This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
September, and the NFL, are right around the corner. For now, though, we can still enjoy a Sunday dedicated to MLB action. I've got 14 games worth of players to look at and have found these recommendations for you.
Pitching
Dylan Cease, CWS vs. ARI ($52): Cease recently had his first two off outings in a while. In the process, he elevated his ERA all the way to a still-excellent 2.27 and his FIP to 2.99. The Diamondbacks are in the bottom half of the league in runs scored and in the bottom five in team batting average.
Robbie Ray, SEA vs. CLE ($42): Ray has struck out 10.47 batters per nine innings, which isn't surprising, and his overall ERA of 3.75 is overshadowed in this instance by his 2.69 home ERA. Cleveland has several key bats who are lefties, like Ray is, and so this makes Ray particularly suited for this matchup.
Noah Syndergaard, PHI vs. PIT ($35): Since joining the Phillies' rotation, Syndergaard has a 3.60 ERA. The Pirates are 28th in runs scored and have a .287 OBP as a team. Pittsburgh has hit a decent number of home runs, but Syndergaard has only allowed 0.94 home runs per nine innings.
Top Targets
Hey, you heard of this Aaron Judge ($29) guy? He's hit .295 with 49 home runs? Seems like a talented player. Even on the road in Oakland, I like Judge against Zach Logue. The rookie has a 6.04 ERA and has allowed 1.95 home runs per nine innings. He's also let righties hit .283 against him.
In his first season as a Brewer, Hunter Renfroe ($19) has slugged .500 with 23 home runs. He also enjoys his new ballpark, as he's managed an .872 OPS at home. Adrian Sampson has a 4.04 ERA and has allowed righties to hit .297 against him.
Bargain Bats
Yordan Alvarez ($16) has slashed .301/.405/.627 against righties this year. Meanwhile, since 2020, Austin Voth has let lefties hit .282 against him. Voth has also allowed 1.61 home runs per nine innings in his career, so Alvarez has a good shot to clear the fence here.
It's been a down year for Brandon Crawford ($16), but looking at the bigger picture over the last three seasons he has an .835 OPS against righties and a .798 OPS on the road. In nine starts, Aaron Sanchez has a 7.36 ERA. He hasn't been particularly good over the course of his career, either, posting a 4.32 FIP.
Stacks to Consider
Mets vs. Rockies (German Marquez): Francisco Lindor ($19), Jeff McNeil ($19), Brandon Nimmo ($16)
Marquez has a 5.22 ERA, and yes some of that is Coors Field. However, he has a 4.32 ERA on the road since the start of the 2020 season. In that same time frame, he's let lefties hit .270 against him, so I've selected a switch hitter and a pair of lefties for this stack.
Lindor has racked up the counting stats, notching 21 homers, 14 stolen bases, 85 RBI and 80 runs. He also has an .831 OPS against righties. Across the last three weeks, McNeil has an 1.011 OPS. Also, to stay on theme, he has an .844 OPS against right-handers. Nimmo often leads off, a role well suited for his career .383 OBP. On top of that, he has an .840 OPS against right-handed pitchers over the last three seasons.
Mariners vs. Guardians (Aaron Civale): Julio Rodriguez ($16), Jesse Winker ($16), Ty France ($7)
Civale has a 5.37 ERA and an even worse 6.56 ERA on the road. Lefties have hit .260 against him, but righties have been even better, notching a .284 average. Thus, I have two righties in this stack, even against a right-handed pitcher.
Rookie of the Year favorite Rodriguez has 21 home runs and 23 stolen bases. He also has an .811 OPS at home. Winker's power has dropped, but he has an .837 OPS over the last three weeks. Additionally, he has an .898 OPS versus righties overo the last three seasons. France has been cold, but he still has a .275 average and .344 OBP. He also has an .851 OPS in his home ballpark.
Reds at Nationals (Patrick Corbin): Jonathan India ($22), Donovan Solano ($20), Kyle Farmer ($16)
Corbin's career keeps getting bleaker. He had a 5.82 ERA last season, which almost look good next to this year's 6.81 ERA. If that wasn't enough, the southpaw turns righties into borderline batting-title candidates. Since 2020, right-handed batters have hit .316 against him.
Last year, India was named Rookie of the Year with 21 homers, 12 stolen bases and an .835 OPS. He's battled injuries this year but has an .885 OPS over the last two weeks. Solano has a .965 OPS over the last 21 days and an .854 OPS against lefties since 2020. Farmer, meanwhile, has slashed .313/.391/.548 against left-handed pitchers this season.
