The Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox are in the MLB Leadoff special to get a full Sunday of fantasy baseball started. The main featured slate on DraftKings begins at 1:35 p.m. ET and includes eight games, which start between 1:30 p.m. ET and 2:10 p.m. ET. Just two of the games are divisional matchups while four feature the conclusion of interleague series.
As always when playing DFS fantasy baseball, be sure to monitor any updates leading up to the first pitch. You can keep up with all the latest injury, weather, and lineup news by installing the DK Live app and following DraftKings Network on X (@DKNetwork). I’m also on X (@ZT_Sports), where you can keep up with all my picks as the regular season races play out and we get geared up for what should be an outstanding postseason.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K 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
Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago White Sox ($10,100) – For the second straight day, I’m backing a Brewers SP in this favorable spot against the struggling White Sox. Peralta is coming off a dominant home outing against the Rockies in which he posted 43.2 DKFP after allowing just one hit and stacking up 13 strikeouts. In his 22 starts this season, Peralta went 8-8 with a 4.28 ERA, 4.07 FIP and a 1.19 WHIP. He brings a high ceiling due to his 11.14 K/9 rate.
Peralta was trending in the right direction even before his great outing in his most recent start. He has at least 19 DKFP in six of his past seven starts, and has averaged 24.6 DKFP per start over that span with 62 strikeouts in 40 2⁄3 innings. Coming into Saturday night’s matchup, the White Sox have the second-lowest wOBA in the MLB and have scored the seventh-fewest runs over the past 30 days. Peralta has only had one really rough outing since mid-June, and that came in a tough matchup against the Braves. He has been feasting and piling up plenty of strikeouts in favorable matchups like the one he’ll be in on Sunday.
Other Options – Zach Eflin ($9,700), Mitch Keller ($8,900)
Value
Jameson Taillon, Chicago Cubs at Toronto Blue Jays ($7,200) – Taillon’s matchup on the road in Toronto isn’t ideal, to be sure. However, he’s been sharp enough lately to overlook that and still go with the Cubs’ righty on Sunday afternoon. Taillon has allowed more than two runs just one time in his past six outings while going 5-0 with a 2.17 ERA, 3.51 FIP and 1.02 WHIP. He has averaged 20.5 DKFP per start over that span even though it has included tough matchups against the Yankees, Cardinals, and Mets.
Taillon has over 15 DKFP in four straight outings and will look to keep it rolling as he heads to Rogers Centre. In his career, Taillon is 4-0 in five starts in Toronto with a 1.98 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 27 1⁄3 innings. He doesn’t bring as many strikeouts as the elite options on Sunday’s slate, but he has been in good enough form to be a strong value play.
Other Options – Dylan Cease ($8,000), Chase Silseth ($6,000)
INFIELD
Stud
José Altuve, Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels ($5,900) – Altuve had found a great groove after multiple injuries derailed the early part of his year. He had a 13-game hitting streak coming into Saturday’s game and over that span, he hit .434 (23-for-53) with three doubles, three home runs and six stolen bases. He brings both power and speed potential, giving him a high ceiling in any matchup. On Sunday afternoon, he’ll take on Chase Silseth ($6,000) who has been excellent against lefties—but has favorable reverse splits against righties like Altuve.
Stud
CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals vs. Oakland Athletics, ($4,500) – In his 35 games since July 1, Abrams has emerged as a great fantasy option and moved to the top of the Nats’ batting order. Over that span, he hit .312 (22-for-141) with eight doubles, two triples, four home runs and 19 stolen bases in 20 attempts. Abrams has produced an impressive 10.9 DKFP per game over that stretch, and he gets a good matchup against lefty Ken Waldichuk ($5,400). Even though it’s a lefty-vs.-lefty matchup, Waldichuk actually has let lefties post a better batting average, slugging percentage, and wOBA than righties.
Other Options – Wander Franco ($6,000), Bryce Harper ($5,700), Jeimer Candelario ($4,400)
Value
Josh Bell, Miami Marlins vs. New York Yankees ($3,700) – Bell has been very productive since taking his talents to South Beach when he was shipped from the Cleveland Guardians to the Marlins at the Trade Deadline. In his first 10 games as a Marlin, Bell hit safely in eight games with a .308 (12-for-39) batting average, two doubles, four home runs and an average of 10.6 DKFP per contest. He hit second in the order on Saturday after batting third in the previous nine contests. Either way, he is in prime run-producing spots for Miami and brings good power upside from his sub-$4K salary at 1B.
Value
Riley Adams, Washington Nationals vs. Oakland Athletics ($3,200) – Adams is in the midst of a breakout season for the Nats and is an affordable catcher who brings good upside. The 27-year-old hit .307 in his 29 games this season with four homers and a .392 wOBA. Adams has crushed lefties all year, going 18-for-47 (.383) against southpaws including three of his four home runs and a .474 wOBA. Waldichuk should be a great matchup for Adams and looks like a great solution at a tricky catcher spot.
Other Options – Ke’Bryan Hayes ($3,700), Jake Bauers ($3,000), Jeter Downs ($2,200)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees at Miami Marlins ($6,400) – Judge went 1-for-4 on Saturday in the Yankees loss, but he has started to get his timing back after missing almost two months due to injury. On the Yankees’ current road trip, Judge has hit safely in five straight games, going 6-for-16 (.375) with two homers and an average of 12 DKFP per contest. He’ll face rookie Eury Pérez ($8,600) in the series finally, who has allowed nine homers in his 12 MLB starts this season. Judge brings an elite ceiling due to his power potential, and he’s in one of the better matchups on Sunday afternoon’s slate.
Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Cincinnati Reds ($4,400) – I loved Reynolds and Ke’Bryan Hayes ($3,700) in yesterday’s matchup, but the game in Pittsburgh got washed out. I still like the duo as a solid mini-stack on Sunday as well as the top of the Pirates’ lineup. After a scorching start and an injury, Reynolds has settled back into a nice groove after the All-Star break. He went 26-for-77 (.338) in his past 19 games with two doubles, six home runs and a .421 wOBA. Thirteen of his 15 homers this season have come against lefties like Game 1 starter Brandon Williamson ($6,000), and he has a .348 wOBA in the split. Williamson has a 5.40 road ERA, and all 13 of the home runs he has allowed have been hit by right-handed hitters—who have a .338 wOBA against him on the season. Hayes and Reynolds are an affordable 1-2 combo that makes a lot of sense Saturday night.
Other Options – Christian Yelich ($5,600), George Springer ($5,000), TJ Friedl ($4,500)
Value
JJ Bleday, Oakland Athletics at Washington Nationals ($2,900) – Bleday homered for the second time this week on Saturday and now has 10 homers and a .304 wOBA on the season. The Athletics are giving him a long look, and he has typically been hitting in the top two spots in their order. Bleday has five stolen bases on the season as well and has hit safely in four of his last five games. He has a favorable matchup against Nats’ starter Trevor Williams ($5,800), who has struggled against left-handed hitters like Bleday.
Value
Johan Rojas, Philadelphia Phillies vs. Minnesota Twins ($2,500) – Rojas didn’t get the start on Saturday but has been a great value play over the past few weeks since joining the Phillies in mid-July. He rose through the minors with elite speed and has five stolen bases in 22 MLB games. He has also been productive at the plate and hit .306 (19-for-62) with four doubles and a home run. He has at least 5.0 DKFP in seven of his past eight games, including three games with double-digit DKFP and a season-high 20 DKFP on Friday. He has a good ceiling at this salary and is a great value option.
Other Options – Will Benson ($3,500), Henry Davis ($2,900), Oscar Gonzalez ($2,600)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K 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.
