This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Sunday MLB DFS over at Yahoo is often a delight. That's because you get a robust slate of players to choose from. 14 of the 15 games taking place Sunday are included for the main slate of contests. To try and make your choices easier before first pitch at 1:35 p.m. EDT, here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Dylan Cease, CWS vs. OAK ($52): I was fully expecting Cease to be the highest-salaried pitcher Sunday. And when he wasn't (he's third), I felt like I was getting a steal considering his 0.42 ERA over his last 11 starts. Cease will also be facing the team that ranks 29th in runs scored and last in team OPS.
Carlos Rodon, SF vs. CHC ($50): From a current White Sox pitcher to a former one, Rodon has posted a 3.18 ERA that pairs well with a 2.41 FIP. He's also recorded a 2.05 ERA at home. The Cubs haven't made the trade moves many expect yet, but even so they are below average in terms of offense.
Andre Pallante, STL at WAS ($30): This is a play to try and save salary, but also pick up a win. Admittedly, a lot of Pallante's best outings were in the bullpen and his relief pitching is a big reason why his ERA is currently at 3.53. That being said, he's made nine starts now and has been eligible for a victory in six of them (and having taken three of those). The Nationals site bottom-six in runs scored and will be trotting out the below-average Josiah Gray to start. If Pallante can get through five innings, there's a good chance he earns the W.
Top Targets
Long one of the standards for hitting in MLB, Paul Goldschmidt ($22) has reached a new level in 2022. We're talking a .333/.414/.611 slash line with 24 home runs. I mentioned Gray for the Nationals and his career 5.58 FIP, with a big part of that being the fact he's allowed a career 2.25 home runs per nine innings.
Last season, Jonathan India ($20) exploded onto the scene to win NL Rookie of the Year producing an .835 OPS with 21 homers and 12 stolen bases from the second-base position. He was injured when this season began, but has a .938 OPS over the last three weeks. Now India faces Austin Voth, who's compiled a 6.15 ERA this year to go with his career 5.40 mark.
Bargain Bats
This has been a baffling season for Yasmani Grandal ($15), but as a catcher with a track record I feel like he's worth a shot - especially since he's looked a little more like his old self since returning from injury and a rehab stint in Triple-A. This is a player who managed an .848 OPS the previous four seasons at a position where hitting ability is scarce. Grandal gets to go up against Adam Oller, who comes in with an 8.07 ERA.
J.D. Martinez ($9) has been ice cold, but that makes him a great buy-low candidate. He's registered a 1.051 OPS against lefties this year and an .849 against them since 2020. I doubt Martinez has forgotten how to hit and southpaw Aaron Ashby has a career 4.95 road ERA.
Stacks to Consider
Dodgers at Rockies (German Marquez): Freddie Freeman ($27), Gavin Lux ($20), Cody Bellinger ($15)
One last chance to take advantage of the Dodgers being at Coors before they move on to the next stop. I stacked this matchup every day of this series, and I don't regret it. Marquez has posted a 6.12 ERA at home this year and lefties have hit .266 against (compared to .241 for righties) the last couple years, so I went ahead and grabbed three southpaws.
In addition to being a lefty (with an 1.009 OPS versus righties since 2020), Freeman has been scorching hot with a 1.342 OPS in the last 21 days. Lux has recorded a .378 OBP this year and hasn't produced many homers, but don't forget Coors Field allows a lot of doubles and triples and he's got 15 and five of each. Bellinger is admittedly not even hitting righties all that well, but he's still racked up 13 home runs and 11 stolen bases. At this salary and in this environment, he's worth a go.
Padres vs. Twins (Dylan Bundy): Manny Machado ($18), Jurickson Profar ($13), Nomar Mazara ($9)
Bundy posted a 6.06 ERA with the Angels last season, but Minnesota hasn't proven to provide greener pastures. That number has dropped to 5.02, but it's 6.41 on the road. Away from home, the long ball has been a problem since Bundy has given up 1.7 home runs per nine innings - and that's no surprise since his career mark is 1.6.
Petco doesn't always help hitters, but that hasn't deterred Machado with a .943 OPS at home since 2020, including a .564 slugging percentage. Profar is a switch hitter, but he's registered a .754 OPS versus righties and that's better than he does against lefties. He also has a .346 OBP and occasionally leads off. Bundy has let lefties hit .297 against and Mazara comes in with a low salary, so I wanted to get the southpaw in my stack. He's also hit .279 on the year.
Phillies at Pirates (JT Brubaker): J.T. Realmuto ($19), Kyle Schwarber ($16), Darick Hall ($12)
Brubaker has posted a 3.96 ERA and that's on pace to be a career year, which sums things up nicely. At home, that number's been 4.38, in line with his career 4.45. And lefties have hit .262 against in the majors, so I've included two lefties in this stack.
Realmuto, a fellow J.T., is a righty, but a career .273 hitter as a catcher. He's also produced 10 home runs and 13 stolen bases. Schwarber has 32 homers of his own and has slugged .558 against righties since 2020. Hall slots in as the DH against righties with Bryce Harper hurt, and the rookie has slugged .512 so far.
