This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Sunday has about as early a start as you're going to find for MLB with the Cardinals at Cubs starting at 10 a.m. EDT as the game is in England. The Tigers and Twins moved their matchup to 12:10 p.m. to try and avoid rain, so that's off the DFS slate. That leaves us with nine games starting at 1:35 p.m. or later. Here are my recommendations.
Pitching
Tyler Glasnow, TAM vs. KC ($8,900): Glasnow's last start went poorly, but he's posted a 2.99 ERA in five full seasons with the Rays. And he's only recorded five starts this year, so I think the righty will be fine. The Royals rank 28th in runs scored and list a sub-.300 team OBP, so this game should help Glasnow rebound.
Eury Perez, MIA vs. PIT ($8,500): It seems Perez is sticking in the Marlins' rotation, and it makes sense based on his 1.54 ERA over eight starts with his only bad outing coming at Coors Field. Remember when the Pirates were the talk of baseball? They now sport a losing record and rank bottom-10 in offense.
Aaron Civale, CLE vs. MIL ($7,700): Though Civale has a 4.31 FIP to go with a 2.67 ERA, he's a worthy gamble against the all-or-nothing Brewers. They're middling in terms of home runs, yet in the bottom-5 for runs scored and team batting average. If Civale catches Milwaukee on a good day, he could pay off.
Top Targets
A two-time 20/20 hitter, Randy Arozarena ($6,100) already has 14 homers and nine stolen bases in 2023. He likes to face a lefty with a .920 OPS in that matchup since 2021. Daniel Lynch is a lefty with a career 5.20 ERA while righties have hit .284 against in the majors.
The feel-good Reds got a boost of positive vibes with the return of franchise legend Joey Votto ($5,300). The lefty has looked healthy during limited action, but let's focus on his .901 OPS versus righties the last two years. In his age-39 season, Charlie Morton has dropped his FIP from 4.25 to 3.94, though that's still not great. The righty has been better on the road this year, but that's not consistently been the case while he's been with Atlanta with a 3.58 ERA at home versus a 4.04 away.
Bargain Bats
He's not stealing enough to put together another 30/20 season, yet Ozzie Albies ($5,200) has 18 home runs to go with five steals. The switch-hitter has also been hot with a 1.015 OPS the last three weeks. Ben Lively has been scratched for Sunday's start with pectoral soreness, leaving things up in the air for the Reds. Maybe a Triple-A hurler like Levi Stoudt steps in, or maybe it's a bullpen game. With things unknown, I'll go with the switch-hitting Albies and play the odds.
Brent Rooker ($3,100) has slowed down significantly, but he's also registered a .951 OPS against lefties in 2023 and an .892 on the road. Yusei Kikuchi enters with a 3.97 ERA, but also a 5.41 FIP. Always homer-prone, the lefty has allowed a career-worst 2.22 per nine innings.
Stacks to Consider
Phillies vs. Mets (Carlos Carrasco): Kyle Schwarber ($5,400), J.T. Realmuto ($5,300), Nick Castellanos ($4,200)
The Mets keep turning to Carrasco as they lack options, and it hasn't panned out as his 6.34 ERA pairs with a 6.65 FIP. The righty has walked almost as many batters as he's struck out while giving up 2.05 home runs per nine innings. I've included two righties in this stack because right-handed batters have averaged .288 against Carrasco since 2021.
Want some with a good chance of hitting a homer? Go with Schwarber. He's hit 20 after leading the NL with 46 last year while producing seven across three weeks and slugging .550 against righties the last couple campaigns. Realmuto is a catcher with eight home runs and 10 stolen bases. He's also been hot with 1.026 OPS the last three weeks. Realmuto has been brutal at home this year, yet still maintains an .809 home OPS the last two seasons. Castellanos has bounced back in his second season with the Phillies by slashing .317/.362/.497. He's also taken nicely to his home park with a .934 OPS.
Blue Jays vs. Athletics (Luis Medina): Bo Bichette ($5,600), George Springer ($5,300), Matt Chapman ($5,000)
Medina has recently operated as a bulk reliever, but he's gotten the call to start Sunday. Whatever his role, the rookie has posted a 7.01 ERA and has allowed 2.06 home runs per nine innings. The Blue Jays don't offer much in terms of lefty bats, though that's alright here. Even with Medina being a righty, right-handed bats have gone .308 against.
Bichette hit a double after missing a game with a thumb issue, so that's encouraging. He's also posted a .317/.347/.509 slash line with 14 home runs to go with a career .834 OPS that shows his skills at the plate. For the second season in a row, Springer has produced double-digit home runs and steals. He's enjoyed being at home since joining the Jays with an .874 OPS there. Chapman usually doesn't hit for average, but is currently at .268 along with 10 homers after hitting 27 last season. He's also already registered 25 doubles, so perhaps a couple tweaks will turn a couple of those into home runs.
