Yahoo DFS Baseball: Sunday Picks
MLB has an Easter gift for us: Every single team in action, most in the afternoon. OK, so that's true basically every Sunday. Nevertheless, that gives you a ton of options for your DFS lineup. Below are recommendations. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m. EDT. Get those lineups in early, even if it means waiting to bite the ears off the chocolate rabbit.
Pitching
Zack Wheeler, PHI at MIA ($50): Wheeler was maybe the most reliable pitcher in the majors in 2021, making 32 starts and posting a 2.78 ERA. Since joining the Phillies, he has a 2.80 ERA. The Marlins ranked 29th in runs scored last season, and they certainly did not make much in the way of roster changes to really bolster the offense.
Jose Urquidy, HOU at SEA ($39): Urquidy doesn't strike out many batters, which is concerning in this day and age, but he's still managed a career 3.50 ERA. In his first start of the year he only allowed one run in five innings, picking up the win. This is certainly a team that can offer run support, even without Carlos Correa. While the Mariners added pieces this offseason, they had the lowest team batting average in MLB last year, so they have a long way to go.
Jose Suarez, LAA at TEX ($30): Suarez is an an option for those who want to save money on pitching. Dipping in and out of the bullpen last season, Suarez had a 3.75 ERA, including a 3.05 ERA on the road. Texas is going to be better offensively this year after finishing 28th in runs scored last year. However, the Rangers are 2-6 to start the season and start Martin Perez on Sunday.
Top Targets
Rafael Devers ($22) is in the running as one of the best hitters in baseball. In the last two seasons he's notched more than 30 home runs and 110 RBI. Since 2020, he has a .959 OPS against righties. Bailey Ober's first start this season was rough, and in 2021 he put up a 4.55 FIP as a rookie.
Aside from a 27-game run in the 2016 season, Aaron Judge ($21) has never had a slugging percentage lower than .528 in a season. He yields to nobody when it comes to power. On top of that, he's a career .276 hitter who is hitting .281 this year. The righty faces left-handed Bruce Zimmermann on Sunday, and Zimmermann has allowed 1.91 home runs per nine innings in his career.
Bargain Bats
He's off to a bit of a slow start, but Nelson Cruz ($15) has been a steady power bat, even as he's gone from his late 30s into his 40s. He hit 32 home runs and slugged .494 last season in his age-40 campaign. Since 2020, Jose Quintana has allowed righties to hit .330, which is a number that could win a batting title. Cruz could be primed to tee off.
Returning from the IL to get his first at-bats of the season, Taylor Ward ($14) picked up two hits (including a homer) and two walks. He's never really broken out, but the last two seasons he's batted .258/.332/.421. Ward is a righty, so expect him in the lineup against the lefty Perez. A lefty, by the way, who has a 5.16 ERA the last five seasons.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays vs. Adam Oller: Vladimir Guerrero ($26), George Springer ($24), Bo Bichette ($22)
This is the high-salary stack, but few teams have a trio that matches this one. Plus, two of the players have had a strong start to the season. Oller, on the other hand, allowed five runs in 1.1 innings in his MLB debut. I wish the Blue Jays had a good lefty in their lineup, but I think they'll be just fine.
Guerrero won't keep slugging .794 this year, but he managed to slug .601 last season, and he has as much power as any hitter in baseball. Since joining the Blue Jays, Spinger has a .911 OPS in 87 games. Bichette is off to a slow start, but his career line is .298/.340/.500 and last year he had 29 homers and 25 stolen bases.
Cubs at Austin Gomber: Seiya Suzuki ($25), Ian Happ ($21), Jonathan Villar ($12)
Gomber was a full-time starter for the first time in his career last season. He put up a 4.60 FIP and allowed 1.56 homers per nine innings. This is the Cubs' last chance to take advantage of Coors Field for a bit, and the same goes for DFS players looking to stack Cubs.
Suzuki has outperformed all expectations to start his MLB career, batting .409/.533/.909. Happ had a little bad luck with his .281 BABIP in 2021, but he still managed 25 homers and nine stolen bases. This year he's hitting .360 to start the campaign. Villar has been a base-stealing specialist in the past, swiping more than 30 bags three times. Last year he only stole 14 bases, but he also hit 18 home runs.
Phillies vs. Elieser Hernandez: Bryce Harper ($22), J.T. Realmuto ($17), Kyle Schwarber ($16)
Hernandez has been in and out of the lineup for the Marlins over the years. He's been a starter and a relief pitcher, but also has never pitched more than 82.1 inning in a season. Through it all, he has a 4.73 ERA. Also, since 2020 he's allowed lefties to hit .271. Hence, I have two lefties here.
Harper won the MVP last year in part because of how much he rakes against righties. Since 2020 he's put up a 1.060 OPS versus right-handed pitchers. Realmuto is hitting .300 to start this season, and last year he hit 17 home runs and stole 13 bases. Schwarber is off to a slow start, but he has proven power, and he's capable of hitting righties with gusto. He has a career .489 slugging percentage and had a .990 OPS against righties in 2021.
