It saddens me to say this, but there are only two weeks left in the regular season. Next week’s articles will be our last of the year, and it’s been a fantastic run-up to this point. This is one of the best times to play DFS because there’s so much information to be gained by paying close attention to all of the news. Getting a leg up is key, and we hope this article will add another slight boost as well. With that in mind, let’s look at the pitchers!

Starting Pitcher Rankings

Starting Pitcher Strategy

We usually try to include some cheaper guys in here, but the pitching pool is ridiculous today. It feels like every ace is in an excellent spot, and it will be challenging to pick the right ones. It would be much easier if some of them had tougher opposition but look for all of these guys to go deep in these critical games. With that said, let’s kick things off with the best pitcher of my generation.

Cash Game Recommendations:

Clayton Kershaw (LAD) vs. STL

People always seem to write off Kershaw too early, but he’s amid another Cy Young season. The left-hander hasn’t pitched enough to capture that award, but a 2.39 ERA and 0.93 WHIP is truly absurd. That’s the stud we’ve seen for a decade now, with CK compiling a 1.69 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and 10.6 K/9 rate across his last five starts. The Cardinals would usually concern us, but they have just six runs across their last five games before Friday’s blowout.

Sandy Alcantara (MIA) vs. WAS

Alcantara looks like the favorite for NL Cy Young, leading the league with five complete games. That workhorse mentality has earned him a 2.37 ERA and 1.01 WHIP, scoring at least 31 FanDuel points in 22 of 30 starts. His numbers at home are even more tantalizing, totaling a 1.67 ERA and 0.69 WHIP in that spacious ballpark. We’re obviously not worried about him facing a Washington team who traded Juan Soto and Josh Bell. Alcantara has a complete game in his last two meetings with the Nats, allowing just two combined runs in their four matchups on the year.

GPP Recommendations:

Framber Valdez (HOU) at BAL

Valdez enters this matchup amid a league-best 23 straight quality starts. A run like that is impossible to fathom, especially since Framber has a 2.41 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 8.6 K/9 rate in that span. Valdez should have no issues adding to that streak here, facing a 26th-ranked Baltimore offense in one of the most pitcher-friendly ballparks around. That’s why he’s a -200 favorite in this spot!

Logan Gilbert (SEA) at KC

Gilbert just had the best start of his career earlier in the week. He had a career-best 11 punchouts across six one-run innings, giving him a 0.78 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, and 13.3 K/9 rate across his last four starts. This man worked out with Jacob deGrom in the offseason, and he’s the only other guy posting averages like those. Getting to face Kansas City is cruel, with the Royals ranked 24th in runs scored and 25th in wOBA.

Top Lineup Stacks

Seattle Mariners (vs. Kris Bubic)

• Road (Kauffman Stadium)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 8 Runs/SEA -190

It’s hard to understand why the Royals continue to send out Bubic. This left-hander has a 5.82 ERA and 1.71 WHIP for the year en route to a 2-13 record. That’s scary since he’s allowed 21 baserunners across 7.2 innings in his last two starts. Seattle has been a sneaky offense this season too, and they could be one of the best per-dollar stacks on the slate.

Chicago White Sox (vs. Drew Hutchinson)

• Home (Guaranteed Rate)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 8.5 Runs/CWS -1850

Hutchinson is another pitcher who shouldn’t be pitching at this level. The right-hander has a 4.59 ERA and 1.47 WHIP this year, totaling a 5.20 ERA and 1.51 WHIP since 2015. That should have these hot ChiSox bats swinging, scoring 5.2 runs per game since the beginning of the month.

San Diego Padres (vs. Chad Kuhl)

• Road (Coors Field)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 11 Runs/SD -200

The Padres offense has been a disaster since the big trade deadline, but this is still one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball. They should be able to find some form in Coors Field, surrendering the most runs in the sport. The oddsmakers love them here, projecting them to score the most runs on this slate. Getting to clobber Chad Kuhl in Coors is a significant reason why, with the Rockies righty registering an 8.53 ERA and 1.84 WHIP since the beginning of July.

Core Studs

• If the Padres are the safest stack of the day, that means we have to use Soto. This guy simply has the best eye in the world, establishing a .443 OBP and .967 OPS since 2019. That OBP is obviously the highest number in that span, producing even better splits against right-handers (1.021 OPS in that span).
• Alvarez really struggled with a hand issue after the All-Star break, but he’s back to raking recently. The Stros slugger has six homers and four doubles over the last 10 days, tallying a .488 OBP and 1.488 OPS in that span. He’s been playing like that for most of the season, generating a .402 OBP and 1.020 OPS. We’re not worried about a Baltimore pitcher with a 4.61 xFIP.
• Correa is quietly putting together a tremendous second half of the season. The former Houston shortstop has a .392 AVG, .442 OBP, .684 SLG, and 1.125 OPS across his last 19 games. His splits are superb, too, accruing a .400 OBP and .942 OPS against southpaws this season.
• Abreu’s price has been hovering in this range all season, and it’s tough to understand why. He’s sitting around a .310 AVG and .900 OPS since the opening month, posting elite RBI numbers once again. If we’re going to stack the Sox against Hutchinson, you have to use Abreu.

Value Plays/Punts

• France has been the straw that stirs the drink for Seattle, batting third in this tricky lineup. He’s struggled a bit since the break, but a .802 OPS since joining Seattle is hard to argue with. France has only faced Bubic eight times, but he has 1.607 OPS in those appearances, which is no surprise since he has the platoon advantage against the southpaw.
• Profar has been sneaky in this Padres lineup, leading off at times this season. We’re not sure he’ll do that here, but he gets the benefit of facing one of the worst pitchers in baseball. He’s been crushing Colorado all year, too, compiling a .326 AVG and .845 OPS through their first 10 meetings.
• Naylor always bats cleanup behind Jose Ramirez against righties, making it hard to understand why he remains so cheap. The feisty first baseman has a .284 AVG, .522 SLG, and .854 OPS against right-handers this year. This is one he can exploit, too, with Glenn Otto obtaining a 4.88 ERA and 1.37 WHIP.
• Berti is well on his way to winning the speed crown, leading the league with 37 steals. That earns him the leadoff spot in this Marlins lineup, scoring at least 38 FanDuel points two times in the last week. That sort of upside is hard to overlook from such an affordable player, especially since he’s facing a righty with a 5.29 ERA and 1.56 WHIP.
• A late-season resurgence from Andrus is not something I expected to see this season. The veteran shortstop has been leading off for the Sox, swinging a .343 AVG, .964 OPS, and seven steals across his last 24 games. That makes the price tag tough to understand, especially in such a magical matchup.

Hitter Strategy

This is a simple slate to break down.  We want to pay up at pitcher and save our salary at the hitting spots. There is so much value between all of these teams that it should make things relatively simple. The lineups we’re going to zone in on include the Rockies, Padres, White Sox, Astros, Marlins, Guardians, and Mariners. There’s plenty of value to pick from through all of these clubs, and even more will pop up once lineups are released.

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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.