This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
It's the first Sunday of the MLB season where the DFS slate will be similar to previous years in that we get contests based around the early afternoon games with the later matchups removed. There are 10 games included with the first pitches at 1:35 p.m. EDT. Onto the recommendations!
Pitching
Aaron Nola, PHI at WAS ($9,200): Nola posted a 3.56 ERA in 33 starts last season, even though he was a bit homer-prone. That's not a worry against the Nationals as they finished 2024 ranked 29th in homers, Nathaniel Lowe isn't really a power hitter, and Dylan Crews' status as an elite prospect is more built on his speed.
Taj Bradley, TAM vs. COL ($8,200): Bradley improved his ERA from 5.59 as a rookie all to 4.11 last year largely as he went from a 1.98 HR/9 rate to a 1.43. That still isn't great, and that's why he added a cutter this offseason. The Rockies ended up 19th in runs scored and 15th in home runs while playing home games at Coors Field. And this game will be in Tampa.
Jack Kochanowicz, LAA at CWS ($6,500): We're getting a lot of last-guy-to-make-the-rotation starters Sunday, which makes things dicier on the DFS front. Kochanowicz produced a 3.99 ERA over 11 starts last season, yet he only struck out 3.44 batters per nine innings. Fortunately, this matchup isn't likely to yield much contact as the White Sox were comfortably last in offense last year as they hit .221 while not really improving this offseason.
Top Targets
We haven't had a chance to see Cody Bellinger ($5,400) reap the benefits of being a lefty at Yankee Stadium just yet - though he hit one of the team's eight homers on Saturday - but that will surely come at some point. His numbers dropped during his second year with the Cubs, yet he still went .266 with 18 homers and nine steals. Aaron Civale's sudden drop in homers in 2023 proved anomalous as he gave up 1.62 per nine innings last season alongside a 4.69 FIP.
The doubles power of Alec Bohm ($5,000) was in full effect last season batting .280 with 97 RBI in large part due to his 44 doubles. And he's also proficient against lefties with an .868 OPS in those matchups since 2023. Southpaw Mitchell Parker didn't allow many homers as a rookie, but he still struggled to a 4.29 ERA.
Bargain Bats
Brandon Lowe ($4,300) will eventually miss a significant portion of the season, but almost as inevitable is his ability to deliver impressive power for a second baseman. Case in point the lefty only logged 107 games while slugging 21 homers to go with 19 doubles and three triples. Lowe is healthy - for now - and Ryan Feltner's poor numbers aren't just a product of Coors as he's managed a 4.06 ERA the last two seasons.
You need a catcher at DraftKings, and Joey Bart ($3,600) is coming off his best big-league season where he batted .265 with 13 homers in 80 games. This is about getting a backstop in a good matchup as Max Meyer carries a career 5.88 FIP and 2.29 HR/9 rate.
Stacks to Consider
Rangers vs. Red Sox (Richard Fitts): Corey Seager ($5,300), Marcus Semien ($4,500), Wyatt Langford ($4,300)
I'm not buying in Fitts' 1.74 ERA over four starts last season as he had a 4.40 FIP at Triple-A and a 3.31 with an 1.29 K/BB rate in the majors. I have two righties in this stack as they went .286 against Fitts last year.
Seager is a lefty, but well worth including in this lineup as he's registered a 1.007 OPS versus righties and a .980 at home the last couple campaigns. He's also racked up at least 30 homers in each of his three seasons as a Ranger. Semien has never been a BABIP star, though his .250 last season was still comfortably a career-low. And he still managed 23 home runs while scoring 101 runs. I was originally going to select Josh Jung, but he's dealing with neck spasms. Langford is also a righty with 16 homers and 19 stolen bases in what was considered a "disappointing" rookie year from a player many thought was baseball's top prospect.
Orioles at Blue Jays (Chris Bassitt): Colton Cowser ($4,800), Cedric Mullins ($4,000), Ryan O'Hearn ($3,700)
Bassitt registered a 4.16 ERA last year with a 4.56 at home and lefties hit .305 against, which was up from .265 in 2023. I'll happily stack three Orioles lefties, even with Gunnar Henderson injured.
Like a lot of inexperienced lefties, Cowser delivered big moments more than consistency with a .321 OBP alongside 24 homers and 24 doubles while making a run at Rookie of the Year. And like a lot of young lefties, he struggled with southpaw pitchers yet slugged .471 against righties. Mullins had a big Opening Day after 18 homers and 32 steals during 2024. That was the third time in four seasons he managed a 15/30 campaign. On a road against a righty? That's what O'Hearn is all about with a .786 OPS versus right-handers and an .852 on the road since 2023.
