This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
It's the final day of the MLB regular season. Every team is in action and on the DFS slate. That's what happens when every single game starts between 3 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. EDT. Sunday's slate is a mix of teams waiting for the playoffs, ones long out of it, and a couple still fighting for something. These are my DFS recommendations.
Pitching
Justin Steele, CHC at MIL ($10,000): Even if Steele can't get the Cubs into the playoffs, he can pad his unexpected Cy Young resume. The lefty has a 3.01 FIP through 30 starts while only allowing 0.73 batters per nine innings. Milwaukee is going to finish below average in runs scored and could always be fielding a B-team lineup with a playoff series beginning Tuesday.
Eduardo Rodriguez, DET vs. CLE ($9,800): I was going to go with Braxton Garrett, but the Marlins clinched and now he's not starting. Instead, I shall pivot to Rodriguez. The lefty has been hit or miss, though he's held southpaws to an .183 average. Cleveland's lefty bats will be in trouble, and the team lacks for offense. More specifically, the Guardians rank last in team home runs.
Michael King, NYY at KC ($8,600): You may see King's 2.50 ERA and think: "Sure, but he spent most of the season in the bullpen". That's true, but he also has an 1.30 ERA over his last five starts. The Royals, with a team .302 OBP, shouldn't be a troublesome final opponent.
Top Targets
In a season almost devoid of bright spots for the Rockies, Nolan Jones ($4,000) emerges as a silver lining. He didn't wow in a 28-game cup of coffee with Cleveland during 2022, but the lefty joined the Rockies for and has slashed .297/.388/.536 with 19 homers and 19 stolen bases. And it's not all Coors based on a .935 road OPS. It's always nice to have a chance to take advantage of Colorado's home park. Bailey Ober has allowed 1.37 homers per nine innings, which isn't terrible but definitely enough to be enticing in this scenario.
Ultimately, Elly De La Cruz ($3,600) landed at "super-exciting" more than "all-star level" as a rookie, though seven triples and 35 steals from 97 games are indicative of his incredible speed. What ended up holding him back were his struggles with lefties, but he's posted an .802 OPS versus righties. Miles Mikolas doesn't strike anybody out, which should help De La Cruz put the ball in play and use his wheels. It will also help that righties have gone .284 against Mikolas while lefties are at .282.
Bargain Bats
One last time, let's take advantage of a team visiting Coors Field, home to thin air and bad pitching. Alex Kirilloff ($3,600) has an .853 OPS against righties and an .841 on the road. Chase Anderson, meanwhile, hasn't registered a FIP below 4.82 since 2017 and also happens to be right-handed.
Spencer Torkelson ($3,300) has room for improvement, but 31 home runs in his sophomore season is a good sign for the former first-overall pick. Lucas Giolito has been homer prone all year with a 2.01 HR/9 rate, but down the stretch he's somehow been even worse by giving up 3.1 across his last 10 starts.
Stacks to Consider
Padres at White Sox (Jose Urena): Juan Soto ($4,300), Trent Grisham ($2,700), Ji-Man Choi ($2,400)
This stack is a bit top-heavy, yet still worth it. Urena has a 7.75 FIP this year and a career 4.82. So that's a great starting point for a stack, but why these three? Since 2021, lefties have hit a whopping .326 against Urena, so I wanted to go with three here.
Even with all the hand wringing about the Padres, Soto showed up and has notched 35 homers and 109 RBI. He's also produced a .972 OPS against righties and a 1.023 on the road. Grisham may finish below the Mendoza Line, though he's still racked up 13 homers, 14 stolen bases, and 31 doubles. Choi has really struggled this season, but he's a lefty with a .754 OPS against righties the last couple campaigns.
Mets vs. Phillies (Nick Nelson): Francisco Lindor ($3,900), Pete Alonso ($3,700), Brett Baty ($2,400)
Nelson will be making his first MLB start this season, but he's been in the majors before. He lists a career 5.38 ERA in the bigs, which is why he was stuck in the minors. At Triple-A, Nelson posted a 4.84 FIP, which isn't necessarily a sign he's figured things out. The Mets have a chance to end a wayward season with some production.
Lindor already has a 30/30 season to his name, but also has a chance to add to his 98 RBI and finish with 100 RBI and 100 runs scored. He may get there given his 1.042 OPS the last two weeks. Alonso isn't going to quite make it to his second 50-homer season, though 46 is still pretty decent. He's also going to slug over .500 for the fourth time in five career campaigns. Baty didn't deliver as hoped given his prospect status, yet there is one positive number to be found in the mix as the lefty carries a .756 home OPS.
Cubs at Brewers (Adrian Houser): Cody Bellinger ($3,700), Seiya Suzuki ($3,300), Mike Tauchman ($2,800)
This may be the last we see of Houser in 2023 since he won't be in the playoff rotation, and a righty with a career 7.31 K/9 rate doesn't scream "high-level relief pitcher". He also has a 4.56 ERA at home, lefties have hit .276 against with righties at .279. Even if Houser scuffles, the Brewers may ask him to pitch another inning or two, if only to save bullpen arms. And Milwaukee has nothing left to play for Sunday.
Bellinger has experienced a bit of a homer drought, but he's still produced 26 of them. He's also compiled a .307 average and 20 steals, so it's not like he can't contribute in other ways - especially against a hittable pitcher like Houser. Suzuki has been the hot bat in the Cubs lineup down the stretch with a 1.021 OPS the last three weeks. He also has an .896 road OPS this season. Tauchman, a veteran lefty, will likely be in center field for this one. He's produced a .742 OPS against righties and Houser has let lefties go .284 against since 2021.
