Ready for the first Sunday of the current MLB campaign? If not, I have some DFS lineup recommendations to try and help you find success as we all figure out the shape of this season. There are 11 games on the docket with the first pitch at 1:35 p.m. EDT.
Pitching
Tatsuya Imai, HOU vs. LAA ($8,200): This will be Imai's vaunted first MLB start after coming over from Japan. ERAs were rather low last year across their highest level of professional baseball, but his 1.92 still stands out. The Angels hit .225 during 2025 and finished 25th in runs scored, so this is a nice matchup for Imai to step into for his debut.
Brandon Sproat, MIL vs. CWS ($7,800): Sproat was part of the transaction that moved Freddy Peralta to New York and will be getting a chance in Milwaukee's rotation. He posted a 4.79 ERA through four starts with the Mets, but with a 2.79 FIP. The White Sox may be a bit better offensively, though they were comfortably bottom-five offensively last season and I can't really see them ending up outside the bottom-10.
Eric Lauer, TOR vs. ATH ($7,000): In his first season with Toronto, Lauer had a 3.18 ERA with 13 of his 28 appearances coming in relief. When it comes to the Athletics on offense, I believe it's reasonable to slightly discount the upside a bit when they're away from Sacramento. And Lauer is a lefty, which doesn't bode well for the likes of Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom.
See which projected starters are going and when with RotoWire's Probable Pitchers page!
Top Targets
Francisco Lindor ($4,000) struggled against lefties and on the road last year, yet still managed a 30/30/30 (with one of those 30s being doubles). Fortunately, he'll be at home on Sunday and primed to face a righty starter. Carmen Mlodzinski struggled to a 4.38 road ERA during 2025 with a 23.7-percent line-drive rate, so Lindor could produced a couple doubles.
So far, so good for Jonathan Aranda ($3,100) in terms of building on last season and the World Baseball Classic as he's slashed .429/.545/.857 - though that's only over two games. It's more relevant that the southpaw registered a .930 OPS versus righties during 2025. Dustin May finally got a chance to pitch some real innings last year - the first time that's been the case since 2020 - where he produced a 4.96 ERA with elevated homers and walks.
Bargain Bats
Though Matt Wallner ($2,900) didn't make a lot of contact last season as his .202 batting average indicates, he managed to hit 22 homers and four triples. And since 2024, he's recorded an .846 OPS versus righties and .852 on the road. Shane Baz has moved from Tampa to Baltimore while bringing with him a career 4.25 ERA.
The seven homers and 14 steals Joey Ortiz ($2,500) supplied last last year weren't remarkable, yet he's a shortstop where the offensive baseline is lower. And over his career, he's posted a .757 OPS against lefties. Considering the position and salary, Ortiz works for me. Anthony Kay, a southpaw with a career 5.59 ERA, is in line to start for the White Sox on Sunday.
Stacks to Consider
Astros vs. Angels (Jack Kochanowicz): Yordan Alvarez ($3,700), Jose Altuve ($3,200), Carlos Correa ($2,800)
It's a little surprising Kochanowicz is still in the Angels' rotation, though rebuilding teams often lack for options. Last season, he underwhelmed with a 1.24 K/BB and 1.70 HR/9 rates leading to a 6.81 ERA. On the road, the righty further struggled with a 7.42 ERA and 2.4 HR/9 rate. Both righties and lefties hit .309 against Kochanowicz, yet lefties notched the bulk of the homers so I grabbed the only viable lefty the Astros have alongside a couple righties.
After a lost 2025, Alvarez has already shown some power by going deep during Houston's second outing. He still lists a career .961 OPS and can certainly handle a pitcher like Kochanowicz. Even though Altuve's average dropped to .265, he delivered 26 homers and 10 stolen bases. He was decidedly better at home with an .820 OPS. Back with the Astros, Correa went .276 with 29 doubles. Last year's home/road splits don't mean a lot and he's batted .287 versus righties since 2024.
Cubs vs. Nationals (Jake Irvin): Pete Crow-Armstrong ($3,500), Michael Busch ($3,500), Ian Happ ($3,100)
Irvin carries a career 5.03 FIP. And last season, his FIP was up to 5.63. The righty also has a career 1.60 HR/9 rate, and it was all the way up to 1.90 in 2025. Lefties hit .286 against Irvin last year with twice as many homers as righties, so I've selected three Cubs who can bat left-handed.
After swiping 35 bags last season, Crow-Armstrong already has two. He's also gotten on base at a .500 clip, which isn't sustainable. Busch had a .910 OPS versus righties during 2025. He's slugged .750 so far that couldn't possibly last, though he did slug .523 last year. Happ has exceeded 20 home runs and 30 doubles from each of the last three campaigns. He's also a switch-hitter with a .795 OPS versus righties the last couple seasons.
Try our FanDuel MLB Lineup Optimizer to discover more expert recommendations, customize the player pool, set exposure percentage and mass-enter DFS lineups.
