Sunday’s main Major League Baseball slate features 10 games, starting at 1:05 pm ET. We will be using Bales Model to highlight some of the best players to complete your lineups.
Pitchers
The four pitchers projected to score the most fantasy points are:
Zack Wheeler (R)
Tyler Mahle (R)
Max Fried (L)
Hyun-Jin Ryu (L)
The highest-rated pitcher on Bales Model for DraftKings is Zack Wheeler from the Philadelphia Phillies. Wheeler has been strong throughout his 2021 campaign. In 147 innings pitched, he has a 2.57 ERA, 9-6 record, 1.03 WHIP and sits second best in MLB with 170 strikeouts. Wheeler has been dominant and will be looking to continue this hot form against the New York Mets.
The Phillies currently have a 1.5 game lead in the NL East division and are hoping to increase their seven-game win streak. Although the Mets have an impressive lineup, they’re projected for the second-lowest implied runs total on the slate at 3.6 runs.
Tyler Mahle is not the most popular name on the slate. However, he does rate in the top three of Bales Model for DraftKings and FanDuel. Mahle has a solid 8-3 record, including 138 strikeouts in only 116.2 innings pitched. He will be on the mound pitching against the Pittsburgh Pirates, who are on a four-game losing streak. Although Mahle allowed four earned runs last start, his 10.802 K/9 is the highest of all 20 starters on the main slate.
The highest-rated pitcher on Bales Model for FanDuel is Max Fried from the Atlanta Braves. Fried is coming off two consecutive quality starts, in which he struck out 16 opposing batters over 13 innings. Fried’s 8-7 record and 4.06 ERA are not the best. However, his recent form suggests you will want to roster the Braves’ lefty. Another reason to back Fried is that the Washington Nations, who Fried will be pitching against, are projected for the lowest implied runs total on the slate at 3.5 runs.
Another pitcher having a spectacular season to date is Hyun-Jin Ryu from the Toronto Blue Jays. In 123 innings pitched, Ryu has a 3.22 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 11-5 record and 102 strikeouts. Having won four of his last five starts, Ryu will be hoping to add another digit to his impressive win column. He does have a tough task taking on the Boston Red Sox, but they have lost eight of their last 10 games. This might be a perfect opportunity for Ryu to have a big fantasy performance against a good team.
Value
A lower-priced pitcher projected for a high points/salary is Kris Bubic from the Kansas City Royals. Bubic hasn’t collected many strikeouts — 68 in 80.2 innings to be exact — but has pitched four consecutive quality starts. Hoping to build off this solid recent momentum, Bubic will be on the hill against the St Louis Cardinals, who rank bottom 10 in baseball in team batting average and on-base percentage.
Another value play worth considering is Jorge Lopez from the Baltimore Orioles. Lopez’s 3-12 record and 5.91 ERA are less than attractive. However, he has struck out 94 opposing batters in 102 innings. He will be taking on the Tampa Bay Rays, who are the only team in baseball to strikeout more than 1,100 times (1,109) this season. The Rays are a swing happy ball club, and this is a great spot for Lopez to increase his K/9 number.
Hitters
Notable Stack
Today’s top projected points stack comes to you from the Tampa Bay Rays (-178):
- Brandon Lowe (L)
- Ji-Man Choi (L)
- Nelson Cruz (R)
- Austin Meadows (L)
The Rays are projected for the second-highest implied runs total on the slate (5.8 runs). This is the third consecutive day in which we have highlighted the Rays as the top stack, and I see no reason to change this at this time. The previous two games the Rays have scored a combined 22 runs against the Baltimore Orioles, who now own a home record of 17-33. We did label Lopez as a possible value play due to the Rays swing and miss habits, but his 5.91 ERA does favor the Rays. On FanDuel, this stack will cost you $13.6k in salary and are projected for a combined 53.3 fantasy points.
Other Hitters
Bales Model rates the top hitters for DraftKings are Jonathan India and Dylan Carlson.
India has collected at least one hit in 11 of his last 12 games including five multi-hit performances. He has double-digit fantasy performances in each of his last five games, so good luck if you’re fading the Reds infielder.
Like India, Carlson has been swinging a hot bat of late. He has a hit in five of his last six games, including five runs scored. Known as a power hitter in the minor leagues, Carlson will look take advantage of his plate appearances against Bubic, who does not strike out many batters.
Value
Lastly, here is a handful of batters to consider while completing your lineups projected for a high fantasy points/salary:
- Myles Straw
- Oscar Mercado
- Hoy Park
- Derek Hill
- Owen Miller
