This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Sunday's MLB main slate begins at 1:05 PM Eastern time and features nine games. Below, you'll find which individual pitchers and hitters are primed to provide the best value, as well as the top lineup stacking options in this slate.
Pitching Overview
This slate doesn't promise any standout elite options on the mound, but there a number of really good arms available. Most of those guys face tricky matchups, leaving Zack Wheeler ($11,000) as the go-to guy from the top tier. Wheeler comes in with a 2.84 ERA, 2.94 FIP and 21:3 K:BB over 25.1 innings of work since the All-Star break over four starts, and he'll be facing the 27th-ranked Royals' offense.
Cardinals righty Jack Flaherty ($10,700) brings a 23-inning scoreless streak into his road meeting with the Reds, and he's capable of racking up whiffs with a 28.6 percent strikeout rate this season.
Owners looking to splurge on bats could take a chance on Triple-A call-up Tony Gonsolin ($6,200) of the Dodgers in Atlanta. While the matchup is far from ideal, Gonsolin comes cheap and tossed six shutout innings against the Cardinals in his last major-league start.
Another affordable arm that could provide strong bang for the buck is Wheeler's opponent Glenn Sparkman ($5,900). Sparkman has excelled at Kaufman Stadium with a 2.84 ERA and .278 wOBA allowed in 57 home innings.
Value Plays/Chalk
The Red Sox, Mariners and Phillies are all primed to capitalize on favorable matchups, but there's plenty of value to be found outside of those three stackable lineups.
Rookie Blue Jays' shortstop Bo Bichette ($4,300) has taken the league by storm, slashing .349/.400/.675 through 19 games. He should keep rolling against Seattle's Yusei Kikuchi, who has struggled with a 7.50 ERA and 7.76 FIP over his past 14 starts.
Padres' third baseman Manny Machado ($3,900) has eviscerated left-handed pitching to the tune of a .453 wOBA this season, and that number climbs to .493 on the road. Machado's in line for another strong performance against Phillies' southpaw Jason Vargas.
Cardinals' first baseman Paul Goldschmidt ($3,500) has managed a .379 wOBA against lefties, and that split climbs to over .400 on the road. Those numbers should rise further against Reds' southpaw Alex Wood and his 5.59 ERA and 6.17 FIP over four starts this year.
Stacks
Red Sox vs. Ty Blach (Orioles)
J.D. Martinez (OF - $4,200), Xander Bogaerts (SS - $4,200), Chris Owings (OF - $2,200)
Every game is critical for a Boston team sitting well outside the playoff picture, so expect the Red Sox to pile on against Blach, who has been tagged for 17 runs - including 16 earned - in 10.1 innings of work this season. Martinez ranks among the league's most dangerous hitters against lefties, with a wOBA over .500 in that split this season. Bogaerts' wOBA at Fenway Park is almost .450, while Owings led off the last time Boston faced a southpaw and would be worth a flier if history repeats itself. Mookie Betts ($4,300) has notably struggled against lefties with just a .319 wOBA in that split.
Mariners vs. Wilmer Font (Blue Jays)
Kyle Seager (3B - $3,500), Tim Lopes (2B - $2,500), Austin Nola (2B - $2,400)
Toronto's combination of right-handed opener Font (4.40 ERA, 4.91 FIP) and left-handed primary pitcher Thomas Pannone (6.39 ERA, 5.50 xFIP) should invite plenty of offense from Seattle. Seager boasts an OPS of 1.20 since Jul. 22 and was recently moved up to the cleanup spot. Lopes has taken over the leadoff spot with Mallex Smith benched due to mental errors, and the rookie's wOBA against lefties sits just under .400. Nola's a nice alternative or addition to Lopes, as the rookie infielder's road wOBA is hovering around .500 over an admittedly small sample size of 16 road games.
Phillies vs. Joey Lucchesi (Padres)
Rhys Hoskins (1B - $3,800), Jean Segura (SS - $3,200), Scott Kingery (3B - $3,400)
Fatigue seems to be affecting the 26-year old Lucchesi, who has seen a sharp decline in fastball velocity accompanied by a 5.54 ERA and 4.60 FIP over his past five starts. Hoskins' home wOBA against lefties is nearly .500, while Segura sits over .400 in that split at Citizens Bank Park. Kingery hasn't quite performed up to the level of his two teammates, but his wOBA against southpaws comes in at a respectable .361, so he'll likely get in on the fun if Lucchesi struggles.
