Sunday’s main slate features eight games on FanDuel, starting at 1:05 pm ET. DraftKings main slate also includes the game between the New York Mets and New York Yankees, however it is only scheduled for seven innings.
Pitchers
The four pitchers projected to score the most fantasy points are:
Gerrit Cole (R)
Freddy Peralta (R)
Lucas Giolito (R)
Robbie Ray (L)
The top pitcher on Bales Model for DraftKings is Gerrit Cole from the New York Yankees. Cole is only offered on DraftKings as the seven-inning game is not included on FanDuel’s main slate. Surprisingly, Cole has struggled mightily in recent starts allowing nine home runs in his last five starts. He will be facing the New York Mets who rank 28th in Major League Baseball with only 76 home runs as a team. Cole’s current ERA is 2.66 which many pitchers would love to have, however he is hoping to lower that number today.
The pitcher that has the lowest ERA on the slate is Freddy Peralta from the Milwaukee Brewers. In 87 innings pitched, Peralta has struck out 122 batters, has a 0.87 WHIP and currently boasts a 7-2 record. The Brewers are the hottest team in baseball as they are on an 11-game winning streak. They will be hoping to complete a four-game road sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the first three games of the series the Brewers have outscored the Pirates 25-6. Bales Model rates Peralta as the best pitching option on FanDuel’s main slate as the Pirates are projected for the lowest implied runs total (3.4 runs).
Following suit, Bales Model rates Lucas Giolito as second best pitching option on FanDuel today. Giolito has had a strong first three months of his 2021 campaign and will be looking to build off his 6-5 record. My only concern with Giolito this afternoon is that he has been prone to giving up home runs recently. In his last six starts, Giolito has allowed 9 home runs to opposing batters. He will be pitching against the Detroit Tigers who rank bottom 10 in MLB with only 89 home runs as a team. Another reason to back the Chicago White Sox righty is that the Tigers batters have struck out (821) the second most in baseball though 83 games played.
The highest-priced pitcher on FanDuel today is Robbie Ray from the Toronto Blue Jays. Although he has been dominant on the mound recently, his extremely high price prompts questions to be asked. Ray is another pitcher that has struggled with giving up long balls as he has allowed one in each of his last five starts. Pro Trends considers Ray only a 9% bargain on FanDuel due to his high price. Ray will be pitching against the Tampa Bay Rays, who lead all of baseball with 857 team strikeouts. Maybe Ray will prove me wrong, but personally I am fading the Blue Jays lefty.
Value
If you are looking to save salary for some higher priced batters, two names that standout are Zach Thompson and Brad Keller. Bales Model projects these pitchers to have the best points/salary for DraftKings and FanDuel respectively.
Although he has limited experience pitching in the big league, Thompson has been a bright spot for the National League East worst Miami Marlins. In 18 innings pitched Thompson has struck out 25 opposing batters and has an ERA of 1.50.
Brad Keller’s 6.67 ERA is ugly, but Kansas City Royals manager Mike Matheny keeps giving him chances. The stat that sparks my interest with Keller is that he has reached the century mark in pitches thrown three of his last four starts. Although Keller has been absolutely rocked while on the mound this year, he has potential for a breakout performance.
Hitters
Notable Stack
Today’s top projected points stack comes to you from the San Diego Padres (-128):
- Tommy Pham (R)
- Fernando Tatis Jr. (R)
- Jake Cronenworth (L)
- Manny Machado (R)
The Padres have a projected implied runs total of 4.8 this afternoon, and are hoping to benefit from facing Vince Velasquez who has been very inconsistent. In the last game of a six-game road trip, the Padres will look to get back in the win column as they have lost their last three games. On FanDuel, this stack will cost you $14.7k in salary and are projected for a combined 49 fantasy points.
Other Hitters
A name that sticks out on Bales Model for being highly rated that some might not be familiar with is Trevor Larnach from the Minnesota Twins. Although Larnach was supposed to have the day off Saturday, he came into pinch hit and went two for two with a home run. Larnach has multi-hit games in his last two and is a strong batter to consider today.
The highest rated batter on Bales Model for both DraftKings and FanDuel is Luis Arraez. Arraez only has one hit in his last four games. However, he’s due for a breakout game against the Kansas City Royals.
Value
Finally, here is a handful of batters to consider while completing your lineups today that are projected for a high fantasy points/salary:
- Roberto Perez
- Phillip Evans
- Jorge Soler
- Hunter Dozier
- Miguel Rojas
