Make sure to get your DFS rosters in earlier today because the recommendations are for the largest slate, which also happens to be the earliest slate.
Today, we’re going to look at the slate of games that begins at 11:35 a.m. ET. On DraftKings, that slate of games allows you to choose players from 11 different games. On FanDuel, you can choose from 12 games, as they include the Athletics at Rockies matchup, which DraftKings does not.
Make sure to get your DFS rosters in earlier today because the recommendations are for the largest slate, which also happens to be the earliest slate.
Today, we’re going to look at the slate of games that begins at 11:35 a.m. ET. On DraftKings, that slate of games allows you to choose players from 11 different games. On FanDuel, you can choose from 12 games, as they include the Athletics at Rockies matchup, which DraftKings does not.
Sunday’s Top MLB DFS Picks & Player Props
Sunday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings (4/6)
- If you’re going to go expensive with the starting pitcher position, Corbin Burnes offers the best combination of ability and matchup for this slate. Burnes was inefficient in his first start, only going 4.1 innings, but he also struck out eight batters in the process. Early in the season, many pitchers are not being asked to pitch deep into games, but Burnes was able to throw 98 pitches. If he can be more efficient against a Nationals team averaging over 11 strikeouts per game, he could have a massive point total.
- A mid-tier option is Kris Bubic. He was phenomenal in his first start since 2023 against the Milwaukee Brewers. He struck out eight over six innings without allowing an earned run. Nearly 32% of the swings against Bubic in that game were a whiff, which is how you generate strikeouts like that. The last time Baltimore faced a left-handed pitcher, they struck out eight times.
- The cheapest option of the day on DraftKings is also an interesting option in Will Warren. Warren earned a Yankees rotation spot in spring training by striking out over a batter per inning, but struggled in preventing runs. That continued in his first start. He was able to strike out four batters over five innings, but allowed two earned runs on a home run, which was the only hit he allowed. Warren gets to pitch in Pittsburgh against the Pirates, which is a soft landing and a better stadium for him.
Suggested Lineup Stacks
Cincinnati Reds Projected Lineup (4/6)
| POS |
PLAYER |
DraftKings Salary |
FanDuel Salary |
| 0F |
TJ Friedl |
$3,800 |
$2,800 |
| 2B |
Matt McLain |
$5,200 |
$3,400 |
| SS |
Elly De La Cruz |
$6,100 |
$4,300 |
| 2B/OF/3B (FD) |
Gavin Lux |
$3,500 |
$2,600 |
| 1B/3B |
Jeimer Candelario |
$4,700 |
$2,700 |
| 1B |
Christian Encarnacion-Strand |
$3,000 |
$2,600 |
| OF/1B/2B (FD) |
Spencer Steer |
$3,800 |
$2,700 |
| OF |
Jake Fraley |
$3,600 |
$2,400 |
| C |
Jose Trevino |
$2,700 |
$2,300 |
The Cincinnati Reds took advantage of the Milwaukee Brewers’ Elvin Rodriguez yesterday with 11 total runs, including seven against Rodriguez. They get another right-handed starting pitcher today in Chad Patrick, who is only in the rotation because of an injury
While Patrick had a nice first start in his Major League career last year, I expect the Reds to take advantage of the matchup again. Elly De La Cruz is always pricey because of what he can do in any game. He is always a better option against right-handed pitchers as he has a .854 OPS against them versus a .586 OPS versus left-handed pitchers.
Gavin Lux was mentioned as a value play yesterday. He delivered with a 2-for-5 day, including a double and two RBI. He is very affordable and is always an option versus right-handed pitchers.
Consider Jose Trevino if you’re looking for a cheaper option at catcher. He went 2-for-3 yesterday with his first home run of the season. Trevino is not thought of as an offensive catcher, but he does have hits in three of his last four games.
Arizona Diamondbacks Projected Lineup (4/6)
| POS |
PLAYER |
DraftKings Salary |
FanDuel Salary |
| OF |
Corbin Carroll |
$5,700 |
$3,900 |
| SS |
Geraldo Perdomo |
$3,600 |
$2,800 |
| 1B/OF |
Pavin Smith |
$3,700 |
$2,700 |
| 1B |
Josh Naylor |
$4,800 |
$3,100 |
| OF |
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. |
$4,300 |
$3,000 |
| 3B |
Eugenio Suarez |
$4,500 |
$3,800 |
| C |
Gabriel Moreno |
$3,300 |
$2,300 |
| OF |
Jake McCarthy |
$3,000 |
$2,500 |
| 2B |
Tim Tawa |
$N/A |
$2,000 |
The Arizona Diamondbacks currently have the second-best OPS against right-handed pitchers (.887). The Nationals are planning to start right-handed reliever Brad Lord against them.
Pavin Smith will be in a lot of my lineups. He is affordably priced and has the potential to hit a home run anytime he is in the lineup. It’s still extremely early, but he currently has the best hard-hit rate (85.7%).
Not far down that hard-hit rate list is Eugenio Suarez (70%). He is a bit pricy on FanDuel but should be a popular choice on DraftKings for $4,500.
If you’re looking for a bargain basement option on FanDuel so you can afford the top-end options like Suarez or Corbin Carroll, Tim Tawa is priced at the $2,000 minimum. He had a hit, run, RBI and walk in his first career game filling in for the injured Ketel Marte.
Core Studs
- There are not many batters that have the track record against Sandy Alcantara of Ozzie Albies. Albies is 11-for-39 with five extra-base hits against him in his career. With the suspension of Jurickson Profar, Albies has moved into the second spot in the lineup between Michael Harris and Marcell Ozuna. That’s a good spot to be in for counting stats.
- Getting Aaron Judge in your lineup means you have to be frugal elsewhere. However, he is on such a tear to begin this season that it’s hard not to recommend him. He already has six home runs and has hits in all but one game. He takes on left-hander Andrew Heaney today. He is great against right-handed pitching, but even better against left-handers with a career OPS of 1.048.
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has dropped a little bit in price as he has yet to hit a home run. It’s not that he isn’t impacting the ball hard with a nearly 70% hard-hit rate. Typically, when he struggles, it is because he is hitting the ball into the ground. However, he has a 14-degree launch angle at this point, so he is getting it in the air. Don’t be surprised when he hits his first home run soon.
Value Plays/Punts
- Spencer Torkelson hit his second home run of the season yesterday off right-handed pitcher Davis Martin. Today, he gets to take on left-hander Martin Perez. Torkelson is 4-for-14 against Perez in his career with a double. Torkelson has always been better in his career against left-handed pitchers with a .795 OPS.
- Trevor Larnach essentially doesn’t play against left-handed pitchers. Against right-handed pitchers, he is the Twins’ cleanup hitter. That means he finds himself in a good lineup spot for RBI production. Today, the Twins take on Ronel Blanco and the Astros. It’s a very small sample of only four at-bats, but Larnach already has a home run off Blanco.
- Nathaniel Lowe has a tough matchup against Corbin Burnes, but he also looks like a completely different batter in the early going than anything we’ve ever seen from him. For surface numbers, Lowe already has three home runs. He hit 16 all of last season. He is hitting the ball much harder than we’ve ever seen before with an average exit velocity of 97.5 miles per hour (MPH).
Sunday’s Top 3 Underdog Player Props
I’m unsure why this number is set this high. Luis Ortiz was only able to strike out two batters in his first game of the season against the San Diego Padres. That’s understandable as they are currently the toughest team to strike out.
However, even going back to last season, Ortiz rarely reached this mark. He moved into the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting rotation in mid-July and made 14 starts down the stretch. He cleared this 5.5 strikeout number only twice in that entire stretch.
On the opposite end of the strikeout spectrum is Bryan Woo. He is taking on a San Francisco Giants team that is currently averaging over 10 strikeouts per game. In his first start of the season, Woo was able to strike out five batters.
It’s a trend that started last season and continues into this season. In his last 10 starts of last season, Woo failed to exceed 4.5 strikeouts only twice. FantasyPros’ daily projections have him for over five strikeouts.
A couple of days of only having a single hit causes Jazz Chisholm’s total base mark to move to only 0.5. After a scorching opening series, he has cooled a bit recently, going 3-for-17 in his last four games.
He has spaced those hits out and has still beaten this mark in three out of five games in April. FantasyPros’ daily projections are very bullish on this higher selection, with Chisholm projected for 1.45 hits.
Subscribe: YouTube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | iHeart | Castbox | Amazon Music | Podcast Addict | SoundCloud | TuneIn
