This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
FanDuel has an interesting slate for Major League Baseball (MLB) on Sunday to end your holiday weekend. Here are some of the plays to keep an eye on:
Mike Montgomery ($7,600), SP
Paying up for pitching does not seem like the way to go Sunday. There is a trio of guys right in that second tier that are all viable plays. Lance McCullers is one, Eduardo Rodriguez is another, but the top option is Montgomery, who has thrown back-to-back complete games. He went just shy of eight innings in the start before that, so it is not surprising. What is surprising is the way he has raised his strikeouts. After getting only one in seven innings against San Fransisco, he came back and was the first guy all season to rack up 10 against the Royals. He followed that up with seven more against San Diego. He is likely to go about seven innings, so if he can get those same six or seven strikeouts and a win, he will exceed value with a few points to spare. Oakland is very lefty dominant right now and they have a high strikeout rate and low batting average against lefties. All the signs point to Montgomery being in a good spot and he will likely go lower-owned.
McCann has a matchup with the right-hander Erasmo Ramirez. He was held out Satursay, so there's a good chance he will be the starter on Sunday. He should be in his usual five spot in the order. McCann hits much better at home and much better against right-handed pitching. Ramirez is prone to home-run balls in his career and McCann is the one catcher you can pay up for Sunday. There are expensive options at other positions that are in much better spots though, so if you needed to take a cheap player in order to fit in some studs, this is where you should look to do it. With most teams playing a day game after a night game Saturday, you should have a lot of cheap options to chose from once lineups come out.
Adam Lind ($4,000), 1B
Paul Goldschmidt might have the best matchup on the day and you should pay up for him if you can. However, the best combination of matchup and price belongs to Lind. He faces Mike Leake, who has allowed left-handed batters to hit .273 against him this year with 10 home runs in 55 innings. Lind is hitting .302 against righties with 12 home runs in 222 at-bats. He is in a good hitter's park and saves you over 20 percent from Goldschmidt, so it's tough to argue his value when they both have home run upside with a few RBI and multiple hits.
Logan Forsythe ($2,800), 2B
Forsythe has been hitting either fourth or fifth in the order lately. He tends to bat fourth when they face a right-handed pitcher but he gets a matchup with lefty CC Sabathia on Sunday. Sabathia has been worse at home, posting an 8.50 ERA at Yankee Stadium. Right-handed bats this season have hit .329 with a WHIP of 1.62 and a whopping 18 homers in 71 innings against Sabathia. That is better than one home run every four innings. Forsythe is hitting .260 against lefties, with five home runs in 81 at-bats. It's a good spot in a good hitters' park for him at a solid price. Cash-game safe with tournament upside is what it looks like for Forsythe.
Nick Ahmed ($2,900), SS
This play depends largely on where Ahmed is placed in the batting order. He leads off against left-handed pitching sometimes, and if Sunday is one of those times then he is in play. Ahmed gets a matchup against Jorge De La Rosa in a good hitters' park. Ahmed has a .345 batting average this year against southpaws, so he is way too cheap if he is on top of the order. Cesar Hernandez for $100 more has also been hot and makes a nice swerve if Ahmed is buried in the eight hole.
Manny Machado ($4,200), 3B
Machado has been great since becoming the leadoff hitter for the Orioles, and he is especially good against left-handed pitching. He faces rookie Carlos Rodon, who has allowed right-handed batters to hit .313 against him this year. Machado is a .333 hitter against left-handed pitching, and the 1.94 WHIP Rodon sports against right-handed bats makes Machado a great option. Leading off on the road all but guarantees an extra at-bat for Machado and that will be trouble the way he is playing. Evan Longoria is only $2,800 and has great numbers against lefties like CC Sabathia if you need a cheaper option, but Machado is in the best spot if you can afford to get him.
Gerardo Parra ($3,000), OF
Parra has been leading off for the Brew Crew and doing a splendid job. He has four straight games with at least 5.25 fantasy points, averaging 6.75 per game, so his floor is safe and he has upside for tournaments. He has the same matchup we mentioned with Lind against Mike Leake in a good hitters' park. Parra is hitting .308 with five homers in 211 at-bats, so it's time to take this guy seriously and put him on your fantasy teams.
Bryce Harper ($4,900, OF)
The top option by a mile on Sunday is Harper. He has a matchup to drool over. He faces Ryan Vogelsong, who has allowed 11 home runs to left-handed batters in 39 innings. Vogelsong is also worse on the road, where his ERA balloons to 5.40. Harper is batting .348 with 20 home runs in only 172 at-bats. He had another homer Saturday and is seeing the ball well right now. He is the guy you go cheaper in spots to afford and should be the lowest Vegas prop to hit a home run in such a good matchup.
Charlie Blackmon ($4,100), OF
Blackmon is now priced up like one of the studs, because he has been this year. He gets a plum matchup against Rubby De La Rosa, who has allowed a .296 batting average and 11 home runs in 47 innings. Blackmon is one of the best five-tool guys in baseball, has been hot, and gets a good matchup in a good hitters' park. He is hitting .308 with 10 homers in 224 at-bats with 19 stolen bases. He has back-to-back solid fantasy scores, and he has at least 4.25 fantasy points in five of the last 10. His upside is too good to ignore, especially for a leadoff hitter on a road team in Arizona.
