Welcome to my weekly Sunday DraftKings MLB DFS plays. I’ll break down some of the top picks on the board, including studs and value plays, and explain why these players can lead your lineup to victory.
Set your DraftKings MLB DFS lineups here: MLB $150K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st].
Top MLB DFS Targets
Pitcher Studs
SP Parker Messick (CLE), $9,700: Messick has been one of the best starters in the American League this season and will certainly garner some Cy Young votes if he can keep this up. On Sunday, he gets a date with a division rival, the Kansas City Royals. They’ve been swinging the bats well as of late, but there’s little you can do to stop Messick, who has recorded 15+ DFS points in seven straight starts. That kind of floor is a must in a shallow pitching pool for Sunday’s slate.
Pitcher Value Plays
SP Matthew Liberatore (STL), $6,200: It’s not Matthew Liberatore’s resumé that puts me in his corner. His 5.44 ERA this season and consistently poor career performances don’t inspire confidence. However, he gets a cake matchup on Sunday. The Pittsburgh Pirates are dead last in wRC+ during the month of August and have made bad pitchers look great during the summer months. Liberatore will be no different and gets an extra boost facing a lefty-heavy lineup.
Infield Studs
1B/OF Jake Bauers (MIL), $4,300: Bauers just keeps chugging along. Milwaukee’s first baseman reached all five times during Friday’s game, bringing his OPS close to .900 for the season, and he’s looking to flirt with a 30-homer season if he has a great September. Facing the homer-prone Rangers starter Kumar Rocker, his upside is through the roof here and he can bring value at a deep first base position.
3B/SS Brooks Lee (MIN), $4,200: Lee continues to produce big moments for Minnesota, rocking his 22nd home run of the season during Friday’s game. Though he tends to be boom-bust in fantasy due to his big power and low on-base skills, the booms are coming as of late, with a home run in four of his last seven games. White Sox starter Anthony Kay has been fairly homer-prone this year, giving an extra boost to Lee’s upside.
Infield Value Plays
C/2B Mickey Gasper (BOS), $3,300: The story continues. Gasper, a seldom-used utility man, has lit the Red Sox on fire since being called up to the team. In the ten games since his call-up, Gasper has smashed five home runs along with three doubles, driving in an even dozen runs. The power brings the upside, but he’s drawing tons of walks as well, making him a solid floor-ceiling play for such a low price.
2B Ozzie Albies (ATL), $4,100: Second base is deep in talent, making it tougher to pick a real winner out of this group. But Ozzie Albies has the potential to be a winner here. Atlanta’s second baseman is up to 20 home runs on the season and is swinging the bat well this week, bringing a six-game hitting streak into Saturday’s action. Colorado opted for a bullpen game on Saturday, which will leave their already rough pitching staff in worse shape for Sunday’s game.
2B/3B Nick Gonzales (PIT), $3,600: While Pittsburgh’s offense is taking a step back. Gonzales continues to put the pedal to the metal. One of the few qualified hitters batting over .300 this season, Gonzales has been on base in five straight games after Saturday’s action. In that stretch, he has six hits, four walks, two RBI, and a stolen base. You won’t get the most upside due to Pittsburgh’s offensive struggles, but the floor is incredibly high.
Outfield Studs
OF Jackson Merrill (SDP), $4,900: The man just won’t cool off. He smashed his 22nd home run of the season on Friday and has been one of San Diego’s best hitters over the second half of the season. Rays starter Drew Rasmussen presents a tough test, but Merrill’s upside combined with his on-base skills makes him a strong play in a deep outfield group.
Outfield Value Plays
OF Luis Lara (MIL), $3,600: Yet another consistent bat in Milwaukee’s lineup, Lara continues to churn out base hits. You won’t find a ton of power here, but his bat-to-ball skills put him in the mix on the basepaths, and he brings a lot of run-scoring and RBI potential due to his presence in a great offense. If Milwaukee tees off on Kumar Rocker, Lara will be in the middle of it.
OF Tristan Peters (CWS), $2,800: The hot streak has worn off, but Peters is still swinging a good bat. Though the five-game home run streak has ended, Peters extended his on-base streak to seven games on Saturday. The rookie All-Star gets a date with struggling Twins starter Zebby Matthews on Sunday, making him a tremendous value at such a low price.
