This will be a tricky slate to dissect. We're back at the top of these rotations, and that means we have aces in nearly every game. That makes it difficult to find the perfect balance because not only do we have a dozen pitchers to pick from, but we also have to pick some risky bats in challenging matchups. That's why DFS is fun, though, so let's go ahead and get into it!
Pitching
Cristopher Sanchez, PHI vs. WAS ($9,200)
Sanchez is one of the favorites for the NL Cy Young this season, and he kickstarted his campaign with six scoreless innings and 10 Ks in his first start. That's no surprise since he had a 2.50 ERA and 1.06 WHIP across 32 starts in a breakout 2025 season. This lefty was even more dominant at home, totaling a 1.94 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 10.6 K/9 rate. That won't bode well for Washington, which ranked 24th in wOBA and 25th in OBP last year. We also don't mind that Sanchez is averaging 25 DraftKings points per game in his last three matchups with the Nationals while entering this matchup as a -250 favorite.
Kevin Gausman, TOR vs. COL ($9,000)
Gausman has always been one of the most talented pitchers in baseball since his Baltimore days, and we saw that in full force in his season debut. The Blue Jays righty allowed just one baserunner across six innings while striking out 11 batters. That's quite the start from this Toronto ace, but it's far from shocking since he closed last season with a 2.78 ERA and 1.01 WHIP across his final 17 starts. One of those was a gem in Coors Field, but Gausman gets the benefit of facing the Rockies on the road here, who have been the worst road offense over the last five years. That's why Gausman enters this matchup as a -280 favorite!
Sandy Alcantara, MIA vs. CWS ($8,000)
Just like Gausman, Alcantara closed the 2025 season with a bang. He had a 2.68 ERA and 0.86 WHIP across his final eight starts, despite a nightmarish start to the year. We'll trust that eight-start sample size because we're talking about a guy who had a 3.13 ERA and 1.09 WHIP between 2020 and 2023. Alcantara started this season with seven scoreless innings in his debut and always benefits from pitching in the spacious dimensions of LoanDepot Park. Squaring up with Chicago is the icing on the cake, with the White Sox ranked 27th in runs scored and xwOBA last season.
Top Targets
George Springer, TOR ($5,500) vs. Kyle Freeland
Springer had a bounce-back 2025 season and looks prime for another big year. The Jays' leadoff hitter had 32 homers and 18 steals last season. He's started the season by homering in two of his last three outings and getting on base three times in the other game. That's a hot start, and we love that he has the platoon advantage against the worst pitcher on this slate. Springer has a .368 career OBP and .841 OPS against left-handers. We'll talk about Freeland more in the stacks section.
Alex Bregman, CHC ($4,500) vs. Yusei Kikuchi
Bregman is looking to pay off a massive contract by the Cubs, and early results indicate he'll do just that. The former All-Star just had a two-homer game three days ago and is batting second in this dangerous Cubs lineup. Our favorite part about this is that he has the platoon advantage against Kikuchi. The Angels lefty has a 4.46 career ERA and 1.36 WHIP, while Bregman has a .372 OBP and .862 career OPS against southpaws. His BvP numbers are absurd against Kikuchi as well, as he's compiled a .536 OBP and 1.336 OPS in 20 at-bats against him.
Bargain Bats
Francisco Alvarez, NYM ($3,300) vs. Matthew Liberatore
It's always nice to find a cheap catcher in a favorable spot, and this is one of those times. Alvarez has quietly been one of the best power-hitting catchers in the sport, collecting a .346 OBP and .805 OPS since last season. He did a ton of that damage against left-handers, sporting a .362 OBP and .874 OPS against them since 2024. We're also not worried about him facing a pitcher with a 4.59 career ERA and a 1.38 WHIP. Newly acquired players like Luis Robert ($4,600), Bo Bichette ($4,500) and Marcus Semien ($3,000) also have the platoon advantage against Liberatore if you want to stack the Mets.
Marcell Ozuna, PIT ($3,000) vs. Andrew Abbott
Ozuna has fallen out of favor with most teams, but the Pirates seemingly are giving him one final chance. He's developed into their everyday DH and is hitting cleanup through the opening week. He hasn't gotten anything going, yet, but we're talking about a guy who has a .346 OBP and .834 OPS since 2017. That's nearly a decade of raking, and we saw him post a .374 OBP and .924 OPS just two years ago with Atlanta. That alone makes him a solid value at just $3,000 especially since Ozuna has a .397 OBP and .828 OPS against southpaws since 2024.
Stacks to Consider
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Colorado Rockies (Kyle Freeland): Vladimir Guerrero ($6,000), Springer ($5,500), Kazuma Okamoto ($4,300) and Alejandro Kirk ($3,900)
Every DFS article you read across any site today will recommend bats against Colorado. That'll probably be a trend all season, because this team always possesses one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball. Freeland has been their best pitcher over the last decade, but that's not saying much since he has a 4.54 career ERA and 1.42 WHIP. He actually faced Toronto last season, surrendering six runs in yet another shelling.
Springer is an easy option as the leadoff hitter, but Vlad is the best option in this stack. Guerrero has a .373 OBP and .879 OPS since 2021. We haven't seen much of Okamoto, yet, but he's projected to have elite power and comes into this matchup homering in two of his last three outings. All of these guys also have the platoon advantage against Freeland, which is the case for Kirk and his .769 OPS from last season.
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Washington Nationals (Cade Cavalli): Kyle Schwarber ($6,200), Trea Turner ($5,200), Bryce Harper ($5,000) and Brandon Marsh ($3,000)
Cavalli was one of the best pitchers during spring training, but that hasn't translated to real games. He has a 5.08 career ERA and 1.64 WHIP after struggling in the opener. Those are scary averages against a Philly team that was top five in every offensive metric last season.
Schwarber is the safest option of this stack, generating a .365 OBP and .928 OPS last year. Turner is always a threat for a 20-30 season and is too cheap at just $5,200. Harper has gotten off to a terrible start, but this perennial All-Star has a .397 career OBP and .939 OPS against right-handers. Marsh is the cheap option of this stack, maintaining a .353 OBP and .822 OPS against righties since 2024.
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