MLB DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Sunday (9/17)

We only have two more Sundays after this! The final one is one of the worst slates of the season, though, because many teams rest players on that final day of the season. Luckily, almost every game matters until then, and we have a huge Sunday slate to break down here. With that said, let’s look at the pitchers for this Sunday slate!

Starting Pitcher Rankings

Starting Pitcher Strategy

I thought we’d have a letdown after the stacked slate yesterday, but we’re full of great pitchers once again. A handful of guys just missed the cut, with Reid Detmers, Logan Gilbert, Dylan Cease, Sonny Gray, and Carlos Rodon all looking like good options. Any one of them could have been selected, but we found four guys who are even better! With that in mind, let’s start with one of the best pitchers in the NL!

Cash Game Recommendations:

Brandon Woodruff (MIL) vs. WAS

Woodruff could be in line for some NL Cy Young votes if he weren’t injured earlier in the year. The Brewers righty has a 1.93 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in what’s been a sensational season. He’s also scored at least 34 FanDuel points in all but one start, which should be easy to reach against the Nationals. Woodruff enters this matchup as a -270 favorite, with Washington sitting 28th in xwOBA.

Framber Valdez (HOU) at KC

Valdez hasn’t been as crisp as we’ve seen in the past, but we don’t want to fade him in this matchup. The Royals rank bottom five in runs scored, OBP, OPS, and wOBA. That’s terrible news since Valdez leads all players in quality starts over the last three years, totaling a 3.32 ERA and 1.10 WHIP this year. All of that has Valdez entering this matchup as a -250 favorite!

GPP Recommendations:

Charlie Morton (ATL) at MIA

Uncle Charlie got off to a slow start this season, but this veteran has been a different guy in the second half. Over his last six starts, Morton has maintained a 1.85 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 11.9 K/9 rate. That remarkable run should continue against Miami, with the Marlins ranked 24th in OBP and 27th in runs scored. In their two matchups this season, Charlie has compiled a 0.71 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, and 9.9 K/9 rate.

Pedro Avila (SD) at OAK

This one is risky, but how risky can it be using a pitcher against Oakland? The A’s rank last in runs scored, OBP, OPS, and xWOBA since the start of last season. That makes Avila an attractive option, amassing a 2.19 ERA before a rare dud against the Dodgers last week. We’re willing to overlook that in this matchup because Avila is way too affordable in such a fantastic matchup.

Top Lineup Stacks

Houston Astros (vs. Jordan Lyles)

• Road (Kauffman Stadium)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9.5 Runs/HOU -250

We’ve stacked against Lyles in every slate that I’ve written up, and I genuinely don’t understand why the Royals continue to send this guy out there. He’s got a 6.44 ERA this year, which is far from surprising since he has a 5.25 ERA and 1.51 WHIP throughout his 12-year career. That would make any offense intriguing against him, but we’re talking about an Astros team that’s Top 5 since the All-Star break.

Philadelphia Phillies (vs. Dakota Hudson)

• Road (Busch Stadium)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9 Runs/PHI-130

The Phillies have been incredible in the second half, and it’s an offense no one wants to face right now. That’s certainly the case for Dakota Hudson, who posted a 5.10 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. He’s also allowed at least five runs in three of his last four starts, with one of those coming against this dangerous Phillies lineup.

San Diego Padres (vs. Kyle Waldichuk)

• Road (Oakland Coliseum)
• Value: Medium
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9 Runs/SD -180

Waldichuk had one of his best starts in his most recent outing, but we don’t care. This is another bad Oakland pitcher, providing a 5.14 ERA and 1.56 WHIP. That’s terrifying since San Diego is stacked with many powerful righties, giving many of these bats the platoon advantage against the southpaw. That’s why they’re projected to score nearly five runs!

Core Studs

• We don’t talk about how special Yordan has been throughout his career. This man was called up in 2019 and has a .296 AVG, .390 OBP. .588 SLG and .928 OPS. It’s hard to believe he’s maintained those averages throughout his five-year career, but it looks even better since he has a 1.041 OPS against righties this year.
• It’s been a disappointing season for Manny and the Padres, but he’s starting to get hot at the right time. Machado has a .389 OBP, .647 SLG, and 1.036 OPS across his last eight outings. That’s the stud we’ve become accustomed to, and it pairs beautifully with his .372 OBP and .864 OPS against lefties this year.
• We had Harper in here yesterday, and we’re going back to him for all the same reasons. The former MVP has a .416 OBP and 1.012 OPS across his last 47 games. He’s also been rocking right-handers, registering a 1.007 OPS against them over the last three years.
• Acuna could be a cash game player every day. This future MVP has a .416 OBP to go along with 37 homers, 86 RBI, 66 steals, and 133 runs scored. That’s scary since he has the platoon advantage in his favor, facing a pitcher with a 6.11 ERA and 1.53 WHIP across his last seven starts.
• We can’t fade Patrick Corbin today, and Adames is the best option against this subpar southpaw. Corbin has a 5.61 ERA and 1.55 WHIP over the last four years. Adames has been inconsistent all year, but we love that he has a .453 SLG over the last four years and gets the platoon advantage here. Not to mention, Adames has a .364 OBP, .578 SLG, and .941 OPS across his last 13 games.

Value Plays/Punts

• The Cards have been a calamity this season, but Nootbaar has been a pleasant surprise atop their lineup. Against right-handers this year, Noot has a .384 OBP, .466 SLG and .850 OPS. That’s all you can ask for from such an affordable player, and we don’t mind that he faces a guy with a 5.08 ERA and 1.50 WHIP across his last nine starts.
• Canha always bats in the heart of Milwaukee’s lineup when they face a lefty, and we have to use him against a gas can like Corbin. In nearly 150 at-bats against lefties this year, Canha has compiled a .358 OBP, .488 SLG and .846 OPS. It looks even better since he has a .452 OBP and 1.009 OPS across his last 23 games.
• Lowe has always been a significant threat whenever Tampa tussles with a right-hander, and they face a weak one today. They face Dean Kremer, who has a 4.65 xFIP and 1.32 WHIP. The recent form of Lowe is enticing, too, with the second baseman totaling a .397 OBP and .941 OPS across his last 16 games.
• Polanco has been outstanding since the All-Star break and remains way too cheap. Over his last 27 games, Polanco has a .403 OBP, .531 SLG and .934 OPS. It’s not like Dylan Cease has been some stopper this season, generating a 4.87 ERA and 1.46 WHIP in what has been a disappointing season.

Hitter Strategy

We don’t have a Coors Field game like yesterday, but we still have plenty of stackable teams. It shocked me to see how cheap some of these GPP options were, and that’s going to be massive with so many expensive pitchers toeing the rubber. The offenses we like include the Astros, Padres, Phillies, Braves, Twins, Cardinals, Rays and Angels. There are many good options between these teams, and the perfect recipe is out there for a big GPP cash!

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