Sunday’s main slate features 11 games starting at 1:05 pm ET. We will be using Bales Model to highlight some of the top options to consider.
Pitchers
The four pitchers projected to score the most fantasy points today are:
Dylan Cease (R)
Tyler Mahle (R)
Jose Berrios (R)
Tanner Houck (R)
One of the highest rated pitchers on Bales Model this afternoon for both DraftKings and FanDuel is Dylan Cease from the Chicago White Sox. In 137.2 innings, Cease has a 3.92 ERA, 10-6 record, 1.23 WHIP, and 177 strikeouts. His 10.285 K/9 ranks top four on the slate as his 177 total strikeouts rank eighth in all of baseball.
In his last start against the Toronto Blue Jays, Cease allowed only one earned run on a home run while striking out seven batters. This afternoon, he gets the luxury of facing the rebuilding Chicago Cubs who projected for the third lowest implied runs total on the slate (3.5 runs). On a surprising note, the Cubs bats have become hot this last week in August. In their last 5 games, the Cubs have scored a shocking 41 runs.
Tyler Mahle from the Cincinnati Reds is the second highest rated pitcher on Bales Model for both DraftKings and FanDuel today. For the first time in his major league baseball career Mahle has a positive win-loss record. In 141.1 innings, Mahle has a 3.69 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 168 strikeouts, and a 10-4 record.
Today, he will be on the mound pitching against the Miami Marlins who are projected for the lowest implied runs total on the slate (3.4 runs). A projected double-digit wind blowing in from right-center field will not help the Marlins’ batters either. The Marlins have lost seven of their last 10 games, and I don’t see that trend stopping anytime soon.
Jose Berrios from the Toronto Blue Jays is another top five rated pitcher on Bales Model for today’s slate. Berrios did not have a great performance last outing against the Chicago White Sox. In that game, he pitched for only three innings, allowed nine hits, four earned runs including one home run. He did have six strikeouts last start which salvaged him a positive fantasy day, but overall there is lots of room for improvement. Today, he will be pitching against the Detroit Tigers who rank fifth in MLB with 1,230 strikeouts.
Tanner Houck is not the most recognizable name on the slate, however, his low price point allows him to be a strong option today. Projected as a 93% bargain on FanDuel, Houck is an option to consider at low ownership. Although his 3.43 ERA and 0-3 record are not worth writing home about, his impressive 52 strikeouts in 39.1 innings are noticeable. If he is able to keep the Cleveland batters guessing, he may put up a large sum of fantasy points this afternoon.
Value
The highest rated pitcher on Bales Model for FanDuel is Tylor Megill from the New York Mets. Megill allowed 11 hits across 3.2 innings last start and is hoping to rebound today. He will be taking on the Washington Nationals who are projected for the lowest implied runs total on the slate (3.4 runs).
Hitters
Notable Stack
Today’s top projected points stack comes to you from the -235 Tampa Bay Rays:
- Brandon Lowe (L)
- Randy Arozarena (R)
- Wander Franco (S)
- Austin Meadows (L)
The Rays are projected for the highest implied runs total on the slate today (6.2 runs). They are currently on an MLB-high six-game winning streak as they finish out a five-game road trip. Although the Rays only scored four runs yesterday, they are due for a big breakout game as they take on the Baltimore Orioles today. On FanDuel, this stack will cost you $14.6k in salary and is projected for a combined 54 fantasy points.
Other Hitters
The highest rated batter on Bales Model not playing for the Rays is Tommy Edman from the St Louis Cardinals. Edman is the projected leadoff batter for the Cardinals and is coming off a four-hit performance in yesterday’s ball game. Edman has been on absolute fire at the plate lately and there are no signs that he will be stopping anytime soon.
Another highly rated batter today is Cesar Hernandez from the Chicago White Sox. After being traded from Cleveland, Hernandez was batting at the bottom of the White Sox order. Now that he has proven to his new manager his importance, Hernandez has moved up the batting order promptly. Today, he is projected to leadoff against the Chicago Cubs who held the White Sox scoreless yesterday.
Value
Finally, here is a handful of batters to consider while completing your lineups today that are projected for a high fantasy points/salary:
- Jordan Luplow
- Freddy Galvis
- Leody Taveras
- Jace Peterson
- Ryan Jeffers
