This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Sunday's main slate seems to feature any and everything owners could want; except the presence of Coors Field, which has been a gold mine over the past two days. A few top-end arms take the mound Sunday, and then there's a bit of a fall off on get-away day, where we should see plenty of swings and unpredictable scoring as teams look to move on to their next series Monday or Tuesday. As such, there's a lot of volatility in play in the afternoon's nine-game offering.
For those interested, we've started an MLB DFS Slack channel for paid RotoWire subscribers. (There is a season-long one as well.) To join those channels, e-mail support@rotowire.com.
PITCHER
Corey Kluber, CLE at DET ($11,600): For cash formats, there isn't a reason to pay down to James Paxton, even with a $1,500 savings in a plus matchup. Kluber has simply been automatic, having earned quality starts in every start this season, topping 40 points 10 times while failing to reach 30 points just once. Detroit sports only a .299 wOBA and 96 wRC+ against righties, and Kluber fanned 13 Tigers over eight innings earlier this year. There's no reason to be cute here; lock and load the ace and enjoy a likely 40+ point outing that should be further bolstered by Saturday's extra-inning contest that may force Kluber to work deeper than originally planned.
GPP Fade: Rick Porcello, BOS at CWS ($8,900): Porcello probably makes a lot of sense in cash formats at solid savings if you're looking to have a stable 30+ points and more money to allocate offensively. But for tournaments, he looks more like a lazy pick based upon his opponent than anything else. After topping 40 points in seven of his first nine starts, Porcello has done so just once in his last six. Despite the assumption that the White Sox are a weak offense, they somewhat surprisingly rank 14th across the league against righties, sporting a .314 wOBA. Porcello seems highly likely to earn a win, but not likely to work past seven innings, fan more than one per frame, or toss a shutout, leaving cheaper options as preferred tournament plays.
Cheap GPP Consideration: Carlos Martinez, STL at CIN ($8,200): There's nothing cheap about Martinez, but the belief here is his he'll come with low ownership following a lackluster return to action earlier this week. Walks are the concern with Martinez, but that's something the Reds do only 8.7 percent of the time against righties. Assuming Martinez's velocity returns to its normal level, he'll face a lineup that brings only a .308 wOBA and 91 wRC+ to the table. There appears to be some combustibility to Martinez, but outside of the four runs he allowed in his last outing, he had held all opponents to two runs or less in every start except his season debut. Martinez has fanned 32 over his last 29.2 frames at Great American Ballpark, and has whiffed 18 Reds over 13.0 innings in two starts already this year.
If we're really looking to buy down on the mound, Clayton Richard ($7,400) looks like the safest option for a 30+ point return.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Eric Hosmer, SD at MIA ($3,700): Hosmer, and all of his teammates, get glossed over more days than not, which makes for a nice low-ownership tournament option. He's boasting a very sound .383 wOBA, 147 wRC+ and .184 ISO against righties, and while he's been a bit feast or famine, his 12.2 percent walk rate suggests he shouldn't get shut out.
SECOND BASE
Jonathan Schoop, BAL at TOR ($3,000): The appeal here is more against Blue Jays' starter Marco Estrada, and his vulnerability to same-handed hitters, whom he's allowed a .370 wOBA to since the start of 2017. The Orioles have little outside of Manny Machado, which makes them ripe for a contrarian mini-stake with the likes of Schoop and Mark Trumbo ($2,600) offering power potential at minimal risk. Schoop hasn't faired well this year, but still sports a .322 wOBA and 99 wRC+ against righties since the start of 2017, and has taken Estrada deep twice in 34 plate appearances.
THIRD BASE
Brian Anderson, MIA vs. SD ($3,400): Paying down at a premium position for Anderson comes with the downside of limited power potential. But he puts the ball in play often, bringing a .376 wOBA and 141 wRC+ to the table against lefties and is continuing to be overlooked for the lineup he plays in. Since May 13, Anderson has failed to collect a hit just four times while producing multiple hits in 14 of his 25 appearances.
SHORTSTOP
Jean Segura, SEA at TB ($3,900): The price for Segura continues to be baffling, as he continues to hit, yet shows daily price movement and rarely checks in at $4,000 or more, which leaves him as a near must play for me regardless of format. He checks in fourth on the price list Sunday, yet has a combined 59 more hits than those above him. In part, it's led to a .360 wOBA against righties and a double-digit fantasy points on a near daily basis.
OUTFIELD
Kevin Pillar, TOR vs. BAL ($3,000): Failing to pick on Alex Cobb would be irresponsible, and all Blue Jays are fine options Sunday. Pillar looks like he could be a bit of an oversite however, given that he struggled mightily through May, but has rebounded over the past week to go 7-for-24 with two homers. He boasts a nice .346 wOBA against righties, and continues to find his way into a top-five spot in the lineup, giving him great run producing opportunities against Cobb's 6.43 road ERA.
Odubel Herrera, PHI vs. MIL ($2,800): Herrera has seen a remarkable fall from grace since mid-May, and despite his multi-week struggles, he brings a team-leading .356 wOBA to the table against righties, which figures to play tremendously against Brewers' starter Brandon Woodruff. The righties is allowing a .370 wOBA to lefties on the road, and has allowed 13 runs over 19.1 frames, making him one to target universally, and someone who could allow Herrera to awake from his slump.
Lonnie Chisenhall, CLE at DET ($2,100): All Tribe bats should be considered Sunday against Artie Lewicki and an over-extended bullpen, but Cleveland has four bats priced north of $4,000, and a surging Jason Kipnis not offering much relief at $3,500. Enter Chisenhall, who is only four games removed from activation and not priced according to last season's success, or his likely spot in the cleanup hole surrounded by all of those top priced teammates. Chisenhall's .350 wOBA, 120 wRC+ and .249 ISO against righties a year ago offer far greater upside than his price.
UTILITY
Jose Martinez, STL at CIN ($3,800): Let's start with the simple fact that Martinez is simply raking right now, having launched four homers in his last three games while also collecting 12 hits in his last seven games. That form alone merits consideration at a sub-$4,000 price, but he's also carrying a season-long .376 wOBA and 141 wRC+ against righties into a favorable matchup in a hitter friendly park. You have to assume Anthony DeSclafani will show improvement after his first start in over a year, but that doesn't erase the fact that he allowed four runs over five innings in that return to action. He's certainly ripe for picking Sunday.
