This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Perhaps on Monday, you'll have other money-related matters on your mind. For Sunday, let's focus on MLB DFS winnings! There are 11 games for the main slate. First pitch is at 1:35 p.m. EDT. Here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Zack Wheeler, PHI vs. PIT ($10,600): From the "Yeah, that's not going to continue" files, I don't see the Pirates finishing in the top-10 in runs scored as they were 22nd last season and 27th the one before. Wheeler's 2.19 FIP through three starts is closer to believable. Since joining the Phillies, he hasn't finished a season with a FIP higher than 3.21 - and that was in 2020 when he only made 11 start.
Jose Berrios, TOR vs. COL ($9,600): Three outings and three quality starts for Berrios. That's what the Blue Jays wanted when they brought in the righty. It's also kind of what they got at home last year when Berrios posted a 3.30 ERA. When the Rockies are away from Coors Field, they prove to be a below-average - even bottom-10 - offense based on recent campaigns.
Graham Ashcraft, CIN at CWS ($9,100): I can definitely see the White Sox finishing last in runs scored as they carry a bleak lineup. While Ashcraft is no ace, his 3.68 road ERA in 2023 compared to a 5.60 at home makes me think he could at least prove viable away from Cincy against the MLB's worst offense.
Top Targets
Elly De La Cruz ($4,100) was fun last year, but flawed. For DFS players, he notched 13 homers and 35 stolen bases in only 98 games with a .300 OBP while striking out 144 times in 427 plate appearances. However, the switch-hitting shortstop proved woeful against lefties (.495 OPS) while hitting .255 and slugging .471 against righties. Michael Soroka is right-handed and seems to have had his career fully derailed by injury with a 6.32 ERA the last two seasons.
The Mets are expected to call up Jose Butto from Triple-A to start Sunday after he looked solid across six innings against the Tigers earlier this April. Will he emerge as a viable MLB starter? Perhaps, and the Royals aren't a terrible "stackable" lineup as is. What I do feel confident in is that KC may end up surprising and taking the AL Central while Bobby Witt ($4,000) will be the AL MVP. He's that good. I mean, he hit .276 with 30 homers, 11 triples, and 49 stolen bases last season and has slashed .339/.397/.710 to start 2024. Witt is one of the five best players in baseball. Working his salary into your DFS lineups is worth it.
Bargain Bats
Tyler Anderson has managed to blank Miami and Tampa, yet he has a 2.73 FIP compared to a 0.00 ERA and has only struck out 5.14 batters per nine innings. The lefty slumped to a 5.43 ERA with the Angels last season with a career 4.29. The tricky thing is that most of the Red Sox's viable hitters are lefties (aside from the banged-up Rafael Devers), but Tyler O'Neill ($3,600) is right-handed and is already hot with six homers and a .794 OPS against lefties in 2023 with the Cardinals.
Though Anthony Santander ($3,000) is off to a slow start other than three homers, maybe he just needs some home cooking. After all, he's posted an .820 OPS at Camden Yards the previous two seasons. The switch-hitter also has options against Colin Rea. The pitcher who managed a 4.89 FIP last season in his first year as an MLB starter since 2016 is right-handed has already let righties bat .389 against to start 2024.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays vs. Rockies (Kyle Freeland): Vladimir Guerrero ($3,500), George Springer ($3,200), Davis Schneider ($2,800)
Given that Freeland pitches for the Rockies, it's not surprising he produced a 5.03 ERA last season. His 16.03 through three starts in 2024 is also somewhat shocking. However, Freeland actually had a 5.13 on the road last year and has given up 17 runs across 5.2 innings away from home so far. Since he's a lefty, I've selected three Toronto righties.
I'll note up front both Guerrero and Springer haven't done well to start, but it's early and this kind of matchup could help boost those numbers and Springer certainly got some help from the Rockies on Saturday. Guerrero has at least belted three homers and has registered over 25 with 90-plus RBI in each of the last three seasons. It just now seems like Vladdy will be a player whose OPS falls somewhere between .790 and .810, not the one with an 1.002 in 2021. Springer picked up two hits on Saturday and has exceeded 20 home runs in each of his three years with the Blue Jays. He also got it going on the basepaths last year by notching his first 20/20. As a righty, Schneider should be in the lineup on Sunday either at second base or in a corner outfield spot. After posting a .969 OPS at Triple-A last season, he got the call and managed a 1.007 in 35 MLB outings. That probably won't happen again, but he's worth a shot having produced a 1.252 OPS against righties to start his big-league career.
Phillies vs. Pirates (Mitch Keller): Kyle Schwarber ($3,300), Brandon Marsh ($3,100), Bryson Stott ($2,800)
Keller is one of those pitchers who every season seems to gain more trust than he's earned. I'll admit even I have him on one of my full-season teams. He doesn't allow a lot of homers and his strikeout rate is fine, yet his career 3.83 FIP is anything but remarkable. Maybe it's because Keller's home fans got to watch someone with a 3.30 ERA at home since 2022. On the road, that number balloons to 4.95. The City of Brotherly Love isn't going to be so lovely to Keller, so I'm stacking three southpaws against him on Sunday.
Schwarber is maybe the face of swing-for-the-fences sluggers. He's hit below the Mendoza line more times in his career than he's gone over .250, but he's also gone deep at least 32 times in each of the last four full MLB seasons with over 45 from the last two. Schwarber has also slugged .518 against righties since 2022. Marsh's career took off when he joined the Phillies and he's flown out of the gates this year. The home ballpark he inherited in the move has certainly helped with an .864 OPS versus righties in 2023 with an .896 at home. Stott didn't walk any more last season than in his rookie campaign, but picked his average up to .280 to go with his 15 homers and 31 stolen bases to earn him the regular second-base role. Stott isn't bad against his fellow lefties with a .737 OPS versus them over his career.
