This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Fan Duel has a 15-game slate for Major League Baseball (MLB) on Father's Day. We have also passed 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 are some of the plays to keep an eye on for Sunday's contests:
Starting Pitcher
Yovani Gallardo ($8,000)
Gallardo has been really good in his last five starts, returning double-digit fantasy scores in each of them, and he has at least 14 points in four of his last five. He faces a White Sox team that is 25th in the league in batting average against right-handed pitching. They do not strike out a ton, as their strikeout percentage is under 20 and ranked 18th overall. Gallardo has been pitching deeper into games and limiting opponents' damage over his recent string of good starts. Despite being a slight underdog, he has shown the ability to return right around his value number against better offenses recently. He does lack upside for tournaments at this price, but he makes a lot of sense for cash games.
Catcher
Salvador Perez ($2,300)
Sunday is always a tough day for catchers as many of them get the day off after a Saturday evening game. Perez is a guy that I am hoping finds his way into the lineup, as he would have a great matchup if he does play. Wade Miley has allowed right-handed bats to hit .289 with seven home runs so far this year. Last season his numbers were .270 with 18 home runs allowed. Perez is only hitting .270, but he already has four homers in 67 at-bats vs. left-handed pitching this year. He has the home-run upside in this matchup, and the warm weather in Kansas City makes it a great time to be hitting there.
First Base
Anthony Rizzo ($4,400)
Rizzo remains in good value territory as long as he remains $1,000 cheaper than Miguel Cabrera and Paul Goldschmidt. He has averaged about six fantasy points per game over his last four and is fresh off a two-homer game Friday that proved he was locked in. He gets a matchup with the Twins' Kyle Gibson, who has not been a gas can and is weaker to left-handed batters. He has multiple hits in three of his last four and should be in line for another solid performance.
Second Base
Jason Kipnis ($4,500)
Kipnis is the most expensive second baseman Sunday but he is worth the price. He faces the young righty Alex Colome, who has a .311 batting average against and 1.72 WHIP this season. Kipnis has been producing at a solid cash-game rate no matter what the matchup. Over his last five games, he has averaged a little over four FanDuel points per start and has a good chance to outproduce those numbers against a weak starter. Kipnis has also hit safely in his last 10 starts and will likely be on top of a lefty-heavy Indians lineup that profiles well against Colome.
Shortstop
Jung-Ho Kang ($3000)
Kang has been residing in the cleanup spot for the Pirates recently, and over his last six games he is 7-for-23 with five RBI and five runs scored. He is hitting .333 on the season against left-handed pitching and faces Gio Gonzalez, who has always struggled more with right-handed bats, and this year they are hitting .303 against him. Kang has upside in this matcup and a cheaper price than many of the other options at the position. Their will be cheaper options if you prefer to save money at the position, but Kang has the best upside for a reasonable price if you are going to spend up a little.
Third Base
Aramis Ramirez ($3,200)
Ramirez is in a very enviable spot Sunday. He gets to hit in baseball's friendliest ball park (Coors Field) against a left-handed pitcher that has really struggled. Chris Rusin has allowed right-handed bats to hit .300 off him so far this season, .390 last season, and .278 with eight homeruns in 2013. Ramirez hit .327 with eight homers in 101 at-bats against lefties last year, and while his average is down some this season, he does already have three home runs in 33 at-bats. He is one of the more cost-friendly ways to get exposure to the Coors Field game and it makes sense to save some salary and still leave yourself upside by using him.
Outfield
Charlie Blackmon ($4,100)
Blackmon might look expensive here, but he has been well worth this salary increase lately. He has hit safely in eight of his last nine and has multiple hits in three of the last four. He has managed to hit home runs, steal bases, rack up hits and contribute with runs scored and RBI. He has averaged over 4.6 points per game in his last eight and gets a good matchup with Matt Garza in a game with a high total. Garza struggles with lefty bats and Blackmon should again be on top of the Rockies' order. His salary may scare some away, but he's been one of the best players in baseball since the Rockies returned home to Coors Field, so ride the streak while he is producing.
Lorenzo Cain ($2,800)
Cain has started to heat up again, as he is 10 for his last 24 and averaging 5.25 fantasy points per game during his last seven. He has four multi-hit games during this stretch as well, so he is as hot as any hitter in baseball. Cain gets a matchup with Wade Miley and he loves to hit left-handed pitching. He is currently batting .313 against lefties this year, so he is one of the best weapons the Royals have. He should find himself in the three hole and the Kansa City weather should make it a nice night to hit. He is a much needed piece to the puzzle, as he is safe and has a lot of upside at a depressed price.
Brett Gardner ($4,100)
Gardner has been on fire lately for the Yankees, as he is nine of his last 16 for 27.25 fantasy points over the last three games. That breaks down to an average of over nine points per contest. He matches up against Anibal Sanchez, who has good stuff, but is also prone to blowups. The Yankees will throw a lot of lefties at him, and the offense has been scoring runs lately. Gardner has always had speed, but he is a more consistent hitter now and even has a little bit of home-run power as well. At $4,100, it's a tough choice between him and Blackmon, but fitting them both in gives you a ton of upside with two multi-tool players.
