The trade deadline is one of the most exciting days of the season. We had a multitude of moves over the last 48 hours, but that always leads to a chaotic card from a DFS standpoint. Dozens of players are on planes traveling to their new teams, and it leaves us with one of the most bizarre cards of the year. With that said, MLB considered that with the scheduling, giving us just three games to dissect. They're also spread at different times, but we'll offer up plays from all of them to spread the wealth!
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Pitching
George Kirby, SEA vs. TEX ($9,400)
Since struggling through his first two starts, Kirby has returned to being the ace we've become accustomed to. He's allowed two runs or fewer in seven of 10 starts since then, posting a 3.45 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 9.4 K/9 rate in that span. He's also showcased a 40-point ceiling four times, while getting the comfort of pitching in Seattle. The Mariners have one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in the sport, with Kirby compiling a 3.11 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 9.2 K/9 rate in 48 home starts. That should bode well against a terrible Texas lineup, with the Rangers ranked 23rd in runs scored, 27th in OBP, 25th in wOBA and 26th in OPS. In nine career starts against the Rangers, Kirby has a 7-0 record, thanks to his 1.15 ERA and 0.77 WHIP.
Top Targets
Elly De La Cruz, CIN (vs. Carlos Carrasco) $4,200
De La Cruz has been one of the best players in DFS over the last two years, and it'll be difficult to fade him on a short slate like this. We're talking about a guy who has 43 homers and 96 steals since the start of last year, averaging nearly 15 FanDuel points per game. He's also amid his best stretch of the season, sporting a .443 OBP and .943 OPS across his last 16 fixtures while swiping seven steals in that span. The icing on the cake is a cupcake matchup against Cookie Carrasco, with De La Cruz compiling a .399 OBP and .939 OPS against righties this year. We'll talk more about Carrasco in the Stacks To Consider section.
Jonathan Aranda, TB (vs. Marcus Stroman) $3,100
Aranda has quietly been one of the best players in the AL this season. That's why he hits second or third for the Rays every day, generating a .314 AVG, .395 OBP and .868 OPS in a breakout campaign. Those numbers are even better with the platoon advantage, posting a .397 OBP and .912 OPS against right-handers. That's massive here since he faces one of the worst pitchers on this short slate, with Marcus Stroman sporting a 6.09 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in a disastrous season. We wouldn't mind stacking Rays, with Junior Caminero ($3,400) and Josh Lowe ($2,800) looking like the best options to pair with Aranda.
Bargain Bats
Drake Baldwin, ATL (vs. Andrew Abbott) $2,900
Why aren't more people talking about how good this kid has been? Baldwin has been one of the best rookies in baseball, totaling a .279 AVG, .469 SLG and .820 OPS. That's in line with the .405 OBP and .892 OPS we saw in Triple-A, which is why Atlanta has stuck him in their cleanup spot. That should happen again even in a same-handed matchup, because Baldwin has a .380 OBP and .903 OPS against southpaws this season. Abbott can be a scary one to face, but finding a catcher at this salary with that much in his favor is a godsend on such a short slate.
Jorge Polanco, SEA (vs. Kumar Rocker) $2,800
I had Polanco in my PrizePicks article Tuesday, and he rewarded us with another solid performance. That's just what we've been seeing for weeks from the second baseman, who has tallied a .339 OBP and .848 OPS across his last 16 outings. That's on par with the ridiculous run we saw from Polanco early in the year, when he provided a 1.250 OPS through the opening month. He should be able to duplicate that against a pitcher like Rocker, who has registered a 5.73 ERA and 1.44 WHIP. It also puts Polanco on his more favorable left side, and he's posted a .788 OPS against righties this year. If you want to stack Seattle, Cal Raleigh ($4,400) and Julio Rodriguez ($3,600) look like the best options to pair with Polanco.
Stacks to Consider
Cincinnati Reds at Atlanta (vs. Carrasco): De La Cruz ($4,200), Austin Hays ($3,400), Matt McLain ($3,000), Noelvi Marte ($3,200)
It's sad to see these veterans get to the end of their careers, and that's what we're seeing from Carrasco. The 38-year-old is making his debut for Atlanta after being DFA'd, and it's difficult to understand why ATL is giving him another chance. This righty has a 6.14 ERA and 1.54 WHIP across 225 innings over the last three years. It's one of the worst ERAs and WHIPs you'll see in a three-year span, and that likely won't bode well in a hitter's haven like Great American Ball Park.
We had to kickstart our Cincy stack with De La Cruz, but Hays is right there with him. The outfielder is having a breakout campaign, collecting a .280 AVG and .835 OPS. As for McLain, he has 27 homers and 29 steals across 186 career games, establishing himself as a DFS darling with his power-speed combo. Marte is the final piece of the stack, amassing a .293 AVG and .880 OPS across his last 35 fixtures. He also has a .958 OPS against righties this year!
