This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Sunday the 13th should be just fine for you. For one, it's not considered an unlucky day. And with my DFS recommendations, hopefully you'll find some good fortune in setting your lineups. There are eight games on the slate with the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. EDT. Now, onto those recommendations.
Pitching
Zach Eflin, TAM vs. CLE ($9,700): With pitching injuries significantly damaging the Rays rotation, Eflin currently stands out as the star having earned that with a 2.91 FIP through 22 starts. Meanwhile, every team in MLB has hit over 105 home runs…aside from the Guardians. They haven't even broken 90 yet.
Trevor Williams, WAS vs. OAK ($5,800): Do you take a shot on Williams? He hasn't been good this year, but has posted a 4.38 home ERA. This is all about the opponent. Oakland is comfortably last in runs scored, bottom in team OPS, and with the worst record in baseball. Williams at least gets out there consistently and pitches at least five innings. This is a matchup-based roll-of-the-dice to save salary.
Top Targets
Yordan Alvarez ($6,300) boasts a career .293/.385/.588 slash line. And he can hit lefties, righties, at home, or on the road. Chase Silseth - a righty - hasn't allowed a lot of contact, but has a 4.83 FIP and has given up 1.73 homers per nine innings. Alvarez's power could play well in this matchup. It often does.
His home runs have dropped off a bit, yet Christian Yelich ($5,600) still has 16 on the season to go with a .289 average and 24 stolen bases. He's also recorded a .917 OPS versus righties this year. Dylan Cease doesn't allow many homers, but has a 4.42 ERA because he walks a lot of batters and lefties have hit .263 against. Maybe Yelich won't go yard, but would you complain about an RBI double or two?
Bargain Bats
Though Seiya Suzuki ($3,100) has struggled to stay healthy and produce in his second season with the Cubs, he's managed to hit .255 with 10 homers, three triples, and five steals across 93 games to go with an .826 road OPS. Over the last three seasons, Hyun Jin Ryu has posted a 5.38 ERA at home and over the last two seasons - which is admittedly only eight starts due to injury - righties have gone over .300 against.
Switch-hitting catcher Endy Rodriguez ($2,700) certainly has shown a preference in the majors so far with an .802 OPS versus righties. The righty Luke Weaver is likely to finish with an ERA over 6.00 for the third time in four years. Lefties have hit .274 against Weaver while righties have batted .330, so Rodriguez has a decent chance when he steps to the plate.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays vs. Cubs (Jameson Taillon): George Springer ($5,000), Whit Merrifield ($4,500), Brandon Belt ($3,500)
Taillon has pitched better recently, though he's also given up a homer in each of his last two games. He lists a 5.17 ERA on the season and a career 3.99. Taillon has allowed 1.43 homers per nine innings and a 35.8 groundball rate. I think the Jays are worth the stack Sunday.
Springer has accumulated 14 homers and 15 stolen bases. And since joining the Jays, he's posted an .846 OPS at home. In his first full campaign with the Jays, Merrifield has a .297 average with 11 homers and 21 swipes. And during the last three weeks, he's also managed an .868 OPS. Belt is the one healthy lefty viable at home for Toronto who boasts an .843 OPS against right-handers and an .864 at home.
Reds at Pirates (Mitch Keller): Elly De La Cruz ($6,200), Joey Votto ($4,600), TJ Friedl ($4,500)
Can we all agree this is the last season anybody falls for Keller? He's teased us time and time again in an assortment of ways, but ultimately carries a career 4.81 ERA. The righty has also struggled to an 9.11 mark over his last five starts. Keller has held righties to a .224 average in 2023 to tease us once again, though lefties have gone .274 against and .292 since 2021. And that's why I've listed three southpaws below.
De La Cruz is a switch-hitter, though has a clear preference with an .844 OPS versus righties and a .596 versus lefties. He's also produced nine homers and 17 stolen bases from only 56 games. Votto was once known for his keen batting eye, but has been an all-or-nothing swinger in his age-39 season only batting .214, but slugging .521 with 13 homers in 42 appearances to go with a .942 road OPS. Friedl is at .282 with 10 homers and 21 steals. Don't fret if a lefty comes out of the pen either, as he's registered a career .846 OPS versus southpaws.
