This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Before your Mother's Day dinner or after your Mother's Day brunch, be sure to get your MLB DFS lineups in. There are nine games on the slate with the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. EDT. Here are my Sunday DFS recommendations.
Pitching
Luis Gil, NYY at TAM ($9,300): While finding one's form after Tommy John surgery is far from a given, it seems Gil is doing fine after missing all of 2023 as he's posted a 2.92 ERA while striking out 10.95 batters per nine innings through seven starts. Tampa Bay's team batting average is average, but it's fighting to stay out of the top-10 in offense due to a lack of power.
Bailey Ober, MIN at TOR ($7,600): Starts are beginning to accumulate, though it's still early enough that one terrible start can hurt a pitcher's ERA. Ober is a great example of that with a 4.42 with a first start that was atrocious. In six starts since, the righty has produced a 2.55. Meanwhile, the Blue Jays are in the bottom-four for runs scored.
Bryse Wilson, MIL vs. STL ($6,800): Wilson spent all of last season in the bullpen and has been there at times this year, though his last two outings have been starts where he's gone six innings each time while giving up a combined one earned run. While many didn't think the Cardinals would be great offensively in 2024, they've made good on that by ranking 29th.
Top Targets
After winning AL Rookie of the Year in 2023, Gunnar Henderson ($5,900) is building an MVP resume in 2024. The lefty has slashed .278/.355/.583 with 12 homers, three triples, and six stolen bases. Zac Gallen has once again been decidedly better at home than on the road with a 0.53 ERA in Arizona compared to a 4.71 while away.
Last year, Josh Naylor ($5,300) hit 17 homers and stole 10 bases for the Guardians. This season, the power has picked up even more as he's already gone deep 11 times. The lefty will face a righty in Michael Soroka who's really struggled since missing two seasons with injuries. This year, he's struggled to a 6.69 FIP while giving up 1.88 home runs per nine innings.
Bargain Bats
It's not too surprising J.T. Realmuto ($5,200) - a righty - has registered an .841 OPS versus lefties since 2022 and a .769 against righties. However, he's also been much better on the road the last couple of years - including a .951 in away games last season. Braxton Garrett, a lefty with a career 3.86 ERA, will be making his first MLB start of 2024 as he works back from a shoulder injury.
In only 107 games in 2023, Christopher Morel ($4,400) notched 26 homers and slugged .508. While his slugging is down so far, he's still at eight home runs with four steals. Lefty Bailey Falter will be starting Sunday with a career 4.72 FIP while allowing 1.72 homers per nine innings.
Stacks to Consider
Brewers vs. Cardinals (Miles Mikolas): Brice Turang ($4,800), Willy Adames ($4,600), Jake Bauers ($4,000)
Expect a lot of contact with Mikolas on the mound as he's averaged 6.57 strikeouts and 1.78 walks per nine innings throughout his career with a 4.23 ERA the last five seasons. This year, lefties have gone .307 against while righties are at .326. You can take your pick in terms of stacking Brewers, but this is the trio I selected.
After swiping 26 bases last year, Turang has already stolen 16. He's also slashed .302/.368/.426, which will help him steal more bags. Adames has managed at least 24 homers in each of the last three seasons, which is impressive for a shortstop. This year, he's at seven to go with seven stolen bases. And since 2022, Adames has recorded a .695 road OPS with an .804 at home. Bauers doesn't appear against lefties, but he's viable against righties with a .725 OPS against them the last two years.
Twins at Blue Jays (Alek Manoah): Ryan Jeffers ($4,800), Max Kepler ($4,400), Alex Kirilloff ($3,700)
Manoah was looking like a future frontline starter, and then last season happened when he posted a 6.01 FIP across 19 starts. This year's first MLB outing for him was delayed due to injury, but the result wasn't great as he went 4.0 innings against the Nationals and allowed six hits, four walks, two homers, and seven total runs. A turnaround doesn't seem imminent, so I'll stack against Manoah Sunday.
Jeffers is a nice option at catcher. Last year, he posted an .859 OPS with 14 homers in 96 games. This season, he's slashed .292/.371/.617 with nine home runs. Over the last two seasons, Kepler has slashed .270/.340/.492 while crushing 24 homers in 2023. He also produced an 1.026 OPS the last three weeks. It's been a bit of a slow start for Kirilloff, though he managed an .858 OPS against right-handed pitchers last year. And his struggles have mainly been at home as he holds an .835 OPS on the road since 2022.
