Here we are with our second Sunday slate of the season. This is one of my favorite days to play DFS because we actually get confirmation on almost every team’s lineup. That’s a massive advantage in this racket, especially on Sundays. This is the day where many managers choose to rest players, and that’ll surely be the case after some extensive schedule in the opening two weeks.
Sunday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings
| PLAYER |
DK SALARY |
FD SALARY |
VALUE |
RISK |
| Zack Wheeler (PHI) at MIA |
$10,200 |
$10,200 |
Very High |
Very Low |
| Alek Manoah (TOR) vs. OAK |
$10,000 |
$10,000 |
High |
Low |
| Jose Urquidy (HOU) at SEA |
$8,600 |
$8,500 |
Medium |
Memiun |
| Nestor Cortes (NYY) at BAL |
$8,200 |
$8,400 |
Very Low |
Very High |
Sunday’s Starting Pitcher Strategy
We mentioned this yesterday, and the same rules apply. We’re dipping into the backend of these rotations, and it’s leaving us with some cheap options. That makes lineup construction much easier, but it also makes the slate much more volatile. There are a ton of lineups that we love, though, and we’ll mention all of those in the hitter strategy section later on!
Here we are with our second Sunday slate of the season. This is one of my favorite days to play DFS because we actually get confirmation on almost every team’s lineup. That’s a massive advantage in this racket, especially on Sundays. This is the day where many managers choose to rest players, and that’ll surely be the case after some extensive schedule in the opening two weeks.
Sunday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings
| PLAYER |
DK SALARY |
FD SALARY |
VALUE |
RISK |
| Zack Wheeler (PHI) at MIA |
$10,200 |
$10,200 |
Very High |
Very Low |
| Alek Manoah (TOR) vs. OAK |
$10,000 |
$10,000 |
High |
Low |
| Jose Urquidy (HOU) at SEA |
$8,600 |
$8,500 |
Medium |
Memiun |
| Nestor Cortes (NYY) at BAL |
$8,200 |
$8,400 |
Very Low |
Very High |
Sunday’s Starting Pitcher Strategy
We mentioned this yesterday, and the same rules apply. We’re dipping into the backend of these rotations, and it’s leaving us with some cheap options. That makes lineup construction much easier, but it also makes the slate much more volatile. There are a ton of lineups that we love, though, and we’ll mention all of those in the hitter strategy section later on!
Cash Game Recommendations:
Zack Wheeler (PHI) at MIA
Wheeler was one of the frontrunners for NL Cy Young last season, and he’s really taken his game to another level over recent years. He finished 2021 with a 2.79 ERA and 1.01 WHIP, striking out 247 batters across 213 innings. We love that against Miami, with the Marlins ranked 29th in both runs scored and xwOBA last season.
Alek Manoah (TOR) vs. OAK
Manoah had a breakout 2021 campaign, and if his first start is any indication, he’s on his way to superstardom. Alek threw six scoreless innings against an elite Yankees lineup, surrendering just one hit in that masterpiece. Going from New York’s lineup to Oakland’s is like facing a little league team, with the A’s projected to have the worst lineup in baseball. The oddsmakers agree, making Manoah a -250 favorite in this majestic matchup.
GPP Recommendations:
Jose Urquidy (HOU) at SEA
Not enough people realize how good this guy is. Urquidy has been one of the best damage limitation pitchers in baseball, posting a 1.01 WHIP for his career. That’s unbelievable in a 183-inning sample size, making it hard to believe he remains this cheap. Seattle has improved but sitting 22nd in runs scored and 23rd in xwOBA last season still makes them a solid matchup. He actually had at least 28 FanDuel points in two of their three meetings last season.
Nestor Cortes (NYY) at BAL
Cortes isn’t known much outside of New York, but he’s been fantastic when filling in. He had a 2.90 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 93 innings last season and threw 4.1 clean innings in his 2022 debut. That alone would make him a good value in this price range, and it seems more likely to continue with Baltimore ranked 25th in runs scored and 26th in xwOBA last season.
Top Lineup Stacks
Colorado Rockies (vs. Drew Smyly)
We actually thought Colorado would face Smyly on Saturday, but we’re going right back to the well with the southpaw getting pushed back. The lackluster lefty has a 5.12 ERA and 1.44 WHIP dating back to 2019, struggling with every lineup he faces. That’s not optimal in the highest-scoring ballpark in baseball, especially with Colorado projected for six runs. Guys like Kris Bryant, C.J. Cron, and Brendan Rodgers are all brilliant options from the right side.
Los Angeles Angels (vs. Martin Perez)
Stacking against Martin Perez has been a profitable endeavor for years. The left-hander has been pitching for a decade now, maintaining a 4.72 ERA and 1.48 WHIP for his career. That’s a long time posting averages like those, making him an easy target on every slate. The Angels thrive against lefties, too, sending out Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon, Jo Adell, and Max Stassi from the right side.
Toronto Blue Jays (vs. Adam Oller)
The Blue Jays probably have the best lineup in baseball. That makes them a worthy option in every slate, but they get to face a minor league pitcher here. Adam Oller was in Double-A this time last season and allowed five runs across 1.1 innings in his MLB debut. He’s just another terrible Oakland arm, and it’s why the Blue Jays are projected for nearly six runs in this sensational spot.
Core Studs
- If we like the Blue Jays, we have to love their best hitter. This isn’t just the best hitter in Toronto, though, because he’s quite possibly the best hitter in baseball. Vlad had a ridiculous 1.002 OPS last season and is off to a ridiculous start with a 1.306 OPS through the opening two weeks.
- Cron was in this section on Saturday, and we’re going right back to the well for all the same reasons. The slugging first baseman has a .371 OBP, .538 SLG, and .909 OPS since 2020. He’s been even more absurd against lefties, generating a .998 OPS against them in that same span.
- Anyone who watches baseball can tell you that Stanton is the best power hitter in baseball. He’s terrifying when he gets hot, and he’s certainly that with a .300 AVG and .500 SLG through the first two weeks of the season. He’s slaughtered southpaws throughout his career, too, flirting with a .400 OBP and 1.000 OPS against them since 2017.
- Cruz is another righty who crushes left-handed pitching. The 41-year-old has a .271 ISO, .384 OBP, and .953 OPS against lefties throughout his storied career. That’s 20 years of domination, making it hard to understand why he’s so affordable. This is far from a scary lefty, too, with Jose Quintana collecting a 5.05 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over the last four seasons.
Value Plays/Punts
- Righty mashers are a common theme in this article because they tend to crush weak left-handers. Go Figure! That’s definitely the case with Donaldson, maintaining a .383 OBP, .291 ISO and .945 OPS with the platoon advantage throughout his career. We love that since he’s in the heart of this Yankees lineup, facing a subpar southpaw with a 1.46 WHIP across 76 career innings.
- Choi is always a top target of mine when the Rays face a righty. He typically bats in the top-5 of this order in these circumstances, flirting with a .400 OBP and .900 OPS against righties throughout his career. This is a right-hander Tampa can exploit, too, with Vince Velasquez posting a 1.50 WHIP dating back to 2020.
- Witt has been terrible in his first two weeks, but it’s just a matter of time before he’s $1,000 more on each site. This is one of the top prospects in baseball, and he’s projected to be one of the best speed-power guys out there. That makes him a worthy shot in this price range, particularly with Detroit sending out Tyler Alexander and his 1.30 career WHIP.
- Garcia was falling in season-long drafts, and it’s hard to understand why everyone is sleeping on this guy. He had 31 homers, and 16 steals in a breakout rookie campaign and should only get better with this lineup improving around him. His matchup is tasty here, too, with Jose Suarez pitching to a 5.66 ERA and 1.48 WHIP in 186 career innings.
- Schwindel is my favorite Coors Field play of the day! This guy has crushed left-handed pitching in his short time at the majors, accruing a .329 AVG, .684 SLG, and 1.088 OPS in nearly 100 career at-bats against them. That makes him a heck of a value in this price range, and we love that he’s hitting in a friendly environment like Coors Field.
Sunday’s Hitter Strategy
There are numerous offenses that we want to use on this slate. The Angels, Rockies, and Blue Jays are all great options but don’t forget about the Yankees, Rays, White Sox, Rangers, Cubs, and Red Sox. All of those lineups have spectacular matchups, and any one of them can be paired with the starters we mentioned above!
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.