Sunday’s main slate features eight 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:
- Freddy Peralta, MIL (R)
- Alek Manoah, TOR (R)
- Tyler Mahle, CIN (R)
- Lucas Giolito, CHW (R)
The highest-rated pitcher on Bales Model for both DraftKings and FanDuel is Freddy Peralta of the Milwaukee Brewers. Peralta has been elite this season. In 139 innings, he has a 2.66 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 190 strikeouts and a 9-5 record. Peralta is coming off back-to-back performances in which he threw exactly six innings and had nine strikeouts each. Peralta will be on the mound against the New York Mets, who are projected for the second-lowest implied runs total on the slate (3.6 runs). Although the Mets rank bottom 10 in MLB in team strikeouts (1,324), Peralta’s slate-high K/9 (11.9) suggests he will have Mets batters guessing this afternoon.
A pitcher who has made quite a name for himself this season in the Toronto Blue Jays rotation is Alek Manoah. Two starts ago, Manoah threw eight scoreless, one-hit innings with 10 strikeouts. Last outing, Manoah earned a quality start despite allowing a season-high six walks. If Manoah is able to keep his walk numbers in check, he may be in line for another strong performance. Today, he will be on the hill pitching against the Minnesota Twins, who have scored only four runs in their last two games. The Twins rank 15th in MLB in walks (511).
The most consistent pitcher on the slate this afternoon from a fantasy perspective is Tyler Mahle of the Cincinnati Reds. Through 169 2/3 innings, Mahle has a 3.66 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 12-6 record and 198 strikeouts. Today, Mahle will be pitching against the Washington Nationals, who are projected for an implied runs total of 3.9 runs. A projected wind blowing out to left field does favor batters, however, the Nationals rank bottom 10 in baseball in home runs (179). Like Manoah, Mahle has struggled with walks recently. If Mahle can keep batters off base he should be able to hit his value easily.
Rounding out the top four, Lucas Giolito of the Chicago White Sox is the highest-priced pitcher on DraftKings today, and his recent form suggests he is underserving. In his last three starts, Giolito has not been able to make it out of the sixth inning. An outing against the Cleveland Indians may be just what Giolito needs to get back on track. The Indians have really struggled. Today is the fifth game of a five-game series as the Indians have been averaging 3.25 runs in their first four games.
Value
If you are looking to save salary on a pitcher to possible load up with strong batters, Carlos Carrasco is a name worth considering. Carrasco will be on the opposite side of the diamond from Peralta in a game that, on paper, will be a pitchers’ duel. After a slow start to his 2021 campaign, Carrasco has averaged five strikeouts per start over his last six outings. Most of his runs against have come from home runs, which the Milwaukee Brewers rank 16th in.. A projected double-digit wind blowing out to left field will favor batters, however, the Brewers have been known to strikeout early and often this year. Bales Model considers Carrasco a strong value play as he is projected for a high fantasy point/salary.
Hitters
Notable Stack
Today’s top projected points stack comes to you from the -176 Cincinnati Reds:
- Jonathan India (R)
- Tyler Stephenson (R)
- Nick Castellanos (R)
- Eugenio Suarez (R)
The Reds are projected for the second-highest implied runs total on the slate today (5.5 runs). On FanDuel, this stack will cost you $12.7K and is projected for a combined 51.3 fantasy points. The Reds are not yet mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, however, their chances are slim. To keep their hope, they will have to perform strong the rest of the way. Back-to-back one run victories are great, but Reds fans and players hope for a little less stress. In their last two games the Reds have scored a total of 15 runs, including five home runs.
Other Hitters
One of the highest-rated batters on Bales Model for both DraftKings and FanDuel today is Nelson Cruz of the Tampa Bay Rays. Cruz has reached the 30-home run mark for the eighth time in his career. Looking to add to the high total, Cruz is projected to bat third for the Twins, who are projected for an implied runs total of 4.1 runs.
Value
Finally, here is a handful of batters to consider while completing your lineups today that are projected for a high fantasy points/salary:
- Luis Arraez
- Leody Taveras
- Jordan Luplow
- Hoy Park
- Ben Gamel
After this piece is published, FantasyLabs is likely to provide news updates on a number of players. Be sure to stay ahead of your competition with our industry-leading DFS-focused news blurbs.
Photo Credit: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
Pictured: Lucas Giolito
