I always try to recommend at least two pitchers, but this is one of the worst pools of pitchers I’ve ever seen. We saw nearly every great pitcher toe the rubber Monday or Tuesday, so this drop-off was inevitable. What it does do is leave us with plenty of great options from a hitting standpoint. There are many talented offenses in terrific spots, so we’ll pair those with the only pitcher I trust on this slate. With that in mind, let’s start there!
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Pitching
Spencer Strider, ATL (at ATH) $9,800
I probably wouldn’t even trust Strider in this spot if it weren’t for the subpar pitching pool, but he’s the best option out there. This former Cy Young winner struggled in his return to action but has been much better over the last month. In fact, Strider has allowed just nine runs across his last five starts, sporting a 2.70 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 11.7 K/9 rate in that span. That’s more in line with the statistics we saw a few years ago, with Strider amassing a 3.37 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 34 percent K rate through 2021 and 2023. That stuff should play out well against the A’s, ranked 17th in K rate, 18th in runs scored and 21st in xwOBA. Pitching in Sacramento can be scary, but the A’s rank 27th in both runs scored and OBP over the last month.
Top Targets
Corey Seager, TEX (vs. Jack Kochanowicz) $3,500
Seager gets on these runs where he looks like the best power hitter in the game, and he’s amid one of those right now. The shortstop has homered in seven of his last 16 outings, generating a .434 OBP and 1.134 OPS during that span. We’ve seen this guy do that for months at a time, and it looks likely to continue against a weak pitcher like Kochanowicz. This righty has a 5.42 ERA and 1.55 WHIP, with Seager amassing a .394 OBP, .587 SLG and .980 OPS against righties since 2023. Don’t be afraid to stack Wyatt Langford ($3,500) and Marcus Semien ($3,100) with Seager.
Jo Adell, LAA (vs. Patrick Corbin) $3,300
It appeared that Adell was going to be a Quad-A player, but something has clicked this season. The former top prospect has a .247 AVG and .820 OPS in the best year of his career. A ton of that damage has happened recently, with Adell accruing a .375 OBP, .600 SLG and .975 OPS across his last 57 fixtures. The best part about this is that he gets to face a southpaw, sporting a .884 OPS against them since last season. It’s one of the worst lefties in the game, too, and we’ll dive into that in the stacks section!
Bargain Bats
Austin Riley, ATL (vs. JP Sears) $3,300
We know that Riley is the same price as Adell, but he’s a value at this price tag. This perennial All-Star is typically closer to $4K and the only thing that’s held him back is some crap luck. Riley has some of the best hard-hit metrics in baseball, and a second-half surge is certainly on the horizon. Just look at the metrics below! We’re seeing glimpses of that positive regression, with Riley collecting two homers and three doubles across five fixtures. That should continue in this hitter’s haven, especially since Riley has registered a .878 career OPS against left-handers.
Austin Slater, CWS (vs. Logan Allen) $2,200
This is the definition of a punt play, but finding a useful bat at just $2,200 is a godsend. Slater is more than just useful because he’s sliced southpaws throughout his career. The outfielder has a .340 AVG and .840 OPS against lefties this year. That might sound like a fluke, but Slater has a career .362 OBP and .795 OPS with the platoon advantage. That’s the production you typically see from a $3K player, and we don’t want to fade him against a lefty who has a 4.69 xFIP and 1.43 WHIP. It’s nearly impossible to stack the ChiSox, so Slater is a great fit with the stacks we’re about to mention.
Stacks to Consider
Los Angeles Angels vs. Texas Rangers (Patrick Corbin): Adell ($3,300), Mike Trout ($3,200), Taylor Ward ($3,200), Zach Neto ($3,100)
It feels unfair to stack against Corbin, but that’s something all of us writers have been doing for years. We keep going back to that recipe because it’s been one of the tastiest dishes since 2020. In that five-year span, Corbin has compiled a 5.47 ERA and 1.51 WHIP across 833 innings. That’s nearly impossible to do in such a massive sample size, but he’s got a 5.67 ERA and 1.56 WHIP across his last five starts as well.
The Angels have struggled at times this season, but they’ve actually been a Top 10 offense over the last three weeks. The emergence of Adell is a significant reason why, but getting Trout and Neto back from injuries is more important. Trout has been one of the best players in DFS for over a decade, homering twice on Wednesday night. As for Neto, he leads this team with 11.4 FanDuel points per game. Ward also has the platoon advantage like the rest of these guys, generating a .299 AVG, .511 SLG and .869 OPS against lefties since 2023.
Braves at Athletics (JP Sears): Ronald Acuna ($4,100), Riley ($3,300), Marcell Ozuna ($3,200), Ozzie Albies ($2,700)
This is a terrible spot for Sears. This lefty has always struggled against quality offenses, and Atlanta is one of those despite their poor statistics. What’s really scary for Sears is that he’s pitching in Sacramento, tallying a 5.63 ERA and 1.43 WHIP there this season. That’s no surprise since it’s the most hitter-friendly park in the sport, with Atlanta projected to score over five runs. Not to mention, this is one of the most righty-heavy lineups in MLB!
We have to kickstart our stack with Acuna because he’s been the highest-scoring player in DFS since his call-up. Acuna also homered twice on Wednesday and looks ready for a sensational second half. Ozuna hasn’t provided the power we’ve become accustomed to, but he also homered last night, providing a .380 OBP and .902 OPS against lefties since 2023. Albies has been awful all year, but he had an OPS just shy of 1.000 against left-handers between 2023 and 2024.
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. Joel Bartilotta plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: Joelbartilotta
Yahoo: Joelbartilotta.
