This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
The Olympics have ended. Japan walked away with baseball gold over the United States. Now, we can turn our sports attention entirely to MLB…at least until European soccer gets into gear and college football starts. There are 15 MLB games Sunday. As usual, the action kicks off at 1:00 p.m. EDT and you need to get your lineups in early. Here are some recommendations for your DFS lineup.
PITCHING
Zack Wheeler, PHI vs. NYM ($10,700): Wheeler has endured a couple rough starts of late, but he's still managed a 2.57 ERA and 2.48 FIP while his ERA at home sits at 2.22. His former team maintains a punchless offense, as the Mets are in the bottom-three in runs scored.
Walker Buehler, LAD vs. LAA ($11,100): Buehler is a legit ace at this point and there's no doubt about it. He's posted a 2.12 ERA while striking out 9.15 batters per nine innings, which is actually a career-low. Buehler also has an 11-2 record thanks to offensive support. The Angels have been solid offensively this year, but Buehler is an elite pitcher. And, of course, Mike Trout is currently out of the lineup.
Blake Snell, SD vs. ARI ($7,800): Snell is a testament to the power of Petco Park in his first season with the Padres. While the former Ray has struggled to a 7.36 ERA on the road, he's done well at home at 2.81. Arizona ranks in the bottom-10 in runs scored while sporting the majors' worst record. I expect a win for Snell today.
Tyler Mahle, CIN vs. PIT ($8,400): Mahle enters with a 3.86 ERA, but this is all about the matchup. The Pirates are last in runs scored for the second straight season and sit 29th in team OPS. Their slugging percentage is also a MLB-worst .362. Mahle should be able to manage.
TOP TARGETS
Bo Bichette, TOR vs. BOS ($4,000): Bichette has hit since making his MLB debut with a career slash line of .300/.346/.511. This year, he's on the cusp of a 20-20 season as he's already reached 20 homers and 17 stolen bases. Garrett Richards has not excelled in his first campaign with the Red Sox based on his 5.12 FIP.
Ozzie Albies, ATL vs. WAS ($3,300): Albies hasn't quite been up to his usual standards, but he's been raking at home and against lefties with an .889 OPS in Atlanta and a .909 mark versus southpaws. He's at home today and will be facing the lefty Patrick Corbin with his 5.47 FIP.
VALUE BATS
Jesus Aguilar, MIA at COL ($3,900): Aguilar has been a force on the road power-wise having produced a .911 OPS and hitting 16 of his 19 home runs away from Miami. He's not just on the road today - he's at Coors Field. Kyle Freeland has slumped to a 6.40 ERA at home since 2019, which isn't terribly surprising. He's also allowed 2.1 home runs per nine innings at Coors during that stretch.
Carlos Santana, KC at STL ($2,800): Santana's slugging percentage is down, but he's still smashed 17 home runs. He's also able to get on base with a .349 OBP over the last two campaigns. It's a little strange the Cardinals traded for Jon Lester. For one, the Cards aren't really in a playoff race. And two, Lester has posted a 5.29 ERA the last two seasons.
STACKS TO CONSIDER
Athletics vs. Jordan Lyles: Starling Marte ($4,100), Matt Olson ($4,300), Mitch Moreland ($2,500)
Hey, Lyles has improved upon last season when he logged a 5.94 FIP. He's currently holding a 5.42 mark, which isn't exactly good. Marte has been a success since joining the Athletics, especially when it comes to stealing bases with six in eight games to give him 28 overall. While Marte has speed, Olson has power with 27 homers and an .580 slugging percentage. Moreland is a lefty, so I like him against a righty like Lyles considering he's posted a .843 OPS versus righties since 2019.
Reds vs. Bryse Wilson: Jesse Winker ($4,100), Joey Votto ($4,100), Nick Castellanos ($3,500)
The Pirates are giving Wilson another start, mostly because they don't have other options. They aren't going anywhere, so why not trot out a dude with a 5.35 ERA this year and a 5.64 for his career. After cooling down a bit, Winker is hot again with a 1.026 OPS over the last three weeks. Votto has been stellar against righties in 2021 based on a 1.056 OPS in those matchups. He's also been on a power streak with 12 home runs across the last 16 contests. Castellanos has returned from an injury absence, so here's a reminder he's slashed .324/.380/.576 this season.
