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 $175K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st].
Top MLB DFS Targets
Pitcher Studs
SP Matthew Boyd (CHC), $8,500: Chicago’s pitching staff is beginning to turn around; getting Matthew Boyd healthy has played a major role. The veteran left-hander has thrown 6+ innings in six straight starts, allowing one earned run or less in four of those starts. Facing a Kansas City lineup that is 27th in wRC+ over the last month, Boyd can provide good length on the bump with a lot of upside.
Pitcher Value Plays
SP Brayan Bello (BOS), $6,400: The transformation of Brayan Bello is something to behold. He was getting obliterated as a starter before manager Chad Tracy decided to use him as a piggyback starter and long reliever. Now, he has a 0.64 ERA in 42 relief innings, the best mark among any reliever with that many innings. On Sunday, he gets a date with a scuffling A’s offense, which only adds to his appeal. You may not get a ton of innings here, but he’s a near-lock for 3-5 elite innings.
SP Michael Lorenzen (COL), $5,000: Maybe I’m a sucker for the lowest-priced pitcher on the board, but there’s reason to think Lorenzen has value here. His ERA at home is almost four runs higher than his road ERA. Tomorrow he’ll pitch in St. Louis against a Cardinals offense that is dead last in wRC+ over the last month as their season spirals out of control. If you need to spend big elsewhere, Lorenzen can give you real SP2 value while allocating funds elsewhere.
Infield Studs
1B Kyle Stowers (MIA), $4,600: The Kyle Stowers turnaround is upon us. His OPS is up over .830 since the beginning of July, as he puts more distance between himself and his early-season injury. The power numbers are there once again, and it could be a big stretch run for Miami’s slugger. Angels starter Grayson Rodriguez is throwing batting practice this season, and puts Stowers in a great spot to thrive.
SS Otto Lopez (MIA), $4,700: Why not stack more Marlins here? Lopez broke out of a mini-slump on Saturday, going 2-for-3 at the plate with two RBI, a walk, and a run. If Grayson Rodriguez is true to his form, Lopez has tremendous potential in this game, and I’m locking the potential NL batting champ into my shortstop spot here.
Infield Value Plays
C Joe Mack (MIA), $3,000: It’s awfully difficult to find value at the catcher position unless you spring for Hunter Goodman. Joe Mack has good value here; he gets a date with Angels starter Grayson Rodriguez and his 7.24 ERA on Sunday. The rookie has been solidly productive this year and will begin to find a groove now that he isn’t splitting time with Liam Hicks, who was traded to Tampa Bay. You may not get a ton of upside here, but he can capitalize on a small investment.
2B/3B Willi Castro (COL), $3,900: I don’t blame you if you didn’t know Willi Castro is having an amazing week, but he is. The Rockies infielder carried an eight-game hitting streak into Saturday’s action. Over that span, Castro has four home runs, eight runs scored, and five games of 10+ DFS points. Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy is due for some regression, putting Castro in a strong spot to capitalize.
3B/SS Ezequiel Durán (TEX), $3,800: La Solución has meant everything to the Rangers this season. The most versatile utility player in the game has fit in well all over the diamond, while more than holding his own at the plate. After a monster series against the Giants, Durán will look to keep the good times rolling against struggling Orioles starter Cade Povich.
Outfield Studs
OF Mickey Moniak (COL), $5,000: The former No. 1 overall pick continues his resurgence with the Rockies, and after sticking through the trade deadline, Moniak is letting loose with the bat. The Colorado slugger has an extra-base hit in three of his last four games, including two home runs. In a deep outfield group, Moniak stands out with his elite combo of floor and ceiling.
Outfield Value Plays
OF Jarren Duran (BOS), $4,000: It’s odd to see Jarren Duran figuring it out after a miserable start to the season, but he’s been crucial to Boston’s unbelievable turnaround. Through seven games in August, Duran has three home runs and six runs scored while putting up four DFS performances of 10+ points. With the entire Red Sox lineup rolling, Duran’s run-scoring/RBI potential is immense, even while hitting lower in the order.
OF Steven Kwan (CLE), $3,200: Until Steven Kwan cools off, I’ll keep playing him. After batting .390 over the month of July, Kwan hasn’t stopped rolling in August, riding a seven-game hitting streak into Saturday’s action with four multi-hit performances over that span. You won’t get a lot of power here, but Kwan’s extremely high on-base potential gives him a lot of run-scoring upside at the top of Cleveland’s lineup. He also gets an extra boost facing struggling White Sox starter Davis Martin, who has surrendered 17 earned runs over his last three starts.
