This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Eight games make up Sunday's main, afternoon slate, which unfortunately is capped at 2:15 p.m. et, taking away the opportunity of a game in Coors Field. While five pitchers come in at $8,000 or higher, none are more expensive than $9,100, so we should find plenty of potential in bats against weaker arms.
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PITCHER
Jon Lester, CHC at NYM ($8,400): Sunday's arms are largely a pile of yuck. Lester brings one of the more obvious name to the table, and also sports better form than his price suggests, having allowed two runs or less in six of his last eight starts. The Mets' league worst .268 wOBA and 69 wRC+ against lefties sets Lester up for the most stable of floors while also presenting a seemingly high ceiling; with a clear caveat of high ownership.
GPP Fade: Mike Clevinger, CLE at MIN ($9,100): In cash formats, Clevinger may be a near must own due to his stability in this matchup. But for tournament formats, I'm staying away even though his price isn't overly prohibitive. The matchup is sound, with Minnesota bringing only a .310 wOBA to the table, albeit with a moderate 22.2 percent strikeout rate. But Clevinger has topped 40 fantasy points only three times in 11 starts, and this fade is mostly about roster construction. Without sure fire elite production, this slate appears to set up more favorably to a bargain pitcher with 30 point potential, and splurging on bats.
Cheap GPP Consideration: Brent Suter, MIL at CWS ($6,900): Suter is in a nice little groove, having won three straight and four of his last five, allowing 12 runs and striking out 25 over 26 innings. He hasn't worked more than 5.2 frames in those outings, so there's limited inning upside, but there appears to be a safe enough floor against a bad White Sox offense that provides a .304 wOBA and whopping 27.0 percent strikeout rate against lefties. Milwaukee checks in as the third most-favored team, putting Suter in solid position to earn a victory.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Greg Bird, NYY at BAL ($3,300): Stacking Yankee bats against Alex Cobb is an easy sell. Bird has settled in nicely to the three-hole, between Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, and has hit safely in five straight since returning from injury six games ago. Cobb is getting crushed by lefties to the tune of a .473 wOBA, and Bird's spot in the lineup insures he'll see plenty of quality pitches to drive. Keep a close eye on the weather in Baltimore however, as there is rain in the forecast throughout the day.
SECOND BASE
Jason Kipnis, CLE at MIN ($3,100): I don't love the price here, as Kipnis' decent two-week stretch has forced him north of a 3k tag. We'll call him the best of the worst here, as anything below Kipnis at the keystone looks like a mere punt play. He's boasted a .341 wOBA over the last two weeks, and gets a matchup with Kyle Gibson, who has a 5.76 home ERA, where he's allowing lefties to post a .435 wOBA against him.
THIRD BASE
Kris Bryant, CHC at NYM ($4,500): Bryant is in a bit of a power slump, having left the yard only once since May 12. But he simply crushes left-handed pitching, boasting a .578 wOBA, 276 wRC+ and .500 ISO. He'll have a chance to support those numbers against Steven Matz, who allows a .411 wOBA to righties at home, putting any and all Cub right-handed bats in play.
SHORTSTOP
Manny Machado, BAL vs. NYY ($4,300): It hasn't really mattered who Machado has faced this season, but his .433 wOBA, 177 wRC+ and .293 ISO against righties sets him up for plenty of success Sunday against a struggling Domingo German, who has allowed 15 earned runs in his last 14.1 frames. He's also surrendering a .342 wOBA to righties and has allowed four homers in his recent stretch of struggles, something Machado has provided in consecutive games, and in three of his last four.
OUTFIELD
Juan Soto, WAS at ATL ($3,000): Braves starter Anibal Sanchez looked more like who he thought he was in his last start, allowing four runs on five hits, two of which left the park, in just four innings of work. He could get a longer leash Sunday following yesterday's 14 inning marathon, which is great news for Nationals bats. Though a small sample size, Soto owns a .377 wOBA against righties, while Sanchez allows a .361 wOBA to lefties. With Matt Adams possibly out of the lineup after fouling a ball off of his foot Saturday, Soto is the next best lefty in this lineup if we're not paying up for Bryce Harper ($5,100).
Albert Almora, CHC at NYM ($2,900): If paying up for Bryant isn't in the cards, Almora looks like a great consolation prize. He's hit lefties extremely well, ranking second among Cub regulars behind only Bryant with a .415 wOBA, adding a 165 wRC+ and .202 ISO. He's in good form to boot, hitting .360 since May 6.
Alex Gordon, KAN vs. OAK ($2,800): The play here is slightly more about A's starter Daniel Gossett than it is on Gordon. Gossett is allowing lefties to pepper him for a .385 wOBA in his brief career, and while that would naturally steer us towards Mike Moustakas ($4,300), he isn't in great form of late, making him a bit of a gamble at the high price. Enter Gordon, who may not have great power potential in this matchup, but his mediocre .337 wOBA agaisnt righties gets a figures to get a bit of a bump against the hittable Gossett. He saw an eight-game hitting streak snapped last night, and at this price, any potential to flirt with 10 fantasy points provides a nice return on value.
UTILITY
Christian Yelich, MIL at CWS ($4,100): Yelich is one of the hottest hitters in the game right now, having posted five multi-hit games in his last eight outings, scoring 12 runs in that span to boot. His .396 wOBA against righties paired with that form put him in an ideal spot to take advantage of Dylan Covey Sunday, who's allowing a .360 wOBA to lefties.
