This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
There were some afternoon affairs in MLB on Wednesday, but there are still 10 full games left for the main contest slate on FanDuel. I note full outings because one of the evening games is the second half of a doubleheader between the Mets and Cardinals, which means seven innings of baseball and thus not included in the contests. Time to get to the recommendations!
PITCHING
Yu Darvish, SD vs. PIT ($11,800): Last year the Pirates finished last in runs scored and this year they are only above three teams, two of whom lost a handful of games due to postponements. That makes Darvish the clear choice if you are comfortable spending a fair amount of salary on a pitcher. The Japanese ace has certainly earned it, as he's posted a 2.05 ERA over his last 18 starts.
Brady Singer, KC vs. CLE ($7,400): Singer's first start of the season was tough, but since then he's allowed only three runs over 20 innings. Cleveland is low in the runs scored rankings, but honestly I'm surprised they aren't even lower. The team has a .290 OBP collectively!
Martin Perez, BOS vs. DET ($6,700): This is the kind of recommendation where you hold your nose on the pitcher a bit and just play the matchup because the salary savings are worth a roll of the dice. The one team the Pirates are above in runs scored that has played a full slate of games? That's the Tigers, who are hitting below the Mendoza line as a team. Their OPS is .601.
TOP TARGETS
Alex Bregman, HOU at NYY ($3,800): The Astros are getting booed fervently by Yankees fans, but something tells me that Bregman is the kind of player who would relish that anyway. Oh, and more importantly, the last time we had a full MLB season he posted a 1.015 OPS. It's looking like Bregman is bouncing back from 2020, as he's hit .295 with a .489 slugging percentage. I like the righty against the lefty Jordan Montgomery, who has a career 4.16 FIP.
Manny Machado, SD vs. PIT ($3,500): Sure, Machado is hitting .219, but with a .244 BABIP I fully expect to improve. He's a career .278 hitter who had a .580 slugging percentage in 2020. Plus, even with his struggles, Machado has four homers and five stolen bases. I'm a little skeptical about JT Brubaker's 2.63 ERA. One, he has a 3.91 FIP. Two, he's allowed 1.32 homers per nine innings.
VALUE BATS
Matt Chapman, OAK vs. TOR ($3,000): Chapman has hit safely in seven straight games. Sure, that has only raised his batting average to .202, but that's progress. The third baseman wasn't great last season either, but he still slugged .535, so his power is clear. Robbie Ray's superficial numbers look better, as he has a 2.78 ERA. However, that's with a 4.82 FIP, and Ray's strikeouts are way down. While it's a limited sample size, Chapman also has an .868 OPS versus lefties in 2021.
Nick Solak, TEX at MIN ($3,000): Solak is useful in traditional fantasy leagues because he has positional malleability. For DFS purposes, though, he can also help. That's especially true given that he's slashed .284/.362/.491 this season with seven homers. Lewis Thorpe has been called back up from Triple-A by the Twins for this outing, but the southpaw has a career 5.88 ERA.
STACKS TO CONSIDER
Dodgers vs. Adbert Alzolay: Corey Seager ($3,500), Max Muncy ($2,900), Gavin Lux ($2,000)
Alzolay has a career 4.61 ERA, so his 4.71 ERA is right in line with those numbers. What is interesting to me is that the Cubs righty has really handled other righties well in the majors. He's actually only allowed a .138 batting average to righties. Lefties have hit .247 against him, which these days feels like it's close to what the average hitter does. That's why I have recommended three southpaws. Seager's batting average is down, but he's still getting on base (.346 OBP) and he has an .897 OPS versus righties since 2019. Muncy's lackluster numbers this year have largely been caused by lefties. The first baseman still has a .940 OPS versus right-handed hurlers. Lux joined the Dodgers as one of the best prospects in baseball. He hasn't quite lived up to that yet, but he's interestingly way better on the road. His career OPS at home is a woeful .393, but in away games he has a .764 OPS.
Braves vs. Erick Fedde: Ronald Acuna ($4,300), Freddie Freeman ($3,700), Ozzie Albies ($3,200)
Fedde's career numbers do not strike fear into the heart of anybody. He's posted a 5.03 ERA and a 5.31 FIP while allowing 1.50 home runs per nine innings. Fedde has also always struggled at home, and since 2019 he has a 5.33 ERA in Washington's own ballpark. He's a sixth starter for a reason, but he's getting served up to Atlanta's lineup here. Acuna is already considered one of the best hitters in baseball, but somehow he seems like he's taken things to a new level. He already has 10 homers and has slugged .723. However, he only has three stolen bases. What a slacker! Freeman may be hitting .208 after winning the MVP last season, but I have zero fear. This is a career .293 hitter with a 1.050 OPS versus righties since 2019. Albies had over 20 homers and 10 stolen bases in each of his last two full seasons and he's hit safely in eight straight games.
