This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
FanDuel has a 15-game slate for Major League Baseball on Sunday. We have also hit the two-month mark of the season and there are a lot of injuries and lineup shuffling to contend with, so make sure to check the injury reports here at Rotowire as well. The Lineups page is a good way to see who is getting more playing time or better placement in the batting order due to guys being injured, rested or just flat out benched. Here are some of the plays to keep an eye on for Sunday:
Starting Pitcher
Chris Archer ($10,200)
There is a lot of top-end pitching to choose from but Archer still stands out. He has been awesome lately with 17, 20 and 26 fantasy points, respectively, in his last three. That was on the back of 8, 12 and 15-strikeout performances in those three games. He has pitched eight innings in each of his last two gems without walking a batter or giving up a run and allowing only eight hits. He gets a matchup against a Seattle team that has the third highest K-rate against right-handed pitchers (23.5 percent). They also have the second-lowest batting average, the fourth-fewest runs scored, and the fourth-worst OPS. The game is also going to be in Safeco Park, which is as pitcher-friendly as they come and a slight park bump for Archer. Jacob deGrom and Gerrit Cole are also viable options, but Archer has been too good and has too good a matchup to ignore.
Catcher
Jonathan Lucroy ($3,000)
There is no reason not to ride Lucroy until his price reverts back to where it was last season. He is a very solid hitter who has lineup placement between two of the game's bright young stars. He is one of the few catchers who can drive in runs, score runs and do it with a batting average around .300. He faces Mike Pelfrey, who has been good this year but is a candidate for regression based off his career numbers. Lucroy has averaged around 3.4 fantasy points per game over his last four, and has flashed eight-point upside. He is safe, can produce a big number and is still cheap enough to allow you to fit someone like Archer in.
First Base
David Ortiz ($2,500)
Ortiz draws a good matchup against Kendall Graveman of the A's, who has allowed a .300 batting average and three home runs to left-handed batters in just 17 innings. Ortiz is hitting .280 with six home runs in 122 at-bats against right-handed pitching this year, so this is his preferred matchup. The real reason he is high on the list is the price tag of only $2,500. That is way too cheap for a guy who drives in runs like Ortiz against a pitcher who gives them up like Graveman. The best part of Ortiz lies in looking around at the other options in this price range and realizing that he sticks out like a sore thumb for being so cheap.
Second Base
Chase Utley ($2,700)
Utley was rested Saturday against Madison Bumgarner, so he could be ready to face Ryan Vogelsong on Sunday. "Vogeldong," as he has been dubbed, has already allowed eight home runs to left-handed batters in only 20 innings this season. The game will be played in Philly, which is a great park for bats, and Utley should be back in his normal three hole spot. There's a lot to like at the top end of second base, but if you do decide to save for a big outfield bat, Utley makes sense for tournaments.
Shortstop
Jung-Ho Kang ($3,100)
Kang is an international superstar. He hit .350 with 40 homers in the Korean league before signing his contract to come to the U.S. this past offseason, His offense has been hit or miss lately, with some good upside games and some clunkers. Kang has hit .348 so far against-left handed pitching, like Alex Wood (Sunday's opposing starter), though in a limited sample size.
Third Base
Todd Frazier ($4,000)
Frazier has been flying under the radar with guys like Josh Donaldson, Kris Bryant, and Nolan Arenado being used more, yet he is the bigger producer in recent games. Frazier has put up a fantasy score of six points or better in five of his last 10 games. He gets a matchup Sunday against Odrisamer Despaigne, who has been lit up in a couple starts this year. Frazier has been batting in the three hole and will be at home in a friendly park to hit in.
Outfield
Matt Kemp ($2,200)
Kemp is too talented to be this cheap. He has a matchup against Johnny Cueto, which would appear to be pretty rough on the surface, but Cueto has been struggling lately and Kemp is getting the park bump. Kemp broke out of his slump in a big way Saturday with a huge 3-for-5 performance that netted him 14.75 fantasy points. You will need a guy at this price to be able to fit in one of the top starting pitcher options, so why not take a min price guy that actually has some talent?
Giancarlo Stanton ($5,400)
Kyle Kendrick is one of the worst starting pitchers in the league. Coors Field is one of the best hitter's parks in the league and Giancarlo Stanton is one of the best power hitters in the league. When all that is taken into consideration, Stanton becomes a premier play. He is in the midst of a five-game hitting streak with home runs in three of those five. He is firmly entrenched in the three spot and they are the road team, so there is a good chance he sees an extra at-bat. Kendrick's ERA at home is nearing 8.00 and he has allowed eight home runs in 23 innings, so the matchup does not get much better.
Andrew McCutchen ($4,800)
McCutchen may be the hottest hitter in all of baseball. He has a seven-game hit streak going with hits in nine of his last ten games. He has five multi-hit games over that span and has averaged 4.925 fantasy points over his last 10, including five games of over 6.25 fantasy points during this run. Cutch gets a matchup with a lefty in Alex Wood on Sunday. He hit .280 with six homers in about 100 at-bats against left-handed pitching last year. It's a tough choice between McCutchen and Stanton as top outfield option, but Cutch likely gets the nod based on price savings. With expensive top-end pitching Sunday, you will likely only be able to fit in one or the other.
