That was one of the wildest trade deadlines I've ever seen. We're still trying to get a grasp on how bullpen hierarchies will look with seemingly half the relievers in MLB getting traded, but it hasn't affected DFS too much. One factor that I always try to bring up is that people need to pay attention to the weather. It's a unique variable in MLB DFS compared to other sports because there are a handful of slates every season drastically altered by rain. That'll become more common in the closing two months, so just keep an eye on that going forward.
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Pitching
Max Fried, NYY at TEX ($10,200)
Fried has been features in this article a ton, and it's easy to see why. The lefty is having a career year in his debut season with the Yanks, collecting a 2.62 ERA and 1.03 WHIP. The consistency has been even more impressive, scoring at least 15 DraftKings points in 17 of 22 starts. That should be easy to duplicate against a terrible Texas offense, with the Rangers ranked 27th in OBP, 28th in wOBA and 24th in runs scored. That looks even better since Fried has never matched up with Texas, and many of these struggling bats haven't even seen him pitch.
Michael Soroka, CHC vs. CIN ($7,000)
This is a risky recommendation, but Soroka has been much better than his 4.87 ERA would indicate. His 1.13 WHIP is the most impressive statistic, but a 3.33 xERA, 4.06 xFIP and 3.62 SIERA indicate that some positive regression is right around the corner. That's why the Cubs made him a sneaky acquisition at the deadline, and a pitcher's park like Wrigley Field should help those numbers. Soroka should be a solid value at just $7K, entering this matchup as a -140 favorite. Not to mention, he surrendered just five baserunners and one run across 5.2 innings while striking out six in his one matchup with the Reds two weeks ago.
Top Targets
Alex Bregman, BOS (vs. Bailey Falter) $4,900
Bregman would be well above $5,000 if he didn't just have a lengthy IL stint. He would have been an All-Star again had he been healthy all season, accruing a .296 AVG and .909 OPS in his first year with the BoSox. His splits against southpaws are stupendous too, as he sports a .443 OBP and .913 OPS with the platoon advantage. Falter has been a decent pitcher at times this season, but a 4.93 xFIP is scary against a lefty killer like this. If you want to stack the Red Sox, Trevor Story ($4,100) and Rob Refsnyder ($3,700) also have the platoon advantage against this lefty.
Giancarlo Stanton, NYY (vs. Patrick Corbin) $4,600
We have a theme with the hitters in this article. All of them are right-handers who have crushed lefties throughout their careers. Stanton has some sensational splits, collecting a .370 OBP, .575 SLG and .945 OPS against southpaws. That's scary when combined with his recent form, as he's tallied a .308 AVG, .692 SLG and 1.040 OPS across his last 18 fixtures. It's not like Corbin is a pitcher we need to avoid given his 5.38 ERA and 1.50 WHIP since 2020. The BvP numbers are the icing on the cake. Stanton's posted a .379 OBP, .667 SLG and 1.046 OPS in 29 at-bats against Corbin. Don't be afraid to stack him with Anthony Volpe ($3,900) and Paul Goldschmidt ($3,700) given the way they've crushed lefties as well.
Bargain Bats
William Contreras, MIL (vs. Erick Fedde) $4,100
Contreras got off to a slow start this season, but the best catcher in baseball has found his stroke. The perennial All-Star has a .522 AVG, 1.000 SLG and 1.566 OPS across his last five outings. That's a ridiculous run, but it's more in line with the .805 OPS we've seen from this guy throughout his career. That hot hitting looks even better when you consider the BvP numbers, with Contreras accruing a .563 AVG, 1.000 SLG and 1.579 OPS in 19 at-bats against Fedde. This righty will be horrified when Contreras comes to the plate, and we'll talk about his numbers in the Stacks To Consider section.
Brenton Doyle, COL (vs. Eric Lauer) $3,800
A Coors Field game is always the hottest ticket to target in DFS, and Rockies hitters have become decent values this year. It's mainly because of how crappy the offense has been overall, but they'll always be one of the highest-projected offenses every time they play at home. That's beneficial for a guy like Doyle because he has every split in his favor. The outfielder has a .394 OBP and .911 OPS against lefties this year while generating a .311 AVG and .848 OPS at home. Those numbers are hard to believe when looking at the season-long statistics, but a four-hit game and walk-off dinger at home to cap off a 17-16 win over the weekend might kickstart an amazing end to the season.
Stacks to Consider
Toronto Blue Jays at Colorado Rockies (Tanner Gordon): Vladimir Guerrero ($6,500), Addison Barger ($5,800), Bo Bichette ($5,700), Alejandro Kirk ($3,500)
We just talked about how Coors Field games get targeted, and it's simply impossible to avoid opposing bats. It's one thing to have the most hitter-friendly park in the sport, but it's another to have a pitching staff that ranks last in ERA, WHIP and xwOBA. That's a recipe for disaster against Toronto because they've been a top-five offense over the last two months. Gordon likely won't slow them down, as he's accumulated a 4.85 ERA and 1.54 WHIP.
If you want to stack Blue Jays, Vlad has to be the first piece in your build. He's been one of the best bats in baseball, compiling a .435 OBP and .996 OPS across his last 40 fixtures. Barger has some of the best hard-hit metrics in baseball, maintaining a .875 OPS since May 28. Bichette will want to show out in his dad's old home park, and he's provided a .441 OBP and 1.041 OPS over his last 23 games. Kirk just returned from a concussion and has been a sneaky option at the catcher position, amassing a .304 AVG and .771 OPS.
Milwaukee Brewers at Atlanta (Fedde): Christian Yelich ($4,600), Contreras ($4,100), Brice Turang ($3,700), Andrew Vaughn ($3,000)
Atlanta went out and acquired Fedde, but only out of desperation. The righty has been one of the worst pitchers in baseball this year, posting a 5.33 ERA and 1.50 WHIP. He's been even worse recently, registering a 12.09 ERA and 2.28 WHIP across his last six starts. That won't bode well against the Brewers, who rank sixth in runs scored.
Yelich is the straw that stirs the drink for this offense, producing a .387 OBP and .888 OPS against righties over the last three years. We already talked about Contreras, but Turang is coming off a two-homer game Sunday and has some of the best speed in the sport. As for Vaughn, he's become a cult hero in Milwaukee, totaling a .431 OBP, .726 SLG and 1.157 OPS across his last 18 outings after looking like a bust with the White Sox.
