It's hard to believe, but we only have about a month left of baseball. Most teams have around 40 games remaining, and there's still a ton to be decided. I actually don't have a read on who I like as a title contender, and that's a testament to how competitive these teams have been playing. The cream always rises to the top though, so let's get started with an ace for the World Series favorites.
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Pitching
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, LAD at LAA ($9,900)
Why don't more people talk about Yoshi? He's been one of the best pitchers in baseball since signing last season, providing a 2.72 ERA and 1.07 WHIP in MLB. His 2.51 ERA and 1.04 WHIP this season are even better, with Yamamoto scoring at least 14 DraftKings points in 18 of 22 starts. That's one of the highest floors in baseball, and it's paired with a 21-point average. Those numbers should be easy to reach in a matchup with the other LA team, because the Angels rank 20th in wOBA and dead last in K rate. All of that has Yamamoto entering this matchup as a -190 favorite!
Top Targets
Spencer Torkelson, DET (vs. Tyler Alexander) $4,800
The Motor City Kitties have collapsed over the last month, but it's not this guy's fault. He's one of the few Detroit players not struggling, sporting a .348 AVG and .984 OPS across his last six outings. The most impactful variable here is that Torkelson gets the platoon advantage, tallying a .379 OBP and .942 OPS against left-handers this year. Those are sensational splits heading into a game against a southpaw with a 4.55 career ERA. If you want to stack Tigers, Gleyber Torres ($4,700) and Javier Baez ($3,100) also bat from the right side.
Alec Burleson, STL (vs. Anthony Molina) $4,100
Burleson has been an underrated bat throughout his career. The lefty masher has been hitting third and fourth for the Cards over the last two months, maintaining a .282 AVG and .786 OPS this season. His splits are even more impressive, as he sports a .283 AVG and .812 OPS against right-handers. Burleson also has an .827 OPS since June 3 and gets to face a fill-in pitcher for a team that ranks last in ERA and WHIP. We'll dive into that more in the Stacks To Consider section.
Bargain Bats
Andrew Vaughn, MIL (vs. Andrew Heaney) $3,600
How is Vaughn still below $4K? This slugger has found a home since joining Milwaukee, hitting cleanup for them as an everyday player. He's earned that everyday role with a superb stretch in which he's amassed a .418 OBP, .647 SLG and 1.055 OPS in 24 games. He'd be an All-Star if he maintained those averages for a full season, and he should go off against a subpar southpaw here. We'll talk about Heaney below, but Vaughn has a 1.263 OPS at home with Milwaukee while posting better splits against lefties.
Mickey Moniak, COL (vs. Miles Mikolas) $3,500
This is another post-hype sleeper that continues to surprise. The first overall pick way back in 2016 was a punt signing by the Rockies, but he's proven to be one of their best players at times this year. He's become their leadoff hitter, producing a .329 AVG, .686 SLG and 1.052 OPS across his last 41 fixtures. What's also fascinating about Moniak is that he's rocked righties all year, registering a .865 OPS with the platoon advantage. That will be tough for a struggling pitcher like Mikolas, who has compiled a 5.11 ERA and 1.32 WHIP this year. Colorado is a cheap stack worth considering, with Hunter Goodman ($4,600), Tyler Freeman ($3,800) and Jordan Beck ($3,800) looking like the best pairings with Moniak.
Stacks to Consider
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Colorado Rockies (Molina): Willson Contreras ($4,300), Brendan Donovan ($3,900), Burleson ($4,100), Lars Nootbaar ($3,800)
It would be fascinating to see how many of us writers picked stacks against the Rockies this season. It's simply the safest recipe in DFS because they rank last in ERA, WHIP and xwOBA. That's a terrifying thought here because they have a temp entering the rotation. That's Molina, with the righty posting a 9.22 ERA and 1.68 WHIP.
Contreras has moved from catcher to first base, but he continues to rake. The former All-Star has a .366 OBP and .871 OPS since April 30. As for Donovan, he typically bats leadoff for the Cards, collecting a .379 OBP and .823 OPS against righties this year. We already discussed Burleson, but Nootbaar has a .354 OBP and .785 OPS against right-handers since 2023.
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Pittsburgh Pirates (Heaney): Christian Yelich ($5,000), William Contreras ($3,700), Brice Turang ($4,100), Vaughn ($3,600)
Heaney was one of the best pitchers in baseball during the opening month, but that was a mirage. The lefty has regressed massively since then, generating a 5.92 ERA and 1.46 WHIP since April 29. That won't sit well against one of the best lineups in baseball, with Heaney allowing 10 baserunners and seven runs across four innings in his last start against the Brew Crew.
Yelich has been Milwaukee's best player for years, posting a .364 OBP and .828 OPS since last season. Contreras has developed into the best offensive catcher in baseball, hitting six homers over his last 10 outings. He also has .408 OBP and .916 OPS against lefties since 2023. Turang is as hot as anyone else in this lineup, totaling a 1.254 OPS during his current seven-game hitting streak.
