This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
It's a light day on the MLB schedule, with only six games this evening. That means more time for the NBA or NHL playoffs, but don't forget to set your MLB DFS lineup. The first pitch is at 6:40 p.m. ET. Here are my recommendations.
Pitching
Drew Rasmussen, TAM at OAK ($): Rasmussen got dealt from Milwaukee to Tampa last season and pitched in the bullpen as well as starting. Overall, he had a 2.44 ERA. This season he's made four starts, and has a 3.50 ERA and a 3.33 FIP. Oakland's offense has outperformed my expectations, but its lineup does not impress. Plus, the Athletics have a pitcher-friendly ballpark.
Chris Paddack, MIN at BAL ($7,800): Paddack has his start pushed from Sunday against the Rays to Monday against the Orioles, which is beneficial to him. The Orioles finished 26th in runs scored last season and are down in the bottom five again this year. Paddack actually has a 1.69 FIP through three starts, and while he'll likely regress, this matchup could keep it going.
Top Targets
This is the Anthony Rizzo ($4,100) that the Yankees were hoping for when they traded for him last season. He's slashed .269/.394/.667 with nine home runs. The southpaw has always been good at getting on base, as he has a .369 OBP in his career. The righty Ross Stripling allowed more than two home runs per nine innings in each of his last two campaigns.
Alex Bregman ($3,900) has cooled down, thanks to a drop in his batting average, but he's a career .280 hitter with a career .882 OPS. Also, since 2020 he has a .851 OPS against lefties. Marco Gonzales' 3.86 ERA isn't good, but he's actually been a bit lucky on that front. His FIP this season is 5.83, and his FIP last season was 5.27.
Bargain Bats
Matt Chapman ($3,400) has lost the ability to hit for average but he hasn't lost his ability to hit for power. Just last year he hit .210 but knocked 27 home runs. This year, all four of his home runs have come at home as well. Jordan Montgomery has a 2.70 ERA this year, but prior to this season he had a career 4.01 ERA.
The Rays have decided to give the switch-hitting Taylor Walls ($2,100) more opportunity, and he's earned it. He's got a .407 OPS and stolen four bases, and he hits righties better than lefties as well. Daulton Jefferies got off to an unexpectedly good start, but he just allowed five runs in four innings and now he has a 4.24 FIP in 2022 to go with his career 4.77 FIP.
Stacks to Consider
Twins vs. Tyler Wells ($5,800): Byron Buxton ($3,900), Max Kepler ($2,800), Luis Arraez ($2,500)
Wells pitched entirely out of the bullpen last season as a rookie, managing a 4.11 ERA. The Orioles moved him to the rotation for 2022, and his ERA is now 5.54. The righty has also allowed 1.54 home runs per nine innings, and I have two lefties to take advantage of this matchup.
Buxton is healthy, and that's what matters. Over the last two seasons when he's been able to take the field, he's slashed .300/.355/.661, and he already has seven home runs this season. Last season, Kepler hit 19 homers and stole 10 bases. Since 2020, he has an .831 OPS against righties as well. Arraez doesn't hit for power, but he has a career .313 batting average and .375 OBP.
Mariners vs. Jake Odorizzi ($6,200): Ty France ($3,900), Adam Frazier ($2,700), Jesse Winker ($2,600)
Odorizzi has a 6.00 ERA through four starts, and over the last three seasons he has a 4.66 ERA. He doesn't allow a lot of home runs by modern standards, but he clearly is allowing plenty of hits. This is also another case where I have two lefties in my stack to face a righty.
France is a righty, but he's also a guy who can hit for average with gusto. He's hit .298 over the last three seasons, and he has shown the most power in his career. France has slugged .540 with five home runs. Frazier is a lefty, and he's been leading off usually for the Mariners. He's struggling to get on base so far, but he's still scored 13 runs and picked up 11 RBI. Frazier also has a career .343 OBP. Winker is off to a brutal start, but his career slash line is .282/.381/.488. Also, since 2020 he has a .973 OPS against righties.
