Welcome to my weekly Sunday DraftKings MLB DFS plays. I’ll break down some of the prime picks on the board, including studs and value plays, and break down why these players can lead your lineup to victory.
Set your DraftKings MLB DFS lineups here: MLB $175K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
Top MLB DFS Targets
Pitcher Studs
SP Shane Baz (BAL), $8,500: Finally, Shane Baz is finding a groove for the Orioles. After some much-needed tweaks, Baz has put together a strong three-start stretch that showed a glimpse of the player Baltimore hoped to acquire. The imposing righty has pitched at least six innings, struck out at least six batters, and allowed two earned runs or less in all three of his most recent starts. That’s added up to 20+ fantasy points each time. Facing a Toronto lineup that’s 23rd in total wRC+, this is another spot for Baz to continue rolling.
Pitcher Value Plays
SP Noah Cameron (KC), $7,300: Kansas City relies heavily on its rotation to succeed. Noah Cameron’s bad start to the season has hurt the record greatly, but he’s quietly getting things together. Over his last three trips to the mound, Cameron has a 20/3 K/BB ratio over 18 innings while surrendering only three earned runs. That also comes with 23 ground balls. If you’re getting punchouts and ground balls at this rate, things tend to go well. That formula will play well against a middling Twins offense.
SP David Sandlin (CWS), $6,400: As the second-lowest-priced starting pitcher on the board, instinct tells you to avoid Sandlin. Making his third career start, the 25-year-old rookie got rocked for eight earned runs in his last turn and is an unknown quantity here. But two things are working in his favor: the Phillies have one of the worst offenses in baseball, and his opposite number, Aaron Nola, is struggling mightily. Sandlin has a good chance of getting 5-6 solid innings and a chance at a win, which is enough to justify his value as your SP2 option if you’re keen on some extra coin for your bats.
Infield Studs
1B Yandy Diaz (TB), $5,000: This guy is something else. Once again batting over .300, Diaz is on pace for a career high in homers. He’s regularly stringing together multi-hit performances. On Sunday, he gets a date with Sandy Alcantara, who is struggling massively in his last few starts. This is a smash spot.
C/1B Liam Hicks (MIA), $4,700: Hicks just keeps doing it. Batting in the middle of Miami’s order, Hicks has delivered massive power and may flirt with 30 home runs by the end of the season. He also takes an impressive amount of walks and has good run-scoring/RBI potential against Rays starter Griffin Jax, who is getting smacked around a bit. With so many strong fantasy catchers on the IL, Hicks stands out of the group.
Infield Value Plays
SS Jeremy Peña (HOU), $4,000: Finally, Jeremy Peña is back in form after his long injury layoff. He carried a six-game hitting streak into Saturday’s game, going 11-for-24 with nine runs scored and four RBIs over this span. His run-scoring potential is out of this world in Houston’s lineup, and the Astros have a date with rookie Gage Jump, the Athletics’ starting pitcher. This is a great spot for the former World Series MVP.
2B Gleyber Torres (DET), $3,800: Gleyber Torres ain’t hear no bell. The Tigers were on a modest four-game win streak heading into Saturday’s action when this article was written, and Torres has been at the heart of that. In that win streak, Torres has nine hits, five runs scored, a trio of extra-base hits, and three RBIs. Mariners starter Luis Castillo has been smacked around all season long, and Torres will have a great opportunity for more production.
3B Colt Emerson (SEA), $3,800: Another Mariners prospect hits the ground running. Colt Emerson has fit like a glove for their infield, holding an OPS over .900 while cracking four home runs in his first 18 games. The 20-year-old has a chance to continue his productive debut on Sunday, facing struggling Tigers starter Jack Flaherty.
Outfield Studs
OF JJ Bleday (CIN), $5,200: Bleday has quietly been one of the best stories in the MLB this year. The former fourth-overall pick is on his third MLB team in five years and was running out of chances. With the Reds, he’s completely turned things around. He still strikes out a lot, but is flirting with a four-digit OPS and has smashed 10 home runs. Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy has terrible underlying numbers and is due for a good mashing. Bleday is one of the chief candidates to provide a big hit or two.
Outfield Value Plays
OF Brandon Marsh (PHI), $3,800: The BABIP god continues his ways. Marsh leads the majors in batting average, racking up base hits left and right in this Philly lineup. Due to Philly’s struggles offensively, the run-scoring potential has not been great, but all those base hits add up. If you’re not deploying David Sandlin as your SP2, I’d get Marsh into one of your outfield spots.
OF Kerry Carpenter (DET), $3,700: While he may be one of the most drastic platoon players in the majors, Kerry Carpenter can sure hit against righties. He is OPS-ing over .800 and brings good on-base potential with lots of power. If you want to really fade Luis Castillo, a Gleyber-Kerry stack makes a lot of sense for this slate.
