. This is another high-salary stack, but the Cardinals are currently dealing with players either being banged up or not being power hitters. To properly take advantage of this matchup, I had to splurge.
Goldschmidt has been incredible at the plate by slashing .333/.414/.611 with 24 homers. He has a career .918 OPS, so that's not completely shocking. Arenado would be the top hitter on many teams having slashed .293/.360/.530 with 19 home runs. The lefty rookie Gorman basically only faces righties, but on the year he's picked up 11 homers in 57 games to go with an .828 road OPS.
Brewers at Red Sox (Josh Winckowski): Christian Yelich ($3,400), Rowdy Tellez ($3,300), Kolten Wong ($2,800)
The first eight starts of Winckowski's career have not gone swimmingly with a 5.18 ERA. At home, that number jumps to 6.75. Also, lefties have hit .299 against, so I've included three lefties here. The power is largely gone for Yelich, but he does have a .360 OBP and 14 stolen bases to go with eight homers and a .951 OPS the last three weeks. Tellez has launched 20 home runs this year, and when he faces righties he's posted an .809 OPS. Wong has stark splits, but an .838 OPS versus righties. All seven of his homers and 11 of his stolen bases have also come in those matchups.
