This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
In case you've been living under a rock or in a cave on Mars with your eyes closed and your fingers in your ears, the MLB trade deadline is nigh. This is the final Sunday before the deadline, making it one of the last opportunities for some players to showcase their wares before possibly getting dealt. There are a couple pitchers rumored to be on the trading block starting Sunday, not to mention all the relief pitchers sure to see some action. Naturally, we don't care about relief pitchers for daily fantasy purposes. You want some advice based on the 15 games taking place Sunday. As you probably know, basically every game is in the afternoon. Get those lineups in early, and consider these players.
PITCHING
Have you heard Madison Bumgarner ($46) may be traded? He was maybe the top name on the market, but then the Giants got hot, so now who knows? Sunday may be his last start for San Francisco. Bumgarner's on the road pitching in the spacious confines of Petco Park and has recorded a 2.00 ERA over his last five starts. This is a great chance for him to (possibly) go out on a high note.
Robbie Ray ($62) knows how to fan batters. Since he came into his own as a pitcher, he has never had a K/9 rate lower than 11.25. While he enters with a 3.95 ERA, which is fine but not amazing, he's facing the Marlins on Sunday. They have struggled with a .653 team OPS, the lowest in the majors by a wide margin.
Kyle Gibson ($43) has seen his ERA rise from 3.62 last year to 4.24 this season, but his FIP has only taken a small hop from 4.07 to 4.15. His performance recently has been erratic, but his numbers are hurt by having bad games against the likes of the Red Sox and Yankees. The White Sox are a different story, as they rank 28th in runs scored.
Lastly, if you just want to save some cash and roll the dice, there's Tommy Milone ($36). It's not about his numbers. The Mariners are hosting the Tigers, who rank last in runs scored. If Milone can go deep enough into the game, the odds of him getting a win are as good as anybody taking the mound Sunday.
KEY VALUES/CHALK
Francisco Lindor ($21) has gotten hot as the Indians have, and now his OPS is pretty much exactly the same as it was last year. The difference is this season his batting average has actually risen to .303. He's also on pace to notch 20 homers and 20 stolen bases for the second straight season. The shortstop is facing Danny Duffy, who comes in with a 4.58 FIP.
You've surely heard something about Josh Bell's ($18) breakout campaign. He made it into the All-Star Game and the Home Run Derby, and his numbers jump off the page. The 26-year-old has slashed .287/.368/.597 with 27 homers in 103 games. Jason Vargas' ERA has dropped from 5.77 to 3.96, but his FIP is still a lofty 4.65 while allowing 1.32 homers per nine innings.
When you think Angels outfielders, you think Mike Trout. But if you want a cheaper option, there's Kole Calhoun ($18). He doesn't hit like baseball's best player, but he's managed 23 homers in 99 games. More importantly, the Orioles are starting Dylan Bundy, who has been perhaps the worst pitcher in baseball over the last two seasons. He's got a FIP over .500 for the second year in a row, and his HR/9 rate has dropped to "only" 1.93.
You may not have heard the name Christian Walker ($17), but this year he's grabbed the starting first base role for the Arizona Diamondbacks. In his first real opportunity to stick in the majors, the 28-year-old has posted 19 homers and seven stolen bases in 99 games. Elieser Hernandez has been placed back in the starting rotation for the Marlins, but it's certainly not because of performance. He has recorded a career FIP of 5.27, even though he's spent most of his time in the bullpen.
STACKS
Twins vs. Dylan Covey (White Sox)
Max Kepler (OF - $22), Eddie Rosario (OF - $20), Luis Arraez (2B - $16)
I mentioned earlier that Dylan Bundy has been one of the worst starters in the big leagues the last couple of years. However, Covey is doing his best to try and keep Bundy from even being the worst starting pitcher named Dylan. The White Sox starter has slumped to a 6.04 ERA, and his career ERA sits at 6.09. Meanwhile, the Twins just became the fastest team to 200 homers in MLB history. This is an offense worth investing in, and I like all three of these bats in particular.
Kepler is the greatest German baseball player ever, but that's faint praise. He's been one of the better power hitters in the league this year, regardless of nationality, which represents a stronger endorsement. While Kepler doesn't walk a ton, he's hit 27 homers and posted a .531 slugging percentage. And against righties, that last number jumps to .563.
If Kepler doesn't walk a ton, Rosario doesn't walk at all. It doesn't really matter, because the guy can hit while boasting a career .280 batting average and .480 slugging percentage. The outfielder has also crushed over 20 home runs for the third straight season.
Then we've got the name your least likely to know in Arraez. While he doesn't have a definitive starting position, the rookie has forced his way into the lineup through sheer force. It's hard to keep a bat this hot out of the lineup, as Arraez has registered a .374 batting average through 40 games. And he's another lefty, which is pretty enticing with a bad right-handed starter on the mound.
Rays vs. Aaron Sanchez (Blue Jays)
Tommy Pham (OF - $19), Austin Meadows (OF - $16), Nate Lowe (1B - $21)
Once upon a time, not in Hollywood but in Toronto, Sanchez looked like a promising pitcher. In his debut season, he recorded an 1.09 ERA out of the bullpen and then impressed as a starter for a couple years after that. Last year, he drew concern thanks to a 4.89 ERA. Then, 2019 rolled around, and suddenly he's sitting with a 6.06 ERA. He's getting absolutely mashed, and he actually has compiled a 9.00 ERA over his last 10 starts. Things are bad for Sanchez, which is promising for the Rays.
Pham first made waves in 2017 when he posted 23 homers and 25 stolen bases with the Cardinals. He joined the Rays last year, and he still has that power/speed combo going for him. He's also a righty, and Sanchez owns a .307 BAA versus right-handed hitters. That kind of batting average for a player would probably get them into the All-Star Game.
Speaking of outfielders who were traded to the Rays last season, Meadows has been even better than Pham when healthy. He's posted a .288/.363/.517 slash line, and he too possesses some speed to go with his power. This also represents a favorable situation for Meadows, who's managed a .952 OPS versus righties and a .985 OPS on the road.
Nate Lowe, not to be confused with injured Rays second baseman Brandon Lowe, is a rookie who has seen limited playing time. However, his bat is likely to get him more action at first base. Before getting called up, Lowe was considered the second-best prospect in the Rays system by some, and so far he's lived up to that. After posting a .939 OPS in Triple-A, the 23-year-old has recorded a .360 OBP and .511 slugging percentage in 27 games.
