This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
It's another Sunday of MLB action, with a larger DFS slate than usual. There are 14 games on the primary slate of FanDuel contests on FanDuel, with first pitches at 1:35 p.m. EDT. Here are some lineup recommendations to try and make the final Sunday of August a good one.
Pitching
Yusei Kikuchi, TOR vs. CLE ($9,400): Kikuchi has been scorching with a 1.82 ERA from his last seven outings. Since 2021, the southpaw has held lefties under the Mendoza Line, which is a strong starting point against this Guardians lineup. Not only that, Cleveland has hit just 98 homers this season.
Paul Blackburn, OAK at CWS ($8,200): You might see this game and think to yourself: "Ah, it's time to target the Athletics." However, I'm flipping that around. Blackburn has been pitching well of late with a 2.25 ERA across his last six starts. Not only that, but the White Sox have collapsed offensively and now sit in the bottom-six in runs scored with a .295 OBP.
Javier Assad, CHC at PIT ($7,500): The Cubs pushed Assad's start back a day and called up rookie Jordan Wicks to make his debut Saturday. Assad had been pitching in and out of the bullpen and rotation while compiling a 3.13 ERA. The Pirates rank in the bottom-seven in runs scored and have been at a bottom-five level since their hot start, making this a nice matchup for Assad - especially with the extra day of rest.
Top Targets
When healthy, Jose Altuve ($4,100) has produced per usual. The problem has been staying on the field. In the 60 games he's participated, the second baseman has a .936 OPS against righties and an 1.005 on the road. Alex Faedo, meanwhile, enters with a career 5.74 ERA at home and has allowed righties to hit .276 against.
Juan Soto ($3,400) has been ice cold, yet he's managed a .924 OPS against righties and a .972 on the road this season. He gets to face a right-handed pitcher away from Petco Park. That would be Adrian Houser, who has let lefties go .281 against since 2021. This is the exact kind of scenario where Soto should turn things around. I'm willing to take a shot on that.
Bargain Bats
You may not think about Jesus Sanchez ($2,400) much, though playing in the semi-anonymity of Miami has him producing an .800 OPS against righties and an .855 at home. There's a decent chance his power will come into play Sunday as Trevor Williams has given up 2.5 homers per nine innings on the road in 2023 while lefties have batted .291 against the last couple campaigns.
While Kevin Kiermaier ($2,400) is admired for his defense in center field, the lefty has picked up six homers, five triples, and 11 stolen bases. He's also slugged .422 at home in his first season with Toronto. The fact Noah Syndergaard's 4.96 ERA with Cleveland represents an improvement upon his numbers with the Dodgers speaks to why I will go with Kiermaier as a bargain option in this matchup.
Stacks to Consider
Dodgers at Red Sox (Tanner Houck): Freddie Freeman ($4,100), Max Muncy ($3,500), James Outman ($2,900)
Houck didn't look good in his first MLB start since June during his last outing, and that was on the road. At home, the righty has struggled to a 5.75 ERA. If you look at the home/road splits of the Red Sox lefties, you'll notice most of them are better at Fenway. Of course, visiting southpaws can also take advantage of that.
Freeman has put up incredible numbers across the board. He could win a batting title, go 30/20, and post 100 runs and 100 RBI. Oh, and he's also registered an 1.070 OPS on the road. Muncy offers similar power to Freeman, though not the batting eye as he's hit 30 homers with a .197 average. As a southpaw, it's perhaps not surprising he's struggled versus lefties yet has an .871 OPS against right-handers. Outman has managed a .355 OBP with 15 homers and 14 stolen bases and represents a steady DFS option with no strong splits. In fact, his .781 OPS against righties is paired with a .759 versus lefties.
Rangers at Twins (Bailey Ober): Corey Seager ($4,300), Nathaniel Lowe ($3,400), Leody Taveras ($2,700)
Ober was playing a key role in the Twins rise to the top of baseball's worst division. However, his pitching has slipped with a 5.25 ERA in his last seven starts while allowing at least one homer in each. It's not a great time to get a visit from the Rangers when you're having problems on the mound.
I'm miffed Seager missed so much time because otherwise he'd be making a legitimate AL MVP candidate based on a .347/.415/.659 slash line with 24 homers in only 85 games. Facing a righty will also be good for the southpaw with a 1.126 OPS in those matchups. Lowe, another lefty, has inverted his performance of last season by being better at home. And since 2021, he's recorded an .824 OPS against right-handers and an. 831 on the road. Taveras, a switch-hitter, has 12 homers and 11 steals. He may hit from both sides of the plate, though his .758 OPS against righties is better and it's easier to steal on them.
Phillies vs. Cardinals (Drew Rom): Nick Castellanos ($3,300), Alec Bohm ($3,300), Trea Turner ($3,200)
It was only one start - his first in MLB - but Rom let in six earned runs - and eight overall - in 3.2 innings to the Pirates. He faced 18 righties, and they went .438 against. Even down in Triple-A, the southpaw posted a 5.34 ERA in 19 appearances. If Rom is getting trotted out there, I'll stack three righties against him without hesitation.
Castellanos has two clear strengths to his game this year, with both coming into play Sunday. Namely, his .897 OPS against southpaws and an .898 at home. Bohm carries an established track record of mediocrity against righties, but turning into an All-Star versus lefties where his OPS is up to .916. The playoffs are well within the sights for the Phillies, so it's probably a great relief Turner has been heating up with a 1.028 OPS the last three weeks to go with 15 homers and 23 stolen bases overall.
