This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Come Monday, MLB action will be limited to exhibition events for a few days. So don't miss out on the DFS opportunities Sunday with 10 games and the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. EDT. Good luck! And enjoy the All-Star Game!
Pitching
Nick Lodolo, CIN vs. MIA ($9,800): Lodolo's last two starts have been lackluster, yet he posted a 2.08 ERA in the five previous starts. I think a matchup with Miami can get him back on track. If the White Sox didn't exist, the Marlins' offensive futility would stand out more for its awfulness as they'll finish with a sub-.300 OBP - possibly sub-.290 - and rank 28th in runs scored with Oakland closer to 17th in this category than Miami is to Oakland.
Jameson Taillon, CHC at STL ($8,300): Taillon has allowed a homer from each of his last five outings, but he's been fine thanks in part to a 1.85 BB/9 rate. And a 2.37 ERA over his last six appearances, all of them being quality starts. The Cardinals have climbed out of the bottom-five in offense, though they're still comfortably in the bottom-10.
Jose Quintana, NYM vs. COL ($7,900): Quintana has produced a remarkable 0.89 ERA across five outings. And since joining the Mets, the lefty has been quite good at Citi Field with a 3.09 this season. The Rockies are on the fringes of the bottom-10 in runs scored. And when you account for their home park, that's quite poor.
Top Targets
Once again, Bobby Witt ($6,400) has been racking up all sorts of counting stats with 16 homers and 22 stolen bases, but his .324 average and 25 doubles have also helped. Brayan Bello notched 11 strikeouts in his last start, yet gave up five runs in 5.1 innings to the Athletics while sporting a 6.55 home ERA this year.
Before the break, Josh Naylor ($5,600) has already set new personal-highs in home runs (22) and runs scored (54). The southpaw has also slugged .515 against righties. And while Naylor's been much better at home, he lists an .832 OPS on the road since 2022. Ryan Pepiot, in his first season with the Rays, has registered a 4.56 home ERA at home and the righty could be ready to serve up a hit or two to Naylor.
Bargain Bats
Injuries have deprived the Cubs of a stack-worthy number of lefties, though Michael Busch ($4,000) is still around. He's also posted an .894 OPS the last three weeks. Miles Mikolas has struggled a 6.18 home ERA at home after a 5.55 in 2023. He's also a righty who southpaws have hit .277 against.
This has been the best season for Jonathan India ($4,600) since his rookie campaign when he won NL Rookie of the Year. He's been bolstered by an .848 OPS versus lefties and an .834 at home. Trevor Rogers has a real issue with walks, not to mention a 4.82 ERA. And since 2022, righties have gone .288 against. India does have a "contusion" on his knee, so it's possible the Reds will give him a day off against an easy opponent so he can start his break early. If so, this matchup is still worthwhile, so take a shot on Noelvi Marte ($3,500).
Stacks to Consider
Phillies vs. Athletics (Joey Estes): Kyle Schwarber ($5,500), Bryson Stott ($4,800), Brandon Marsh ($4,000)
Estes followed a surprising complete-game shutout against the Angels by conceding eight runs across 1.2 innings against the Red Sox. He's produced a 5.53 ERA this season and a 5.78 over his career, so that latter outing is probably more instructive. Lefties have also batted .289 against Estes in the big leagues, so I've included three southpaws in this stack. I did omit Bryce Harper as he was recently on the IL for a while, has an All-Star role to fill, and is important to the Phillies' playoff hopes and will probably rested Sunday.
Schwarber has crished a couple homers since returning from his own IL stint to give him 19 overall. He's also getting on base at a great clip with a .379 OBP. Stott's power is down a bit, though he's still at six home runs. He's also stolen 22 bases, so he can do damage on the basepaths, especially against a righty. Marsh has been absolutely stellar in the very scenario he's going to be in Sunday with a .907 OPS versus righties and an .886 at home. It's common for lefties to excel in Philly's ballpark, so that's not surprising.
Nationals at Brewers (Colin Rea): CJ Abrams ($6,000), James Wood ($4,200), Jesse Winker ($4,000)
At this point, noting that win-loss record is not a great way to assess a pitcher's performance, yet Rea's 8-3 mark is certainly flattering. Even his 3.81 ERA - which is far from remarkable - flatters him. The righty has recorded a 4.66 FIP while only striking out 6.25 batters per nine innings. While Rea is serviceable against his fellow right-handers, lefties have hit .255 against and that includes 22 extra-base hits. As such, here's another three-lefty combo.
It's nice when a vaunted prospect pans out, especially for a team who bet big on a rebuild. That's to say Abrams has batted .269 with 15 homers and 15 stolen bases. He was viable against righties even before this year with a career .778 OPS with an .884 on the road. Wood, to some the best prospect in baseball, obliterated Triple-A this season and got called up to start July. It remains to be seen how he'll take to MLB pitching in his age-21 season, but he has one homer, two steals, and encouragingly six walks through 13 games. Since joining the Nationals, Winker has revitalized his career with 11 home runs and a career-high 12 stolen bases. The southpaw has mostly been feasting on righties with an .874 OPS.
