This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Hopefully, August has been kind to you on the DFS front. It's the final Sunday of the month and there are 11 games on the DFS docket. With a first pitch of 1:35 p.m. EDT, here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Justin Verlander, HOU vs. BAL ($11,400): The Orioles are better, but they're still in the bottom-half of MLB in runs scored. Verlander, on the other hand, is definitely in the upper echelon of pitchers. The likely Cy Young winner has posted an 1.87 ERA, not to mention a 16-3 record thanks to his great play and his teammate's offensive support.
Eric Lauer, MIL vs. CHC ($10,000): For a minute there, Lauer's numbers started to slip. Then, he righted the ship with a 2.58 ERA over the last nine starts. The Cubs, meanwhile, rank in the bottom-10 in offense.
Kohei Arihara, TEX vs. DET ($9,100): Arihara had his start pushed back a day to give him extra rest. He's made two starts since being called up while posting a 2.31 ERA. While I don't necessarily believe he can sustain that long term, the Tigers sit last in runs scored and team OPS. Arihara should at least be able to handle them.
Top Targets
Sweet-swinging southpaw Rafael Devers ($3,900) has produced a .959 OPS against righties since 2020. If that wasn't enough, he's managed a .961 at home this year. Corey Kluber has posted a 4.28 road ERA while letting lefties hit .277 against.
Even in a down year by his standards in 2021, Francisco Lindor ($3,800) still racked up 20 home runs and 10 stolen bases. And this season, he's already at 21 and 14 to go with a .266 average. The last two campaigns, German Marquez has struggled a 4.32 ERA on the road. The switch-hitting Lindor prefers to face a righty based on his .831 OPS in 2022.
Value Bats
Last year, Jonathan India ($3,500) was the NL Rookie of the Year. Injuries have plagued him this seasons, but he has an .885 OPS versus lefties. Patrick Corbin is not your ordinary lefty. He is, perhaps, the worst pitcher in the majors to get at least 20 starts this season with a 6.81 ERA and a 5.82 in 2021 for good measure.
After a brief stint behind Whit Merrifield, Santiago Espinal ($2,300) has gotten back into regularly drawing into the lineup. An .886 OPS against lefties helps on that front. Sunday sees southpaw Tucker Davidson on the mound with his career 5.37 ERA.
Stacks to Consider
Astros vs. Orioles (Austin Voth): Kyle Tucker ($3,900), Jose Altuve ($3,800), Alex Bregman ($3,500)
Voth has done better in Baltimore than he ever did in Washington, but he's still got a career 5.05 ERA. And that's with spending a lot of his career in the bullpen. He's also given up 1.61 home runs per nine innings, and the Astros offer plenty of sluggers who can take advantage.
Altuve has slashed .285/.372/.507 and loves being at home with a .978 OPS. Bregman has been red hot with a 1.218 OPS the last 21 days. The third baseman enjoys his home ballpark as much as anybody with a 1.008 mark there. Tucker has accumulated 22 home runs and 19 stolen bases, and the lefty will get to face a righty Sunday. In those matchups, he's registered a .907 OPS since 2020.
Padres at Royals (Jonathan Heasley): Juan Soto ($4,200), Jake Cronenworth ($3,100), Ha-Seong Kim ($2,800)
Heasley's brief stint in MLB in 2021 went poorly with a 4.91 ERA from three starts. He's logged 14 starts this year, but his ERA has risen to 5.21. Even worse, Heasley's FIP is 5.88. But it's better for the Padres.
Soto hasn't lost a step since joining the Padres, though his power has dropped a bit - perhaps owing to Petco Park. He won't be in San Diego on Sunday, and since 2020 has an 1.046 OPS against righties. Over that same period, Cronenworth has recorded an .811 OPS against righties. This year, he's maintained an .810 road OPS. Kim has an .847 OPS the last three weeks. He'll certainly like being on the road considering his .804 OPS in away games.
Phillies vs. Pirates (Roansy Contreras): Kyle Schwarber ($3,800), Nick Castellanos ($3,100), Bryson Stott ($3,000)
Contreras' 3.86 ERA is nothing to write home about and his 4.82 FIP is even worse. The rookie pitcher has also allowed 1.43 home runs per nine innings. I didn't include the recently-return Bryce Harper in this stack, but I still found a potent trio.
While Schwarber's average is low - even for him - he's still launched 35 home runs. He's also produced an .858 OPS against righties and an .821 at home. It's been a down campaign for Castellanos, but he's recently picked up his performance with an .820 OPS the last three weeks. The rookie Stott has picked up eight home runs and eight steals along with a .785 OPS at home.
