This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
It's another Sunday of MLB action, though the last one in August. Before we know it, it'll be not just September, but past Labor Day. There are 14 MLB games to ponder for setting your DFS lineups. First pitch is at 1:35 p.m. ET. Here are my recommendations.
Pitching
Luis Castillo, SEA vs. KC ($49): Recently, Castillo has been somewhat up-and-down, but on the year he has a 2.70 ERA at home, where he's struck out 11.2 batters per nine innings. This matchup looks good, as the Royals sit 26th in runs scored with a sub-.700 OPS. With how hot the Mariners have been, this feels like a lock for Castillo win.
Justin Verlander, TEX at DET ($47): Verlander doesn't have animosity with his old team, but by the same token he'd probably enjoy dealing against them. Even with the hand-wringing about Verlander's performance with the Mets, he has a 3.20 ERA on the season. The Tigers, meanwhile, are 29th in runs scored.
Mike Clevinger, CWS vs. OAK ($39): Even Clevinger's 3.47 ERA suffices against an Athletics team last in runs scored, OPS and winning percentage. However, the hurler actually has a 2.63 ERA at home. That fact, combined with the easiest matchup possible, makes Clevinger a strong option, even with a lackluster offense supporting him.
Top Targets
The MLB season is long. Trea Turner ($22) started slow, but on the season he's hit .252 with 15 homers and 23 stolen bases, fine numbers for a shortstop. Not only that, he has an 1.028 OPS over the last three weeks. Drew Rom may have a long MLB career, but in his first MLB start he allowed eight runs (six earned) in 3.2 innings to the Pirates. The southpaw also allowed righties to hit .438 against him.
The Marlins, having scuffled offensively for much of the season, have gotten a real boost from a couple deadline additions, including Jake Burger ($18). Over the last three weeks, Burger has a .955 OPS. Trevor Williams, meanwhile, has a 5.52 ERA on the road, largely because he's allowed 2.5 homers per nine away from DC.
Bargain Bats
Having hit .279 with 22 homers and 39 stolen bases, there's a lot to like about the presumed NL Rookie of the Year Corbin Carroll ($16). It certainly helps with the southpaw is facing a righty as well, as he has a .917 OPS in those matchups. While Graham Ashcraft has lowered his ERA from 4.89 as a rookie to 4.84 as a sophomore, his FIP has actually gone up from 4.20 to 5.15. He's also on a stretch where he hasn't allowed a lot of runs, but the ones he has allowed have come off homers. Over his last 46.1 innings, representing seven starts, he's allowed 14 earned runs, but eight home runs.
With a lefty starting for the Yankees, Harold Ramirez ($13) should be in the lineup. Since 2021, he has an .856 OPS versus southpaws. Carlos Rodon looked solid against the Nationals after an IL stint, but he still has a 7.05 FIP on the season, and righties have hit .255 against him.
Stacks to Consider
Mariners vs. Royals (Alec Marsh): Julio Rodriguez ($28), Cal Raleigh ($21), J.P. Crawford ($19)
The Mariners have been hot, and the Royals are doing them the favor of rolling out Marsh on the mound. Not that Kansas City is spoiled for pitching options. As for Marsh, the rookie has a 6.74 FIP and has allowed 2.47 homers per nine innings. His 24.6 percent strikeout rate is good, but his 12.3 percent walk rate is brutal. Lefties have hit .277 against the righty, so it is good to lean that way a bit.
Even having taken a step down from his Rookie of the Year numbers, Rodriguez remains the star of the show in Seattle. That's what happens when you hit .279 with 22 homers and 35 stolen bases. Speaking of the hot Mariners, Rodriguez has an 1.159 OPS over the last three weeks. Raleigh is a catcher with 25 home runs, which is probably enough said. While he's a switch hitter, his .813 OPS against righties is much better. Crawford has never been much of a hitter, and he lacks power, but as a shortstop, he's more capable of getting away with it. Plus, this year he does have an .862 OPS against righties and an .821 OPS at home.
Dodgers at Red Sox (Tanner Houck): Freddie Freeman ($23), Max Muncy ($19), Jason Heyward ($7)
A full-time starter for the first time in his MLB career (aside from time spent on the IL with a face injury, which is never a pleasant phrase to type), Houck's numbers have headed in the wrong direction. In particular, he has a 5.75 ERA at home, and has allowed lefties to hit .261 against him. Unfortunately for the 27-year-old righty, the Dodgers have a lineup built to take advantage of that.
Freeman has slashed .339/.415/.577 with 23 homers and 17 stolen bases. Do I need to say more? I will: He has an 1.070 OPS on the road. Muncy is West Coast Kyle Schwarber, an all-or-nothing lefty with enough power to hit over 30 homers with a batting average below the Mendoza Line. Seriously, he has 30 homers with a .197 average in 2023, though he does have an .871 OPS against righties. Heyward is not known for his hitting, but this season, there has been a spark against righties there. He has an .805 OPS in those matchups.
Orioles vs. Rockies (Ty Blach): Ryan Mountcastle ($21), Adley Rutschman ($18), Anthony Santander ($16)
If they play for Baltimore and hit right-handed, you want to consider them Sunday against Blach. Since joining the Rockies in 2022, Blach has a 5.85 ERA on the road (can't blame Coors for his woes!) and has allowed righties to hit .342 against him. So, to reiterate, righties from the Orioles are a hot commodity for this one.
Mountcastle has had issues with righties, but against southpaws he turns into Freddie Freeman. He has an 1.116 OPS versus left-handers. Rutschman is a switch-hitter, but the catcher has a .915 OPS against lefties this season. He also has a .946 OPS at home. Santander is also a switch-hitter, but with power, having hit 24 homers and slugged .480. He also has an .864 OPS at home.
