Yahoo DFS Baseball: Sunday Picks

Yahoo DFS Baseball: Sunday Picks

This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.

Sunday's MLB slate consists of 16 games, with every team in action and a Royals-Twins doubleheader on tap. There's no shortage of options to choose from, but the players below stand out as strong values regardless of contest type.

PITCHER

Brandon McCarthy, LAD vs. MIA ($35): It's understandable why some would have reservations about using McCarthy after consecutive poor starts, but he has a perfect opportunity to bounce back at home against the Marlins. Dodgers Stadium is known for being a treacherous place to hit during the day, and last season's 29th-ranked finish in park factor at 0.81 further reinforces that notion. With Miami's flailing offense down to 4.02 runs per game, the veteran righty is set up for a solid performance. You'd be hard-pressed to find a higher floor in this price range.

Zack Godley, ARI at SD ($39): Godley's first three starts of the season have been tremendous, as he sports a 1.93 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 9.2 K/9 through 18.2 innings. That success has come despite all three of the right-hander's starts taking place at the hitter-friendly Chase Field (1.40 park factor). Pitching at Petco Park (0.92 park factor) against a Padres lineup that ranks 28th in runs per game (3.45) and whiffs the fifth-most (8.84 strikeouts per game) should result in yet another superb effort from the reasonably affordable Godley.

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CATCHER

Jonathan Lucroy, TEX at DET ($13): Lucroy has heated up this month, posting a .926 OPS with just two strikeouts in 51 at-bats. His .396 wOBA against lefties suggests he'll stay hot with the Tigers sending Matt Boyd and his 5.81 ERA to the mound.

FIRST BASE

Brandon Belt, SF at STL ($17): Belt had a seven-game hitting streak snapped Saturday, but he has a great chance of starting a new one against an underwhelming Adam Wainwright, whose 5.31 ERA and 1.75 WHIP are indicative of a poor campaign. Additionally, a .390 wOBA allowed to left-handed hitters like Belt has been a big part of those struggles. With a .389 wOBA against right-handers and four homers in the past eight games, Belt is well prepared to take advantage of this matchup.

SECOND BASE

Joe Panik, SF at STL ($8): Panik's spot near the top of the order and favorable matchup against Wainwright make him a strong choice for just $1 above the minimum. His .327 career wOBA against righties should be good enough to get on base, and there will likely be no shortage of opportunities to rack up runs and RBI for the two-hole hitter given Wainwright's aforementioned struggles. Using Panik also opens up myriad possibilities for the rest of a fantasy lineup by maximizing buying power at other positions.

THIRD BASE

Evan Longoria, TB vs. NYY ($14): Longoria has already racked up 32.1 fantasy points over the first two games of this series, and history suggests there's no pitcher he'd rather face than the one going for the series finale. The third baseman's 30 hits and 16 RBI against CC Sabathia are more than he has managed against any other pitcher, which isn't surprising given his .411/.511/.822 line and 7:14 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 73 at-bats against the veteran southpaw. While Longoria has struggled against lefties this season, his career .375 wOBA in that split suggests he's bound to turn things around before long.

SHORTSTOP

Chris Owings, ARI at SD ($18): Owings has pummeled left-handed pitching to the tune of a .407 wOBA, and his .400 road mark in that split suggests that success isn't just a product of playing at Chase Field. Finding success once again shouldn't be difficult considering Padres southpaw Clayton Richard has allowed a .382 wOBA to right-handed hitters this season.

OUTFIELD

Odubel Herrera, PHI at PIT ($12): Pirates righty Chad Kuhl has been brutal against left-handed hitters, serving up a .486 wOBA to the first 74 batters faced from that side this season. Those struggles suggest it would be advantageous to deploy as many left-handed Phillies bats as possible, and Herrera offers some of the best bang for the buck. While he has left a lot to be desired with his play this season, a .338 career wOBA against right-handers coupled with a prominent spot in the top half of the batting order give him strong potential not usually found in this price range.

Michael Taylor, WAS at ATL ($11): Taylor's another player primed to start a new hitting streak after seeing a seven-gamer snapped Saturday. He's smoking left-handed pitching with a .399 wOBA this year, which bodes well for his chances of finding success against Jaime Garcia. The speedy outfielder also has a solid chance of providing extra value on the base paths after swiping 32 bags since the start of the 2015 campaign despite lacking a full-time role.

Dexter Fowler, STL vs. SF ($19):Matt Cain has allowed a .372 wOBA to left-handed hitters, which is where the switch-hitting Fowler will be batting in this one. Fowler's sporting a wOBA over .350 from that side for the second consecutive season, and he is able to maximize at-bats out of the leadoff spot. With four extra-base hits in the past four games, he's also carrying plenty of momentum into this favorable matchup.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Sasha Yodashkin plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: Youngsash, DraftKings: Yashdogg,Yahoo: Sasha, Fanball: Yashdogg.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sasha Yodashkin
Sasha has been contributing NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB and Tennis content to RotoWire since 2015, with an emphasis on DFS. He is a huge New York sports fan who has been playing fantasy sports since middle school.
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