This could be a wild week. We have the trade deadline approaching in the coming days, and there will surely be moves every day from here on out. It remains to be seen how impactful those moves are from a DFS perspective, but it’s something you need to keep an eye on going forward.

Starting Pitcher Rankings

Starting Pitcher Strategy

This is an ugly slate for pitching. I actually had trouble even finding four players that I wanted to recommend, but after some extensive research, I filled out the final two spots with some crafty arms in some good spots. There is one ace toeing the rubber, and he’s the best play of the day. With that in mind, let’s start there!

Cash Game Recommendations:

Joe Musgrove (SD) vs. MIN

Musgrove has taken his game to another level this season, and he’s one of the frontrunners for the NL Cy Young. The right-hander has a 2.63 ERA and 0.99 WHIP, scoring at least 34 FanDuel points in 14 of his 17 starts. His home numbers are even more impressive, posting a 2.20 ERA and 0.93 WHIP at Petco Park. The oddsmakers agree, making Musgrove a -150 favorite, with Minnesota projected for just 3.5 runs.

Carlos Carrasco (NYM) at MIA

Cookie Carrasco’s season-long numbers don’t jump off the page, but he’s been better than they’d indicate. The veteran righty has a 1.21 ERA and 1.39 WHIP across his last four starts, scoring at least 18 FD points in 15 of his 19 starts. He’s got a 2.42 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in those outings, and he should be able to do that against a 25th-ranked Marlins lineup that’s missing Jazz Chisholm.

GPP Recommendations:

Ranger Suarez (PHI) at PIT

Ranger has had a disastrous season, but he’s starting to turn things around. The Phillies lefty has a 2.85 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over his last seven starts. That’s the stud southpaw we saw last season, with Suarez slinging a 1.36 ERA and 1.00 WHIP. That form should be easy to find against this putrid Pirates offense, with Pittsburgh ranked bottom-three in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA, and K rate.

Johnny Cueto (CWS) vs. OAK

I never thought Cueto would find himself in this article in the year 2022, but here we are! The crafty veteran has a 2.89 ERA and 1.19 WHIP for the year, allowing three runs or fewer in all but one outing. That’s the All-Star we used to love, and his goofy mechanics should work well against the A’s. Oakland ranks 29th or 30th in runs scored, OBP, OPS, and xwOBA. That’s why Cueto is a -180 favorite in this magical matchup!

Top Lineup Stacks

Los Angeles Dodgers (vs. Kyle Freeland)

• Road (Coors Field)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 11 Runs/LAD -225

The Dodgers hitting in Coors Field sounds like a disaster for the Rockies. LA is projected for 6.5 runs in this spot, the highest team total on the slate. It’s no surprise since they’re Top-3 in almost every offensive metric, and we certainly don’t expect Kyle Freeland to slow them down. The lefty has a 4.64 ERA and 1.36 WHIP in a typical Freeland season.

Atlanta Braves (vs. Corbin Martin)

• Home (Truist Park)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9.5Runs/ATL -230

Atlanta has been a top offense since the opening month, and there’s no way Corbin Martin will hold them down. The rookie righty has a 3.93 ERA and 1.64 WHIP this season and now has a 6.94 ERA and 1.90 WHIP for his career. His Triple-A numbers were nothing special either, and it has Atlanta projected for over five runs here.

St. Louis Cardinals (vs. Erick Fedde)

• Road (Nationals Park)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9 Runs/STL -160

The Cardinals had to play without Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado in Toronto, but they should be back to full health here. That makes them one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball, and facing a guy like Erick Fedde is a fantastic matchup. The Nationals righty has a 4.95 ERA and 1.54 WHIP this year.

Core Studs

• Mookie has been one of the best options in fantasy all season. He’s one of the league leaders in fantasy points and is tough to fade atop the highest-projected lineup on this slate. He’s rolling right now, too, flirting with a 1.000 OPS over the last three months of play.
• Olson was slow to get going in his first month with the Braves, but he’s hitting his stride right now. The former Oakland first baseman has homered in seven of his last 12 games, generating a .261 AVG, .761 SLG, and 1.081 OPS in that span. He’s always been much better against righties too, and should undoubtedly clobber a pitcher like Corbin Martin.
• Alonso is leading baseball in RBI, and he’s been doing severe damage in the heart of this Mets lineup all season. The big man has a .406 AVG, .487 OBP, .813 SLG, and 1.300 OPS over his last nine games. That looks even better since he faces Nick Neidert, who’s making his season debut for the injured Trevor Rogers.
• Alvarez is scorching right now. The Astros DH has 13 homers over his last 27 games, falling just shy of a .450 OBP and 1.300 OPS in that span. That absurd form makes him tough to avoid against Chris Flexen, who’s got a 3.75 ERA and 1.37 WHIP. It also gives the platoon advantage to Yordan, accruing a .444 OBP, .766 SLG, and 1.210 OPS against right-handers this year.
• Goldschmidt is the frontrunner for NL MVP, and he’s a safe bet on every slate. The former MVP has a .335 AVG, .417 OBP, .619 SLG, and 1.039 OPS for the year. He’s been even more absurd recently, accumulating a 1.751 OPS over the last four fixtures.

Value Plays/Punts

• Eloy is one of the most talented hitters in our sport, and it’s just a matter of time before he gets going. The slugging outfielder is shy of a .250 ISO and .500 SLG for his career, and many experts believe that’s his floor. We love that since he’s homered in two of the last three games, particularly against a pitcher with a 9.40 ERA and 1.72 WHIP across his previous five starts.
• Schwarber could lead the NL in homers, making him one of the best GPP plays on every slate. He’s barely got his season average above .200, but he’s got 32 dingers on the year. In fact, nine of his last 13 hits have gone over the fence, and it’s clear he’s selling out for power. He’s also been much more effective against righties, and it’s not like we’re concerned about him facing a pitcher with a 5.49 ERA and 1.62 WHIP across 265 innings.
• I always like using Ruf against left-handers. He typically bats third or fourth for the Giants in these circumstances, collecting a .382 OBP and .949 OPS against southpaws since 2020. That’s over 300 at-bats of dominance, and we love that he faces Drew Smyly’s 4.92 ERA and 1.41 WHIP since 2019.
• Walsh is having a disastrous season in LA, but this pricing seems nuts. This lefty masher has played at an All-Star level in the past, providing an OPS north of .900 against right-handers. That makes him an immense value below $3,500 on both sites, particularly since he faces a pitcher with a 5.37 ERA and 1.46 WHIP.
• It’s hard to get excited about Ozuna with how he’s been playing, but the hard-hit numbers are still there. He’s got 18 homers and is still posting dominant hard-hit averages. That makes him the best cheap option among this Atlanta stack, which is imperative against an inexperienced pitcher like Martin.

Hitter Strategy

The pitching landscape on this slate is repulsive, but there are so many high-end hitters that we adore. We’ll pay up at hitting and try to ride some of these cheaper pitchers. My favorite strategy is to stack the Braves and Cardinals, mixing some Coors Field bats with those teams. Those aren’t the only offenses we like, though, with the Giants, White Sox, Rangers, Angels, Phillies, and Astros all in sensational spots as well.

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Whether you’re new to fantasy baseball or a seasoned pro, our Fantasy Baseball 101: Strategy Tips & Advice page is for you. You can get started with our Sabermetrics Glossary or head to a more advanced strategy – like Maximizing Your Potential in Multi-Lineup Contests – to learn more.

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