MLB DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Sunday (8/28)

After a successful day on Saturday, we’re ready to keep rolling. This Sunday card doesn’t quite have the pitching pool we saw on Saturday, but there’s still plenty of value out there. We have all but four teams making up the main card, and it should leave us with plenty of options to pick from. With that in mind, let’s get started with the pitching!

Starting Pitcher Rankings

Starting Pitcher Strategy

We had too many pitchers to pick from on Saturday, but that’s not the case here. With that said, we do have two great cash-game options and then two attractive GPP options. All of these guys are in brilliant spots, though, and mixing and matching them is the best way to go. We didn’t have room for Justin Verlander against Baltimore, but he’s a great pay-up option as well! With that in mind, let’s get started with the two aces!

Cash Game Recommendations:

Max Scherzer (NYM) vs. COL

It’s sickening that Scherzer and Jacob deGrom are on the same pitching staff. That’s why this is my World Series pick because Mad Max is one of the best arms in baseball. The perennial All-Star has a 2.33 ERA and 0.94 WHIP this season, striking out 137 batters across 115 innings. That’s rough for a Rockies team that never scores outside of Coors Field, with Max and the Mets entering this matchup as a -350 favorite.

Dylan Cease (CWS) vs. ARI

Cease is leading all starters in K rate, and he’s had one of the best seasons of any pitcher in the AL. The right-hander has a 1.27 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 10.8 K/9 rate since the end of May. Those absurd averages should continue against the Diamondbacks, with Arizona sitting 21st in OPS, 22nd in OBP, and 24th in wOBACON.

GPP Recommendations:

Nick Lodolo (CIN) at WAS

The season-long numbers from Lodolo are lackluster, but this lefty could be a stud in the making. He had a 2.85 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in the minors, posting an 11.7 K/9 rate since his debut. That strikeout ability makes him a great option in DFS, particularly against a Washington team that traded away Juan Soto and Josh Bell. That offense was 24th in scoring before that move, and they might have the worst lineup in baseball without those mashers.

Noah Syndergaard (PHI) vs. PIT

Thor is not the ace we saw in his Mets days, but he’s starting to find it with his new team. Syndergaard has a 3.77 ERA and 1.23 WHIP for the year, going at least seven innings in back-to-back starts. That form makes him a fantastic option against this putrid Pittsburgh offense, with the Pirates ranked bottom-three in runs scored, OBP, OPS, xwOBA, and K rate. We don’t mind that Thor enters this matchup as a -300 favorite, either.

Top Lineup Stacks

Cincinnati Reds (vs. Patrick Corbin)

• Home (Nationals Park)
• Value: High
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9 Runs/CIN -120

Why is Corbin still in an MLB rotation? This has been the worst pitcher in baseball this season, posting a 6.81 ERA and 1.81 WHIP. It’s not like the Reds have a daunting lineup, but any team is a good option against Corbin. We also like that Cincy has a ton of cheap bats, making them one of the most profitable stacks on the board.

Toronto Blue Jays (vs. Tucker Davidson)

• Home (Rogers Centre)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9 Runs/TOR -230

If you’re looking for the best stack on the board, this is your play. The Blue Jays have one of the best lineups in baseball, featuring numerous righty mashers. That’s sensational against a southpaw like Tucker Davidson, donning a 6.23 ERA and 1.75 WHIP. All of that has Toronto projected for nearly six runs!

New York Yankees (vs. Zach Logue)

• Road(Oakland Coliseum)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 8 Runs/NYY -250

The Yankees have been crushing Oakland throughout this series, and this offense should keep smashing here. The A’s are sending out Zach Logue, generating a 6.08 ERA and 1.40 WHIP this year. He also throws from the left side, which won’t go over well against righty bats like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton.

Core Studs

• Trout has been the best player in baseball for a decade, and he’s a safe play on every slate. His BvP numbers here are genuinely absurd, posting a .636 AVG, 1.546 SLG, and 2.213 OPS in 12 at-bats against Ross Stripling. That’s truly ridiculous for a perennial MVP candidate with a .400 career OBP and 1.000 career OPS.
• Judge is the clear frontrunner for AL MVP, and he’s the safest play on the board against a subpar southpaw like Logue. The Bronx Bomber is leading baseball with 103 runs, 49 homers, and 106 RBI. To put it simply, Judge is the best bet on the board to homer.
• If we like these bludgeoning Blue Jays, we have to love Vlad. The 2021 AL MVP runner-up has been scorching recently, generating a .324 AVG, .559 SLG, and .928 OPS across his last 35 games. That’s great since he has the platoon advantage here, and it’ll be profitable to stack the Jays and Yanks on this slate.
• Many people will be using Manny Machado, but Drury is an excellent alternative with a cheaper price tag. The deadline acquisition has been slaughtering southpaws all season, amassing a .299 AVG, .615 SLG, and .946 OPS against them. Daniel Lynch certainly won’t slow him down, posting a 4.58 ERA and 1.52 WHIP.
• Bregman is the best value in this Houston stack. The former All-Star has a .372 AVG, .450 OBP, .723 SLG, and 1.174 OPS since sitting on July 27. That makes his salary way too cheap, and he should be able to duplicate that against a pitcher with a 4.73 ERA and 1.44 WHIP.

Value Plays/Punts

• India has been in and out of the lineup with differing ailments, but this dude is a stud whenever he’s healthy. The 2021 NL Rookie of the Year has a .278 AVG, .342 OBP, .486 SLG, and .828 OPS across his last 39 games. The best part is that he gets the platoon advantage against Corbin atop this dangerous Cincy stack.
• It’s tough to find Toronto players that are cheap, but Chapman is the best value of the bunch. The Gold Glover has a .277 AVG, .359 OBP, .595 SLG, and .954 OPS across his last 41 games. He’s also got a career OPS of nearly .850 against left-handers. It should be easy to add to that against a terrible pitcher like Davidson.
• Javy has had a rough debut season in Detroit, but he continues to mash left-handers. In fact, Javy has a .306 AVG, .500 SLG, and .814 OPS, with the platoon advantage in his favor this season. We’re not worried about him facing a southpaw with a 4.42 ERA and 1.53 WHIP.
• Don’t look now, but Donaldson is starting to get hot. The former MVP has always crushed left-handers throughout his career, and he comes into this matchup with a .341 OBP and .820 OPS across his last 20 games. This is one of the only salary-savers in this New York lineup.
• Joc was clearly dealing with an injury after making the All-Star team, but he’s been hot since coming off the IL. The former Dodger has a multi-hit game in three of his last five outings, providing a .341 OBP, .508 SLG, and .849 OPS against right-handers this year. Aaron Sanchez has been awful for the Twins, too, totaling a 7.36 ERA and 1.69 WHIP.

Hitter Strategy

Lineup construction is going to be fascinating on this slate. The first thing we’re going to do is pair one of the stud pitchers with one of the value guys. That should allow you to do whatever you want with the hitters because the Blue Jays and Yankees are the two best stacks on the board. I fully anticipate those offenses flirting with double-digit runs, and it would be hard to imagine one of these stacks not being in the optimal lineup.

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