This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
It feels like we blinked, and suddenly it was late May. The weather is warming up, and the season is over a quarter of the way finished. We've got real sample sizes to work with! Also, we have another typical busy Sunday in Major League Baseball. You know the drill. Every team plays, and almost every game is in the afternoon. You want some daily fantasy advice? Well you've come to the right place!
PITCHING
Chris Sale ($51) has turned it around over his last five starts, which I wanted to note in case you were still wringing your hands. However, I'm not recommending him today, because he has to face the Astros who have arguably the league's best offense. If you're willing to splash cash on a pitcher, there's Noah Syndergaard ($52). In addition to his status as the God of Thunder, he's facing the pitiful Marlins' offense who rank 29th in runs scored.
If you are looking for a cheaper option, I like Cal Quantrill ($28) of the Padres. Quantrill was considered an intriguing prospect when drafted, and he's still a good prospect even if the bloom is off the rose a bit. He's pitched well in two starts this season, posting a 2.71 FIP. Pitching in Petco Park certainly helps, and the Pirates rank 28th in runs scored.
KEY VALUES/CHALK
Corey Seager ($13) is still rounding into form after returning from injury, but I still envision the guy who crushed it in 2016 and 2017. Plus, he has a .289 BABIP, so there's room for improvement. Tanner Roark is having a good year for the Reds, but he also owns a 0.39 HR/9 rate, an unsustainable mark in a park like Cincinnati's.
Khris Davis ($15) has huge power. Like, 'hit-over-40-home-runs-a-season-while-playing-his-home-games-in-Oakland' power. Career slugging percentage of .518 power. I'm not really paying attention to Gregory Soto's 13.50 ERA, as he's only pitched six innings. Of course, I also have zero fear of him as a result.
Charlie Tilson ($10), who is an outfielder for the White Sox, is one of those lefties that seems destined to be a platoon hitter. That being said, he's hit righties well so far in his limited career. Trent Thornton, who is a right-handed pitcher, has struggled with a 4.85 FIP through nine starts. He's also been decidedly worse against southpaws in this his rookie season.
Adam Jones ($17) is simply a professional hitter. Also, to the surprise of some, the move to Arizona seems to be serving him well. He has compiled a .287 batting average with nine homers. Drew Pomeranz is expected to return from injury, and comes in with a 5.75 FIP. This comes after he posted a 5.37 FIP last season.
STACKS
Cardinals vs. Drew Smyly (Rangers)
Paul Goldschmidt (1B - $19), Jose Martinez (1B/OF - $18), Yadier Molina (C - $17)
Smyly has experienced issues with allowing homers since becoming a starter, and to nobody's surprise pitching for the Rangers hasn't helped. He's allowed 2.28 home runs per nine innings, and it hasn't even gotten super hot in Texas yet! He's a lefty with a 6.28 FIP, so I'm salivating over the big righty bats in St. Louis' lineup. Not literally, of course. That'd be weird.
Goldschmidt is off to a slow start by his lofty standards, but he's still a guy with a career .925 OPS. Plus, he's smacked 10 homers this year. Martinez is a batting average guy, hitting a career .313 with a .331 average this season. Molina is struggling to get on base, but most catchers these days are poor hitters. However, the veteran backstop has an .803 OPS against lefties and a .790 OPS on the road since 2017.
Cubs vs. Jeremy Hellickson (Nationals)
Kris Bryant (3B - $26), Anthony Rizzo (1B - $25), Kyle Schwarber (OF - $14)
Hellickson has always faced issues allowing homers, but he's been particularly poor this year. The righty has given up 2.00 dingers per nine innings, which is partially responsible for his 5.80 FIP. Plus, he's been around for a long time and has a career 4.55 FIP, so it's not like he's an ace having an off year.
We wrung our hands about Bryant last year - and to start this season - but now all is well. He's struck for a 1.248 OPS over the last 21 days, with nine homers in those contests. After Bryant, who is an elite hitter with an MVP to his name, I'm recommending a couple of lefties. Rizzo possesses elite on-base skills, with a .385 OBP over the last three seasons. And he has a .912 OPS against righties since 2017. As for Schwarber, he'll never be a batting champ, but that's partially because he struggles to hit his fellow southpaws. I'm not concerned about him against a righty like Hellickson, and Schwarber has hit at least 26 homers in each of his last two seasons.
