Baseball is back! Check back here throughout the day for updated blurbs as teams confirm their lineup. We’ll keep you updated on some of the day’s highest-impact trends by utilizing our Models and Vegas dashboard. Projected and confirmed lineups for every game can be found on our MLB Daily Lineups page.
Diamondbacks (+156) at Mets (-170) — 1:10 PM EST
Mets out: Asdrubal Cabrera
Mets in: Luis Guillorme
Asdrubal Cabrera and Devin Mesoraco will rest during Sunday’s afternoon game against the Diamondbacks and right-hander Clay Buchholz, who will make his first start of the season. Luis Guillorme will replace Cabrera in the infield and bat sixth while Thomas Nido catches in Mesoraco’s absence. Although the Mets are presently implied to score 4.4 runs, they claim an 87 Team Value Rating on FanDuel — the second-highest mark on the main slate — and their implied total has risen 0.3 runs since the line opened. No hitter in the lineup costs more than $3,700 on DraftKings or $2,800 on FanDuel, and the top four hitters all have at least five DraftKings Pro Trends.
Cubs (-138) at Reds (+127) — 1:10 PM EST
Cubs out: Kris Bryant
Cubs in: Ian Happ
Kris Bryant will receive a day off, so the Cubs will roll with Ben Zobrist, Albert Almora, and Anthony Rizzo at the top of the order for their matchup against the Reds. They’re currently implied to score 4.9 runs, and Rizzo, Zobrist, Ian Happ, Jason Heyward, and Kyle Schwarber have all posted positive ISO and wOBA splits vs. right-handed pitchers over the past 12 months. Overall, Rizzo, Willson Contreras, Happ, and Heyward form the main slate’s third-highest rated four-man stack in combined DraftKings Pro Trends. Still, Tyler Mahle offers strikeout upside considering he carries a solid 6.2 K Prediction and faces a Cubs lineup that has combined to strike out every .281 at-bats over the past calendar year – tied for the third-highest mark in Sunday’s main slate.
Padres (+128) at Pirates (-139) — 1:35 PM EST
Pirates in: Josh Harrison
Josh Harrison was activated off the disabled list and will bat leadoff against the Padres and right-hander Jordan Lyles. Francisco Cervelli will occupy the third spot in the order for the second consecutive game, and Jordy Mercer is the only hitter in the lineup with a negative recent batted-ball distance differential. The Pirates are not one of the three teams presently implied to score at least 5.0 runs in the main slate, but that doesn’t preclude them from providing value. Harrison costs $2,000 on FanDuel, and leadoff hitters with a similar salary and team-implied run total (4.3) have historically averaged a FantasyLabs’ +1.57 FanDuel Plus/Minus with a 48.8% Consistency Rating. Lyles possesses elite recent Statcast marks as he’s transitioned from reliever to starter, but Harrison is cheap enough to warrant a flyer.
Brewers (+115) at Twins (-124) — 2:10 PM EST
Brewers in: Hernan Perez (wrist)
Hernan Perez missed three games with a wrist injury, but he’ll bat fifth for a Brewers lineup currently implied to score 4.3 runs against the Twins. Travis Shaw, in particular, is set up well against righty Jake Odorizzi, as Shaw has posted a .393 wOBA and .272 ISO vs. right-handed pitchers over the past 12 months. Overall, Shaw has posted top-six marks among all third basemen in Sunday’s main slate in wOBA and ISO differential vs. righties over the past calendar year. Still, Odorizzi has pitched well recently, allowing one or fewer runs in three of his last four starts. He’ll look to do a better job limiting the long ball, as he ranks among the main slate’s bottom-two pitchers in home-run and fly-ball rate allowed over the past 12 months. Both offenses will have to deal with estimated wind gusts of nine miles per hour blowing in from center field.
Rangers (+104) at White Sox (-113) — 2:10 PM EST
Rangers in: Hanser Alberto
Rangers in: Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Isiah Kiner-Falefa will receive a day off, so the Rangers will bat Jurickson Profar and Nomar Mazara at the No. 3 and No. 4 spots in the order, respectively. The Rangers are currently implied to score a respectable 4.5 runs and offer upside throughout the lineup. Overall, each of Shin-Soo Choo, Mazara, Joey Gallo, Rougned Odor, and Carlos Perez have posted positive wOBA and ISO splits vs. right-handed pitchers over the past 12 months. They’re set up well against Reynaldo Lopez, who ranks among the bottom-five pitchers in Sunday’s main slate in average batted ball distance and fly-ball rate allowed over the past 15 days. Be sure to monitor the weather, as current forecasts call for an estimated 50 percent chance of precipitation.
Yankees (-165) at Royals (+152) — 2:15 PM EST
Yankees out: Gary Sanchez, Didi Gregorius
Yankees in: Austin Romine, Ronald Torreyes
Gary Sanchez will sit the afternoon series finale against the Royals on Sunday after catching the previous five games, and Didi Gregorius will rest for the second straight game. Aaron Hicks will bat cleanup, Austin Romine will catch, and Ronald Torreyes will replace Gregorious in the infield once more. The forecast at Kauffman Stadium isn’t appealing, but the Yankees are one of three teams in the main slate presently implied to score at least 5.0 runs. Despite the absence of Sanchez and Gregorious, the Yankees have one of the top-rated five-man DraftKings stacks in the Bales Model, and Royals left-hander Erik Skoglund has crafted the second-worst WHIP (1.643) among starters on the slate. Giancarlo Stanton has historically crushed lefties, and he leads all everyday hitters with a 0.53 wOBA and 0.464 ISO over the last year.
