MLB DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Sunday (5/21)

After a successful Saturday slate, we’re ready to keep rolling on this Sunday card. We have every team in action, and we’ll talk about all but four teams. That’s the morning and night games that we’re fading, with 13 games making up the day card. That’s a ton of players to talk about, and it was nearly impossible to limit it to four pitchers!

Starting Pitcher Rankings

Starting Pitcher Strategy

We rarely have more than four pitchers we like, but this slate was stacked. There were over 10 pitchers that we liked as recommendations, with George Kirby, Max Scherzer, Charlie Morton, Merrill Kelly, Justin Steele, Kevin Gausman, Clayton Kershaw, Shohei Ohtani, and Jesus Luzardo all barely missing the cut. It’s wild that we have so many top-notch pitchers toeing the rubber, but we wanted to pick some players who would be less rostered. With that in said, let’s start with one guy that should be in everyone’s lineup!

Cash Game Recommendations:

Framber Valdez (HOU) vs. OAK

The A’s are the worst team in baseball, and it’s not close. Oakland was 29th or 30th in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA, and xwOBA last season and is nearly as bad this year. That’s scary against a consistency monster like Valdez, who’s picked up a quality start in 29 of his last 33 starts. That’s a ridiculous stretch, with Framber totaling a 2.84 ERA and 1.12 WHIP this year. That’s why he’s projected to be a -350 favorite, totaling a 1.90 ERA and 0.76 WHIP in three starts against the A’s last year.

GPP Recommendations:

Andrew Heaney (TEX) vs. COL

Using pitchers against the Rockies on the road has worked for years. Colorado was last in every offensive category last year, and they’ll inevitably creep closer this year with their horrific lineup. That’s terrible news against Heaney, who has allowed three runs or fewer in six of his last seven starts. He’s also got a 2.34 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 10.4 K/9 rate in that six-start stretch.

Lance Lynn (CWS) vs. KC

It’s been a nightmarish start to the season for Lynn, but this veteran will get going. He showed us the beginning of that positive regression in his last outing, picking up 49 FanDuel points against the Guardians. We saw this guy post a 2.52 ERA and 0.97 WHIP over the final four months of last year, and he should continue his positive regression against Kansas City. The Royals rank 24th in runs scored, 29th in OBP, and 28th in wOBA.

Josiah Gray (WAS) vs. DET

This youngster is finally showing why he was a top prospect! Gray has allowed three runs or fewer in all eight starts since the opener, compiling a 2.08 ERA in that span. That’s what we’ve been waiting to see, and we love the matchup with Detroit’s disastrous lineup. The Motor City Kitties rank bottom-three in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA, xwOBA, and K rate this year.

Top Lineup Stacks

Toronto Blue Jays (vs. Dean Kremer)

• Home (Rogers Centre)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 8.5 Runs/TOR -190

We could recommend Toronto against anyone with the lineup they possess, but they’ll be tough to fade against Kremer. The O’s righty has a 4.94 ERA and 1.42 WHIP this year, despite facing teams like the A’s, Nationals, and Tigers.

Houston Astros (vs. Kyle Muller)

• Home (Minute Maid Park)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 8.5 Runs/HOU -350

We had the Astros in here yesterday, and we’re going right back to the well. Oakland is dead-last in MLB with an ERA above 7.00 and will have serious problems against this righty-heavy Houston lineup. Muller has been throwing gasoline on the Oakland fire, tallying a 7.71 ERA and 1.95 WHIP.

San Diego Padres (vs. Corey Kluber)

• Home (Pecto Park)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9.5 Runs/SD -130

You might see the name Kluber and be shocked, but this is not your grandpa’s Klubot. This former Cy Young winner has serious malfunctions, maintaining a 6.41 ERA and 1.47 WHIP. He’s simply one of the worst pitchers in baseball, and it’ll be nearly impossible for him to navigate this stingy San Diego lineup.

Core Studs

• Seager has only played about two weeks of baseball this season, but he’s been one of the best shortstops in the sport. The All-Star has a .333 AVG, .434 OBP and .934 OPS. That’s the stud we’ve seen for a few years now, and a matchup with the Rockies should keep him rolling. Connor Seabold has a 5.14 ERA and 1.61 WHIP, giving Seager the platoon advantage from the left side.
• Vlad is the most understated superstar in the sport. Nobody talks about him, but he always provides a .300 AVG, .400 OBP, .500 SLG, and .900 OPS. That’s what you’ll see on the back of the baseball card every year, totaling a .312 AVG and .899 OPS this year. We don’t expect Kremer to slow him down behind his 5.00 ERA.
• Soto got off to a slow start this season, but this dude is starting to find it. Juan has a .488 OBP and 1.134 OPS across his last 18 games. People were wondering when this superstar would come around, and that’s one of the best stretches from any player all year. We already discussed how washed Kluber is, giving Soto the platoon advantage from the left side.
• Robert is one of the most talented players in the league, and it’s fun to see him fully healthy for the first time in his career. Over his last 15 games. Robert has six doubles and seven homers en route to a .459 OBP and 1.389 OPS. That makes him impossible to fade against Brad Keller, who’s got a nightmarish 1.87 WHIP.
• We had Bregman in here yesterday, and we’re going back to him for all the same reasons. This guy has slaughtered southpaws throughout his career, posting a .406 OBP against them. The power has been equally as enticing, and there’s no chance that Muller mows him down.

Value Plays/Punts

• We had a Washington bat in here yesterday, but we’re rolling with their best hitter here. That’s Meneses, who’s got a .311 AVG and .845 OPS since his call-up last season. That means he’s too cheap, especially since he faces a lefty with a 6.38 ERA and 1.45 WHIP.
• It’s tough to find value in this terrifying Toronto lineup, but Belt is always a good bet when they face a right-hander. The former Giants first baseman is in the heart of the lineup against righties, registering a .870 OPS against them over the last three years. That makes Belt an elite paring with studs like Vlad and Bo Bichette.
• Pena has been a nice fill-in for Carlos Correa, establishing himself as an elite power-speed threat at shortstop for the Stros. The youngster has 28 homers and 17 steals since his call-up last year and always bats behind all these beasts in the Houston lineup. He’s also got the advantage from the right side, accruing a .912 OPS against lefties this year.
• Moncada hasn’t played much this year, but he’s been productive whenever he’s been on the field. The former top prospect is hitting .332 while amassing a .892 OPS. That’s all you can hope for from such a cheap player, particularly since he faces a pitcher shy of a 2.00 WHIP.
• Carpenter was out of the league two years ago, but he’s found an excellent niche role as a lefty masher. Over the last three years, Carp has compiled a .351 OBP and .892 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor. That always has hit batting fifth or sixth, and we already discussed how poor Klubot has been.

Hitter Strategy

This is a challenging slate to discuss. What makes it so difficult is that we have a million pitchers we love. That means it’s up to you to pick the right ones because any one of those guys can go off. Pairing those pitchers with players from the Padres, Blue Jays, White Sox, Astros, Rangers, Nationals, and Tigers should be the best approach because there are plenty of value bats on those teams.

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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.