This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
July began yesterday, and hopefully things started on a winning note. Sunday has arrived with 10 MLB games on the DFS slate. The first pitches are at 1:35 p.m. EDT. You may be enjoying an extended weekend due to Tuesday's holiday. But regardless how your week is going to play out, here are some DFS recommendations to help set your lineups.
Pitching
Ranger Suarez, PHI vs. WAS ($9,800): After a slow start to the season, Suarez has been on fire with a 1.35 ERA from his last six starts. The Nationals rank bottom-10 in runs scored and roll out several regulars who are lefties. Suarez, a southpaw, has held lefties to an .161 average since 2021.
Tony Gonsolin, LAD at KC ($8,800): There are three terrible offenses in baseball. And with the Tigers and Athletics not on the docket for these matchups, that leaves the Royals as the team to target. Gonsolin is a solid pitcher in his own right having coming off a couple poor starts, but he's still managed a 3.30 ERA - including a 2.16 on the road.
Rich Hill, PIT vs. MIL ($7,800): Hill is getting hit hard with a lot of balls in the air, but you may want to take a shot on him in this matchup. The lefty enters with a 4.26 FIP, though he doesn't allow a lot of home runs. Milwaukee sits bottom-five in runs scored and batting average. The Brewers are also just outside the bottom-10 in homer. That may not work out against the southpaw Hill, especially since Christian Yelich and Rowdy Tellez are lefties.
Top Targets
Mookie Betts ($4,500) is once again an MVP candidate leading off for the Dodgers and slashing .271/.374/.556 with 22 homers and seven stolen bases. He's also been on fire with a 1.007 OPS the last three weeks. Brady Singer is really struggling with a 5.88 ERA while righties have gone .301 against him this year and .281 since 2021.
The thing Kyle Schwarber ($3,700) does well is hit home runs against righties with 46 in 2022 and 22 already this year. And over the last three seasons, he's slugged .548 against right-handers. Trevor Williams has given up 1.80 home runs per nine innings this season while lefties have hit .294 against the last couple campaigns.
Bargain Bats
Few hitters have a profile as interesting at Jack Suwinski ($2,700). He's only produced a .228 average, but has still recorded a respectable OBP thanks to a .351 OBP and .498 slugging percentage. Regularly walking to first base has probably helped Suwinski rack up seven steals, which pairs well with his 17 home runs. His career .848 OPS against righties will come into play against Colin Rea on Sunday, who's posted a 4.68 FIP with seven of the 10 homers he's allowed coming against lefties.
I'll take a shot on Mauricio Dubon ($2,700) being in the lineup for the Astros on Sunday as Jeremy Pena is banged up and Jose Altuve is still working his way back from injury. Dubon could step in for either of them, and this year he's produced four homers and five stolen bases with a .785 OPS against lefties since 2021. Andrew Heaney is a southpaw, and I bet he wishes he could have avoided a home start considering he's struggled to a 5.91 ERA while not on the road in 2023.
Stacks to Consider
Guardians at Cubs (Jameson Taillon): Jose Ramirez ($4,400), Steven Kwan ($2,900), Josh Bell ($2,700)
The Guardians are bottom-five for runs scored, but this matchup is still enticing as Taillon has endured a rough campaign, his first with the Cubs. His 5.25 FIP is better than his 6.90 ERA, though the former is still terrible. Taillon's home ERA is 7.44 where he's given up 1.9 home runs per nine innings. Southpaws have also hit .310 against him. So if there's any scenario where stacking Cleveland makes sense, it's one where when you can load up on lefties.
Granted, two of these players are switch-hitters, but that means they can operate as lefties. Ramirez is one of them and is primed for another 20/20 campaign along with a .924 OPS versus righties the last two seasons. Kwan's average has dropped from .298 as a rookie to .262, though he's taking advantage of the new base-stealing landscape with 13 steals already this year after 19 in 2022. Bell has less of a clear preference than Ramirez with an .805 OPS versus lefties and a .777 against righties since 2021. But in his first season with Cleveland, he's experienced issues at home while delivering a .772 road OPS.
Blue Jays vs. Red Sox (Garrett Whitlock): Bo Bichette ($3,500), Vladimir Guerrero ($3,500), Brandon Belt ($2,800)
It seems clear Whitlock is miscast as a starter. In 2021, he pitched strongly out of the bullpen and continued that into the next year before getting moved to the rotation. And that's when the wheels fell off. Exclusively pitching as a starter this season, Whitlock has a 5.15 ERA. He's still elite at avoiding walks, but that doesn't mean as much when lefties hit .295 against and righties go .301. He's also allowed 1.60 home runs per nine innings.
While Bichette's production has fluctuated against lefties, he's remained steady against righties by yielding an .801 OPS in those matchups the last couple campaigns. A career .300 hitter, Dante's son has batted .317 this year with 15 homers. Guerrero has surprisingly only gone deep 12 times, but is at .277 with a .348 OBP. His issues in 2023 have stemmed from surprising struggles at home, even with a .934 OPS in Toronto since 2021. And in June, Vladdy managed an .875 OPS in home games. Belt has struggled since returning from injury, yet lists an .827 OPS versus righties this year. The southpaw has also notched an .814 OPS at home.
