This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Sunday is packed with baseball, but what about the DFS docket? Eight games are included, with the first starting at 1:35 p.m. EDT. FanDuel has decided to not include the Mets-Nationals as it's been moved to 4:35 p.m. EDT. Here are my lineup recommendations. Oh, and Happy Mother's Day!
Pitching
Logan Gilbert, SEA at DET ($10,100): Though Gilbert has posted a 3.79 ERA, he also carries a 2.69 FIP and has struck out 11.16 batters per nine innings. Perhaps his luck will turn around considering his 2.84 ERA from his last two starts. The Tigers are bottom-three in runs scored and list a sub-.300 OBP, so this matchup should help Gilbert further improve his numbers.
Lucas Giolito, CWS vs. HOU ($9,500): After a tough start against the Pirates in his second appearances of 2023, Giolito has managed a 2.33 ERA from his last six starts. That poor outing was also on the road and he boasts a 1.37 home ERA. The Astros are middling in terms of offense, but this matchup could also be in Giolito's favor. Since 2021, he's held lefties to a .219 average while Houston's two best hitters are southpaws.
Hunter Brown, HOU at CWS ($9,300): Brown has experienced a weird season. He's had three starts lasting seven innings without giving up a single earned run and four where he hasn't made it past five frames. However, those solid games were against the Twins, Rangers, and Rays - and two of those are top offenses. The White Sox are middle-of-the-pack in runs scored, but that's a surprise given they're just trying to get their team OBP over .300.
Top Targets
Ian Happ ($3,300) is enjoying a career year slashing .312/.435/.478 with four homers and four steals. While he's a switch-hitter, he's gone .816 OPS versus righties since 2021. Louie Varland is right-handed and has produced a career 4.51 FIP.
Ty France ($3,100) has hit .276 with a .361 OBP. And while he hasn't displayed much power this year, he did hit 20 home runs in 2022. Maybe facing southpaw Joey Wentz is what France needs as he's struggled to a 6.09 ERA through seven starts while allowing 1.85 home runs per nine innings.
Bargain Bats
Nobody hits for average like Luis Arraez ($2,900), and this year he's at .379 to go with a .435 OBP. While he isn't a major power source, the lefty has slugged .428 versus righties the last couple campaigns. The righty Luke Weaver is back in a starting rotation and has a 7.20 FIP across four starts. And it certainly doesn't help he's served up eight home runs over 22 innings.
While he never quite panned out, Nick Senzel ($2,900) has batted .261 with three homers and three steals this year. And since 2021, he's gone .292 versus lefties. During that same stretch, righties have hit .303 against Braxton Garrett. It feels likely Senzel will at least pick up a hit or two Sunday.
Stacks to Consider
Brewers vs. Royals (Jordan Lyles): Rowdy Tellez ($3,100), Willy Adames ($3,000), Brian Anderson ($2,800)
Lyles is with the Royals now, but he's still the same pitcher with a career 5.14 ERA. And this year, that number is up 6.20 in part because he's allowed 2.37 home runs per nine innings. Righties have also hit .284 against Lyles the last two seasons. And while he's held lefties to a .202 average in 2023, they've gone .260 against him since 2021. And southpaws have belted six homers against Lyles even with the average just above the Mendoza Line.
Tellez is a lefty who swings for the fences, so he's perfect for this matchup. He's crushed 10 homers after 35 last year and has slugged .481 against righties since 2021. Adames' numbers are down, but his issues have mostly been versus lefties. He's at seven homers this season and has slugged .484 against right-handed pitchers in recent years. Anderson, like Adames, is a righty who prefers facing his fellow righties with a .719 OPS against them since 2021 to go with an overall .868 at home.
Pirates at Orioles (Kyle Gibson): Bryan Reynolds ($3,600), Jack Suwinski ($3,000), Ji Hwan Bae ($2,800)
In his first season with the Orioles, Gibson has posted a 4.52 FIP. That's not surprising given his career 4.51. And this year, Gibson's strikeouts are down with a mere 5.94 Ks per nine innings. And since 2021, he's allowed lefties to hit .269 against him with a .344 in the current campaign. And that's why I've included two lefties and a switch hitter in this stack.
Reynolds is the switch-hitter with an .879 OPS versus righties the last two seasons. And during that same period, he's registered a .900 on the road. Suwinski has a .352 OBP and .490 slugging percentage with seven homers and five steals. While he really can't hit his fellow lefties, he's managed a career .846 OPS versus righties. Bae is emerging as a top base stealer with three in 10 games last year and 14 in 37 so far. It tends to be easier to steal on righties, and it also helps that Bae - as a southpaw - gets to face a righty like Gibson.
