This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
We are getting oh-so-close to the end of the MLB regular season. Sunday has plenty of action with 11 games in the main slate of DFS contests. First pitch is at 1:10 p.m. EDT. Here are my recommendations.
Pitching
Jacob deGrom, NYM vs. PIT ($11,900): There's been no sign of issues with deGrom after his return to action having made eight starts while posting an 1.44 FIP and striking out 13.32 batters per nine innings. Most encouragingly, he's gone at least six innings in each of his last six starts. The Mets may not want to let deGrom pitch much longer than that given that the Pirates sit in the bottom-four in runs scored and team OPS. This should be a breezy win.
Alek Manoah, TOR vs. BAL ($10,900): While Manoah isn't fanning as many batters, he's done well with a 2.43 ERA across 28 starts and a 1.29 over his last five. The Orioles have looked better than the past few seasons, but they're still bottom-10 in offense.
Jordan Montgomery, STL vs. CIN ($9,200): Montgomery has picked up his game since joining the Cardinals rotation with a 2.05 ERA through eight starts. The Reds have been below average in runs scored and also maintain a .308 team OBP.
Top Targets
His power gets attention, but Vladimir Guerrero ($3,900) is also someone who hits for average with a .279 this season and a career .285. Dean Kremer has posted a 3.51 road ERA this year, but what sticks out to be more is that righties have hit .282 against in 2022 and .291 during his career.
Last year, Austin Riley ($3,600) was a surprising story. This season, he's just clearly the Braves' top hitter. Sunday's matchup is pretty much perfect for Riley with a 1.157 OPS versus lefties and a .980 at home. Bailey Falter is a southpaw who's recorded a 4.87 FIP.
Bargain Bats
Isiah Kiner-Falefa ($3,400) can hit for a reasonable average with a .268 in 2022 and boasts speed with 20 stolen bases for the second season in a row. It's easier to steal on a righty, and Jason Alexander just happens to be one. The hurler has also let righties hit .301 against.
Garrett Cooper ($2,700) has registered a .779 OPS versus righties and a .799 on the road this year. Anibal Sanchez has enjoyed a few good starts of late, but still lists a 6.00 ERA and 6.35 FIP on the season.
Stacks to Consider
Astros vs. Athletics (Ken Waldichuk): Jose Altuve ($4,100), Alex Bregman ($3,700), Trey Mancini ($2,700)
Waldichuk's first trio of MLB starts have not gone swimmingly. The southpaw has posted a 5.40 ERA, righties have hit .300 against, and he's allowed 1.80 home runs per nine innings. I doubt a visit to Houston is going to turn around his first foray in the bigs.
Altuve has accumulated 24 homers and 17 stolen bases while producing 1.055 OPS against left-handed pitchers. Bregman boasts a career slash line of .278/.377/.500 and appreciates his home ballpark with a 1.003 OPS in Houston. Mancini has gone deep 18 time and I expect the righty to draw into the lineup with a lefty on the mound since he's managed a .270/.341/.455 slash line against southpaws the last two seasons.
Cubs vs. Rockies (Ryan Feltner): Ian Happ ($2,900), Christopher Morel ($2,400), Patrick Wisdom ($2,400)
You might look at Feltner's 6.12 ERA and say: "Sure, he pitches his home games at Coors Field!". However, he's posted a 5.97 road mark ERA and has allowed 1.9 home runs per nine innings away from home. Feltner has also allowed righties to hit .316 against during his career.
Happ has recorded 17 home runs and eight stolen bases. And while he's hit both lefties and righties well this year, he's managed an .816 OPS versus righties since 2020 and an .856 at home. Morel has registered 13 long balls and 10 swiped bags across 98 games. The rookie also maintains an .831 OPS in home outings. Wisdom has struggled since returning to the lineup, but displays power with 50 homers over the last two seasons and a career .460 slugging percentage.
Red Sox vs. Royals (Kris Bubic): Xander Bogaerts ($3,900), Tommy Pham ($3,200), Alex Verdugo ($3,100)
Bubic posted a 4.32 ERA during his rookie season, and that number has regressed every year since to where he's currently at a 5.55. On top of that, he's struggled to a 7.04 from his last six starts and has given up two home runs in three of the last four.
Bogaerts boasts an 1.067 OPS the last three weeks and a 1.012 OPS against southpaws this year. Pham has 16 homers and eight steals. He also benefits from facing lefties like Bubic as he's produced an .825 OPS versus them. Verdugo is a southpaw, but this year he's recorded a .725 OPS against lefties. I'm including him in this stack because Bubic has actually let lefties hit .309 against over his career.
