This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Halfway through April, it's time for another Sunday of MLB action. There are 10 games on the docket for the DFS contests I'll be focusing on. The first pitch is at 1:10 p.m. EDT. Get your lineups in by then, perhaps with some of these players in the mix.
Pitching
Aaron Nola, PHI at CIN ($9,700): Nola has posted a 7.04 ERA, but with a 3.70 FIP. Considering he boasts a career 3.23 FIP, he should be just fine. The Reds are in the bottom-10 in runs scored and the roster isn't loaded with established bats, so I think Nola can start turning things around Sunday.
Zac Gallen, ARI at MIA ($8,900): Gallen finished three of his four seasons with an ERA under 3.00. He's currently at 4.58 through three starts, but also lists a 3.32 FIP. The Marlins sit bottom-five in offense, which is where they finished in 2022.
Kyle Wright, ATL at KC ($8,600): Wright has only made one start this year, and it was admittedly a disaster. But last year, he posted a 3.18 ERA in 30 starts - his first full campaign in MLB. The Royals rank bottom-five in runs scored and have produced a sub-.300 OBP, so Wright should hopefully get on track in this matchup.
Top Targets
30 homers, 20 stolen bases, 100 RBI. These are the numbers we've come to expect from Jose Ramirez ($3,600). He's a proven commodity, and so is Patrick Corbin - but in the opposite sense. Corbin has struggled to a 5.88 ERA the last four seasons. And this year, he's only struck out 5.79 batters and has allowed 1.93 home runs per nine innings.
A journeyman's journeyman, Hunter Renfroe ($3,400) bounces around as much as any bat, but he'll consistently get you 20-plus home runs. In Renfroe's first campaign with the Angels, he's belted three homers while batting .283. Garrett Whitlock is in the Red Sox starting rotation and gave up three long balls over five innings in his first appearance, and that bodes well for Renfroe in this matchup.
Bargain Bats
While Aaron Judge was breaking records in the Bronx, Kyle Schwarber ($3,100) was leading the NL with 46 home runs. And since 2021, he's maintained a .931 OPS versus righties. Luis Cessa has started this season in the rotation, and has posted a 7.26 FIP while allowing 2.00 home runs per nine innings.
The White Sox have moved Andrew Benintendi ($2,800) into the leadoff role. And while he hasn't shown a leadoff hitter's profile so far, he did bat .304 with a .373 OBP in 2022. The lefty also registered an .812 OPS versus right-handed pitchers last year. Grayson Rodriguez is a vaunted pitching prospect, but oftentimes pitching prospects struggle when they make the move to MLB. And he just allowed six hits and four walks across 4.1 innings while facing the Athletics.
Stacks to Consider
Atlanta at Royals (Zack Greinke): Ronald Acuna ($4,400), Matt Olson ($4,300), Vaughn Grissom ($2,800)
Greinke has a fastball that doesn't hit 90 these days. Lefties and righties both hit .286 against in 2022 while he struck out a mere 4.80 batters per nine innings. In fact, over the last three seasons, the veteran hasn't sniffed a 7.0 K/9 ratio. Greinke is getting by with guile and luck, which is fun but also not ideal against a lineup with some elite bats like Atlanta's.
Acuna is seemingly fully over his ACL injury since he's looking like an MVP candidate with a .365/.452/.556 slash line alongside three homers and six steals on top of a career .892 OPS. What's intriguing about Olson is that he's slugged .514 against both lefties and righties since 2021, which is rare for a southpaw. Having hit over 30 home runs in each of his last two campaigns, he's at five so far. Grissom is up from Triple-A due to some injuries in the Atlanta lineup. And as a rookie, he slashed .291/.353/.440 with five homers and five stolen bases in 41 games.
Cardinals vs. Pirates (Mitch Keller): Nolan Gorman ($3,400), Brendan Donovan ($3,000), Lars Nootbaar ($2,800)
Keller has had a wild career teeming with fluctuating stats and ERAs and FIPs that rarely line up, but not always in the same way. This year, he's posted a 3.57 ERA, but a 4.45 FIP. Over the last three seasons, Keller has allowed lefties to hit .300, so I'm stacking three southpaws against him.
Gorman offers intriguing power, though he needs a chance to tee off on righties as he's hit all 18 of his career home runs against them. In his career, Donovan has produced a .770 OPS against righties and an .894 mark at home. He managed a .394 OBP as rookie, so it makes sense he often leads off. Nootbaar recorded a .788 OPS last year with 14 homers and four stolen bases across 108 games. He can also handle facing southpaws with a career .873 OPS in those matchups.
