This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
This is a complicated slate to dissect. We usually just try to stick with the main slate, but we only have a handful of games spread all throughout the day. That's typical of a travel day, but we're going to recommend plays throughout the day so you guys can pick and choose what you want to play. With that in mind, let's get started with one of the hottest pitchers in the AL!
Pitching
Logan Gilbert, SEA vs. MIN ($10,900)
I wasn't a Gilbert believer coming into the year, but this guy has completely changed my mind. The Mariners ace has allowed less than two runs in five of seven starts, tallying a 1.69 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 9.4 K/9 rate. He's also scored at least 44 FanDuel points in all but one start and should keep that form going against Minnesota. The Twins rank 22nd in K rate, with Gilbert posting a 1.68 ERA and 9.9 K/9 rate while scoring at least 30 FD points in their last three matchups.
Ben Lively, CLE at CWS ($10,000)
The fantasy community has been sleeping on Lively all season, and it's hard to understand why. He's yet another gem this Cleveland organization has churned out, compiling a 2.08 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. He's also allowed two runs or fewer in all four starts, scoring at least 25 FanDuel points in all of those. That fantastic form would make him a worthy option against anyone, but Chicago is the best matchup in fantasy right now. The White Sox rank last in runs scored, OBP, OPS and wOBA.
Hunter Greene, CIN vs. ARI ($9,400)
We've been waiting for Greene to show some consistency, and we're finally getting our wish. This strikeout stud has a 3.12 ERA and 1.17 WHIP this year, scoring at least 27 FanDuel points in all seven starts. His 30 percent career K rate is the reason he's been such a DFS darling, but if he keeps limiting runs like this, Greene needs to be $1,000 more. We also don't mind that Arizona ranks 19th on wOBACON.
Top Targets
Elly De La Cruz, CIN (vs. Slade Cecconi) $4,500
De La Cruz showed us on Wednesday why he's one of the highest-scoring players in fantasy. The speedster went 0-for-4 in that game but still dropped 12 FanDuel points because of two steals. That power-speed combo makes him one of the most dangerous players in fantasy, averaging 15 FD points per game. His biggest asset here is facing a righty, with EDLC posting a .367 OBP and .982 OPS against righties this year. It's not a right-hander we're worried about either, with Cecconi compiling a 4.96 ERA while pitching in one of the most hitter-friendly environments in baseball. This Cincy team could be a solid stack, with Will Benson ($2,800), Spencer Steer ($3,400), TJ Friedl ($2,600) and Jake Fraley ($2,800) all in play.
Jose Ramirez, CLE (vs. Erick Fedde) $3,900
It's been a rough start for Ramirez, but this guy is going to get going. The All-Star is showing flashes of starting one of his patented tears, homering in two of his last three outings while scoring at least 18 FanDuel points in all of those. He's also typically been much better against righties, registering a .364 OBP and .870 OPS against them since 2022. We're going to dive into Fedde's numbers later on when we talk about the stacks we love!
Bargain Bats
Luis Rengifo, LAA (vs. Michael Wacha) $2,800
The Angels have one of the worst lineups in baseball without Mike Trout, but Rengifo has done a remarkable job of filling in for the superstar. That's forced him to hit in the top half of the lineup, and there's an expectation that he'll be ready to return from his illness here. That's massive with the way he's been swinging the bat, boasting a .464 OBP and 1.064 OPS across his last 15 games. He's also recorded five steals in that span and shouldn't have any issues against a pitcher who has a 7.01 ERA and 1.83 WHIP across his last five starts. This is a risky stack, but Willie Calhoun ($2,200) and Nolan Schanuel ($2,400) would be good pairings with Rengifo if you want to take that route.
Lars Nootbaar, STL (vs. Tobias Myers) $2,700
Nootbaar has been an undervalued asset over the last two years, and it's hard to understand why he remains so affordable. The outfielder has been hitting second and third against right-handers recently, tallying a .354 OBP and .793 OPS against them since 2022. That won't bode well for an underwhelming rookie like this, with Myers maintaining a 9.00 ERA and 1.50 WHIP across his last two starts. With Myers recent struggles, we also like Nolan Arenado ($3,100), Paul Goldschmidt ($3,000), Brendan Donovan ($2,900), Alec Burleson ($2,400) and Nolan Gorman ($2,700) as well.
Stacks to Consider
San Francisco Giants at Rockies (Cal Quantrill): Michael Conforto ($3,400), LaMonte Wade ($3,100), Thairo Estrada ($3,200)
It feels unfair to recommend any team against the Rockies. We say that because Colorado ranks last in ERA and WHIP while pitching in the most hitter-friendly park in baseball. It's no surprise they have such atrocious averages when looking at their pitching staff, and Quantrill is another one of those poor performers. The Rockies righty has a 4.97 ERA and 1.41 WHIP since the start of last season.
All of that has San Fran projected to score six runs in this game, which is the highest team total on this slate. Conforto is the prize of this San Fran stack, sporting a .351 OBP and .807 OPS throughout his career. He's also been much better with the platoon advantage in his favor, just like Wade. Late Night LaMonte has a .374 OBP and .794 OPS against righties over the last three years. Estrada has been the worst of the bunch, but he's flirting with a .300 AVG and .850 OPS over his last 14 outings!
Cleveland Guardians at White Sox (Fedde): Ramirez ($3,900), Josh Naylor ($3,800), Will Brennan ($2,600)
Fedde surrendered five runs in his most recent start, and it looks like negative regression is starting to hit him like a rock. The right-hander had a 5.41 ERA and 1.52 WHIP throughout his six-year career coming into this season and will likely creep up to those averages in the coming months. It's much more likely against this underrated offense, with Cleveland ranked seventh in runs scored.
We already discussed J-Ram as one of the best expensive plays on the board, but Naylor is right there with him. The Cleveland cleanup hitter has a .364 OBP and .917 OPS in a breakout campaign and gets the platoon advantage against Fedde. Brennan is the cheap guy we like because he's projected to bat fifth behind the aforementioned studs. He has a .909 OPS across his last seven outings while posting much better splits against right-handers.
