MLB DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Sunday (6/4)

Saturday’s slate was full of hits and misses. That’s typical for most baseball cards because this is the most volatile sport to discuss from a DFS perspective. The best players in baseball will go hitless in nearly a quarter of their games, and great pitchers will get blown up a handful of times throughout the year. That’s why we love this sport, because it’s fun to estimate when those inconsistencies will happen. With that in mind, let’s dive into this Sunday slate.

Starting Pitcher Rankings

Starting Pitcher Strategy

We had some volatile options on Saturday’s card, and that’s the case again here. We actually don’t have any solidifiable aces, with the top-notch option having his worst season in some time. We’re betting on him bouncing back here, so let’s start with the reigning NL Cy Young winner.

Cash Game Recommendations:

Sandy Alcantara (MIA) vs. OAK

Sandy is struggling a bit, but this guy is too good to fade in this matchup. The 2022 Cy Young winner had a 2.28 ERA and 0.98 WHIP last season and should be able to recapture that form against Oakland. The A’s rank last in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA, and xwOBA since the start of last year, and possess the ugliest lineup in MLB. That’s why Alcantara is a -200 favorite in this game, with Oakland projected to score just three runs.

Joe Ryan (MIN) vs. CLE

Ryan is coming off a rough start, but he has been one of the best pitchers in the AL. The right-hander still has a 2.77 ERA and 1.00 WHIP despite that dud start, scoring at least 28 FanDuel points in each of his first 10 outings. He should be able to start a new streak against Cleveland, with the Guardians ranked 28th in runs scored and last in wOBA. In their three matchups last season, Ryan registered a 1.83 ERA and 0.86 WHIP against them.

GPP Recommendations:

Michael Kopech (CWS) vs. DET

Kopech has been a disappointment for most of his career, but he’s found something over the last month. The righty has a 2.25 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, and 12.8 K.9 rate over his last four starts. Those are the studly numbers we saw when he was in the bullpen, and he’s always had the stuff to be an ace. That elite form should continue against Detroit, with the Tigers ranked bottom three in runs scored, OPS, and wOBA. In their last matchup, Kopech collected 11 Ks across six scoreless innings!

Tyler Wells (BAL) at SF

Wells is leading MLB in WHIP, and it’s hard to understand why he remains so affordable. He’s got a 3.29 ERA and 0.83 WHIP, scoring at least 24 FD points in eight straight starts. That stellar form should continue in a pitcher’s park like Oracle, especially since the Giants don’t have many bats that scare us.

Top Lineup Stacks

Philadelphia Phillies (vs. Trevor Williams)

• Road (Nationals Park)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9 Runs/PHI -160

The Phillies have been one of the most disappointing lineups in the league, but it’s just a matter of time before these studs start clicking. A matchup with Trevor Williams might be the way to get them going, with T-Will tallying a 4.64 ERA and 1.40 WHIP since 2019. Many of these Philly bats have pummelled Williams throughout their careers, and we’ll dive into that later on!

Chicago White Sox (vs. Matthew Boyd)

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

Boyd used to be a good pitcher, but something has been off with him this season. The left-hander has a 5.96 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. You might be worried about stacking the Sox with their lackluster averages, but this team is full of dangerous righties. That’s terrible news for Boyd. In 17 career starts against Chicago, Boyd has a 5.31 ERA and 1.54 WHIP.

Core Studs

• Alvarez is the best pure hitter in baseball. The slugger is flirting with a .400 OBP and 1.000 OPS throughout his career. That’s essentially what we’ve seen this season, with Alv amassing 15 homers and 50 RBI. He also gets the platoon advantage against Griffin Canning, compiling a 4.89 ERA and 1.30 WHIP.
• Big Pete is one of the best power hitters in the sport, leading the league with 20 bombs. He’s got 166 homers since 2019, which is the top mark in baseball. We could see one of those dingers here since he faces a subpar southpaw, with Yusei Kikuchi collecting a 4.47 ERA and 1.40 WHIP.
• The Phillies have struggled this season, but it’s no fault of Harper. This perennial All-Star has a .404 OBP and .867 OPS in a typical year. He’s usually closer to a 1.000 OPS, and he’s an easy play if we want to stack Philly. The Phillies are projected to score five runs in this game, and Harper should be the catalyst in the heart of their lineup.
• We had Perez in here yesterday, and we’re going right back to the well. We discussed how the catcher has had an OPS over 1.000 across the last month. He’s also been destroying left-handers, generating a .893 OPS against them over the last three years. Kyle Freeland is starting to see his ERA inevitably freefall, totaling a 5.56 ERA and 1.46 WHIP across his last nine starts.
• Anderson has been atrocious since coming off the IL, but this guy will get it going. He’s always one of the frontrunners to lead the league in batting average, and a matchup with Matthew Boyd could get him back on track. In 43 at-bats against Boyd, TA has a .372 AVG and .698 SLG/

Value Plays/Punts

• Suzuki has been one of the biggest surprises this season. What’s made him so good are his splits, accruing a .467 OBP and .992 OPS against left-handers this year. This is a lackluster lefty he can exploit, with Ryan Weathers providing a 4.28 ERA and 1.37 WHIP.
• The Rockies are one of the worst teams in baseball, but McMahon has been scorching over the last two weeks. He’s homered in five of his last seven games, posting an OBP north of .500 in that span. It’s one of the best stretches of this guy’s career, and we’re not worried about him facing a righty with a 7.12 ERA and 1.62 WHIP.
• If we want to stack the Sox, Vaughn is one of the best cheap options on this team. He typically bats cleanup against left-handers, accumulating a .369 OBP and .835 OPS against them since 2020. He’s also got a 1.351 OPS across his last six outings and should never be this cheap with so much in his favor.
• Meneses can be considered a boring hitter, but this guy rakes. He’s batting over .300 since his call-up last season, posting a .312 AVG, .353 OBP, and .829 OPS. Those are exceptional averages from such an affordable player, and he gets the platoon advantage against Ranger Suarez‘s 7.13 ERA and 1.64 WHIP.
• Schwarber is in the GPP section because he’s barely batting .100 over the last month. That’s a horrific stretch, but we know this guy can go on homer binges. Facing a pitcher who he’s destroyed is a good way to start one of those hot streaks, with Schwarber sporting a .432 OBP, .774 SLG, and 1.206 OPS in 37 at-bats against Trevor Williams.

Hitter Strategy

We only had two offenses we wanted to stack on this slate because there are so many question marks going in. The first thing we’re going to do is build three-man stacks from the Phillies and White Sox. There’s plenty of value from those struggling teams, that you can do whatever else you want with the rest of your build. Some of the other teams we want to stack include the Rockies, Nationals, Mets, Marlins, Astros, and Angels. There’s a multitude of options from all of those teams to build around, and we really want to pair them with Alcantara.

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