This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The last few slates I've covered have had some lackluster pitching pools, but that's not the case today. There are a handful of pitchers worth recommending, and it's going to be fun to build lineups with so many good arms in tasty spots. There's one option that stands above everyone else on the slate, so let's go ahead and start there.
Pitching
Cole Ragans, KC vs. MIA ($10,100)
Ragans is one of the frontrunners for the American League Cy Young, posting a 3.13 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 10.7 K/9 rate. Those numbers would look better if it weren't for two seven-run shellings, with Ragans allowing three runs or fewer in his other 14 starts. We also don't mind that he has an 11.8 K/9 rate at home this season. He should be in line for a monster start against Miami. The Marlins rank 29th in runs scored, on-base percentage (OBP) and wOBA. That's why he enters this matchup as a -250 favorite.
Justin Steele, CHC at SF ($8,500)
Steele got off to a terrible start in his return from a hamstring issue, but he's been rolling recently. The lefty has allowed just four runs across his last five starts, generating a 1.14 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 9.8 K/9 rate in that span. That's the stud we've seen for years, and it should continue in a spacious park like the one San Francisco possesses. Steele has a 2.58 ERA and 0.91 WHIP on the road this year, with the Giants projected to score just 3.5 runs. That's no surprise since San Francisco sits 18th in runs scored at home while posting a subpar .688 OPS. Not to mention, Steele has seen San Francisco three times over the last three years, allowing just two runs across 18.1 innings while recording 26 strikeouts.
Griffin Canning, LAA vs. OAK ($6,100)
This is risky, but we wanted to include a cheap pitcher since there are so many good options out there. Canning is quietly turning his season around for the Angels, accruing a 3.66 ERA and 1.28 WHIP across his last eight starts. That's all you can ask for from such an affordable player, especially since he gets to face the A's. Oakland ranks in the bottom three in runs scored, OBP, OPS, xwOBA and strikeout rate since the start of last season. That was on full display when he had at least 20 DraftKings points in both of their matchups last season.
We also like Aaron Nola ($8,100) against a 27th-ranked Detroit offense and Taj Bradley's ($8,100) 28 percent strikeout rate as a GPP play against a Seattle team that has the worst strikeout rate in baseball.
Top Targets
Bobby Witt Jr., KC (vs. Roddery Munoz) $6,500
Not enough people outside the fantasy baseball community realize how special Witt is because Kansas City is one of the most overlooked teams in MLB. Witt is the showman for this underrated team, ranking third in MLB with 10.8 DraftKings points per game. His power-speed combo makes him so scary, collecting 12 homers and 21 steals behind a .899 OPS. That should be easy to duplicate against Munoz, who maintains a 5.76 ERA and 1.35 WHIP. We also don't mind using Salvador Perez ($5,100), Maikel Garcia ($4,400) and Vinnie Pasquantino ($4,300) in a stack against Munoz.
Manny Machado, SD (vs. Patrick Corbin) $5,000
Machado is having a disappointing season by his lofty standards but this superstar is starting to get hot. The third baseman has a multi-hit game in three of his last four fixtures, posting a .500 OBP and 1.206 OPS in that span. That's more in line with the All-Star we've become accustomed to, with Machado amassing a .343 OBP and .843 OPS since 2015. We also love his splits against southpaws, sporting a .353 OBP, .844 OPS, .210 ISO and .358 wOBA against left-handers. We'll talk more about how pitiful Patrick Corbin has been later on, but Machado has a .348 OBP and .872 OPS in 23 at-bats against him.
Bargain Bats
Tommy Pham, CWS (vs. James Paxton) $4,400
Pham has developed into a journeyman at the latter stages of his career but has been Chicago's best hitter this season. The veteran has earned the leadoff spot in this lineup, totaling a .273 batting average (AVG), .343 OBP and .741 OPS. He also had a .774 OPS in a bounceback 2023 season, but he's always a much better play against a lefty. Pham has a .386 OBP and .859 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor. A matchup with James Paxton sounds concerning, but the L.A. lefty has a 5.28 xFIP and 1.31 WHIP. Luis Robert ($5,000) and Andrew Vaughn ($3,600) have the platoon advantage against Paxton and could be potential pieces to stack with Pham.
Jarred Kelenic, ATL (vs. Lance Lynn) $3,400
Losing Ronald Acuna and Michael Harris to injuries hurt this team but it skyrocketed Kelenic's value. The former top prospect in the Seattle organization has become an everyday player with those two out, being moved up to the leadoff spot in their absence. He's thrived since the promotion, providing a .366 OBP and .892 OPS in his current nine-game hitting streak. He's also got a .345 OBP and .857 OPS over the last month, proving this hot stretch is no fluke. We'll talk about stacking against Lynn later on, but we love that Kelenic has a .795 OPS against righties this year.
Stacks to Consider
Atlanta at St Louis Cardinals (Lance Lynn): Matt Olson ($5,000), Austin Riley ($5,100), Marcell Ozuna ($6,000), Jarred Kelenic ($3,400)
Sadly, we're stacking against Lynn because he used to be one of my favorite pitchers in the league. The veteran is losing his stuff in the final years of his career, collecting a 5.25 ERA and 1.40 WHIP since the start of last season. His most recent form is even more discouraging, providing a 7.90 ERA and 1.83 WHIP over his last three starts. He faced Miami, Pittsburgh and Colorado in that span – three of the worst offenses in baseball.
Atlanta's offense trounces the ones we just mentioned, sending out numerous All-Stars in the top half of their lineup. Kelenic is one of the few guys who won't get any consideration, but Olson, Riley and Ozuna should. Ozuna's been the team's best hitter, compiling a .389 OBP and .987 OPS. Olson has struggled but has a .341 OBP and .885 OPS across his last 40 games. Riley is right there with him, registering a .581 OBP and 1.696 OPS across his last eight outings.
San Diego Padres vs. Washington Nationals (Patrick Corbin): Fernando Tatis Jr. ($5,600), Manny Machado ($5,000), Jurickson Profar ($4,000) and Ha-Seong Kim ($4,400)
Stacking against Corbin feels like piling on at this point. The veteran lefty hasn't had a quality season since 2019, generating a 5.62 ERA and 1.55 WHIP over the last five years. It's terrifying to have numbers like those across 652 innings, especially since he's allowed at least six runs in two of his last three matchups with San Diego. That's no surprise since this lineup has so many dangerous bats from the right side.
We already talked about Machado but Tatis is the best option of the bunch. The superstar has 40-30 potential, accruing a .425 OBP and 1.058 OPS across his last 21 outings. He's also got a .381 OBP against lefties since the start of last season. Profar has been one of the biggest surprises in baseball, tallying a .415 OBP and .898 OPS. His splits are sensational, too, producing a .449 OBP and 1.020 OPS against left-handers. Kim is the final piece of the San Diego stack, accumulating a .357 OBP and .792 OPS against southpaws since his signing.
