This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
We're almost into August. Sunday is the penultimate day of July, and before we know it we'll be past the trade deadline and hitting the home stretch. There are nine games on the slate Sunday, with the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. EDT. Here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Aaron Civale, CLE at CWS ($9,400): Civale has replaced last season's bad luck with good form going from a 4.92 ERA and 3.86 FIP to a 2.54 and 3.60. He's also posted a 1.72 ERA from his last five starts. The White Sox are one of three clubs with a sub-.300 OBP club (all three AL Central teams, unsurprisingly), so Civale has the chance to stay hot and further drop that ERA and FIP.
Cristopher Sanchez, PHI at PIT ($8,800): Perhaps the third time is the charm for Sanchez. In his third season of MLB action, the Phillies have finally installed him in the rotation where he's made eight starts and has registered a 2.98 ERA. Sanchez has experienced issues giving up home runs, but the Pirates rank bottom-10 in that category and 27th in runs scored.
Top Targets
In the running for not only his first 40-homer season, but also to lead the NL in that department, Matt Olson ($4,300) has already gone yard 33 times. He's also slugged over .600 against righties and at home. Colin Rea has produced a 4.75 FIP, and a big part of that is that lefties have hit .259 against with 10 homers across 185 batters.
Dansby Swanson ($3,200) has actually performed strikingly similar to last season, the difference being he had 25 homers and 18 stolen bases and is now at 12 and four in an injury-hampered campaign. But he's been in the groove at the plate since returning. Steven Matz has a 4.34 ERA, and the lefty has let righties go .292 against.
Bargain Bats
There's still a bit of remembering when Brandon Lowe ($3,100) hit 39 home runs teeing off on righties in 2021 when recommending him, though the southpaw does have 12 homers and five stolen bases this year. He's also slugged .457 and sent deep all 12 off righties, so some of that old magic is still there. Brandon Bielak may have a 3.62 ERA, but also a 5.40 FIP while lefties have hit .280 against the righty.
The reason Alec Bohm ($3,000) is around for the Phillies is because sometimes they'll be facing a lefty starter. He's posted an OPS over .900 against southpaws the last two years, and is currently producing a .793 road OPS. In his age-43 season, lefty Rich Hill has a 4.94 home ERA while righties have batted .275 against.
Stacks to Consider
Guardians at White Sox (Michael Kopech): Jose Ramirez ($4,200), Josh Naylor ($3,500), Will Brennan ($2,600)
Who has any power for the Guardians? With the team locked into finishing last in home runs, that's not a question with a lot of answers. But with Kopech on the mound for Chicago, it was worth trying to find some pop for a stack. We've seen his story play out time and time again as his fastball wows on the radar gun while allowing little contact and racking up strikeouts. On the flip side, the contact that's made does damage and he walks his fair share of hitters. Kopech, a righty, has struggled to a 6.08 FIP mainly due to giving up 2.03 homers per nine innings.
Ramirez, a regular 20/20 player, is the obvious top bat in this lineup with 16 homers and 13 stolen bases while dominating against righties. Since 2021, the switch-hitter has slugged .543 in those matchups. It hasn't gotten much attention, but Naylor has slashed .309/.344/.507 with 15 home runs and six steals. And the lefty has recorded an .853 OPS versus righties and an .843 on the road the last couple years. Brennan doesn't offer quite the same level of power, yet the outfielder has five homers to go with seven stolen bases. His issues with his fellow lefties tamp things down a bit. Brennan's slugged .433 against righties over his career, and all five of his homers in 2023 have come against them.
Brewers at Atlanta (Charlie Morton): Christian Yelich ($3,600), Carlos Santana ($3,200), Sal Frelick ($3,000)
It's possible Atlanta will skip Morton a start after he's posted a 7.71 ERA in his last two starts, but eating innings is kind of the one thing the 39-year-old pitcher brings to the table. After all, he lists a 3.81 FIP after a 4.25 FIP last season. The Brew Crew can't boast Atlanta's lineup, but they can offer up a stack when a righty is on the mound.
Yelich is the one established high-level bat on Milwaukee, though he's had to regain some of his old form to hit that threshold. He's produced 15 homers and 22 stolen bases, largely built on a .920 OPS versus righties. Santana just joined the Brewers for the playoff push, but you can ink him in for a regular role at first base and DH. The veteran has managed 12 homers and a surprising six stolen bases, and got hot before being dealt to help boost his stock with a 1.022 OPS over two weeks. Frelick, Milwaukee's second-best prospect, swiftly moved through the minors and has dominated in MLB so far, though only in seven games. They've completely kept him away from lefties so far, but will be in the lineup if a righty is on the mound and provides clear upside.
