It saddens me to say this, but this is my last DFS article of the season. It's been an awesome run, and I appreciate you guys reading throughout the year. We're ending things at one of the most fascinating times of the season because the trade deadline is only a few days away. It'll be interesting to see who becomes buyers or sellers at the deadline, especially with so many teams still in the running!
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Pitching
Nolan McLean, NYM vs. MIA ($10,600)
McLean has the stuff to be a true ace, and we're seeing glimpses of it right now. This Mets righty has allowed four total runs over his last five starts while posting a 1.20 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 10.8 K/9 rate in that span. That's right on par with the absurd averages he posted in his rookie season, and he should benefit from pitching in Citi Field. That's one of the best pitcher's parks, and we love this matchup with Miami. The Marlins rank 24th in xwOBA, with McLean maintaining a 3.09 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 9.3 K/9 rate in two starts against them.
Robbie Ray, SF at SD ($8,900)
Ray has changed the way he pitches this season, but it's leading to some remarkable results. This lefty is down to a 3.16 ERA this season, thanks to a recent run. Ray has allowed one run or fewer in six of his last seven starts while sporting a 1.04 ERA and 1.18 WHIP in that span. The strikeout stuff has been lacking, but this southpaw has been one of the best strikeout pitchers throughout his career. A road matchup with San Diego only adds to his value, with the Padres ranked 23rd in runs scored, 26th in OPS and 28th in wOBA. We also don't mind that Ray scored at least 48 FanDuel points in two of his three meetings with San Diego last season.
Rhett Lowder, CIN vs. PIT ($7,100)
This is a risky recommendation, but taking risks like this in DFS can pay off massively. Lowder has looked good recently, with the Reds righty allowing three hits or fewer in four of his last five fixtures. One of those was an eight-run shelling, but that was a Coors Field start, with Lowder allowing just three total runs across the other four outings. We also love how Lowder's been performing at home, providing a 3.09 ERA and 1.26 WHIP there this season.
Top Targets
Michael Harris, ATL (vs. Jake Irvin) $3,400
Atlanta has been one of the best teams this season, and the revival of Harris is a major reason why. He's on pace for nearly 30 homers and 25 steals while providing a .289 AVG and .816 OPS. Harris is hitting well right now, too, amassing a .273 AVG and .808 OPS across the last two weeks. We'll discuss the incredible matchup with Irvin later on, but we also don't mind that Harris has a .300 AVG and .835 OPS against righties this year. Not to mention, Harris' BvP numbers against Irvin are awesome, posting a .375 OBP and .784 OPS in 22 at-bats against him.
Rafael Devers, SF (vs. German Marquez) $3,300
Devers got off to a disastrous start this season, but he's back to his All-Star ways. This slugger has a .369 OBP and .975 OPS across his last 38 fixtures. That's in line with the stud we've seen for the last decade, with Devers donning a .346 career OBP and .850 OPS. Having the platoon advantage against a guy like Marquez is marvelous too, with the righty maintaining a 6.28 ERA and 1.67 WHIP over the last three years. We don't mind a stack against Marquez, with Bryce Eldridge ($3,000) and Luis Arraez ($2,900) both looking like good options from the left side.
Bargain Bats
Dominic Canzone, SEA (vs. Roki Sasaki) $3,000
Canzone has been a pleasant surprise for this struggling Seattle offense, moving up to the cleanup spot with his breakout campaign. This DH now has a .281 AVG and .854 OPS across 176 games since the start of last season. It feels like no one is taking notice, and it looks even better since Canzone has compiled a .283 AVG and .952 OPS across his last 47 outings. That should bode well since he has the platoon advantage against Sasaki, who sports a 4.64 career ERA and 1.33 WHIP.
Jake Mangum, PIT (vs. Rhett Lowder) $2,700
While Lowder is a good value, we also know that he's exploitable in a matchup like this. The Pirates have been one of the best offenses in baseball, and Mangum has been magnificent as their leadoff hitter. He's hitting .302 this season while swiping 19 steals. Mangum also has a .360 OBP and .758 OPS since becoming the leadoff hitter a month ago while posting better splits against righties. If you don't trust Lowder, Esmerlyn Valdez ($3,600), Brandon Lowe ($3,500) and Bryan Reynolds ($3,500) are all good pairings with Mangum.
Stacks to Consider
Atlanta vs. Nationals (Irvin): Matt Olson ($3,700), Drake Baldwin ($3,700), Ronald Acuna ($3,600), Harris ($3,400), Ozzie Albies ($3,200)
Atlanta has possessed one of the best lineups over the last decade, and they've been playing like that over the last month. Despite a slow start, Atlanta ranks fourth in runs scored and sixth in OPS over the 30 days. That's bad news for Irvin, who's making his return from the IL here. Irvin has a 5.59 ERA and 1.41 WHIP since last season, with ATL projected to score five runs in this game.
Olson is the best option for Atlanta, accruing an .892 OPS across his last 23 outings. Baldwin has been bashing righties all year, generating a .401 OBP and .927 OPS against them. Acuna also just came off the IL, but he's been a top-5 player in DFS since his call-up. Albies is amid a bounce-back season, averaging over 10.1 FanDuel points per game.
