This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
We're a few days into August, but this is the first Sunday of the month. It's a busy afternoon of baseball, which is where the main DFS slate of contests can be found. There are 11 games on the docket, with the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. EDT. Here are my DFS recommendations.
Pitching
Tyler Glasnow, TAM at DET ($11,000): As per usual, Glasnow has had trouble staying healthy. At the same time, he's been a top-notch pitcher when able to take the mound as he's posted a 2.08 ERA from his last seven starts. The Tigers rank 29th in runs scored and their .366 slugging percentage speaks to a lack of power.
Brandon Woodruff, MIL vs. PIT ($9,600): Will the Brewers allow Woodruff to go deep enough into this game to get a win? And will his game be up to speed? Woodruff is an elite pitcher with a career 3.08 FIP and 10.46 strikeout rate. The righty made two strong starts to begin the year and then landed on the IL with a shoulder injury. Pittsburgh is going to finish in the bottom-seven in offense, so this is a good matchup for Woodruff to step into.
Andrew Heaney, TEX vs. MIA ($8,800): Heaney is coming off an excellent start where he tossed six shutout innings while only allowing two hits to go with 11 strikeouts. That was against the White Sox, though the Marlins aren't really any better as they're also subpar in runs scored while they won't have a few key lefties available. Heaney, a southpaw, has also held lefties to an .186 average.
Top Targets
Ryan Mountcastle ($3,500) has been powered by his performance against lefties this year. While he's scuffled versus righties, he's posted an 1.067 OPS against southpaws. In three starts this season, Jose Quintana hasn't given up a homer - or a hit - to lefties, yet still lists a 3.57 ERA while righties have hit .346 against.
It turns out Nolan Arenado ($3,200) didn't need Coors Field to bolster his numbers considering his .887 OPS at home. And since 2021, he's recorded a .912 OPS versus lefties. Austin Gomber, a former Cardinal, has put up terrible numbers with Colorado and that doesn't have anything to do with to Denver's elevation since he's struggled to a 5.54 ERA on the road.
Bargain Bats
After crushing a robust 36 homers last season, Christian Walker ($3,200) is currently at 22 while boosting his slugging percentage to .505 largely by picking up more hits and racking up doubles. And he's been better at home, but last year still slugged .522 on the road. Much to my surprise, Dallas Keuchel is back in MLB. He posted a 6.35 ERA the previous two seasons, which is probably why this will be his first major-league start of 2023.
Bryson Stott ($3,100) didn't do much as a rookie, though his 10 homers and 12 stolen bases probably held some value for fantasy players. And he's already up to nine and 20 along with a .302 average. The shortstop is also a lefty, and Zack Greinke has allowed lefties to bat .321 against. He's also posted a 7.40 ERA on the road.
Stacks to Consider
Astros at Yankees (Carlos Rodon): Jose Altuve ($4,000), Chas McCormick ($3,500), Jeremy Pena ($2,600)
The Yankees were excited to sign Rodon…and then he got hurt. He's returned, but the club was arguably better off when he wasn't in their rotation as the southpaw has a 6.92 FIP while giving up 2.22 homers and walking a staggering 5.92 batters per nine innings. Rodon was a better pitcher than this…but what is he now? Probably someone who's worth targeting a stack of three right-handed Astros.
Altuve has endured an injury-plagued season. But when available, he's slashed .282/.379/.506 with eight homers and nine stolen bases. While Altuve has struggled against lefties in limited opportunity during 2023, he's registered an .885 OPS against southpaws since 2021. McCormick has taken his game to a new level hitting .279 with 15 homers and 12 stolen bases. He also lists a career .946 OPS versus southpaws. Pena has regressed as a sophomore, yet he's still produced 10 homers and 10 stolen bases. And he's gone .311 against lefties, so his struggles are all about facing righties.
Reds vs. Nationals (Jake Irvin): Elly De La Cruz ($4,200), TJ Friedl ($3,200), Will Benson ($3,000)
Irvin fits into the Nationals' rotation in as much as he's young and inexperienced. However, the rookie has been overmatched with a 5.33 FIP through 16 starts while allowing 1.47 homers per nine innings. Given that lefties have batted .279 against Irvin, I've leaned in that direction.
De La Cruz keeps things exciting with nine homers, three triples, and 17 stolen bases across 51 games. While a switch-hitter, he struggles against lefties but has posted an .856 OPS versus righties. Friedl has hit .279 with nine homers and 19 swiped bags. And in his career, he's excelled with an .837 home and an .846 OPS versus lefties in limited action which will matter once the bullpen is called upon. Benson saw a little action for Cleveland in 2022, but gave up on him even though he was still only 24. The Reds have also given him a chance, and he's gone on to slash .273/.372/.512 with seven home runs and 10 steals over 64 games. Almost all his success has been against righties with a .972 OPS.
Cubs vs. Atlanta (Charlie Morton): Cody Bellinger ($4,200), Christopher Morel ($3,900), Nico Hoerner ($3,400)
Morton doesn't usually allow many homers, but he just served up three in 6.0 innings in his last outing. Even if that isn't indicative of his usual performance, he does have a 4.07 FIP with a 4.25 last year. Since fellow righties have hit .270 against, I have two of them in this stack.
Bellinger may be a lefty, but his .322 average, 16 homers, and 16 stolen bases merits his place here. It may be his first season with the Cubs, but he's already managed a .931 OPS at home. Morton has struggled more with righties, and Morel has hit his fellow righties better. He's also produced a .942 OPS versus right-handed pitchers in 2023. In addition to his .274 average, Hoerner has accumulated 26 stolen bases, and it's easier to steal against righties. He also hits better at home as well with an .810 OPS since 2021.
