This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Rain, the old enemy of baseball, has reared its ugly head again. Postponements took place Saturday, leading to the first game Sunday now being the opener of a doubleheader between the Padres and Phillies. However, that game is not being included in the main contest slate for Yahoo, but the 6:05 PM ET game between San Diego and Philadelphia is. For the main contests, the first game kicks off at 1:07 PM ET, so you'll need your lineup in by then. Here are some recommendations.
STARTING PITCHER
J.A. Happ, TOR vs. BAL ($45): Happ was an All-Star, and enters with a 4.08 FIP while having struck out 9.99 batters per nine innings. That's a lot of nines, and Happ's best strikeout rate of his career. The Orioles and Royals are in a race to be the worst team in baseball, and that includes hitting. Baltimore has slumped to a .227/.290/.382 slash line, and the team also ranks 29th in runs scored.
Chris Archer, TAM vs. MIA ($43): Like J.A. Happ, Archer sports a 4.29 ERA, but Archer's FIP is 3.84. In his career, the 29-year-old has struck out 9.68 batters per nine innings, and hasn't been below 9.21 strikeouts per nine since the 2014 season. The Marlins sit in the bottom five in runs scored, and they've displayed no team power with a collective slugging percentage of .369.
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CATCHER
Buster Posey, SFG at OAK ($14): Posey boasts a career slash line of .307/.375/.469, which are pretty good for a catcher. He isn't quite putting up numbers like that this season, but he's still doing well, especially against lefties. The 31-year-old comes in with a .883 OPS against southpaws, and he's routinely hit lefties well. Sean Manaea has done well with a 3.42 ERA, but his 4.53 FIP and 1.31 homers allowed per nine innings look less impressive.
FIRST BASE
Steve Pearce, BOS at DET ($16): Pearce has only played in 38 games this year, but he's exceled during that time. In fact, over his last 30 contests, he has posted a 1.178 OPS. Additionally, he hits lefties better than righties. Blaine Hardy is a lefty, and he's also usually a relief pitcher. That's partially because righties tend to rock him, so this matchup is looking good for Pearce.
SECOND BASE
Whit Merrifield, KAN vs. MIN ($17): Merrifield hasn't showed as much pop as last season, but his .305 batting average and .375 OBP both qualify as personal highs. Remember he hit 19 homers in 2017, so you can't write that off just because this year isn't going quite as well in the power department. A matchup with Jake Odorizzi could help, as he's given up 1.43 homers per nine innings this season.
THIRD BASE
Jake Lamb, ARI vs. COL ($16): It's been a rough year for Lamb, but he's still someone who's hit 59 homers over the last two seasons. Fifty of them have come against righties, and all six of his home runs this year have also been against right-handed pitchers. Antonio Senzatela, who is coming off the disabled list, has struggled to a 7.20 ERA on the road. Also in Lamb's favor is the fact Arizona tends to be a good park for hitters.
SHORTSTOP
Jean Segura, SEA vs. CWS ($14): Segura earned an All-Star spot with a .323/.353/.459 slash line. He's also done damage with his legs, swiping at least 20 bags in every full season – and he's already at 14 this year. Reynaldo Lopez enters with a career FIP of 4.48, and his FIP this season is a 4.68.
OUTFIELD
Michael Brantley, CLE at TEX ($20): Over his previous three – admittedly injury plagued – seasons Brantley sported a .819 OPS, and this season he's stayed healthy and posted a .834 OPS. Yovani Gallardo has only pitched 30.3 innings, but in that time he's looked horrendous with a 8.60 ERA. Beyond that, he hasn't had an ERA under 5.42 since 2015. The Rangers also have an offense-friendly ballpark, especially in the summer months.
Rhys Hoskins, PHI vs. SDP ($18): Hoskins isn't on the same pace as last season when he hit 18 homers in 50 games, but he's still smacked 14 home runs in 87 contests. He's also been a little better against righties in his career, which is admittedly only two partial seasons. Tyson Ross hasn't been the same pitcher since he started having injury issues in 2016, and comes in with a 4.45 FIP this year.
Matt Kemp, LAD at MIL ($13): Kemp has enjoyed a comeback season with the Dodgers, but he still showed power even in his lesser campaigns. He's never failed to hit at least 23 homers in a season where he's played more than 120 games, and he's already at 15 dingers this year. Kemp also hits lefties better than righties, and Brewers starter Brent Suter fits into the former category. Suter has compiled a career FIP of 4.06, and his home ERA sits at 4.87 this year.
