The Los Angeles Angels and New York Mets get the MLB action started in the leadoff spot on this final Sunday of August, while the featured 11-game slate on DraftKings gets underway at 1:35 p.m. ET with a jam-packed afternoon of action. There are so many interesting matchups to analyze and break down in what wraps up a fascinating weekend of action. Division and Wild Card races are starting to take shape, and some of the teams out of the playoff picture are taking a look at their potential future stars. There are fascinating fantasy options from across the 22 teams in action on the main slate, and I’ve highlighted my top plays below.
As is the case whenever you have lineups taking the field for DFS fantasy baseball contests, it’s critical to keep up with all the latest injury, weather, and lineup news. One way to do that is 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]
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PITCHER
Stud
Jordan Montgomery, Texas Rangers at Minnesota Twins ($9,400) – The Rangers brought in Montgomery at the MLB Trade Deadline from the St. Louis Cardinals, and the lefty has jumped right in and made a difference. He has only allowed a total of five runs in four starts over 26 innings for a 1.73 ERA and 2.61 FIP, while picking up 26 strikeouts. He averaged 23.2 DKFP in those four outings with over 27 DKFP in each of his two most recent trips to the mound. He was dominant with eight shutout innings in Arizona in his most recent start, allowing just four hits and striking out six but not earning a win since the bullpen and offense let him down.
Montgomery will be in a good place to build on that start against the Twins, who lead the AL Central but have been a mess most of the season against left-handed pitching. They have the second-worst team batting average in the MLB against southpaws and strike out at a 25.3% rate, which is the fifth-highest of any team. Montgomery’s matchup and form make him my top SP play on the board on Sunday afternoon, even though he’s only the fifth most expensive SP option available.
Other Options – Justin Verlander ($11,000), Jusus Luzardo ($9,600)
Value
Grayson Rodriguez, Baltimore Orioles vs. Colorado Rockies ($7,300) – The 23-year-old Rodriguez has shown a ton of upside despite some inconsistency, and he’s in a great matchup Sunday against the Rockies. Colorado has the highest K% of any team since the All-Star break by a wide margin and has only hit .237 as a team with a .308 wOBA. That’s even with the Coors Field effect boosting its home games. On the road this year, the Rockies have a .230 team average and just a .287 team wOBA, both of which are in the bottom five in MLB.
Rodriguez struggled out of the gate this season, but spent about six weeks in Triple-A figuring things out. Since returning, he has a 3.24 ERA and 3.22 FIP, and he has turned in five straight quality starts. While his strikeout rate hasn’t been high enough to make him an elite option, he does definitely bring enough upside to be a great value at this price, especially in such a juicy matchup.
Other Options – Mike Clevinger ($7,500), Gavin Stone ($6,000)
INFIELD
Stud
Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers at Boston Red Sox ($6,600) – Betts has stayed hot right through his return to Boston and will wrap up his first series as a visitor at Fenway with a favorable matchup against Tanner Houck ($7,100). Betts has double-digit DKFP in six straight games after picking up three more hits on Saturday. Over his past 12 games, he went an amazing 25-for-45 (.556) with three home runs, two stolen bases and 17.1 DKFP per contest. He has been one of the most consistent fantasy producers over the past few weeks and can either work at 2B or OF depending on how the rest of your lineup is built.
Stud
Ryan Mountcastle, Baltimore Orioles vs. Colorado Rockies ($4,700) – Mountcastle is priced under $5K, but he’s always a good option to consider when the Orioles face a left-handed opposing starter like they do Sunday in Ty Blach ($5,300). Mountcastle has hit .355 against southpaws this season with 12 of his 18 home runs and a .457 wOBA against lefties. He has also been trending up by going 30-for-82 (.366) in his first 22 games in August with five homers and a .430 wOBA. On Saturday, he posted another 16 DKFP and has averaged 10.3 DKFP per game so far this month.
Other Options – Freddie Freeman ($6,400), Bo Bichette ($5,500), Alec Bohm ($4,400)
Value
Carter Kieboom, Washington Nationals at Miami Marlins ($2,800) – Kieboom was a top prospect a few seasons ago but has struggled to realize his potential, at least in part due to injuries. He is still just 25 years old and should get plenty of playing time down the stretch for the Nationals, who are still hopeful their first-round pick from 2016 can contribute. He flashed his upside with two homers in his first four games after being called up while going 4-for-15 (.267) with a .458 wOBA. In Triple-A, he went 9-for-34 (.265) with two homers and a .349 wOBA over eight games since returning from his most recent injury, which was an oblique strain. If he stays healthy, he brings enough upside to be an intriguing option to keep an eye on.
Value
Lenyn Sosa, Chicago White Sox at Oakland Athletics ($2,200) – If you want to go cheap at 2B and move Betts to the OF or build around other big bats, Sosa has shown some very nice pop for a punt play over the past few days. Sosa homered on both Friday and Saturday and now has three homers since re-joining the MLB team last Friday. He had 17 homers in 71 games in Triple-A with a solid .350 wOBA. Since coming back up, he averaged 8.4 DKFP per contest by going 8-for-29 (.276) with those three homers and eight RBI. The 23-year-old should get a long look from the White Sox for the rest of this season to see if he can be in the mix in their infield next year, or if he needs more time for development.
Other Options – Osleivis Basabe ($3,600), Garrett Cooper ($2,700), Luis Urias ($2,400)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay Rays vs. New York Yankees ($5,700) – The Rays have turned things back around a little bit in August and have gone 12-6 in their 18 most recent contests. Arozarena has been a key part of that turnaround and has averaged 9.9 DKFP per game over that span by going 21-for-70 (.300) with four doubles, two home runs and three stolen bases. He has been more productive against lefties this season, so a matchup with Carlos Rodón ($7,700) should set him up well. Rodón has allowed nine homers in his seven starts this season while posting a 6.27 ERA and 7.06 FIP.
Stud
Lane Thomas, Washington Nationals at Miami Marlins ($5,100) – While the Nats have struggled overall this year, they have had a few players put together breakout seasons, including Lane Thomas, who has exceeded expectations across the board. Much of Thomas’s success has come against lefties, and he’ll get another matchup against a southpaw on Sunday when he faces Jesús Luzardo ($9,600). Thomas has hit .348 against lefties this year with eight of his 20 homers and a .418 wOBA. He has also added 16 stolen bases to his 20 dingers and .345 wOBA. In his past 20 games, he has hit .295 with four homers, four stolen bases and a .360 wOBA.
Other Options – Aaron Judge ($6,500), Fernando Tatis Jr. ($6,000),
Value
Adam Duvall, Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Dodgers ($4,700) – After starting the season red-hot and then landing on the IL, Duvall has gotten his timing back over the past couple of weeks and become a great fantasy option again. He crushed his 15th homer of the season on Saturday, four of which have come in his past six games. In that six-game span, he has averaged 18.0 DKFP per game and gone 12-for-25 (.480). The Dodgers are expected to use lefty Caleb Ferguson ($4,000) as the opener ahead of Gavin Stone ($6,000). Duvall has especially smashed lefties, but he has been so locked in lately that it doesn’t matter the matchup, he has a great chance to represent a value play with his high ceiling under $5K.
Value
Parker Meadows, Detroit Tigers vs. Houston Astros ($2,900) – Meadows has made a nice splash since being called up on Monday for his MLB debut. The younger brother of Austin Meadows hit .256 with 19 homers, 19 stolen bases and a .352 wOBA in Triple-A and has started five games since earning the call-up to the majors. He had his first MLB home run on Friday and his first MLB stolen base on Saturday and has posted at least 15 DKFP in three of his past four games. The 23-year-old lefty has a good blend of power and speed and brings good upside for a play under $3K as a result of his multi-category potential.
Other Options – Andrew Benintendi ($3,600), Daulton Varsho ($3,300), Tyrone Taylor ($2,500)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
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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.
