After a successful slate on Saturday, we’ll keep rolling here. We have almost every team in action for this Sunday main slate, giving us plenty of options to pick from. There’s only a month remaining starting tomorrow, and it’s sad that baseball is winding down to an end. This is the best time to be a fan, though, so let’s take a look at this Sunday slate!
Starting Pitcher Rankings
PLAYER |
DK SALARY |
FD SALARY |
VALUE |
RISK |
Max Fried (ATL) vs. MIA |
$10,500 |
$10,300 |
Low |
Low |
Zac Gallen (ARI) vs. MIL |
$9,100 |
$10,500 |
Low |
Low |
George Kirby (SEA) at CLE |
$9,900 |
$9,200 |
Medium |
Medium |
Brady Singer (KC) at DET |
$8,400 |
$9,800 |
Medium |
Medium |
After a successful slate on Saturday, we’ll keep rolling here. We have almost every team in action for this Sunday main slate, giving us plenty of options to pick from. There’s only a month remaining starting tomorrow, and it’s sad that baseball is winding down to an end. This is the best time to be a fan, though, so let’s take a look at this Sunday slate!
Starting Pitcher Rankings
PLAYER |
DK SALARY |
FD SALARY |
VALUE |
RISK |
Max Fried (ATL) vs. MIA |
$10,500 |
$10,300 |
Low |
Low |
Zac Gallen (ARI) vs. MIL |
$9,100 |
$10,500 |
Low |
Low |
George Kirby (SEA) at CLE |
$9,900 |
$9,200 |
Medium |
Medium |
Brady Singer (KC) at DET |
$8,400 |
$9,800 |
Medium |
Medium |
Starting Pitcher Strategy
Yesterday’s slate was stacked with elite pitchers, but that’s not the case here. While we don’t have any frontline aces, there are plenty of promising pitchers in sensational spots. Many of these guys are youngsters that have been breaking out this year, and it’s imperative to bank on these sorts of pitchers for the final month of the season. With that in mind, let’s start with two of the hottest pitchers in baseball.
Cash Game Recommendations:
Max Fried (ATL) vs. MIA
Fried always flies under the radar, and it’s hard to understand why. This has been one of the best pitchers since his call-up, compiling a 2.56 ERA and 1.04 WHIP this season. Those ridiculous averages have carried Atlanta to their absurd second half, with Max allowing four runs or fewer in every start since the opener. Facing Miami is the best part of this, though, with the Marlins ranked 27th or 28th in runs scored, OBP and OPS. That has Fried as a -300 favorite in this spot.
Zac Gallen (ARI) vs. MIL
Gallen is wasting away in Arizona, and it’s sad because this is the hottest pitcher in the game. The Arizona righty has not allowed a run in five straight starts, posting a 10.2 K/9 rate in that superb stretch. That makes him impossible to fade no matter who he faces, and we’re certainly not worried about him playing a Milwaukee team that’s struggling to score right now.
GPP Recommendations:
George Kirby (SEA) at CLE
Kirby had one rough patch in the middle of the season, but he’s been fantastic outside of that. The rookie righty allowed seven runs to Baltimore two months ago but has a 2.65 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 9.6 K/9 rate in his other 18 starts this year. That’s tough to overlook since he has a 2.11 ERA and 1.03 WHIP across his last seven starts. Facing the Guardians is great, too, with Cleveland sitting 19th OBP and 26th in xwOBA while struggling to score in this series.
Brady Singer (KC) at DET
It’s been a rough season for the Royals, but Singer is amid a breakout year. The Royals righty has scored at least 46 FanDuel points in five of his last eight starts, generating a 2.34 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 9.9 K/9 rate in that span. That should go over well against Detroit, with the Motor City Kitties sitting bottom-three in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA, and xwOBA. In their two matchups this season, Singer is slinging a 39-point average on FD.
Top Lineup Stacks
Houston Astros (vs. Tucker Davidson)
I actually had a tough time picking teams to stack on this slate, but the Stros were a sinch. This is one of the best lineups in baseball, facing one of the worst pitchers. In fact, Tucker Davidson dons a 5.77 ERA and 1.78 WHIP this year. He’s only in this rotation because of the injuries in LA, and it makes the Astros the best stack on the board.
Cincinnati Reds (vs. Jose Urena)
It’s risky to stack a team like Cincy, but anyone facing Urena is a good option right now. The Rockies righty has an 8.44 ERA and 1.85 WHIP across his last eight starts. That’s why he’s been traveling from team to team, and pitching in a place like Great American certainly won’t help his subpar averages.
New York Mets (vs. Erick Fedde)
We had the Mets in here on Saturday, and we’re going right back to the well. Washington possesses one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball, and Fedde is another one of those fantastic matchups. The Nats starter has a 5.29 ERA and 1.56 WHIP this year, surrendering six runs to the A’s in his most recent outing. That’s the worst lineup in the sport, and we don’t expect him to get any better against a Top-5 Mets offense.
Core Studs
POS |
PLAYER |
DK SALARY |
FD SALARY |
2B |
Jose Altuve (HOU) |
$5,900 |
$4,100 |
3B |
Alex Bregman (HOU) |
$5,400 |
$3,600 |
SS |
Corey Seager (TEX) |
$5,400 |
$4,200 |
3B |
Rafael Devers (BOS) |
$5,800 |
$4,000 |
1B |
Christian Walker (ARI) |
$4,300 |
$3,400 |
- The Stros are the best stack on the slate, which means Altuve needs to be one of the top options on the board. He bats atop this dominant lineup, providing a .333 AVG, .414 OBP, .608 SLG, and 1.022 OPS across his last 13 games. He’s been unbelievable against lefties all year, too, accruing a .397 OBP, .667 SLG, and 1.063 OPS against them.
- We already discussed how bad Davidson has been this season, and it makes the Bregman-Altuve duo one of the best two-man stacks out there. Bregman has been bludgeoning lefties throughout his career, flirting with a .400 OBP and .900 OPS against them. That’s scary when you look at his recent form, with Alex amassing a .441 OBP and 1.117 OPS across his last 33 games.
- Seager is on his way to set career-highs in every power metric, living up to his lofty contract. The slugging shortstop has 29 dingers this season, generating a .301 AVG, .378 OBP, .570 SLG, and .948 OPS since July 4. He’s also been much better against righties, and we love a matchup with a pitcher who’s got a 5.47 ERA and 1.42 WHIP.
- Devers is in a bit of a slump right now, but this is a .300 AVG, .400 OBP, .500 SLG, and .900 OPS guy. That’s what we’ve seen throughout his career, and he’s got even better numbers against right-handers. In fact, Devers dons a .920 OPS against them this year.
- Walker is quietly having a monster season from a power perspective. The mashing first baseman leads Arizona with 31 homers and 75 RBI, totaling a 1.542 OPS across his last five games. That’s terrible news for a struggling southpaw like Jason Alexander, accumulating a 4.97 ERA and 1.55 WHIP this year. Walker has walloped lefties, too, posting a .920 OPS against them this year.
Value Plays/Punts
POS |
PLAYER |
DK SALARY |
FD SALARY |
OF |
Anthony Santander (BAL) |
$5,100 |
$3,000 |
OF |
Charlie Blackmon (COL) |
$4,700 |
$2,700 |
OF |
Jake Fraley (CIN) |
$3,100 |
$3,000 |
1B |
Daniel Vogelbach (NYM) |
$4,100 |
$2,400 |
OF |
Corey Dickerson (STL) |
$2,300 |
$2,200 |
- Not many people talk about Santander, but this dude has been raking in the three-hole of this underrated O’s lineup. He’s up to 25 homers for the year, producing a .933 OPS across his last 14 games. That makes these salaries hard to believe, making him a great pairing with Mullins.
- It’s tough to trust Blackmon with how he’s swinging the bat, but we always like him against right-handed pitching. Since 2016, Charlie is just shy of a .400 OBP and .900 OPS against righties. He’s also thrived from hitting in a ballpark like Coors Field, and Great American is the closest park to that hitter-friendly field. Not to mention, he faces a journeyman like Chase Anderson, allowing eight runs across 2.1 innings in his limited time this year.
- It’s easy to find value on a team like Cincy, with Fraley looking like a fantastic option. The breakout outfielder has been hitting leadoff for this team, tallying a .386 OBP, .600 SLG, and .986 OPS across his last 21 games. Most of that damage has come with the platoon advantage in his favor, providing a .883 OPS against righties this year. We obviously adore all of that against Urena.
- Vogelbach is becoming a cult hero in NY, and he will be a major piece for them going forward. The big man is strictly a platoon player, but a .377 OBP and .899 OPS against righties are hard to argue with. That usually earns him a prominent spot in this dominant Mets lineup, and he could be a great salary-saver in this elite stack.
- Dickerson has been one of the hottest players in baseball, and he’s tough to fade with such dominant BvP numbers. In 44 at-bats against Marcus Stroman, Corey has collected a .432 AVG, .750 SLG, and 1.194 OPS. That’s terrifying for Stroman, with Dickerson donning a .500 AVG and 1.235 OPS across his last nine games.
Hitter Strategy
This slate should be a breeze for lineup construction. We have a ton of value at pitcher and in the hitting pool, allowing us to do whatever we want. The first thing I want to do is get a few Astros into my stack and then build from there. I’d love to mix in the Mets and Orioles with the Stros and then throw in some bats from the Reds-Rockies showdown. There’s an immense value from all of those, and you should be able to squeeze in whatever pitchers you please!
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Joel Bartilotta is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Joel, check out his archive and follow him @Bartilottajoel.