This is a strange weekend from a baseball perspective. We have a series in London and that always causes chaos from a DFS standpoint. The good news is that those Cardinals and Cubs matchups are early in the day, so we don’t need to consider them as part of the main slate. Everything else is in play, though, with the other 28 teams in action. That means there’s a ton to discuss, so let’s start with the premier pitchers!

Starting Pitcher Rankings

Starting Pitcher Strategy

Oof! This is a horrible slate for pitching. Finding four guys we wanted to recommend was impossible, and many of our picks have been volatile all season. Michael Wacha was ready to go as our fourth recommendation, but he was scratched to give him some rest. That will inevitably happen, but it’ll likely open the door for plenty of options on tomorrow’s slate. With that said, we still like these three guys, so let’s start with one of the best pitchers in the AL Central.

Cash Game Recommendations:

Pablo Lopez (MIN) at DET

Lopez was unstoppable to start the year, but he’s been struggling recently. In any case, the right-hander has scored at least 27 FanDuel points in 12 of his 15 starts this year, tallying a 1.14 WHIP and 11.0 K/9 rate. Those are fantastic averages, and it should be easy to duplicate against Detroit. The Motor City Kitties rank 27th in OBP, 29th in runs scored, 26th in K rate, and 28th in xwOBA.

Jose Berrios (TOR) vs. OAK

Berrios has been bad the last two years, but something has changed over the last two months. The Toronto righty has a 2.62 ERA and 1.16 WHIP across his last nine starts. That’s the stud we saw in Minnesota, and it should be easy to carry that form over against the A’s. Oakland ranks dead-last in OBP, runs scored, wOBA, and xwOBA since the start of last season. That’s why Berrios enters this matchup as a -260 favorite.

GPP Recommendations:

Freddy Peralta (MIL) at CLE

Peralta has struggled with his ERA this year, but he’s still flashed moments of brilliance. He’s got at least nine Ks in two of his last three starts, which is encouraging since he had a 3.08 ERA and 1.09 WHIP over the last two years. We’re willing to bet his 4.60 ERA and 1.32 WHIP creeps closer to those previous averages over the next few months, and a matchup with Cleveland is an excellent way to kickstart it. The Guardians rank 25th in OPS. 27th in runs scored and 28th in xwOBA.

Top Lineup Stacks

Toronto Blue Jays (vs. Hogan Harris)

• Home (Rogers Centre)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9 Runs/TOR -260

This A’s team has the worst pitching staff in baseball, posting an ERA above 6.00. That’s hard to even fathom, and Harris is one of their newest additions to this horrific rotation. He’s had a 5.03 ERA and 1.54 WHIP at Triple-A over the last two years but has never seen a lineup like this. Toronto is seventh in OBP and has one of the best top halves in MLB. That’s why they’re projected to score over five runs.

Tampa Bay Rays (vs. Jordan Lyles)

• Home (Tropicana Field)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9 Runs/TB -275

The Rays don’t have many big-name players, but this team rakes. They’re Top 3 in runs scored, OBP, SLG, and home runs this year. That’s scary for a pitcher like Jordan Lyles, who has a nightmarish 0-11 record this year. It’s no surprise he’s winless, accruing 5.20 ERA and 1.42 WHIP in his 12-year career. Why is he still starting in MLB?

Los Angeles Angels (vs. Chase Anderson)

• Road (Coors Field)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 12.5 Runs/LAA -170

Using any team in Coors Field is a treat. This is the most hitter-friendly environment in the game, and it has Los Angeles as the highest projected lineup on the slate. They’re projected to score six runs, and there’s no chance Anderson holds them below that. The journeyman allowed seven runs in his last start and has a 6.08 ERA and 1.43 WHIP over the last four years.

Core Studs

• It’s hard to believe what Ohtani is doing right now. His pitching is one thing, but he’s possibly the best hitter in the AL. The two-way player leads the league with 24 home runs, providing a .469 OBP, .924 SLG, and 1.393 OPS across his last 21 outings. That makes him terrifying in Coors Field, particularly against a journeyman righty like Anderson.
• Bo has quietly been one of the best players in fantasy this year. He always bats second in this bludgeoning Blue Jays lineup, totaling 14 homers, 38 runs, and 46 RBI. He also got an average above .300 and is tough to fade since he has a ..370 OBP, .588 SLG, and .959 OPS against left-handers this year.
• It sounds like Franco will make his return to action here, and you know this All-Star will be motivated to perform after getting benched. That’s what he’s been doing all season, ranked third among all shortstops with 9.4 DraftKings points per game. We already discussed how Lyles has an 0-11 record and ERA approaching 7.00, so Franco should feast with all of that in his favor.
• Soto got off to a slow start this season, but this perennial MVP candidate is crushing right now. The outfield slugger has a .460 OBP, .573 SLG, and 1.033 OPS since April 29. That’s the best OBP in baseball in that span, and we can’t overlook the fact that he has a .983 OPS against right0-handers this year.
• Seager is a sneaky pick for MVP. It’s unlikely that he’ll catch Ohtani for that award, but he’s third among all active players with 11.9 DK points per game. Being in the heart of this order and hitting over .350 will do that because he also has an OPS above 1.050. Getting the platoon advantage against Luis Severino is the icing on the cake, with the righty registering a 6.30 ERA and 1.57 WHIP.

Value Plays/Punts

• Raley has been an underrated stud for the Rays all year. This roster is full of those guys, but his 12 homers and eight steals have earned him the two-hole in this lineup. He’s also had his way with right-handers, accumulating a .368 OBP, .586 SLG, and .953 OPS against them. Raley has been raking recently, too, registering a 1.503 OPS across his last 23 outings.
• The Rockies have been a disaster this season, but it’s no fault of Jones. This rookie has been their best hitter over the last month, providing a .349 AVG, .429 OBP, .616 SLG, and 1.045 OPS. That doesn’t even consider his five steals across 25 games, which is huge since he gets the platoon advantage against a righty with a 4.40 ERA.
• Votto just made his season debut early in the week, and he’s already hot. He’s got three homers and seven RBI through four games, and it’s clear he’s benefiting from this revamped lineup. Hitting behind a guy like Elly De La Cruz opens everything up, and we can’t overlook that he faces a rookie righty with a 4.57 ERA and 1.38 WHIP.
• Not many of these Angels bats are a good value, but Renfroe is. This masher has a career ISO above .200 and should have at least one homer in Coors Field this weekend. We say that because he’s got a .477 SLG since the middle of April and faces one of the worst pitchers in the league here.
• Chapman has really struggled over the last month, but this matchup could get him back on track. Facing a rookie lefty is massive for a guy like Chapman, compiling a .481 OBP, .729 SLG, and 1.210 OPS against southpaws this year. Those are some of the most dominant splits in the game, and he’d be a key piece to a Blue Jays stack.

Hitter Strategy

There are two games that are going to be tough to fade. The Coors Field matchup between the Angels and Rockies is the first one, but we can’t overlook the Braves-Reds game too. There were 21 runs scored in that matchup yesterday, and it’s clear those offenses will put on a show in Great American Small Park. Stacking those four offenses will be tough with all of the salaries, but you should be able to pair them with some of the guys mentioned above!

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