Welcome to my weekly Sunday DraftKings MLB DFS plays. I’ll break down some of the prime values on the board, including studs and value plays, and why these players can lead your lineup to victory.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB 300K Mega 8s (100K to 1st Place)
Top MLB DFS Targets
Pitcher Studs
Pablo López (MIN), $9,100: It’s great to see Pablo López back to his elite pitching ways. He’s off to a 2.18 ERA through his first six starts. Incredibly, he’s walked only five batters in 33 innings compared to his 37 strikeouts. He’s known for keeping runners off base, but a 0.94 WHIP is something else, even by his standards. This Giants offense has had their moments this year but cooled down lately, and presents a prime opportunity for López to keep his hot start going.
Nathan Eovaldi (TEX), $9,900: If you said Nathan Eovaldi has been the best pitcher in baseball this season, I wouldn’t argue with you. The 35-year-old right-hander has a 2.03 ERA while leading the league in WHIP (0.801) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (13.25). His consistency has been remarkable this season, recording a quality start in six of eight outings. This Detroit Tigers offense has been a top-five group, but Eovaldi has been too dominant this season. I’m trusting him at his high price.
Reese Olson (DET), $8,300: Here’s a guy working on a hot streak. Olson has held teams off the board for three of his last four outings, allowing only three earned runs in 23.2 innings. Batters are OPSing only .453 off of him in that stretch. That lines up well for a start against a Texas Rangers squad that fired its hitting coach only a month into the season. Olson is my favorite value for stud production at a less than premium price.
Pitcher Value Plays
Andrew Abbott (CIN), $7,500: Another guy on a streak to start the year, Abbott has allowed one run or fewer in four of five starts this year. Hunter Greene has understandably been the story of the Reds’ pitching staff this season, but Abbott has quietly been excellent. His 2.25 ERA is backed up by an expected batting average of .175, fueled by a 99th percentile hard-hit rate of 25.5%. Against a Houston Astros lineup performing below expectations, Abbott could be a pitching anchor at middle tier pricing.
Landen Roupp (SF), $7,200: At the fifth-lowest price on the board, Roupp’s 4.89 ERA has likely scared off many players. He’s gotten a rough shake this year; his FIP has been lower than his ERA in all seven starts. Roupp is posting elite exit velocity and hard-hit rates, and he’s bound to see his luck turn sooner rather than later. Against a below-average Minnesota Twins offense, Sunday could be the day.
Sean Burke (CHW), $5,300: There’s no dancing around it: Burke has been one of the worst starting pitchers in baseball. Per Baseball Savant, he has an expected ERA of 7.05, a third percentile mark in all of baseball. Luckily for him, he’s facing a Marlins offense that has cratered in May after a good start. As the second-lowest priced pitcher on the board, Burke could slot in as your second pitcher if you’re trying to load up on studs elsewhere. Perhaps the feeble nature of Miami’s offense can overcome Burke’s lack of pitching prowess. He does have three quality starts in eight outings, after all.
Infield Studs
3B Austin Riley (ATL), $5,300: Austin Riley has been enjoying the month of May. Saturday’s 0-for-4 broke an eight-game hitting streak since the calendar turned, but he’s still batting .294 with four extra-base hits in nine contests. He’s the first of many Braves batters I’m targeting against Pirates starting pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski and his 6.16 ERA. Riley could produce like a lineup anchor.
SS Bobby Witt Jr. (KC), $6,200: I don’t need to tell you why Bobby Witt Jr. is the highest-priced batter on the board for Sunday. The MVP runner-up from last year brings power, average and tons of stolen bases. The extra sauce on top is that the Red Sox are trotting out Lucas Giolito. He’s had two starts since missing the 2024 season with a torn UCL and given up 15 hits leading to nine earned runs. If you’re finding value elsewhere in the lineup and can afford Witt Jr., he should pay off the investment.
Infield Value Plays
C Iván Herrera (STL), $4,200: He’s finally back. After coming out of the gate scorching hot, Iván Herrera suffered an IL stint that threatened his breakout. Now he’s back and ready to terrorize more pitchers. The 24-year-old catcher boasts an incredible .360/.414/.960 slash line with seven extra-base hits in 29 total plate appearances. Assuming he’s in the lineup on Sunday after an off-day Saturday, he should be vital to a hot St. Louis offense.
1B Vinnie Pasquantino (KC), $3,200: If you want to target Giolito but can’t quite get to Witt Jr.’s price point, Vinnie Pasquantino is your next-best option. The Italian Breakfast was hitting only .177 through the end of April, but is well over .300 in May. He’s recorded a hit in 8 out of 10 contests, including four extra-base knocks. This is one of my favorite value plays on the board.
Outfield Studs
Byron Buxton (MIN), $5,200: It’s great to see Byron Buxton healthy again, unless you’re an opposing pitcher. The stud outfielder has recorded multiple hits in six of nine contests in May. Buxton has racked up 17 extra-base hits in the young season. Though he does strike out a lot, facing a contact pitcher in Roupp on Sunday is a good matchup.
Marcell Ozuna (ATL), $4,700: If you’re looking to attack Pirates starter Mlodzinski further, Marcell Ozuna is your man. He hasn’t been at his All-Star level from last season, but he leads all of baseball in walks drawn and has 10 extra-base hits. Facing a starter deep in the dumps, Ozuna can get back to his elite hitting ways on Sunday.
Outfield Value Plays
Alex Verdugo (ATL), $3,700: Tripling down on the Mlodzinski fade? Why not? Though Alex Verdugo hasn’t been tearing the cover off the ball this season, he finds himself at the top of this resurgent Braves lineup. Despite being a below-average hitter, he’s scored 11 runs in 19 games. That’s 11 runs out of 26 times on base. All he needs to do is pick up a base hit or a run to provide enough value, and the chances will be there.
Drew Waters (KC), $2,900: In case you haven’t noticed, the theme of this one is fading bad pitchers on Sunday. You can play Pasquantino and Waters together for less than the price of Bobby Witt Jr. to form a stack against Giolito. The young outfielder isn’t tearing the cover off the ball and only bats ninth in the lineup, but he comes at a bargain cost. His ability to steal a base and hit for some power could provide serious value while investing your big dollars elsewhere.
