It's business as usual for Sunday MLB action with nine games on the DFS docket and the first starting at 1:35 p.m. EDT. That also means the threat of rain for a few matchups. Fortunately, the afternoon starts means more room for rain delays. Here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Trevor Rogers, BAL at CLE ($8,900): Rogers just endured a subpar outing, but he's also started to show that last season may not have been a fluke as he's produced a 2.89 FIP through four starts after a 2.81 last year. He's continued to be elite at avoiding homers, though the Guardians aren't really loaded with power threats and are below-average in runs scored while finishing bottom-five in that category during 2025.
Framber Valdez, DET at BOS ($8,400): Valdez had a terrible start against the Twins, yet went at least six innings and allowed one run or fewer in each of the other three. The Red Sox have struggled a bit out of the gate on offense. Valdez should also benefit on Sunday from being a lefty facing a Boston lineup boasting a few lefty bats.
Bailey Ober, MIN vs. CIN ($6,700): Ober hasn't been good. That's been true this season, and it was the same last year. However, his salary is low and the matchup is favorable as the Reds have been within the bottom-five - if not last - in runs for most of the campaign.
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Top Targets
The power has been missing for Bobby Witt ($5,800), though he's still supplied five doubles and eight stolen bases. That alone for a shortstop would suffice, but he's never hit fewer than 20 homers in a season. Ryan Weathers, a lefty, posted a 4.29 ERA during his first season with the Yankees while holding a career 4.89. He's also given up 1.61 home runs per nine innings while in MLB.
With Byron Buxton ($5,100), it's all about health. He's slugged .529 against righties and .555 at home since 2024. In Brady Singer's two road starts this year has left him with a 8.22 ERA. And in his debut season with the Reds, that number was 4.88.
Bargain Bats
So far, so good for the rookie JJ Wetherholt ($4,700) as the Cards' regular second baseman having recorded a .380 OBP with three home runs and four swiped bags. Mike Burrows' first season with the Astros has been a disaster thus far with a 6.55 ERA while lefties have hit .408 against.
Both Garrett Crochet and manager Alex Cora have said he's healthy, but what if he isn't? He just allowed 11 runs - 10 earned - through 1.2 innings against the Twins in a start that lead to a lot of speculation that something is wrong. I'm willing to take a shot on a bargain bat from Detroit just in case. Spencer Torkelson ($2,800) is off to a slow start, but produced 31 homers last year with an .886 OPS versus lefties.
Stacks to Consider
Giants at Nationals (Miles Mikolas): Rafael Devers ($5,300), Willy Adames ($4,400), Jung Hoo Lee ($3,500)
Mikolas gives the Nationals a right-handed version of what they had in Patrick Corbin, which is to say a subpar pitcher who gets roughed up almost every time he takes the mound. He posted a 4.98 ERA in his final three seasons with the Cardinals and has begun his tenure with Washington with an 11.49. Mikolas has also only ended up with a K/9 rate better than 7.00 once and has also walked a lot of batters this year. Both righties and lefties have gone over .320 against him, so I do have a righty in this stack.
Devers is off to a slow start, though he's still the Giants' best left-handed power bat. He's also hit at least 27 homers and 33 doubles from each of the last five seasons. Adames has already provided. three home runs and 10 doubles while going deep at least 30 times from three of the last four campaigns. Lee is at six doubles after 31 last year to go with 12 triples and 10 stolen bases. And over his career, he's batted .274 against righties and .269 on the road.
Astros vs. Cardinals (Matthew Liberatore): Jose Altuve ($5,100), Christian Walker ($4,800), Carlos Correa ($4,800)
When there's a righty on the mound for the opposition, it's basically only Yordan Alvarez for the Astros who's a certainty to be included. However, when it's a lefty, the stacking options considerably improve. Liberatore comes in with a 4.29 ERA that's below his career mark of 4.61, though he also lists a 6.24 FIP, 1.50 K/BB ratio, and 2.14 HR/9 rate. He's also yet to make it out of a game without somebody going yard, so I expect at least one homer from Houston.
Altuve is batting .278 to make last season feel more like an anomaly alongside three home runs and six doubles. And since 2024, he's notched an .898 OPS versus lefties and an .845 at home. Walker's first year with Houston was rough, yet he still managed 27 homers. This year is going much better as he's slashing .263/.352/.500 with four long balls. You can roster Correa at third base or shortstop and he's hit .264 with a home run and a steal. And over the last three seasons split between the Twins and Astros, he registered an .848 OPS versus southpaws.
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