This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
While a couple MLB teams actually have Sunday off, don't worry. When it comes to the typical DFS slate, nothing has really changed with eight games beginning at 1:35 p.m. EDT. With that in mind, here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Dylan Cease, SD at MIA ($11,100): Cease is the clear-cut best option, even when considering salary. He's posted a 3.01 FIP, 11.51 K/9 rate, and has held both lefties and righties below the Mendoza line. Though the Marlins are 29th in runs and team OPS, those numbers would normally rank last in many seasons. They can thank the White Sox for the boost.
Chris Bassitt, TOR vs. OAK ($8,800): This is a matchup play. The Athletics sit in the bottom-six in runs scored even though they're in the top half for home runs. Bassitt may enter with a 3.95 ERA, but the one thing he does well is prevent homers having only allowed 0.90 home runs per nine. Lefties have hit the right-hander for power, yet Oakland only offers a couple of left-handed bats who would pose any threat.
Top Targets
There are outliers in baseball. And while Juan Soto ($4,200) is an outlier in terms of his ability at the plate, he's not the one I'm talking about. Andrew Heaney is a lefty. He also struggles with lefty hitters as they went .276 against him in 2023 and a whopping .322 this season. Soto has registered a .983 OPS versus southpaws in 2024. This is actually a fantastic matchup for him. What else is new?
I like the other side of the Yankees-Rangers matchup for Corey Seager ($3,500). The only reason his numbers are not MVP-level again is that he's tanked against his fellow southpaws. His .940 OPS against righties is still star-worthy from a shortstop. Marcus Stroman's start was pushed back, but I don't see that helping. After all, he's posted a 5.34 home ERA while lefties have batted .271 against.
Bargain Bats
Though Jake Meyers ($2,700) is likely to finish with a sub-.300 OBP for the third straight season, he's at 11 home runs and eight stolen bases while slugging .441 against lefties. The Dodgers gave up on James Paxton and he landed with the Red Sox, where the lefty still has a 4.46 ERA the last two seasons.
Even for a lefty, Trevor Larnach ($2,600) struggles against lefties. Fortunately, he has a .774 OPS versus righties and will be facing one Sunday in Tanner Bibee. Larnach also lists a .792 at home.
Stacks to Consider
Padres at Marlins (Max Meyer): Jurickson Profar ($3,600), Xander Bogaerts ($3,000), Ha-Seong Kim ($2,900)
After missing all of 2023, the Marlins started the once-promising Meyer in Triple-A. Given the state of their rotation, that was an ominous sign. Then he went and posted a 4.34 ERA in the minors. Since getting called up in a "What have we got to lose?" scenario, Meyer has a 5.57 FIP across six starts. Though he's a righty, this is a right-handed stack for reasons I shall discuss below.
Profar has an 1.025 OPS the last three weeks. He's a switch-hitter, but I think he might want to line up from the right side of the plate as Meyer's fellow righties have hit .300 against over his MLB career. Bogaerts started the season slowly, though things have changed since his long-term injury with a .963 OPS the last three weeks. And getting to face a righty like Meyer should help. Kim offers limited power, yet he's still popped 10 homers to go with 21 stolen bases - and it tends to be easier to steal on righties. Kim also has a .749 road OPS the last couple campaigns.
Orioles at Rays (Jeffrey Springs): Anthony Santander ($3,800), Adley Rutschman ($3,200), Ryan Mountcastle ($3,100)
The Rays got Springs stretched out to start in Triple-A, where he posted a 4.50 ERA in nine starts. In two MLB outings as a starter, he's up to an 8.01 FIP. Unsurprisingly for a longtime lefty bullpen arm, Springs has actually done well against southpaws while righties have hit .385 against, so here's three right-handed bats.
Santander has reached new levels of power in 2024 with 34 home runs while slugging .530. Since 2022, the switch-hitter has slugged .504 against southpaws. Rutschman is a catcher - which you don't need in your FanDuel lineup - but I want him in this matchup based on a .978 OPS versus left-handed pitchers this season. Mountcastle isn't a slugging first baseman, yet he can do that against lefties with a .519 mark the last three seasons.
