This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
April showers bring May flowers but also can complicate MLB scheduling. Fortunately, since Sunday is full of afternoon games, we're more likely to get delays than postponements. There are 11 MLB games included on the DFS slate. The first pitches are at 1:35 p.m. ET. Here are my recommendations.
Pitching
Corbin Burnes, ARI at WAS ($9,500): I'm not sweating the mediocrity of Burnes' first start as a Diamondback. He was facing the Yankees' lineup in the Bronx, but he still struck out eight batters in 4.1 innings. In his career, Burnes has only allowed 0.98 homers per nine innings, and the Yankees went yard twice. Washington is not likely to do that. The Nationals finished 29th in homers last year and didn't infuse the lineup with power this offseason.
Jackson Jobe, DET vs. CWS ($8,800): Jobe just made his first-ever MLB start and…it didn't go well. However, most consider him the best pitching prospect in baseball, so I am not sweating one outing. Now, if Jobe can't handle the White Sox, then I'll get worried. The White Sox were truly futile last year, finishing last in runs scored by almost 100 runs and having a collective .618 OPS.
Drew Rasmussen, TAM at TEX ($8,500): The Rangers will likely be better offensively than last year, when they finished 18th in runs scored. That being said, Rasmussen is an under-the-radar high-level pitcher. His injury issues have kept him from popping, but over the last four seasons he has a 2.73 ERA. In his first outing this year he pitched five shutout innings, allowing two hits and no walks. Yes, it was against the Pirates, but I believe in Rasmussen as a pitcher.
Top Targets
Only once in his career has Juan Soto ($6,000) failed to slug .500 on a season. Exactly zero times has he finished with an OBP below .400. The lefty is still acclimating to being a Met, but the guy has bounced around enough that we know he can excel in all sorts of venues. Bowden Francis may have taken a no-hitter into the sixth inning in his first start of the season, but he then allowed two home runs. That is not a surprise, as Francis has given up 1.47 homers per nine innings in his career.
In each of the last two seasons, Brandon Lowe ($4,600) has hit 21 home runs. However, in the only season wherein he's played more than 109 games, he had 39 homers. That kind of power is rare for a second baseman. Kumar Rocker allowed two homers in his first start this season, and he only lasted three innings in that outing. In his three starts last year he had a 3.86 ERA.
Bargain Bats
You can lock Salvador Perez ($4,300) in for over 20 home runs in a season, which is remarkable for a catcher. Last year he also had 104 RBI, not to mention an .852 OPS versus lefties. Cade Povich's first start was remarkable, as he now has a 6.23 ERA compared to a 0.61 FIP. As a rookie last year he had a 5.20 ERA and 4.78 FIP, so the former is more telling than the latter in my assessment.
The Tigers are certainly hoping Spencer Torkelson ($3,400) will build upon his strong start to 2025 (two homers, and OPS over 1.000). Even in his disappointing campaign last season, though, he had a .798 OPS versus southpaws and a .787 OPS at home. Martin Perez's first start with Chicago was great, but the 34-year-old has a career 4.43 ERA. Since 2023 he's let righties hit .278 against him as well.
Stacks to Consider
Astros vs. Twins (Chris Paddack): Yordan Alvarez ($5,800), Jose Altuve ($5,300), Brendan Rodgers ($2,100)
In Paddack's first start of 2025, he went 3.1 innings. He allowed six hits (three of them homers) and four walks with only two strikeouts. This was against the White Sox. He had a 4.99 ERA last season, and in his career he's given up 1.48 homers per nine innings. I wish the Astros had more than one viable lefty, but this stack is still well worth it.
Alvarez, the lefty in question, will get on track. He's slashed .296/.389/.579 in his career and never failed to hit over 30 home runs in a full MLB season. Altuve's .364 average this season has been empty calories, but I'm not fretting, especially since he just hit his second homer Saturday. As recently as last season he had 20 homers and 30 doubles, and he also stole 22 bases last year as well. Rodgers has surprisingly emerged as the new second baseman for the Astros, and he's hit .316 to start his tenure. While he was with the Rockies last year, he did hit .267 with 13 homers and 29 doubles.
Padres at Cubs (Ben Brown): Jackson Merrill ($5,200), Manny Machado ($4,900), Jake Cronenworth ($3,700)
Through two outings this year (one a start and one bulk relief), Brown has a 5.87 ERA. Last season he had a 5.33 ERA in Triple-A, so that isn't terribly surprising. Since Brown is a righty, I have two southpaws in this stack.
Merrill was remarkable as a rookie, hitting .292 with 24 homers, six triples, and 16 stolen bases. His sophomore season has been a surge, not a slump, thus far. Merrill has hit .375 with two homers and two doubles. It's been a hot start for Machado, who has three doubles and four stolen bases through nine games. The fact he's running so much makes it better than a righty is on the mound to start for the Cubs. Plus, he's hit .264 against his fellow right handers since 2023, which more than suffices. Cronenworth really struggled against his fellow lefties last season, but had a .779 OPS versus right-handed pitchers. In three of his prior four seasons, the second baseman has played over 150 games. In each of those seasons he's had at least 17 homers and 29 doubles.
