This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
It's the day after Easter, and ESPN must think people are still going to be chilling out, since they have four games airing nationally. However, the daytime games aren't included in FanDuel's main DFS contests. I'm talking about the seven games starting at 7:05 p.m. ET, and these are my recommendations for you. Maybe today will be a new holiday: Winning Money on FanDuel Day.
PITCHING
Dustin May, LAD at OAK ($6,800): This is not a great day for pitchers, save for Jacob deGrom, but his salary of $11,000 is $3,800 more than anybody else. I like May at this salary much better. May and his flowing mane has been highly touted since the minors, and so far in his career he has a 2.98 ERA, and he's still only 23. The Athletics have a pitcher-friendly ballpark, so that's another point in his favor.
Carlos Rodon, CWS at SEA ($6,300): Disregard Rodon's numbers from last season, as he pitched all of 7.2 innings. He has a career 4.18 FIP and is hopefully finally healthy after his 2019 Tommy John surgery. I'm willing to take a shot at him against a Mariners team that had a .679 OPS as a team last season.
Trevor Williams, CHC vs. MIL ($6,100): Yes, Williams' last two seasons have been bad. This is all about salary and matchup on a day without great options. The Brewers were 26th in runs scored in 2020. If you want to roll the dice and save some cash for elsewhere in your lineup, Williams is your best option for such a play. I don't love it in a vacuum, but as a strategy ploy I'm in.
TOP PLAYS
Manny Machado, SD at SF ($4,000): Machado got overshadowed by Fernando Tatis last season – hey I got excited about him, too – but the former Oriole absolutely mashed in his own right. The 28-year-old slashed .304/.370/.580 with 16 homers and six stolen bases in 60 games. Last season was decidedly less kind to Anthony DeSclafani, as he had a 6.09 FIP in nine outings, including seven starts.
Anthony Rendon, LAA vs. HOU ($3,800): Rendon's first year in Los Angeles was truncated, but he excelled when he was at the plate. That includes in his new ballpark, as the former National had an 1.033 OPS at home. He'll be at home Monday against Houston and Luis Garcia, who won the fifth-starter job but has pitched all of 12.1 innings in the majors.
VALUE PICKS
Yasmani Grandal, CWS at SEA ($3,000): Justus Sheffield looked much better last season after a rough rookie campaign, but mostly he was wiping out fellow lefties. Righties have averaged .303 against Sheffield over the last two seasons. Grandal is a switch hitter, but he definitely prefers to face southpaws. Since 2019, Grandal has a .923 OPS versus left-handed pitchers.
Evan Longoria, SF at SD ($2,700): Longoria is off to a hot start this season with a couple homers already, but I'm not relying on that minute sample size. The veteran doesn't get on base anymore, but he's batted .254 in each of the last two seasons and hit 20 home runs in 2019. The Padres are starting Adrian Morejon, who has a career 5.31 FIP and has allowed 2.63 homers per nine innings in his career.
STACKS TO CONSIDER
Rays vs. Nick Pivetta, Red Sox: Austin Meadows ($3,500), Brandon Lowe ($3,300), Joey Wendle ($2,700)
Tampa has a lefty-heavy lineup, but when a righty is on the mound that's not a reason for concern. Even better is when that matchup is against a guy like Pivetta, who has a career 5.40 ERA over four seasons and has allowed 1.62 home runs per nine innings. I feel comfortable writing off the season for Meadows last year, as he was banged up. In 2019 he had a .922 OPS with 33 homers and 12 stolen bases. Lowe has had a slugging percentage over .500 in each of his last two seasons, which is nice for a guy you can plug in at second base. Wendle struggled with lefties, but he has a .761 OPS against rights since 2019 in a utility role.
Red Sox vs. Michael Wacha, Rays: Xander Bogaerts ($3,600), Rafael Devers ($3,300), Alex Verdugo ($3,100)
The Rays are going to have to work some magic to turn around the career of the 29-year-old Wacha. He had a 6.62 ERA and 5.24 FIP last season. Sure, you could argue, it was only eight games, but in 2019, the righty had a 4.76 ERA with a 5.60 FIP. The problem? Wacha suddenly started allowing home runs left and right. Bogaerts has been a .300 hitter the last two seasons and has had a slugging percentage over .500 in each of the last three campaigns. Devers, a southpaw, has a .968 OPS versus righties since 2019 and hit 32 home runs in MLB's last full season. Verdugo came over from the Dodgers in 2020, and while he only played in 53 games, he slashed .308/.367/.478.
