Sunday sets up to be another great day of fantasy baseball as Major League Baseball has the San Diego Padres and the Detroit Tigers set in the MLB Leadoff matchup, followed by a fantastic 10-game main slate on DraftKings which gets underway at 1:35 p.m. ET. There are three divisional matchups as part of the contests available, in addition to several other intriguing series coming to a conclusion. With 20 teams in action, there’s a deep pool of players to consider and plenty of matchups to break down.
Throughout all of Sunday’s action, be sure to keep up with the latest weather, injury and lineup news. One way to do that is to install the DK Live app and follow DraftKings Network on Twitter (@DKNetwork). I’m also on Twitter (@ZT_Sports), where you can keep up with all my picks as the second half of the season gets rolling.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $222K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25263747/IMG_9722.jpeg)
Bet at a top rated Sportsbook!
View the latest odds and bet online legally at a top rated Sportsbook! Place a bet now at DraftKings Sportsbook!*
*Odds and lines are for illustrative purposes only.
PITCHER
Stud
Jesús Luzardo, Miami Marlins vs. Colorado Rockies ($10,600) – Luzardo’s first start coming out of the All-Star break was not very impressive. He only managed to go four innings in St. Louis against the Cardinals due to issues with his command. He produced a disappointing 4.2 DKFP in that start, but should be well-positioned for a bounce-back outing in a home start against the Rockies. Away from the friendly confines of Coors Field, the Rockies have the third-lowest road wOBA in the majors and also have the third-highest road K%.
The matchup sets Luzardo up to return to form. In his previous four starts before the break, Luzardo went 2-0 and allowed just two runs in 25 2⁄3 innings for a 0.70 ERA and 1.88 FIP to go with 35 strikeouts in that dominant span. He had eight strikeouts in each of those outings, and three of those four starts were at home, where he has a 2.43 ERA and 2.77 FIP on the season. He has held opponents to a .200 average and a .262 wOBA while piling up 81 strikeouts in 66 2⁄3 innings at home this season. His last four home starts have resulted in 28.7, 28.7, 32 and 32.6 DKFP, so he’s obviously in his comfort zone with a high ceiling pitching at LoanDepot Park. Despite last week’s letdown, Sunday seems like the perfect spot to believe in Jesús for a strong bounce-back performance.
Other Options – Aaron Nola ($11,000), Jordan Montgomery ($8,700)
Value
MacKenzie Gore, Washington Nationals vs. San Francisco Giants ($8,300) – The cheap end of the starting pitching pool gets pretty scary in a hurry due to bad form and bad matchups, but Gore is a solid midrange play that you can consider as the Nats look to finish out a sweep of the visiting Giants. The Giants have only scored seven total runs in their current four-game losing streak and have the lowest team wOBA in the MLB over the past 30 days at just .277. The Giants have only averaged 3.5 runs per game over that span while hitting .211 as a team, with a 24.9 K%.
Gore will look to take advantage of the matchup to pick up a second straight win. He defeated the Chicago Cubs in his last start despite allowing five runs, thanks to a pair of late long balls. Gore has gone 5-7 in 19 starts this season with a 4.59 ERA and 4.39 FIP. He did have several promising starts in which he flashed a high ceiling, producing 27.1 DKFP in a great outing against the San Diego Padres and 33.4 DKFP in a matchup in Kansas City. With the Giants scuffling, Gore could be in for another big game like that and should have a good shot at a win if he can put together another quality outing.
Other Options – Taj Bradley ($7,600), Martin Perez ($6,900)
INFIELD
Stud
Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers at Texas Rangers ($6,100) – Freeman has been scalding hot over his past 11 games dating back to just before the All-Star break. During that span, he has averaged an eye-popping 18.8 DKFP per game, while producing three games with over 30 DKFP. He homered twice on Saturday and now has 20 homers in 97 games along with a .328 batting average, .256 ISO and .417 wOBA. The lefty-lefty matchup with Martin Perez ($6,900) might scare some people away, but Freeman actually has hit more homers off of lefties in about half as many at-bats, giving him a higher wOBA against lefties than against righties. Freeman will look to finish this trip to Texas with another huge game before the Dodgers head home after an impressive road trip.
Stud
Matt McLain, Cincinnati Reds vs. Arizona Diamondbacks ($5,700) – There should be plenty of runs in this fun matchup between young offenses on the rise, and McLain leads the Reds into a favorable spot against a bullpen day for the Dbacks, which is expected to be opened by Jose Ruiz ($4,000). McLain has continued to impress and be a reliable fantasy option in the middle of the infield with a high ceiling. He hit his 10th homer of the season on Saturday, while going 1-for-3 and raising his average to .302 with a .385 wOBA and .227 ISO. McLain has hit .319 with a .432 wOBA at Great American Ballpark this year, and he is a nice pay-up play at either SS or 2B on Sunday.
Other Options – Austin Riley ($5,800), Bryce Harper ($5,400), Willy Adames ($4,600)
Value
C.J. Abrams, Washington Nationals vs. San Francisco Giants ($3,300) – Abrams has been outstanding over the past few weeks for the Nationals, and I’m going back to the well on him this Sunday after another big performance on Saturday. Abrams led a 10-run Nationals attack by going 2-for-5 with a home run and 21 DKFP. It was his second straight day with a home run and brought his total for the season to 10. He also has 19 stolen bases on the season, 13 of which have come in his past 26 games. During that span, he hit .361 (35-for-97) with six doubles, four home runs and a wOBA well over .400. Abrams has established himself as a great option as a leadoff hitter, and it’s a little surprising to still find the 22-year-old so affordable, especially in a tasty matchup against the Giants in what is expected to be a bullpen day featuring Anthony DeSclafani ($6,700) behind Scott Alexander ($4,000). Hopefully, the matchup on paper with the lefty Alexander will scare off people and create lower ownership with the red-hot Abrams.
Value
D.J. LeMahieu, New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals ($3,000) – The Yankees have a favorable spot against Jordan Lyles ($5,600), who is 1-11 with a 6.05 ERA and 5.33 FIP and has allowed 20 homers in 18 starts for the Royals. LeMahieu is one of the more recognizable Yankee bats, but the 35-year-old has had a down season overall. On the year, he has hit .232 with a .290 wOBA, but has been finding a better groove lately. He has hit safely in 10 of his 11 most recent games, going 13-for-41 (.317) with three doubles and a home run. He homered on Saturday and had 14 DKFP. He brings a solid ceiling in this matchup with Lyles and can fill either of your corner infield spots with a little pop as he heats up.
Other Options – Brendan Donovan ($3,400), Christian Encarnacion-Strand ($3,000), Andruw Monasterio ($2,500)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks at Cincinnati Reds ($6,000) – Carroll hit his 20th homer of the season on Saturday and has posted a .281 batting average, .260 ISO and .383 wOBA in his 93 games this season. Those power numbers are impressive on their own, but they become truly elite when you add in his 29 stolen bases as well. Ten of those steals have come in his past 23 games and he has four homers during that stretch as well. On Sunday, he’ll face former DBack Luke Weaver ($6,300), who has allowed 19 homers in 16 starts this year. Eleven of those homers allowed have been at home, where Weaver has an 8.44 ERA, a 6.63 FIP and a .401 wOBA against. Both the Reds and Dbacks should produce plenty of fantasy goodness Sunday afternoon, and counting on Carroll is a great way to get a high ceiling since he can deliver big games in multiple ways.
Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees vs. Kansas City Royals ($4,800) – Stanton has smashed four home runs since the All-Star break and produced at least 16 DKFP in four of his eight games. He has only hit .200 on the season but now has 13 homers and a .307 wOBA. In this matchup with Lyles, he brings enough home-run potential to be worth a play under $5K.
Other Options – Ronald Acuña Jr. ($6,600), Randy Arozarena ($5,600), J.D. Martinez ($5,000)
Value
Lars Nootbaar, St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs ($3,800) – Nootbaar has carved out a spot for himself in the middle of the Cardinals batting order and has a chance to keep producing great value under $4K from the elite spot sandwiched between Paul Goldschmidt ($5,700) and Nolan Arenado ($5,500). Nootbaar went 3-for-4 on Saturday with a double, a home run and 28 DKFP. In his 19 games in July, he has gone 21-for-64 (.328) with five doubles, three home runs, 11 walks and two stolen bases. Nootbaar has averaged 9.2 DKFP per game over that stretch and moved all around the outfield and the lineup. In a good matchup against Jameson Taillon ($6,500), Nootbaar should continue to offer top-tier production at this mid-tie
Value
Sal Frelick, Milwaukee Brewers vs. Atlanta Braves ($2,000) – Frelick had an amazing MLB debut on Saturday after he was called up to take the place of Raimel Tapia, who was designated for assignment. Frelick didn’t waste any time making a splash, going 3-for-3 with two RBI, including the game-winning sac fly in the eighth inning on his way to 15 DKFP. He also made a pair of highlight-reel catches to keep the game close and set up his dramatic heroics. The 23-year-old lefty was a 2021 first-round pick from Boston College and hit .247 with two homers and eight stolen bases to go with a .314 wOBA at Triple-A. Those numbers are limited by a thumb injury, though, and his recent numbers are trending in the right direction. While he is unlikely to stay as red hot as he was Saturday, getting him at the minimum salary in a favorable matchup against Bryce Elder ($8,000) makes the rookie too hot a commodity to overlook. He’s a contact-first hitter who makes a great punt play that saves you a ton of salary on this slate, and he won’t have to do much to be a great return on investment.
Other Options – Bryan De La Cruz ($3,600), Travis Jankowski ($2,900), Billy McKinney ($2,100)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $222K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
