This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
By this point of the season, early small-sample size superstars have either come back down to earth or proven themselves to be seemingly legit. We've watched Jorge Polanco and Josh Bell crush it for a couple months now. It's fair to believe in them, perhaps even smart. As for today, it's your typical Sunday during the MLB season. There are 15 games, all of them save for Sunday Night Baseball in the afternoon. Let's see what is in store for us for all you daily fantasy baseball heads out there.
PITCHING
There are several big name pitchers taking the mound Sunday, though some of them are mostly just big in reputation as opposed to play at this point. Take, for example, the Sunday Night Baseball matchup between Adam Wainwright and Kyle Hendricks, who gets further and further from that 2.16 ERA season-by-season. Although Hendricks 3.16 ERA this year is fine, and it's better than the ERA of the first pitcher I am recommending, Walker Buehler ($53). Buehler owns a 3.69 ERA, but a 3.22 FIP. Plus, he's struck out 9.71 batters per nine innings during his young career. The Giants, who play in a nice ballpark for pitchers, sit in the bottom five in runs scored for the second season in a row. Also, Buehler plays for a Dodgers team that can shoulder the load on the run support front.
What's gotten into Jake Odorizzi ($52)? He comes in with a 1.96 ERA, and even his 2.80 FIP is an impressive number - and a personal best. His strikeouts are up, allowing less homers, and it's really paying off. For a while, it seemed like the Marlins were going to run away with the title of "worst offense in the majors". Then they had a few good games, the Tigers slumped, and now Detroit and Miami are going head-to-head on that front. Odorizzi and the Twins are taking on the Tigers. Max Fried ($41) of the Braves is starting against the Marlins, but he's really struggled recently. Still, it's never a terrible gamble to grab a starter facing Miami.
My last recommendation relies on Wade Miley ($37) of the Astros getting revenge on one of his former team in the Orioles. On paper, if Miley pitches deep enough into the game, he should be a great bet to get a win. The 32-year-old hasn't been as solid as with the Brewers last season, but he still owns a 3.39 ERA - including a 2.23 mark at home.
KEY VALUES/CHALK
I mentioned Jorge Polanco ($24) in the intro, and he's leading off this section as well. The main source behind his rise in performance is his sudden surge in power. The 25-year-old has already crushed 10 homers, not to mention a .577 slugging percentage. Meanwhile, Detroit's starting pitcher Ryan Carpenter has recorded a career 6.51 FIP, and has given up 2.79 home runs per nine innings.
Lorenzo Cain's ($15) numbers are a smidge lackluster, but that's owed largely to a .640 OPS against righties. Versus lefties, he's posting a much-healthier OPS. If a player had a .280 batting average, you'd consider that good, right? Well, Pittsburgh's starter Steven Brault registers a BAA of .280 versus righties since 2017. This matchup is breaking perfectly for Cain.
Yoan Moncada ($18) was considered a good enough prospect to be included in the Chris Sale trade, but it's taken him a little while to get his footing in the majors. This year, he's slashed .284/.340/.502 with 12 homers in 60 games. Kansas City's starter Glenn Sparkman has a delightful name, but he also has struggled to a 4.24 FIP even though he's mostly pitched out of the bullpen.
Shohei Ohtani ($18) isn't pitching this year, but he is hitting. While his bat hasn't been as hot as last season, he has produced four homers in his last eight games. Maybe it just took a little time for his power to return after his injury. I don't know for sure, but what I do know is that Wade LeBlanc owns a 5.70 ERA.
STACKS
Athletics vs. Drew Smyly (Rangers)
Khris Davis (OF - $19), Matt Chapman (3B - $23), Marcus Semien (SS - $16)
Smyly is having a bit of a rough year. That is to say, he has a 7.35 FIP and has allowed 2.79 home runs per nine innings. And now he's starting a game in Texas in June. That's a recipe for disaster, unless your lineup is stacked with A's.
When you think power in Oakland's lineup, Davis should be the first guy. He's hit at least 42 homers in each of his last three seasons despite playing his home games in a pitcher's park. However, Chapman is hitting like a guy who wants to establish himself as the best bat for the Athletics by slashing .260/.343/.520 with 16 homers. Also, in a small sample size, he's recorded a 1.012 OPS versus southpaws. Lastly, there's Semien, who is getting on base at a career-high pace. He's notched double-digit homers and stolen bases in each of his last four seasons, including nine home runs and five stolen bases this year.
Astros vs. Dylan Bundy (Orioles)
Alex Bregman (3B - $23), Michael Brantley (OF - $16), Josh Reddick (OF - $17)
If you thought things couldn't get worse for Bundy after last season, you'd be wrong. He posted a 5.11 FIP in 2018, but that number is up to 5.30 this season. On top of that, he's recorded a 4.95 ERA in road games since 2017.
The Astros have a few of their best hitters injured, but Bregman - who is arguably the best of the bunch - is still going strong. We're talking about a guy with a .281/.369/.508 slash line in his career, and he already has hit 18 homers in 64 games. Then, we've got a couple of left-handed outfielders who are primed to take advantage of the righty Bundy. Brantley has a .317 batting average, and he seems to be enjoying his time with the Astros with a .949 OPS at home this year. Then there's Reddick, who has been a platoon guy for quite some time. But when he does take the field this season, he's excelled with a .813 OPS.
