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PITCHER
Jon Gray, COL at MIL ($9,400): Gray could easily land in the fade column, as he has a 5.43 road ERA, but he's been absolutely dominant in four of his last five starts. He's gone at least seven innings in each of those successful outings, allowing just five runs while striking out 29. The Brewers can hit, so there's certainly enough risk here to make Gray a better choice in GPP formats, but Milwaukee's 25.1 percent fan rate should keep Gray from bottoming out even if he's less than stellar. Kansas City's Danny Duffy ($8,800) merits consideration as well if you're not willing to pay for Aaron Nola ($10,000) who also has a sound matchup.
GPP Fade: Julio Teheran ($7,600), ATL at NYM: I'm not sure many would consider Teheran, but given the price and matchup, some might give him a look. But truthfully, at anything less than the minimum, Teheran cannot be considered given his current form. He's surrendered three or more runs in four of his last nine starts, making it six innings or more only four times while only twice striking out more than six. You can make a case for using every pitcher priced above Teheran, and while you may have a small argument in Teheran's favor, it's the weakest of all those above him.
Cheap GPP Consideration: Tanner Roark, WAS vs. CIN ($7,800): The price isn't low, but it still low enough if you're a believer in Roark's second-half resurgence. In his last two starts, Roark has worked 15 innings, allowing one run and seven hits while striking out 18. Cincinnati swings OK against righties, with a 21.1 percent whiff rate and .320 wOBA, but the 98 wRC+ doesn't scare managers away. Elsewhere, Pittsburgh's Trevor Williams ($6,700) brings a 17-inning scoreless streak in his last three starts into Sunday.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Wilmer Flores, NYM vs. ATL ($2,900): We're picking on Julio Teheran on the cheap here, as the Braves starter has allowed 10 runs over his last 9.1 innings and has a 4.73 road ERA. While Teheran has been more vulnerable to lefties, Flores has fared well against same-handed bats, posting a.365 wOBA and .234 ISO, and has two homers and three multi-hit games in his last eight appearances.
SECOND BASE
Javier Baez, CHC vs. SDP ($4,000): Padres starter Joey Lucchesi allowed five runs in his last start, lasting just 4.1 innings, and had allowed six runs over his previous three starts, never making it out of the sixth inning. He's not highly combustible, but he's clearly hittable. Wilson Contreras ($3,200) has a nice matchup, but if you can afford to pay up for Baez's upside, it looks the like the right call. Baez has a .365 wOBA and 128 wRC+, while his .258 ISO is what you're paying for.
THIRD BASE
Maikel Franco, PHI vs. MIA ($3,700): It's going to be incredibly popular Sunday, but stacking Phillies is absolutely the way to go. Franco is still a bit of a contrarian play as he hasn't hit lefties well all year, including during his current second-half surge, where he's posted just a .188 wOBA. But the play in Franco's favor is against Marlins starter Wei-Yen Chen. Chen gets hammered on the road, allowing a 10.27 ERA, and has been mauled by righties away from home, allowing a .464 wOBA and 1.135 OPS.
SHORTSTOP
Willy Adames, TAM vs. CWS ($2,400): The options at short fall off the cliff rapidly, with there being a $1,600 difference between the top-priced option and the fourth-priced option. So if you're not paying up, Adames looks like he's a solid bet to at least not put up a zero. He's logged some semblance of points in eight straight, and has a solid matchup against James Shields, who is starting to look like the pitcher we like to target every time he's on the bump. Shields has a 6.05 road ERA, and a 5.35 ERA in July. He's only striking out righties at a 15.3 percent clip on the road, and his 5.28 xFIP also paints the Rays' into a favorable setting.
OUTFIELD
Rhys Hoskins, PHI vs. MIA ($4,500): We touched on why picking on Wei-Yen Chen makes sense Sunday. You pair those reasons with Hoskins' team-leading .356 wOBA and 123 wRC+ against lefties, and you flirt with a near must-play option.
Michael Brantley, CLE vs. LAA ($3,600): If you can afford the Tribe's top bats, by all means, deploy as you will against Taylor Cole, who will start for Tyler Skaggs and has logged only 13 big league innings in his career. Cole doesn't figure to last long as he's worked in relief in the minors, but Brantley figures to get multiple looks at Cole before he reaches his limit, and his .365 wOBA and .192 ISO fit in nicely at a savings over the likes for Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor.
Nick Markakis, ATL at NYM ($3,400): On a slate with a plethora of solid pitching options, there's the potential for a lot for joes and schmoes lineups offensively. While always a better cash game play, Markakis' stability could benefit GPP players Sunday as well against a hittable Corey Oswalt. Markakis sports a .368 wOBA and 131 wRC+ against righties, while only striking out 8.8 percent of the time. He'll put four balls in play Sunday, suggesting as safe of a floor as possible for a bat.
UTILITY
Lucas Duda, KAN at MIN ($2,700): Twins starter Ervin Santana hasn't been good in his two starts this year, allowing seven runs and 13 hits over just 10.1 innings. Finding a buy in offensively in Kansas City proves difficult, and stacking doesn't seem to work unless you're a real gambler. Duda seems to offer a discount and lineup flexibility elsewhere, with moderate upside for the price. He's carrying a .327 wOBA and .186 ISO against righties into the contest.
