This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
This has been a fascinating year for pitchers. Just take a look at the ERA leaders for example. In the AL, you'll find Justin Verlander in the top five. In the NL, there's Zack Greinke. Those names make sense. It's the rest of them that are eyebrow-raising. Hyun-Jin Ryu, who is starting Sunday, owns a staggering 1.36 ERA. Lucas Giolito looked like he was never going to live up to his prospect status and now shines with a 2.22 ERA for the White Sox. Greinke isn't even the best 'Zack' this season, thanks to Zach Davies and his 2.60 ERA. However, a lot of the pitchers Sunday are less exciting. There are 15 games on the docket, almost all of them in the afternoon, and here are some recommendations for your daily fantasy lineup.
PITCHING
Trevor Bauer ($50) is one of the guys you would think would have been up near the top of the ERA charts, especially since he managed a 2.21 ERA in 2018. It's been a bit of a down year, as he's struggled to a 3.71 ERA. However, on the road, that ERA drops to 2.42. More importantly, the Detroit Tigers are terrible. They own a .231 batting average as a team, and they are fighting with the Marlins for the title of 'worst offense in baseball'.
Chase Anderson ($38) comes in with a 3.80 ERA, but he's also struck out 9.70 batters per nine innings - a new personal best. His main issue is giving up homers, and San Francisco's ballpark is good at suppressing them. The Giants don't exactly have a power lineup to begin with, as they rank 28th in homers.
Brad Peacock ($45) gets overlooked in Houston's rotation, but he's posted a 3.42 ERA. He also has a 3.19 ERA over the previous three seasons. Granted, a lot of that was in the bullpen, but he's been a solid starter this year. The Blue Jays may have some promising young bats, and we're all excited by Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but the team has a MLB-low .221 batting average.
KEY VALUES/CHALK
I was just talking about Peacock as Houston's starter, but let's go to the big bat in its lineup. No, I don't mean Yordan Alvarez ($20), although he's been crushing the ball since getting called up and is definitely worth a look. I'm speaking of Alex Bregman ($22), who was once that promising young prospect. Now he's just simply one of the best hitters out there, and with 19 homers in 69 games he's taken his power to the next level. Toronto's rookie starter Trent Thornton has slumped with a 4.78 ERA while allowing 1.42 homers per nine innings.
Maybe Bryce Harper ($20) hasn't been quite what was hoped for just yet, but it's hard not to believe in his bat. Even when he disappointed people last year, he still managed 34 homers and a .393 OBP. If you've been disappointed in Harper's start, then you should shield your eyes from Mike Foltynewicz's numbers as the Atlanta starter has recorded a woeful 6.31 FIP.
Paul DeJong ($11) seems to have added plate discipline to his game, as he's walking more and has a .364 OBP. Walks don't excite fantasy players, so just know he also has 12 homers and five stolen bases. Jason Vargas' ERA has fallen from 5.77 last season to 3.68 this year. That being said, he's registered a 4.14 FIP, and his road ERA sits at an inadequate 4.78.
I'm going to dive deep for this last one. Not only am I recommending a Marlin, but not even one of the more notable names on the Marlins. Garrett Cooper ($21) is 28, and he's only gotten a couple cups of coffee previously in his career. But this season, he's slashed .310/.391/.491. I'm interested in the matchup, as Chris Archer has a 6.15 FIP and an 8.71 road ERA. For maybe the one and only time in your life, get excited for Garrett Cooper.
STACKS
Twins vs. Jakob Junis (Royals)
Jorge Polanco (SS - $22), Eddie Rosario (OF - $20), Max Kepler (OF - $27)
Junis' career is heading in the wrong direction. Every season he has pitched in the majors, he has seen his ERA and FIP rise. This year, those numbers are at 5.35 and 4.83. Junis also has experienced terrible luck with lefties, with a .284 BAA against. And wouldn't you know it, I've recommended stacking two lefties and a guy who is a switch-hitter.
Polanco is going to be headed to the All-Star Game, thanks to a .333/.393/.562 slash line. It's a little odd he has only 10 homers with that slugging percentage, but obviously he's raking the ball. Power isn't a problem for Rosario either, with 19 homers across 65 games. He also boasts an .864 OPS versus righties since 2017. And Kepler has heated up recently, with a 1.137 OPS and eight home runs over his last 20 games. He's also been a better hitter at home, with a .894 OPS this year.
Rockies vs. Nick Margevicius (Padres)
Trevor Story (SS - $24), Ian Desmond (OF - $20), Chris Iannetta (C-$16)
I took the time to figure out how to spell Margevicius, so you know I'm serious about this recommendation. For starters, this game is taking place at Coors Field, which is always exciting for hitters. The lefty rookie has posted a 5.57 FIP and has given up 1.90 homers per nine innings. When you pitch your home games in Petco Park, that's almost impressive.
Story, like many a Rockie, likes to hit in his home park but the shortstop is particularly good in Coors. He has recorded an OPS over 1.000 at home in each of his last two seasons and a 1.006 OPS against lefties since 2017. Desmond represents the rare hitter who hasn't immediately taken to Coors Field, but this year has excelled with a .895 home OPS. He hit 22 homers last year with a .236 batting average, and this year his batting average is up to .266. Iannetta and Tony Wolters have been sharing duties at catcher, but Iannetta seems likely to get the call with a lefty on the mound. The backstop has only appeared in 29 games this season, but has managed a .532 slugging percentage in those contests.
