If you’re like me, many of you will be doing your fantasy football drafts this weekend. We’re still grinding away in baseball, though, and this is one of the best times to play. People are getting back into DFS with NFL right around the corner, and it’s making the tournaments easier to cash in. Many amateurs are playing, and anyone reading this should have an edge on those types of players.

Starting Pitcher Rankings

Starting Pitcher Strategy

This slate is stacked with great pitching options. It wasn’t easy to narrow it down to four guys, but we found some great pitchers in some fantastic spots. That means it will be imperative to pay up for pitching because we have a ton of value in the hitter’s pool. With that said, let’s get started with one of the biggest acquisitions at the trade deadline!

Cash Game Recommendations:

Luis Castillo (SEA) vs. CLE

Castillo was always a great pitcher in Cincy, but he’s become an ace since joining Seattle. The right-hander has scored at least 40 FanDuel points in eight of his last nine starts, tallying a 2.26 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 10.6 K/9 rate in that span. Cleveland is far from a concerning matchup, sitting 26th in wOBACON and 24th in xwOBA.

Yu Darvish (SD) at KC

Darvish missed his start on Tuesday for the birth of his child, but the ace is expected to return to the mound here. Yu has been one of the most reliable pitchers in baseball, scoring at least 31 FanDuel points in 13 straight starts. He’s also got a 2.95 ERA, 0.92 WHIP, and 10.1 K/9 rate in that span. Those averages make him a fantastic option against Kansas City, with the Royals ranked 24th in runs scored and 25th in OPS.

GPP Recommendations:

Brandon Woodruff (MIL) vs. CHC

Woodruff has been one of the best pitchers over the last three years, posting a 2.94 ERA and 1.02 WHIP since 2020. That’s right on par with his recent form, amassing a 2.55 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 10.7 K/9 rate across his last 13 starts. He clobbered the Cubs in five matchups last season, totaling a 0.64 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and 10.6 K/9 rate against them.

Sonny Gray (MIN) vs. SF

Not many people talk about Gray among the best pitchers in the league, but this dude has been a stud for most of his career. He’s actually amid one of his best stretches, generating a 1.93 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and 10.5 K/9 rate across his last six starts. He should be able to keep that going against the Giants, with San Fran sporting one of the worst lineups in baseball.

Top Lineup Stacks

New York Mets (vs. Kyle Freeland)

• Home (Citi Field)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 8 Runs/NYM -250

The Mets are leading the NL in most offensive categories, and they’ve been even better against left-handers. It’s easy to see why, when looking at the lineup, rostering righty bats like Pete Alonso, Starling Marte, Mark Canha, Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, and Darin Ruf. Those guys should exploit Freeland’s freefalling 4.93 ERA and 1.42 WHIP.

New York Yankees (vs. Adam Oller)

• Road (Oakland Coliseum)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 8 Runs/NYY -230

This could be a rough outing for Oller. The Yankees have one of the best lineups in baseball, and Oller has an atrocious 6.41 ERA and 1.69 WHIP. That’s terrible news since Giancarlo Stanton is back, with the Yankees dropping 13 runs against the A’s on Thursday. All of that has them projected for more than five runs in this fantastic spot.

Houston Astros (vs. Dean Kremer)

• Home (Minute Maid Park)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9 Runs/HOU -180

Dean Kremer isn’t horrible, but a 1.30 WHIP won’t sit well against the Stros. This offense is top-5 in almost every offensive statistic and is projected for one of the highest team totals on this slate. Don’t be afraid for a full stack, including studs like Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez, and Alex Bregman.

Core Studs

• Judge has been the best player in DFS this season, and he’s the best play on every slate. He’s leading the league with 100 runs and 48 dingers, homering in nearly every other game. That’s outstanding against a pitcher like Oller!
• Big Pete is leading the NL in RBI, and we can’t fade him against a lefty like Freeland. The Mets first baseman has a .385 OBP and .875 OPS against left-handers this year, homering against the Rockies on Thursday. If we expect this offense to go off, Pete needs to be the first piece to your stack.
• Alvarez might be the best pure hitter in baseball. This dude has a .292 AVG, .380 OBP, .586 SLG, and .967 OPS throughout his four-year career. He’s been even better this season, getting his OPS north of 1.000. That form should continue against Dean Kremer, with Alv accruing a .405 OBP and 1.037 OPS against right-handers this year.
• Machado is in the MVP running, and he continues to do damage in the heart of this Padres lineup. He’s got a .890 OPS for the year while providing a 1.062 OPS across his last 14 games. That doesn’t even consider that he faces a call-up for the Royals, who will surely struggle with this potent Padres lineup.
• Cutch has quietly had a bounce-back year in Milwaukee, and he’s always a dangerous option with the platoon advantage in his favor. Since 2020, the former MVP has a .368 OBP and .924 OPS against left-handers. Drew Smyly is amid a great stretch, but this dude has been flirting with a 5.00 ERA since 2016.

Value Plays/Punts

• Not enough people realize just how good Fraley has been. The Reds leadoff hitter has a .267 AVG, .356 OBP, .556 SLG, and .911 OPS against right-handers this year. Paolo Espino can be exploited, too, establishing a 4.31 ERA and 1.31 WHIP.
• It’s hard to understand why these DFS sites keep Mancini’s price so low. This masher has been a stud since putting on a Stros uniform, tallying a .547 SLG and .843 OPS across his last 22 games. This is one of the only Houston players you can get for cheap, making him an excellent pairing with Yordan.
• Donaldson is flirting with a .400 OBP and .900 OPS against left-handers throughout his career. That’s great news since he has a .800 OPS over the last month, finding his form in the heart of this Yanks lineup. Much like Mancini, this is the best salary-saver in this stack.
• Ruf is strictly a platoon player, but he’s an easy choice whenever New York faces a left-hander. Since 2020, Ruf has registered a .375 OBP, .547 SLG, and .922 OPS against lefties. That should earn him a prominent spot in this lineup, and he should keep that success going against Freeland.
• It’s been a rough year for Dickerson, but he had 10 hits in 10 at-bats earlier in the week. That means he’s seeing the ball well right now, which makes him impossible to fade with his BvP numbers. In 20 at-bats against Charlie Morton, Corey has compiled a .500 OBP, .778 SLG, and 1.278 OPS.

Hitter Strategy

There are some amazing hitting options that are far too cheap. We love that because the pitching pool is full of expensive options. That means we’re going to start our build with some high-end aces and then fill it with numerous of these value bats. As long as we do that, you should be able to stack the Astros and Yankees at ease. That’s the best route to take, with the Mets and Padres in great 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.