This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
The first Sunday of the season means every team plays, with plenty of options for DFS lineups. Here are some recommendations.
Pitching
Steven Matz, STL vs. PIT ($36): It's rarely a bad idea to pick on the Pirates. They've scored two runs in two games this season after ranking last in the league in runs in 2021. Matz posted a 3.78 FIP last season with the Blue Jays and had a 10/1 K/BB this spring.
Zach Eflin, PHI vs. OAK ($35): Eflin is coming off a knee injury that cost him most of the second half last year, but he looked healthy in spring training with 11 strikeouts, two walks and just one run allowed in 9.1 innings. The A's are in tear-down mode, and Eflin won't do them any favors with his excellent control.
Kris Bubic, KC vs. CLE ($35): The Guardians pretty much have one player, Jose Ramirez, who can do damage. The rest of the offense is suspect, as scoring one run in their first two game attests. Bubic improved both his strikeout and walk rates in the second half last season and added a slider to his arsenal this spring that should help hold the Cleveland offense in check.
Top Targets
Juan Soto ($25) has the highest salary on the slate among batters, but he might be the league's best hitter too. He faces Carlos Carrasco, who has a lot to prove this season after being limited to 12 starts last year in which he posted a 6.04 ERA. He had offseason elbow surgery, and while he was healthy in spring, he probably won't be allowed to go too deep in his season debut.
The Orioles' Tyler Wells won a rotation spot in spring but is expected to be piggybacked by a multi-inning reliever in his starts. Sunday, that likely means he'll be followed by unimpressive long-man Mike Baumann. That sets up well for Wander Franco ($22), who is coming off a terrific rookie season and is one of the best young players in the league. A switch hitter, Franco can hold his own vs. any arm.
The Pirates send Bryse Wilson to the mound Sunday, he of the 14.3 percent strikeout rate in 2021 and 6.94 ERA this spring. Paul Goldschmidt ($23) is as steady as they come, easily penciled in for about 30 homers and a .290 average this season. He doesn't run as much as he used to, but he still had 12 stolen bases last season.
Bargain Bats
Jarred Kelenic ($13) had a rocky rookie season, but he's still one of the league's top prospects. He slugged .559 this spring, though he's still looking for his first hit of the season. That could come Sunday against Minnesota right-hander Bailey Ober, who allowed a .359 wOBA to lefties as a rookie last year.
In that same Seattle-Minnesota game, Jorge Polanco ($18) offers a cheap bat against left-hander Marco Gonzales, who posted a 5.27 FIP last season. The switch-hitting Polanco offers versatility against the Seattle bullpen too.
Trey Mancini ($13) rebounded last season to hit 21 homers in 147 games. He likely has another 20-plus homers in his bat this season. Perhaps his first will come Sunday off Rays starter Corey Kluber, who made just eight starts in 2019-20 because of injuries before returning for 16 starts last season (80 innings). Kluber's fastball was 3 mph slower than his career rate last season, and as he turns 36 on Sunday, he likely won't get faster. Kluber's birthday could be better for Mancini than him.
Stacks to Consider
Dodgers vs. Antonio Senzatela: Freddie Freeman ($23), Max Muncy ($18), Justin Turner ($15)
The Dodgers have one of the best lineups in baseball and get the launching pad of Coors Field on Sunday. They scored seven runs in the first two games of the series, but could bust out against Senzatela, who had just a 15.7 percent strikeout rate last season. Freeman, Muncy and Turner are mashers who could take advantage of the spacious outfields even if they don't leave the yard.
Phillies vs. Daulton Jefferies: Bryce Harper ($24), Rhys Hoskins ($22), Kyle Schwarber ($20)
Jefferies is in the Oakland rotation because James Kaprielian is injured and Sean Manaea was traded. In 17 big-league innings, the right-hander has a 5.82 ERA. Against righties last season, Harper had a 1.155 OPS, Hoskins posted a .351 wOBA and Schwarber slugged .623.
