It's the end of August, and technically the end of the weekend. And Monday is Labor Day, so this Sunday is a bit different as it features nine games on the DFS docket with the first pitch at 1:05 p.m. EDT. Let's end the month on a high note! Here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Joe Ryan, MIN vs. SDP ($9,400): While Ryan's last two starts have been subpar, he still has a 3.37 FIP and 5.72 K/BB rate overall. And this will be his third straight season with a K/BB rate over 5.50. The Padres will be in the playoffs, but they're also bottom-10 in runs scored so I think Ryan can get back on track.
Lucas Giolito, BOS vs. PIT ($9,000): During Giolito's last six starts, he's posted a 2.39 ERA. He's now down to a 3.47, which is a significant improvement from his last few campaigns. The Pirates are close to locking in finishing last in runs and team OPS. In fact, they're the only club that hasn't yet reached 500 runs.
Luis Gil, NYY at CWS ($8,000): Gil's first start this year didn't happen until earlier this month due to injury, and it was bad. But in four appearances since, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year has produced a 2.18 ERA. Meanwhile, the White Sox are one of the four teams in the bottom-five for both runs scored and team OPS.
Check out which projected starters are going and when with RotoWire's Probable Pitchers page!
Top Targets
Presuming Brandon Lowe's ($5,000) health holds up, he'll claim his second 30-homer campaign. I'm noting his health as he's played in 112 games this season, which is already his career second-highest total. The lefty has also slugged .552 against righties. That's impressive power for any position, much less second base. Brad Lord has registered a 4.29 home ERA while lefties have produced eight of the 10 homers he's allowed on the year.
It turns out Roman Anthony ($4,900) can hit the ball really hard. While he's "only" slugged .472, he's got 25 barrels across only 68 outings with a 44.9 percent hard-hit rate. Anthony also has an 1.022 OPS the last three weeks. Mitch Keller has struggled a 7.59 ERA across seven starts. And since 2023, he's allowed lefties to go .263 against with righties notching twice as many homers in only slightly more at-bats.
Bargain Bats
Since joining the Mariners, Josh Naylor ($4,200) has picked up five homers, five doubles, and 11 stolen bases in 31 games. He's also recorded an .839 OPS versus righties on the season. Since the start of July, Tanner Bibee has a 6.20 ERA while giving up 1.52 home runs per nine innings overall.
I can flip around this matchup to find another undervalued bat. While Steven Kwan ($3,300) has been cold like most Guardians, I think it's worth seeing if he can turn it around at this salary and in this matchup. And the lefty has also racked up 22 doubles, 10 homers, and 14 steals while going .281 against right-handed pitchers. Bryce Miller showed promise last season, though 2025 has been a disaster with a 6.52 road ERA and an through his last six outings.
Stacks to Consider
Mets vs. Marlins (Sandy Alcantara): Pete Alonso ($4,900), Brandon Nimmo ($4,300), Mark Vientos ($3,300)
While Alcantara can claim an 1.80 ERA from his last three starts, he still allowed two homers during that stretch. Maybe he just got lucky considering his 5.87 on the year and 8.03 on the road. I opted for two Mets righties as they've hit .275 against Alcantara.
This is Alonso's second straight season exceeding 30 homers and 30 doubles while also back up over 100 RBI. The slugger also boasts a .926 home OPS. Nimmo has put last season's struggles behind him batting .263 with 22 home runs and 12 stolen bases. The southpaw also has a .932 OPS the last three weeks. Vientos has recently looked more like the player who broke through in 2024 with 27 homers and a .516 slugging percentage having posted a 1.201 OPS with eight home runs the last three weeks.
Brewers at Blue Jays (Max Scherzer): Christian Yelich ($4,700), Jackson Chourio ($4,400), Brice Turang ($4,100)
On the one hand, Scherzer has recorded a 2.61 ERA across his last five starts. On the other hand, he's also posted a 6.4 K/9 rate and 1.5 HR/9 rate over that span. And on the season, Scherzer has a 4.65 FIP and 1.77 HR/9 rate. He's now 41 and can still be used in an MLB rotation, though he's not the ace he used to be. Since Mad Max is a righty, I'm including two southpaws in this stack.
In addition to 15 stolen bases, Yelich has 27 home runs - his most since 2019. While he's notched an .851 OPS versus righties, he also has an .859 on the road. Chourio just returned from the IL after supplying 18 homers, four triples, 29 doubles, and 18 steals in 107 games alongside an .846 road OPS. While Turang has swiped 22 bags after 50 last year, it's all good due to his improvements elsewhere with a .285 average to go with 15 home runs after only seven during 2024. The second baseman also has a 1.098 OPS the last three weeks.
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