This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
There shall be Mother's Day celebrations all afternoon across MLB. It's your typical Sunday, with all 30 teams in action and the first batch of games starting at 1:05 p.m. EDT. Now that most teams have played at least 30 games, we can start to really get a sense of how these squads are stacking up. Here are some DFS recommendations. And, of course, Happy Mother's Day!
PITCHING
Sandy Alcantara, MIA vs. MIL ($9,000): My top choice at pitcher is, of all people, Alcantara. Yes, even on a day where guys like Trevor Bauer are starting. After posting a 3.00 ERA in seven 2020 starts, Alcantara has a 2.95 ERA in seven appearances this year. And in four seasons with the Marlins, he's given up fewer than one home run per nine innings - which is increasingly rare. The Brewers are in the bottom-10 in runs scored while Christian Yelich is also banged up.
Kenta Maeda, MIN at DET ($7,400): Maeda may have a 5.02 ERA, but he produced a 2.70 ERA in 2020 and his career FIP is 3.66 so I think he's going to turn it around. Facing the Tigers is a great way to do that. Only the Mets have scored fewer runs and they've played in six fewer games.
Dane Dunning, TEX vs. SEA ($6,700): Dunning seems to be enjoying his new home ballpark, as he's posted an 2.81 ERA away from the road. And while the young hurler enters with a 3.81 ERA, his FIP is an impressive 2.22. As I write this, the Mariners have the majors' lowest team batting average, so don't expect a lot of contact off Dunning in this one.
Lucas Giolito, CWS at KC ($9,600): If you could remove Giolito's disastrous start against Boston, he'd boast really impressive numbers this season. He's also struck out over 12 batters per nine innings for the second year in a row. While the Royals maintain the best offense between these teams, they still rank in the bottom half of the league.
TOP TARGETS
Mookie Betts, LAD at LAA ($4,200): Betts' .268 batting average is low for him, but his .379 OBP is right in line with career numbers. Once he gets his average up, he'll likely pick up his slugging percentage and counting numbers and I fully expect it from a former MVP. It's not great to have a double-digit ERA over five starts, and Jose Quintana indeed comes in with a 10.59 ERA. He's also allowed a .297 batting average to righties since 2019.
Pete Alonso, NYM vs. ARI ($3,900): Even though Alonso couldn't live up to his 53-homer rookie campaign in 2020, he still produced 16 homers in 57 game while slugging .490. Most hitters would be happy with those numbers. Arizona starter Riley Smith has only made three starts in his career with a 4.91 ERA, so Alonso could tee off today.
VALUE BATS
Nick Castellanos, CIN at CLE ($4,000): Castellanos has absolutely raked to start the season. In particular, he's impressed with a .632 slugging percentage with nine homers. He probably won't continue hitting .316, but we know his power based on slugging .525 in 2019. Sam Hentges is in line for his first career start, but so far he's been brutal against righties with a .387 average.
Adam Frazier, PIT at CHC ($2,800): Frazier has spent a lot of time leading off for the Pirates. And while there aren't many great bats behind him, it makes it more likely he ends up rounding home and should also allow more opportunities at the plate. Frazier's also hit .304 against right-handed pitchers in 2021 and Kyle Hendricks qualifies as one. Hendricks' 6.07 ERA is bad enough, but his 7.28 FIP is somehow even worse.
STACKS TO CONSIDER
Astros vs. Anthony Kay: Alex Bregman ($3,700), Carlos Correa ($3,100), Jose Altuve ($3,600)
Kay has made two starts for the Jays this season and they've both gone terribly that has led to a 9.82 ERA, giving him a 6.17 career ERA. I'm going with three righties against the lefty Kay. Bregman has bounced back from 2020 and is hitting as anticipated slashing .327/.381/.519. Correa hasn't recovered quite as well, but he's managed an .873 OPS at home since 2019 and has slugged .545 at home this year. Altuve's power has left him the last couple of years, but he still leads off and is .277 on the season.
Red Sox vs. Dean Kremer: J.D. Martinez ($4,300), Alex Verdugo ($3,200), Christian Vazquez ($2,600)
Kremer had a 482 ERA in four starts last season and that number has risen to 6.43 in five starts this year. The big problem? He's allowed five home runs in only 21.0 innings. Martinez has been one of the top sluggers in baseball this year with a .339 average and 10 homers in only 32 games. Verdugo has shown he was a legit prospect over his last three campaigns, including his two with Boston. The 24-year-old has posted an .831 OPS over three seasons with 11 stolen bases in 190 games. Speaking of swiped bags, Vazquez has four of them, which is surprising for a catcher. He's also hit .283 with a .277 mark over the last three years.
