This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
It's late August, and the end of the MLB regular season is on the horizon. This Sunday, there are nine MLB games in the afternoon on the DFS slate with the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. EDT. Looking for help on the lineup front? I have a few suggestions.
Pitching
Shohei Ohtani, LAA at DET ($11,000): Ohtani's bat gets a lot of attention, but he's having his best season as a pitcher with a 2.49 FIP and striking out 12.69 batters per nine innings. Detroit is last in runs scored and team OPS, so Ohtani's MVP - and possibly Cy Young - candidacy should be bolstered.
Brandon Woodruff, MIL at CHC ($10,000): Woodruff has posted a 3.53 ERA to go with a 3.17 FIP. He's also produced a 2.50 ERA over his last 12 starts. The Cubs didn't deal at the deadline, but they still sit in the bottom-10 in offense.
Justin Steele, CHC vs. MIL ($9,900): In his first season as a full-time starter, Steele has a 3.43 ERA and 3.24 FIP. He doesn't allow many home runs, which is valuable in modern baseball. The Brewers are middling in runs scored, but employ a few lefties and Steele is a southpaw who can handle them.
Top Targets
After a hot run recently, Kyle Tucker ($4,000) is up to 22 home runs and 18 stolen bases. He's also registered a .900 OPS against righties and a .914 on the road. Charlie Morton comes in with a 4.04 ERA and has given up 1.25 home runs per nine innings. He hasn't been bad, but I don't worry about him against Tucker.
While Taylor Ward ($3,100) has slowed down a bit, he's slashed .259/.352/.444 with 16 homers in 96 games. He's also a righty who will get to face the lefty Eduardo Rodriguez on Sunday. It will be his first MLB start since May 18 and he enters with a 4.38 ERA this season.
Bargain Bats
Kevin Newman ($2,900) has admittedly missed a lot of time this year, but has excelled when available with an .850 OPS versus lefties and an .868 at home. He'll face off with southpaw Mike Minor and his 6.40 FIP.
It's been a tough campaign for Mike Moustakas ($2,300), but he's managed a .710 OPS against righties since 2020. He's displayed power in the past with two 30-homer seasons in his last six campaigns. Zach Thompson, meanwhile, has posted a 5.51 ERA while allowing 1.62 home runs per nine innings.
Stacks to Consider
Mets at Phillies (Kyle Gibson): Pete Alonso ($3,900), Brandon Nimmo ($2,800), Jeff McNeil ($2,700)
In his first full season on the Phillies, Gibson has struggled to a 4.30 ERA. At home, he's given up 1.3 home runs per nine innings. And since 2020, lefties have hit .253 against Gibson, so I have two southpaws in my stack.
No surprise here, but Alonso has crushed 30 home runs yet again and has already crossed the 100-RBI threshold. He's not an all-or-nothing slugger either batting .271 with a .349 OBP. Often leading off, Nimmo has scored 73 runs this season. He's struggled at home, but has an .886 OPS in away appearances. McNeil, for his part, has done well with an .896 road OPS. The lefty also has an 1.150 the last three weeks.
Twins vs. Rangers (Kohei Arihara): Byron Buxton ($3,600), Carlos Correa ($3,100), Nick Gordon ($2,400)
Last year in his MLB debut, Arihara had a 6.64 ERA in 10 starts. He's made one MLB start this year where he allowed eight hits, three walks, and three runs over 5.2 innings to the Athletics. Visiting the Twins should be a lot tougher for Arihara.
Buxton has crushed 28 home runs in 91 games, and Arihara has given up 2.33 home runs per nine innings during his career. Buxton has also slugged .563 at home. The power for Correa has slightly dipped, but he's hit .269 with a .351 OBP and 14 homers and an .806 OPS in his new ballpark. Gordon has recorded five homers and six steals while being hot of late with a .931 OPS the last three weeks.
Rays vs. Royals (Zack Greinke): Randy Arozarena ($3,600), David Peralta ($2,700), Harold Ramirez ($2,700)
Greinke was once a Cy Young-level pitcher. Now? He's a 38-year-old striking out 5.33 batters per nine innings and posting a 4.21 FIP. Greinke has also been brutal on the road with a 6.48 ERA. He'll be on the road Sunday, which bodes well for the Rays.
In his delayed rookie campaign in 2021, Arozarena recorded 20 homers and 20 stolen bases. This year, he's already at 16 and 22 with 17 of the latter coming against righties. Peralta hasn't done a lot since joining the Rays, but this season he's produced a .794 OPS versus right-handed pitchers and Greinke has allowed lefties to hit .290 against. Ramirez has just returned to the lineup, but he's slashed .331/.377/.455 with this season with a .957 home OPS.
