This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Hopefully the first day of June was good to you, be it on the DFS front or otherwise. Let's keep that momentum going, or turn things around. There are 11 MLB games on the DFS docket for Sunday, with the first pick of the day at 1:05 p.m. EDT. To the lineup recommendations!
Pitching
Freddy Peralta, MIL vs. CWS ($10,700): With Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff gone, Peralta is now the hub of the Brewers' rotation. And he's been up to the task by posting a 3.36 FIP and 11.84 K/9 rate through 11 starts. Then, of course, there's the White Sox. They haven't even hit 170 runs scored while no other club is below 215.
Chris Bassitt, TOR vs. PIT ($9,000): Bassitt hasn't allowed a run in either of his last two appearances. Both games were against the White Sox, but that's still notable. Over his last five outings, he's produced a 2.40 ERA. The Pirates did rack up eight runs on Saturday, yet they still sit in the bottom-10 in offense.
Cole Irvin, BAL vs. TAM ($8,200): Irvin is enjoying a career year with a 2.84 ERA through 10 games. While two of those were bulk relief outings, he's gone at least 5.0 innings without allowing a single run four times this season. The Rays are scuffling and are now in the bottom-10 for runs scored. Irvin is also a southpaw, which means Tampa may not be able to put any of their lefties in the lineup.
Top Targets
Across the last three weeks, Jose Ramirez ($4,500) has registered an 1.157 OPS. And since 2022, the switch-hitter has an .883 versus right-handed pitchers. Though Jake Irvin's second season has gone better than his first with the ERA dropping to 3.43, the righty still struggles with southpaws as they've hit .260 against.
Last year, Christian Yelich ($4,300) flashed some of his old MVP form by posting an .817 OPS with 19 homers and 28 stolen bases. Of course, he also missed 18 games. The lefty has already been absent for some time this season, but he's slashed .325/.413/.558 when available. Yelich gets a chance to face Nick Nastrini. The righty has struggled to a 9.92 ERA through four MLB starts and has let lefties go .316 against.
Bargain Bats
For the first time during his MLB career, JJ Bleday ($2,700) has looked viable with eight homers, three triples, and 17 doubles. Charlie Morton has a 5.60 ERA at home and gave up eight runs to the Nationals in his last outing. And lefties, like Bleday, have batted .261 against.
With a southpaw on the mound for the opposition, I expect Ezequiel Duran ($2,600) will be in the lineup for the Rangers. He managed 14 homers and eight steals last year with a career .782 OPS versus left-handers. Trevor Rogers has not built upon his four-game campaign in 2023 as his ERA is up to 5.65 while righties have hit .319 against.
Stacks to Consider
Red Sox vs. Tigers (Casey Mize): Wilyer Abreu ($3,200), Ceddanne Rafaela ($2,900), Rob Refsnyder ($2,800)
Pitching prospects. They can break your heart. As a Tigers fan, I've got to enjoy Tarik Skubal putting himself in the forefront of the Cy Young race, but also had to see Casey Mize - a former first-overall pick - really struggle in his return from Tommy John surgery. While he hasn't walked a lot of batters or given up a bunch of homers, he's also only struck out 6.16 batters per nine innings. All in all, Mize has produced a 4.71 ERA through 10 starts. I do have two righties in this stack even though he's right-handed as they've hit .366 against.
Abreu has notched six homers and seven stolen bases through 52 games. And over his career, the southpaw has slashed .286/.357/.483 thanks mostly to a .908 OPS against righties. Rafaela is one of the righties in question. The infielder really struggles to get on base, though he's at seven home runs, eight steals, and two triples. Those counting stats matter for DFS! With Tyler O'Neill hurt (again), Refsnyder is regularly drawing into the lineup. The righty has also produced a .333/.414/.517 line with a .381 OBP since joining the Red Sox in 2022.
Twins at Astros (Hunter Brown): Carlos Correa ($3,100), Max Kepler ($3,000), Edouard Julien ($2,900)
Due to a litany of injuries, the Astros gave Brown another shot in the rotation after a 5.09 ERA during his rookie year. And somehow, he's experienced a sophomore slump as his walks and homers are up, his strikeouts are down, and lists a 6.39 ERA across 49.1 innings (10 starts and one relief appearance). Righties have hit Brown much better over his career, but southpaws have gone .268 against him this season and I've included two in this stack.
Correa is a righty, so I will note Brown has allowed righties to bat .285 against in his career. This year, Correa has an .802 OPS versus his fellow righties with an .814 on the road. Kepler has slashed .279/.347/.473. While he's slugged over .450 against righties since 2022, don't be too worried about a lefty coming out of the bullpen. This year, Kepler has recorded a .926 OPS in those matchups. Playing second base, Julien is at seven homers and six swiped bags. He's struggled a bit against righties this year, but posted an .898 OPS versus them as a rookie in 2023.
