MLB DFS Picks & Player Prop Bets: Sunday (5/26)

Sunday slates are always interesting because almost every team plays in a six-hour time slot. That’s not exactly the case this time, though, because we have one morning game and one night game that won’t be part of the slate. The 3ET Coors Field game is also excluded from the main slates, but that still gives us 12 games to dissect! Here are our top MLB DFS picks and player prop bet predictions for Sunday’s slate of baseball games.

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Sunday’s MLB DFS & Player Props Picks

Sunday’s Starting Pitcher Rankings

Chris Sale (ATL) at PIT
Sale has been my favorite pitcher in baseball over the last decade, and I can’t tell you how happy I am to see him back in ace form. The lefty has scored at least 27 FanDuel points every start this season, surpassing 43 FD points in six straight outings. He also has a 1.15 ERA, 0.74 WHIP, and an 11.5 K/9 rate in that span. That should allow him to pummel Pittsburgh, with the Pirates ranked 29th in runs scored over the last month. Not to mention, Sale is a -215 favorite!

Ronel Blanco (HOU) at OAK
Blanco is a breakout pitcher for the Stros, throwing the only no-hitter this season. That was no fluke, with the righty registering a 2.09 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. He’s also scored at least 31 FanDuel points in every start he’s finished, and he should have another one against Oakland. The A’s rank 27th in runs scored, 29th in K rate, and 28th in OBP.

Brandon Pfaadt (ARI) vs. MIA
Pfaadt posted some majestic numbers in the minors, but it took some time for him to get going at this level. The young right-hander has allowed three runs or fewer in seven straight starts, tallying a 3.12 ERA and 0.97 WHIP in that span. He’s done that against some of the best offenses in the league, but Miami is far from that, ranked 29th in OBP and wOBA.

Arizona hasn’t announced a starter yet, but we like whoever takes the mound for them here.

Bryan Woo (SEA) at WAS
This kid was highly touted during spring training, but an injury sidelined him throughout the opening month. He’s been remarkable since his return, registering a 0.57 ERA and 0.51 WHIP. More importantly, he’s got his pitch count flirting with 80 pitches, and he could be ready for a full workload against a woeful Washington offense. The Nats rank 25th in runs scored and 26th in wOBA.

MLB DFS Picks: Suggested Lineup Stacks

Cleveland Guardians (vs. Reid Detmers)

• Road (Angel Stadium)
• Game Total/Moneyline: 8.5 Runs/CLE -115

It’s sad that we’re stacking against Detmers after how good he looked in the opening weeks, but he’s been the worst pitcher in baseball since then. The lefty has allowed at least four runs in six straight starts, totaling a 9.09 ERA and 1.74 WHIP in that span. That’s bad news against a sneaky Cleveland lineup, ranked fifth in runs scored.

Atlanta Braves (vs. Martin Perez)

• Road (PNC Park)
• Game Total/Moneyline: 8.5 Runs/ATL -215

The Braves have struggled a bit but still rank seventh in OBP. That shows how absurd this Atlanta offense can be, ranked Top 3 in every offensive category last season. They’ll eventually get back to that, and a matchup with Perez is what could kickstart it. The Pittsburgh pitcher has a 6.67 ERA and 1.75 WHIP across his last six starts, with almost every Braves bat crushing lefties throughout their careers.

MLB DFS Picks: Core Studs

• This ATL offense has struggled more than anyone anticipated, but it’s not Ozuna’s fault. This has been one of the best power hitters in baseball, generating a .399 OBP and 1.030 OPS. He’s also homered in three of his last six fixtures, making him a dangerous play since he has the platoon advantage against Perez. Ozuna has a .471 OBP and 1.090 OPS against southpaws this season!
• J-Ram has been a perennial Top 5 player in fantasy over the last five years, averaging nearly 30 homers and 25 steals per year in that span. We’re seeing the All-Star start to turn his slow start around, accruing a .382 OBP and 1.153 OPS across his last 17 outings. He’s also been much better against lefties, totaling a 1.032 OPS against them this season.
• Tucker is the hottest hitter in baseball right now. The Astros All-Star has a .459 OBP and 1.201 OPS across his last 35 games. That’s a lengthy stretch of dominance, with Tucker also swiping nine steals in that span. We’d use him against anyone, but he should blast Aaron Brooks and his 6.39 career ERA and 1.48 WHIP, since Tucker hits from the left side.
• If Tucker is the hottest hitter in baseball, Judge is a close second. The former MVP has a .545 OBP and 1.575 OPS across his last 20 outings. That’s one of the best stretches we’ll see from any hitter all year, and a matchup with Joe Musgrove could keep him raking. Musgrove has a 5.93 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in what is turning into a nightmare season.

MLB DFS Picks: Value Plays/Punts

• Marte is quietly one of the best hitters in baseball against left-handed pitching. The Arizona second baseman has a .397 OBP and 1.134 OPS against southpaws this year. He’s got an OPS north of .900 against them since 2022 and shouldn’t have any issues against Ryan Weathers. The Miami lefty has a 5.25 career ERA and 1.42 WHIP.
• Chapman was San Fran’s biggest signing, and he’s finally showing us why. Their cleanup hitter has five doubles and three homers over his last seven outings, generating a .606 OBP and 1.645 OPS in that span. He’s also been slaughtering southpaws throughout his career, providing a .851 OPS against them over the last three years. That’s rough for a struggling Sean Manaea, who maintains a 3.82 ERA and 1.47 WHIP across his last six starts.
• Fry has been killing it for the Guardians recently, and we have to use him if we want to stack Cleveland. He’s projected to hit fourth or fifth right now, accumulating a .578 OBP and 1.487 OPS across his last 13 fixtures. We already talked about how disastrous Detmers has been, which is scary for him since Fry hits from the right side, posting a 1.551 OPS against lefties this year.
• There aren’t many cheap Atlanta bats available, but Duvall is one of them. This guy typically bats sixth whenever they face a lefty, tallying a .423 OBP and .960 OPS against them this season. That’s not far off of his career splits, making him one of the best value plays in one of the best stacks out there.

Sunday’s Top 3 Underdog Fantasy and PrizePicks Player Props

Kyle Bradish: 4.5 Strikeouts – Higher

The O’s have limited Bradish to under 100 pitches in every start, but that doesn’t matter. He’s cleared this prop in three of his four starts, generating a 2.41 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 11.1 K/9 rate. That should be easy to duplicate against a White Sox team that sits last in every offensive metric.

Marcell Ozuna: 1.5 Total Bases – Higher

Ozuna has been crushing lefties throughout his career and is the hottest hitter for Atlanta. One extra-base hit will clear this total, and he’s done that in five of his last seven outings!

Jose Ramirez: 1.5 Total Bases – Higher

J-Ram is scorching right now. He’s hit four homers over his last four games while posting much better splits against southpaws. That’s scary with how dastardly Detmers has been, making Ramirez a remarkable pick to clear 1.5 total bases.

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