We are dog days of summer-adjacent at this point, but MLB baseball is perhaps the best way to make it through that stretch. There are seven games on the main DFS slate Wednesday, with the first pitch at 7:10 p.m. EDT. Here are my MLB DFS lineup recommendations.
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Pitching
Matthew Boyd, CHC at STL ($9,100): Boyd had a couple rough starts early in the season, but after spending most of May and June out with injury, he returned to the Cubs' rotation looking much better. In six starts since returning Boyd has a 2.31 ERA. The Cardinals have an average offense, but their best hitters aside from Jordan Walker are lefties, as is Boyd, so this matchup shouldn't threaten him too much.
Eric Lauer, LAD vs. SEA ($7,700): After leaving Toronto and joining the Dodgers, Lauer has turned his season around. He's made eight appearances with Los Angeles, and in that time he has a 3.35 ERA. The Mariners are 28th in runs scored, so they aren't a strong candidate to give Lauer too much of a hassle.
Top Targets
You know there's a bad right-handed pitcher on the mound for the opposition, because I'm jumping to have Yordan Alvarez ($4,300) on my roster. With 35 homers in 107 games, he should get to 40 for the first time in his career, especially since the southpaw isn't slowing down. Over the last three weeks he has an 1.181 OPS. Grayson Rodriguez has an 8.54 ERA and lefties have hit .389 against him, so yeah, roster Alvarez and figure it out from there.
For the first time since 2023, Max Muncy ($3,200) has gotten to 20 homers. Granted, injury played a role in hi not doing it the last couple seasons, but he got there in only 95 games this year. Though the southpaw has been better on the road this year, since 2024 he has a .904 OPS at Dodger Stadium. Emerson Hancock, a righty, is having the best season of his career, but he has a 3.45 ERA on the road. Furthermore, lefties have hit 21 of the 28 homers he's allowed over the last two seasons.
Bargain Bats
Perhaps unsurprising for a rookie, Travis Bazzana ($3,200) has seen his batting average and OBP fall some. However, he has nine homers, 14 doubles, and 15 stolen bases in only 76 games. Not too shabby for a second baseman. On top of that, what's really happened with Bazzana is that he's proven to not yet be capable of dealing with his fellow lefties, but he still has an .831 OPS against righties. Lefties have hit .295 against Brady Singer, and his home/road splits are fascinating. Though he has a 2.98 ERA at home compared to a 5.89 ERA on the road, he has an 1.9 HR/9 rate at home compared to an 1.8 HR/9 rate in away starts. To me, that feels like remarkable good luck at home, and luck is known to run out.
The Athletics are running out of healthy, viable right-handed hitters, but they still have a home park that bolsters offense. Last season may prove to be as good as it gets for Jacob Wilson ($2,900), but he's still hit .273 with seven homers and 11 doubles in 67 games. Wilson has hit .289 and slugged .421 at home, which works for a shortstop. Patrick Sandoval has only made three starts this season for the Red Sox, but he has a career 3.99 ERA, and since he is a lefty, I opted for Wilson to give me a righty bat from the Athletics.
Stacks to Consider
Red Sox at Athletics (Jacob Lopez): Willson Contreras ($3,600), Ceddanne Rafaela ($3,000), Caleb Durbin ($2,900)
Lopez has an 1.53 HR/9 rate compared to an 1.33 K/BB ratio, and for the former number to be larger than the latter speaks to some truly poor pitching. It's no surprise, then, that the lefty has a 6.12 ERA, not to mention a 7.62 ERA at home. Righties have hit .286 against Lopez, so I have three righties in this stack.
Contreras has been the best hitter for Boston, and he has a .285 average with 42 extra-base hits. He's been strong across the board, but he has an 1.002 OPS versus southpaws. Rafaela still doesn't walk at all, but this year he's hit .278, and he's primed to have a 15/15 campaign for the third time in as many seasons. Though he isn't typically seen as a power hitter, the outfielder has slugged .538 against lefties this year. Durbin has largely done what he did last year with the Brewers, but in fewer games. He has 10 homers, 12 stolen bases, 19 doubles, and his first MLB triple. Durbin has been better on the road in 2206, where he's slugged .432.
Reds vs. Guardians (Joey Cantillo): Elly De La Cruz ($3,800), Sal Stewart ($3,500), Eugenio Suarez ($3,000)
Cantillo has a 4.02 ERA and a 4.03 FIP, so we know what we're getting from him. His 1.07 HR/9 rate isn't bad by any means, but in moving full-time into the rotation his strikeouts have dropped and his walks have risen. Plus, Cantillo has an 1.4 HR/9 rate on the road, which plays a role in his 4.20 road ERA. Since he is a lefty, and since righties have hit .265 against him, I have three right-handed hitters in this stack.
Well, De La Cruz is a switch-hitter, but he has an 1.052 OPS against lefties, not to mention a .984 OPS at home. On top of that, the shortstop has an 1.050 OPS over the last three weeks. Stewart, my preseason pick for NL Rookie of the Year, is still in the mix on that front. He has 22 homers, 23 doubles, and 12 stolen bases, so the counting numbers are covered. Stewart's awards resume could be boosted here, as he has a .903 OPS against southpaws. Suarez is here because he's a righty with power upside, having hit 14 homers in 76 games after hitting 49 last year. It also helps that he's slugged .566 over the last three weeks.
