This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
This is sort of the last push prior to the trade deadline. Some teams already know whether or not they will be buyers or sellers, but others could end up going either way depending on how the next week or so goes. It's your typical Sunday for baseball, with 15 games on the slate and almost all of them in the afternoon. One thing I noticed is that there are a few pitchers taking the mound that we don't know much about. A lot of inexperienced guys and rookies are pitching - some of whom have put up good numbers so far - which definitely adds a level of mystery to the daily fantasy picture. With that said, here are my recommendations to help you make decisions for your lineup.
PITCHING
On the "spend the money and don't think too hard about it" front, there's Walker Buehler ($56). The Dodgers pitcher enters with a 3.18 FIP and is at home against the Marlins, who are fighting the Tigers for having the worst offense in the league with no other team even close.
Blake Snell ($41) was originally slated to start Saturday, but got pushed to Sunday. Everything else about this matchup remains the same, though. He isn't pitching like he did last year when winning the AL Cy Young, but he has managed a 2.25 ERA over his last three starts. And while Snell's road ERA is up to 5.98, that number drops to 3.18 at home.
Speaking of home and road splits, Kyle Hendricks ($42) has managed some rather extreme splits of his own. While he's produced a 5.44 ERA in away games, his home mark sparkles at 1.80. While the Padres own a better offense than in recent years, they still rank in the bottom-10 in runs scored.
The Red Sox traded for Andrew Cashner ($34) a couple weeks ago, and now he gets to face his old team. At the very least, he should feel comfortable pitching in Baltimore. More seriously, the Orioles rank in the bottom-four in runs scored, and are arguably the worst team in baseball. That increases Cashner's chances of getting revenge by getting a win.
KEY VALUES/CHALK
After a lost season in 2018, Kris Bryant ($20) is hitting in 2019 like he wants to win another MVP by slashing .297/.407/.558 with 20 home runs. Cal Quantrill has struggled with a 4.21 ERA, while looking worse on the road at 4.66.
Francisco Lindor's ($16) chance of equaling his numbers from last season when he recorded 38 homers and 25 stolen bases after starting the year hurt, but that's a reminder of his talent. It's not like he's been a slouch this season, as he's managed 15 homers to go with 14 swiped bags in 78 games. Glenn Sparkman pitched a complete-game shutout in his last outing, but if you look past that you'll see his 5.41 FIP or staggering 9.22 road ERA.
Austin Meadows ($11) is emerging as an All-Star bat for the Rays, making the Chris Archer trade look even worse for Pittsburgh by the day. In his first full year in the majors, he's posted a .292/.364/.525 slash line. White Sox starter Dylan Cease is considered a promising prospect, but so far hasn't been able to take to the big leagues like Meadows. The rookie has admittedly made only two starts, but has registered a 5.73 ERA.
For some odd reason, Kolten Wong ($10) just can't hit at home this year. While he boasts an .866 OPS in away games, that number dips to .560 at home. That seems like a fluke, but either way it's encouraging for fantasy players he's on the road Sunday. While Wong doesn't possess a ton of power, that may not be necessary against Anthony DeSclafani as the Reds pitcher has allowed at least 1.85 homers per nine innings in each of his last two campaigns.
STACKS
Red Sox vs. Asher Wojciechowski (Orioles)
Rafael Devers (3B - $27), J.D. Martinez (OF - $20), Andrew Benintendi (OF - $17)
Cashner may be out of the Orioles rotation, but Wojciechowski is still there. He's not going to be the one to help turn things around, seeing he's 30 with a career ERA of 6.52. The Red Sox roll out a truly formidable lineup - especially when a righty is on the mound - so there were several players I could have suggested in this stack. I just happened to name these three, but don't think you have to limit yourself.
Speaking of lefty batters, Devers owns a 1.003 OPS versus right-handed pitchers. He's also looked great at home with a .913 OPS, with an improved .949 mark on the road. The simple way to put it is that Devers is absolutely mashing, but sometimes he's an even better option than others.
Martinez is having a "down" year, but for him that means 19 homers and a .511 slugging percentage in 88 games. He just happens to not be hitting .300 or on pace for over 40 home runs, but he still clearly has the bat to take care of a pitcher like Wojciechowski or anyone in Baltimore's bullpen.
Lastly, there's Benintendi, who is very much a "play him against righties only" sort of bat due to his .840 OPS against them since 2017. He's also capable of managing a couple steals, with over 20 swiped bags in each of the last two seasons.
Twins vs. Daniel Mengden (Athletics)
Jorge Polanco (SS – $12), Max Kepler (OF - $15), Eddie Rosario (OF - $20)
Mengden enters with a 4.21 ERA, which isn't great but isn't too terrible. On the road, that increases to 4.35 and definitely isn't intimidating when picking a daily fantasy lineup. However, the reason for this recommendation comes from another stat: Mengden owns a .313 BAA versus lefties, so I've provided two lefties and one switch hitter.
Polanco is that switch hitter, but he's been decidedly better against right-handed pitchers. His overall batting average sits at .305, but a lot of that stems from his .949 OPS versus righties. Kepler is a lefty hitter with a ton of power who's knocked a personal-best 23 homers in 88 games along with a career-high .515 slugging percentage. Then there's Rosario, who doesn't walk but has recorded a career .281 batting average. He too is effective versus righties, with a .869 OPS since 2017 in those matchups.
