This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
It's the first Sunday of the NFL season, but MLB isn't going anywhere and so aren't their DFS contests. There are 11 games on the docket. Here are my recommendations for your lineups. Who says football and baseball can't share Sundays?
Pitching
Brady Singer, KC vs. DET ($9,200): The worst offense in baseball on the road, which surely has to be the reason for this recommendation. Sometimes I'm admittedly recommending a mediocre pitcher because the matchup is so favorable, but Singer has actually looked pretty good with a 3.38 ERA.
Jose Quintana, STL at PIT ($8,400): Quintana posted a 3.50 ERA in 20 starts with these same Pirates before being dealt. There was skepticism regarding his numbers, but he's produced a 3.15 since joining the Cardinals. At this point, I'll trust Quintana. That goes double against his old squad, who come in ranked 28th in runs scored and team OPS.
Taijuan Walker, NYM at MIA ($8,000): Walker has suffered through a few tough starts, but he still has a 3.60 ERA on the season. Maybe this matchup is what he needs with the Marlins ranked 27th in runs scored and team OPS.
Top Targets
Not that he hasn't been great all season, but Jose Altuve ($4,300) has been scorching of late with a 1.037 OPS the last three weeks. On the year, he's also recorded a 1.083 against southpaws. Tucker Davidson is a lefty who has slumped to a career 5.67 FIP.
The anticipation is that righty Aaron Sanchez takes the mound for the Twins on Sunday. But with Jose Ramirez ($3,800), it doesn't really matter considering .916 OPS versus lefties and an .892 versus righties since 2020. He's also produced 26 homers and 15 stolen bases this year. Sanchez, meanwhile, has not finished a season with a FIP below four since all the way back in 2016.
Bargain Bats
During the last three weeks, Michael Taylor ($3,500) has registered an .837 OPS. Recent times have been less kind to Tigers pitcher Tyler Alexander with a 6.23 ERA from his last eight starts and a 7.31 on the road in 2022.
He hasn't hit as well as he did the first two seasons of his career, but Ryan Mountcastle ($2,700) has still popped 21 home runs after 33 last year. His slugging percentage at home and against lefties is .447. Rich Hill enters with a 4.79 ERA. And while he's been better on the road, he still has a 3.99 mark in those matchups while having righties hit .265 against.
Stacks to Consider
Red Sox at Orioles (Kyle Bradish): Xander Bogaerts ($3,900), Rafael Devers ($3,800), J.D. Martinez ($2,900)
I mentioned an Oriole earlier, but this matchup is even better for the Red Sox. In his rookie campaign, Bradish has a 5.30 ERA - including a 6.46 at home. He's also allowed 1.60 home runs per nine innings. And while Bradish is a righty, I'm recommending two righties in my stack as they've gone .316 against.
Bogaerts has hit for average all year as he comes in with a .318, but his power has recently returned having slugged .676 with four homers the last three weeks. Devers is a lefty, but I still wanted to include him and not just because of his 26 home runs and .533 slugging percentage. He's also managed a .944 OPS versus righties the last couple years. There's been a dearth of homers from Martinez, which is unexpected, but he's hit .275 to go with 38 doubles and an .824 road OPS.
Phillies vs. Nationals (Anibal Sanchez): Bryce Harper ($3,500), Kyle Schwarber ($3,200), Bryson Stott ($2,200)
Sanchez didn't pitch in 2021, but recorded a 5.45 FIP while allowing 1.87 home runs per nine innings in 2020. He came back in 2022, and things have somehow gotten worse with a 6.30 FIP and 2.10 homers per nine. That's a negative for the Nats, but it's positive for the Phillies.
This matchup is perfect for Harper, and not because it's a chance to get one over on his old team. He's also posted a 1.055 OPS versus righties and an 1.018 at home since 2020. Schwarber leads the NL with 37 home runs. And the last couple campaigns, he's produced an .876 OPS against right handers and an .856 at home. Stott is a rookie who's racked up eight homers and eight steals along with an .895 OPS the last three weeks.
Brewers vs. Reds (Justin Dunn): Hunter Renfroe ($3,300), Christian Yelich ($3,300), Rowdy Tellez ($2,200)
Dunn's debut season as a Red has been lackluster, to say the least. Through six starts, he's posted a staggering 7.57 FIP. That isn't entirely without precedent as his career number is a woeful 5.94. He's also given up 1.72 home runs per nine innings during his career, so look for guys with power.
Renfroe has hit 25 homers and has taken to his new home ballpark with an .891 OPS in 2022. Yelich is less of a power hitter, but still has 12 home runs to go with 16 stolen bases and an .855 OPS the last three weeks. Tellez is far from a threat to win a batting title, but his swinging for the fences often pays off with an .805 OPS against righties and a .908 at home.
