As Saturday was a holiday, Sunday's MLB schedule is rather unusual. I can usually look at the schedule and know which games will be on Sunday's DFS docket before I even go check out the contest schedule and player salaries. I had no clue this week, but of course that's what the DraftKings website is for. The slate starts at 12:30 p.m. EDT and features nine matchups. Here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Casey Mize, DET at TEX ($8,700): With all the chatter about a Tarik Skubal trade, as a Tigers fan I'm almost pondering what Mize's campaign could provide the team if he were to also change clubs. He's recorded a 2.63 ERA and a 2.50 FIP that shows he's not getting lucky. The Rangers have been decent enough of late to put the bottom-five in runs scored behind them, yet they're still bottom-10.
Martin Perez, ATL vs. NYM ($7,300): A lefty with a 2.37 ERA at home looks good to me with the Mets visiting as their offense is still very much within the bottom-five in terms of runs scored while falling behind even the Padres for team OPS.
Kumar Rocker, TEX vs. DET ($6,100): If I'm looking to save salary on a pitcher, I'm flipping the Rangers-Tigers matchup around and go with Rocker. He endured a subpar start a few weeks ago, though still list a 3.60 ERA from his last six appearances. And all things considered, Detroit isn't much better offensively with the two sides close in runs and OPS.
See which projected starters are going and when with RotoWire's Probable Pitchers page!
Top Targets
Last season, Taylor Ward ($4,900) managed over 30 homers and 30 doubles. This year, he's been limited to doubles power, though the culprit seems clear. Now an Oriole, Ward has been awful at home while claiming an .831 road OPS. He's also produced an .840 versus lefties. I bet Nick Lodolo can relate to Ward as he's posted a 3.15 road ERA and a 5.17 at home since 2024.
Salvador Perez is last-legging it, but it seems the future has arrived in the form of Carter Jensen ($4,700). Jensen is also a catcher, though his bat plays well enough where he's also operated as the Royals' DH. The southpaw has racked up 13 homers and 17 doubles, and that'll work when picking a catcher for your roster. Aaron Nola made 17 starts last season alongside a 6.01 ERA. He's currently up to 17 outings with a 6.04.
Bargain Bats
I wanted a Cubs' righty with power, and Dansby Swanson ($4,000) certainly provides that from the shortstop spot. This isn't only about him going deep five times over his last two games, though that doesn't hurt. Swanson is also at 16 homers after 24 last year. Cards' lefty Matthew Liberatore has a 5.33 ERA and 1.85 HR/9 rate, and that's why a righty with pop is significantly appealing.
Since returning from injury, Chase DeLauter ($3,400) has been given the chance to focus on DHing. The rookie is batting .269 with seven home runs and 15 doubles through 73 matchups while performing well of late. Erick Fedde comes in with a career 4.89 ERA and a current road mark of 5.79.
Stacks to Consider
Nationals vs. Pirates (Bubba Chandler): James Wood ($6,000), CJ Abrams ($5,200), Nasim Nunez ($3,400)
The promise Chandler showed last season (largely represented by a 2.65 FIP) hasn't been duplicated. His strikeout rate has remained roughly the same and he's still good at avoiding long balls, though not as great. And Chandler's walks are way up, his groundball rate is significantly down, and a 4.62 ERA in almost triple the innings he logged during 2025. The Nationals have been as solid as any offense in baseball, and this is the stack I chose.
Wood registered 30 homers and 30 doubles last year and is already over 20 on both. He's also added 13 steals, so he'll presumably top his previous high of 15. Speaking of hitters about to eclipse personal-bests, Abrams' 18 home runs are close to his peak of 20. The shortstop still runs bases with 14 swipes. Nunez represents the Nationals' ace base stealer with 32 while producing three triples. He doesn't really offer any power, yet recently recorded his first homer of the season.
Cardinals at Cubs (Javier Assad): Jordan Walker ($5,300), JJ Wetherholt ($4,700), Alec Burleson ($4,400)
Assad has posted a 4.53 ERA, right in line with his career FIP. And his current FIP is 5.23 while struggling with strikeouts for the second straight season. Given that, I figure including a couple Cardinals represents a decent strategy.
Walker, like Assad, is a righty. Lefties have hit Assad notably better the last couple campaigns while righties went .269 against during 2024. Walker is also on 19 homers and 11 stolen bases. And while he performs much better against lefties, he's still slugged .496 versus righties. The rookie Wetherholt has cooled off a bit where his OBP is down to .363, though that's not terrible and he's also delivered 13 home runs and nine steals. He's unsurprisingly done better against righties, yet the southpaw has been better on the road with an .825 OPS. Burleson's lefty/righty splits are starker than ever. Part of that is struggling against lefties, but the other factor is that he's been crushing righties having produced a .968 OPS.
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