This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
We went risky with our pitching options Sunday, but the risk was worth the reward. Albert Suarez and Bryce Elder combined for nearly 13 scoreless innings, but our hitters weren't quite as successful. That's a funny part about MLB DFS because some of the locks can be complete duds while some of the riskier options can carry your lineup. That's the nature of DFS at times, and we have another small slate to dissect here! We'll include all of the games so you guys can pick and choose with such limited options available.
Pitching
Yoshinobu Yamamoto: LAD at WAS ($9,000)
The 4.50 ERA from Yoshi might not look like anything special, but that doesn't tell the whole story. The massive offseason signing has been displaying some nasty stuff, posting a 2.69 xFIP and 32 percent K rate. Those are numbers you see from a Cy Young candidate, and many people had Yamamoto projected as just that before the season started. We love that since Yoshi has a 2.57 ERA and 0.95 WHIP since his debut, and the positive regression should continue against Washington's woeful offense. The Nats rank 21st in xwOBA and 27th in runs scored, with Yoshi entering this matchup as a -200 favorite.
Bailey Ober, MIN vs. CWS ($8,100)
Ober got obliterated in his season debut when he surrendered eight runs to the Royals, but he's been outstanding since then. The righty has allowed just two runs across three starts, posting a 1.06 ERA and 0.65 WHIP in that span. He also scored at least 31 FanDuel points in all of those and should continue that superb stretch against this ChiSox lineup. Chicago sits last in runs scored, OBP, OPS and wOBA, with Ober scoring at least 33 FD points in both of their matchups last year! That's why he enters this matchup as a -250 favorite!
Top Targets
Jose Ramirez, CLE (vs. Chase Anderson) $3,600
This perennial All-Star got off to a slow start this season, but he's going to get hot. This guy is always a Top 10 position player in DFS, averaging 28 homers and 24 steals over the last six seasons. We love that when examining his recent form, recording nine RBI over his last nine outings while picking up a steal or homer in four of those. That stretch is likely to continue against Anderson, accruing a 5.97 ERA and 1.42 WHIP since 2020.
Aaron Judge, NYY (vs. Alex Wood) $3,500
Judge has also gotten off to a terrible start, but a home run Wednesday is just what the doctor ordered. The plate discipline shows that a hot stretch is right around the corner, flirting with a .400 OBP over his last 19 games. What we really love is that he faces a subpar southpaw, with Judge sporting a .378 OBP, .677 SLG and 1.056 OPS against left-handers last year. It's not a lefty we're scared of either, with Wood totaling a 7.89 ERA and 2.03 WHIP so far this year.
Bargain Bats
Bo Bichette, TOR (vs. Cole Ragans) $3,000
It's bizarre to see Bichette this cheap, but it's just a matter of time before he creeps close to the $4K price tag we've become accustomed to. A 3-for-25 start through the opening week killed his averages, but Bo has a .290 AVG, .357 OBP and .793 OPS across 16 outings since then. That looks even better after looking at his splits, amassing a .323 AVG, .525 SLG and .893 OPS against lefties last year. Ragans is a talented southpaw, but his 4.32 ERA and 1.48 WHIP won't stray us away from this undervalued stud.
Wilyer Abreu, BOS (vs. Triston McKenzie) $2,700
This kid showed some flashes at the end of last season, providing a .388 OBP and .862 OPS in 28 games. That earned him a spot on this roster, but all of the injuries have forced him into a prominent spot in this lineup. Abreu has been hitting cleanup recently, registering a .415 AVG, .500 OBP, .732 SLG and 1.232 OPS across his last 12 games. Most of that damage has come against righties, posting a .920 OPS against them since his call-up. McKenzie is one he can exploit, maintaining a 5.00 ERA and 1.61 WHIP as he pitches through a torn UCL.
Stacks to Consider
Minnesota Twins vs. (Michael Soroka): Alex Kirilloff ($2,900), Max Kepler ($2,500), Trevor Larnach ($2,600)
The Twins have been one of the worst offenses in baseball, but they have way too many talented bats that remain way too cheap. Let's start there because all of these guys are below $3K and have the platoon advantage against Soroka. Kirilloff has been hitting between first and fourth every time they face a righty, posting a .368 OBP and .849 OPS against them since the start of last year. Larnach typically bats third in these circumstances, collecting a 1.288 OPS against them so far this season. He also has a 1.500 OPS across his last five fixtures and is due for a major price bump. Kepler hasn't been quite as good as those guys, but he has a .787 career OPS against righties as well.
It's hard to find three guys below $3K who will be in the top half of the order with so much in their favor, especially against an opposition like this. Soroka hasn't been the same guy since tearing his Achilles, providing a 6.87 ERA and 1.62 WHIP since the start of last year. We also don't want to forget about guys like Byron Buxton and Ryan Jeffers as options for this stack, but those three mentioned above are some of the best values on the board.
San Diego Padres vs. (Dakota Hudson): Fernando Tatis ($4,500), Manny Machado ($3,900), Jake Cronenworth ($3,600), Xander Bogaerts ($3,500)
It's always tough to fade opposing offenses in Coors Field. Not only is Colorado the most hitter-friendly environment in baseball, but the Rockies send out gas cans every night. That's just what they're doing here, with Hudson generating a 4.68 ERA and 1.48 WHIP over the last three years. He's also got a 6.30 ERA and 2.00 WHIP at home this year and will surely struggle against the highest-projected offense on this slate.
Tatis is the premier option when talking about the Padres, posting a 1.109 OPS at Coors throughout his career. We're not so sure Manny will be ready to return from the paternity list but he's got an .844 OPS over the last decade and is an easy piece of this stack as San Diego's cleanup hitter. Cronenworth is probably the sneaky one of the bunch, batting between Tatis and Manny in the three-hole. He's got a .386 OBP and .878 OPS against righties this year while accruing a 1.029 OPS throughout his Coors Field career. Bogaerts is the riskiest of the bunch, but he's projected to hit leadoff and could get five or six at-bats for the highest-scoring team on this slate. He's also got a 1.083 OPS at Coors Field!
