This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
It's the first Sunday of the MLB season, and Sundays are for baseball (at least when the NFL isn't around). We get 10 games on the DFS slate, with the first pitches at 1:35 p.m. EDT. Let's end this weekend on a high note! Here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Taj Bradley, TAM vs. COL ($9,600): Bradley made real strides during his sophomore season as he remained an excellent strikeout pitcher (10.04 K/9 rate) while getting his FIP down to 4.09, his HR/9 rate down to 1.43, and his groundball rate up to 42.0. There's still plenty more room for improvement, though he added a cutter this offseason to try and keep the ball in the park. The Rockies finished 15th in homers last season, which isn't great considering their home ballpark.
Robbie Ray, SF at CIN ($9,400): Ray is a roll of the dice, but is well worth it for those willing to live on the edge with your DFS pitching. Though he only made seven starts for the Giants last year and struggled to a 4.70 ERA, he struck out a whopping 12.62 batters per nine innings. Over his career, Ray has K'ed 11.07 per nine while winning a Cy Young. The Reds are also high variance, yet they had a .693 OPS in 2024. So if you're feeling bold, go with Ray.
Andrew Heaney, PIT at MIA ($8,100): Heaney is primed to get revenge on his former club. You know, the one he pitched 29.1 innings for back in 2014? While Heaney is a middling lefty who posted a 4.22 ERA the previous two seasons with the Rangers, the Marlins are primed to make a run at finishing with baseball's worst offense as they finished 27th in runs scored last year with a .678 OPS and come in with a lesser lineup.
Top Targets
It's been an erratic ride to this point for Oneil Cruz ($3,700), though he registered 21 homers and 22 stolen bases with 34 doubles last year. He barely walked and struck out a lot, but few people can square off a ball like he can. Max Meyer? He gets squared up on constantly allowing 2.29 homers per nine innings.
After a couple healthy years, Christian Yelich ($3,700) saw his injury issues reappear in 2024. He posted a .910 OPS with 11 homers and 21 stolen bases, but had to do that in only 73 outings. Yelich is fit now, and Yankee Stadium tends to be kind to lefties like him. It wasn't welcoming to Marcus Stroman last year during his first campaign as a Yankee as he struggled to a 5.31 ERA and 1.6 HR/9 rate at home.
Bargain Bats
In each of the last two seasons, Nick Castellanos ($3,000) has managed at least 20 home runs and 30 doubles. He's mostly punished lefties with an .880 OPS versus them since 2023. Mitchell Parker is, a lefty who recorded a 4.29 ERA as a rookie.
Last year was rough on Jackson Holliday ($2,600) who couldn't hit MLB running like fellow Jacksons Merrill and Chourio. Even if he did hit below the Mendoza Line, it was his age-20 season and he did notch five homers, two triples, and four steals through 60 games. The Orioles took Holliday first overall for a reason, and nobody sensible is writing him off. He'll get a shot Sunday to face veteran righty Chris Bassitt, who posted a 4.56 home ERA last season while lefties went .305 against him.
Stacks to Consider
Twins at Cardinals (Andre Pallante): Carlos Correa ($3,500), Byron Buxton ($3,400), Matt Wallner ($3,000)
Pallante got moved back into the rotation last year, and it didn't work out that well. Though the righty keeps the ball in the park, he had a 3.78 ERA and 1.96 K/BB rate during 2023. And righties also make contact going .296 against Pallante. So that's why I'm stacking two right-handed Twins.
Correa suffered injury issues last year slashing .310/.388/.517 across 86 appearances, including an .884 OPS versus righties. Buxton also was hurt last season…and every season. But he's still slugged .528 overall with a .524 in 2024 while batting .279 over 102 games. Wallner is a lefty who's one of MLB's most-powerful hitters and mashes against righties slugging .557 since 2023.
Yankees vs. Brewers (Aaron Civale): Cody Bellinger ($3,500), Jazz Chisholm ($3,300), Anthony Volpe ($2,900)
In 2023, Civale surprised with a 3.46 ERA thanks to a 0.88 HR/9 rate that was much lower than his norm. So it's no surprise that latter number jumped the next season to 1.62 while his ERA ballooned to 4.36. Civale's groundball rate fell to 35.6 percent, his fourth straight season where that number dropped. Balls in the air at Yankee Stadium aren't ideal for a pitcher, but they are for a stack. I've included two lefties in this trio as Civale is a righty and due to the nature of the ballpark.
During 2024, Bellinger fell one stolen base short of a third consecutive year with double-digit homers and swipes. He still managed to hit .266, which was a step down from his .307 from 2023 but decidedly better than his final years as a Dodger. Chisholm really popped after joining the Yankees last season going .273 with 11 home runs and 18 stolen bases across 46 matchups. And he's produced .812 OPS versus right-handers the last couple campaigns. Volpe still has serious issues with walks and strikeouts, though the counting stats he delivers as a shortstop stand out as he went 20/20 as a rookie with 12 homers and 28 steals last year on top of seven triples.
