DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Sunday, 4/10/22

The opening weekend featured some fascinating results, and it's interesting to see how these lineups are playing out. I'll be covering Sunday slates from here on out, and these are some of the most exciting cards out there. It always features all 30 teams, with most of the games being played during the day. It also features some bizarre lineups, because this is the day coaches love to rest players. We likely won't see much of that here in the opening week, but it's something you need to watch as the season progresses!

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Pitchers

Hyun Jin Ryu FD - P 8000 DK - SP 9200
Opponent - TEX (Martin Perez) Park - TOR
FD - 36.49 DK - 19.06

Toronto is actually my World Series pick, and this article will emphasize why. Ryu will have to be a focal piece of that run, being the veteran pitcher for this volatile rotation. The crafty lefty has a 3.00 ERA and 1.10 WHIP since 2018. He's coming off the worst season of his career, but a 3.22 ERA and 1.13 WHIP through July of last season shows that he still has the stuff to get it done. The main reason we love him here is this matchup, with Texas ranked 28th in both runs scored and xwOBA while sitting 30th in OBP and OPS. That has Ryu entering this matchup as a -250 favorite, the largest favorite on the slate.

Steven Matz FD - P 7900 DK - SP 7100
Opponent - PIT (Bryse Wilson) Park - STL
FD - 35.37 DK - 18.45

Matz isn't exactly the most exciting pitcher to use, but he's flashed moments of brilliance throughout his career. The southpaw had a 3.82 ERA in what was a bounceback 2021 season, posting a 3.42 ERA over his final 20 starts. That alone earned him a contract with the Cardinals, and this is a good ballpark for him to get going. The main reason we like him here is this matchup, with Pittsburgh ranked 28th in runs scored, 27th in xwOBA, and dead-last in runs scored last season. That has Matz and the Cards entering this game as a -210 favorite as well, making him one of the values of the day below $8K!

Corey Kluber (FD $8300 DK $7400) enters his matchup as a -200 favorite against Baltimore and has shown Cy Young upside in the past. It's far from surprising, with the Orioles ranked 28th in total offense last year.

Catcher/First Base

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. FD - 1B 4500 DK - 1B 6000
Opponent - TEX (Martin Perez) Park - TOR
FD - 14.43 DK - 10.87

To say Guererro is one of the best hitters in baseball is like saying the sky is blue. That's become common knowledge at this point, and he looks like a genuine triple crown threat. The beefy bat led all regulars with 10.2 DraftKings points per game last season, providing a 1.002 OPS. That's truly absurd for a guy in his second season, and he's only going to get better behind this potent lineup. He also thrives in his home ballpark, attaining a .425 OBP and 1.133 OPS at home since his call-up. That's awful news for Martin Perez's 1.56 WHIP from last season, giving Vlad the platoon advantage from the right side as well.

Rhys Hoskins FD - 1B 3300 DK - 1B 5000
Opponent - OAK (Daulton Jefferies) Park - PHI
FD - 13.9 DK - 10.32

Hoskins has always been an underrated hitter in my book, and he's going to go off one of these years. The opening two games are a good indicator that it could be this season, with Rhys registering four hits, one homer, one double, two walks, and three RBI en route to a .750 OBP and 2.083 OPS in the opening weekend. Those ridiculous numbers are obviously not sustainable, but we love that he's scorching heading into a matchup with Daulton Jefferies. This is one of the Oakland rebuild pitchers that are supposed to send the A's into the top pick, posting a 10.45 ERA in spring training after a 4.91 ERA at Triple-A last year.

If you need a catcher on DraftKings, Gary Sanchez is a good punt play against a lefty.

Second Base

Brandon Lowe FD - 2B 3700 DK - 2B 5100
Opponent - BAL (Tyler Wells) Park - TB
FD - 14.13 DK - 10.55

Lowe isn't the greatest pure hitter around, but this guy has developed into one of the best power bats in baseball. He's got a .346 OBP and .526 SLG dating back to 2019, destroying righties in that span. In fact, Lowe is generating a .365 OBP, .557 SLG, and .923 OPS, with the platoon advantage in his favor in that same stretch. That's brilliant since this team gets to face Baltimore, with Tyler Wells being yet another one of their terrible arms. The right-hander hasn't made a start since 2018, with Tampa projected for five runs in this spot.

Robinson Canó FD - 2B 2200 DK - 2B 2400
Opponent - WSH (Erick Fedde) Park - WSH
FD - 10.14 DK - 7.74

You might have forgotten that Cano plays baseball, but he's back from suspension and playing every day for the Mets. You might have forgotten that this guy can be a stud, too, hitting .352 against righties since 2019, while providing a .934 OPS against them. That's truly absurd from a player in this price range, and we certainly don't mind that he's hitting .429 in the first few games of this season. Facing a guy like Fedde is the jelly in the donut though, with the Washington righty registering a 5.44 ERA and 1.44 WHIP last season.

Shortstop

Bo Bichette FD - SS 4200 DK - SS 5600
Opponent - TEX (Martin Perez) Park - TOR
FD - 13.09 DK - 10.08

This Blue Jays lineup is truly horrifying for opposing pitchers. Bichette is a significant reason why, breaking out with 29 homers, 121 runs, 102 RBI, and 25 steals in 2021. That's quite the sophomore season, and this guy will only get better the more he plays. That's earned him a prime spot in the best lineup in baseball, with Bo getting the platoon advantage against a subpar southpaw here. Bichette has blasted lefties to the tune of a .343 BA, .543 SLG, and .938 OPS in his career. Not to mention, he's hitting .500 through the first two games, collecting four runs and four hits in the heart of this order!

Didi Gregorius FD - SS 2200 DK - SS 3800
Opponent - OAK (Daulton Jefferies) Park - PHI
FD - 10.41 DK - 7.96

Many people will be stacking Toronto (and rightfully so), but the Phillies are our second favorite stack of the day. Facing a Triple-A arm is the primary reason why but these bats have all the talent in the world. Didi is expected to bat fifth or sixth in this spot, and he's going to be in line for a ton of RBI if that's the case. Gregorious has an OBP and OPS nearly .100 points higher against righties throughout his career, posting a .762 OPS against them. That might not sound special, but it's all you can hope for from such a cheap player in such a tasty spot.

Third Base

Manny Machado FD - 3B 3800 DK - 3B 5300
Opponent - ARI (Caleb Smith) Park - ARI
FD - 13.89 DK - 10.53

Manny has quietly been one of the best hitters in baseball against lefties throughout his career. Machado has a .380 OBP against southpaws since 2020 and is accruing a .493 SLG and .847 OPS against them for his career. He's had seasons where that OPS has gotten close to 1.000, and this offense will need him to go off with Fernando Tatis sidelined for the next three months. Our favorite part about this is the matchup, with Caleb Smith slinging a 4.83 ERA and 1.37 WHIP last season from the left side.

Nolan Arenado FD - 3B 3800 DK - 3B 5200
Opponent - PIT (Bryse Wilson) Park - STL
FD - 11.67 DK - 8.84

We had to get at least one Cardinals bat in our article! This is one of the highest-projected offenses on this slate, projected to score over five runs. It's easy to understand why, combining for 15 runs in the first two games and pummelling this putrid Pirates pitching staff. We're getting into the bottom of this rotation, with Wilson owning a 5.45 ERA and 1.45 WHIP last season. That's right on par with his horrific career averages, and it's going to continue against a guy like Nolan. The All-Star has five hits, three doubles, one homer, three runs scored, and five RBI in the first two games of the year!

Outfield

Bryce Harper FD - OF 4100 DK - OF 6100
Opponent - OAK (Daulton Jefferies) Park - PHI
FD - 14.64 DK - 10.89

Nick Castellanos FD - OF 3800 DK - OF 5500
Opponent - OAK (Daulton Jefferies) Park - PHI
FD - 14.46 DK - 10.98

Let's cap off our Phillies stack with their two best hitters. That happens to be Harper and Castellanos, with Bryce looking like the best play on the board. The NL MVP crushed right-handers throughout last season, totaling a .444 OBP, .711 SLG, and 1.155 OPS against them. He was almost as incredible at home, amassing a .464 OBP, .667 SLG, and 1.130 OPS at Citizens Bank Ballpark. Those are truly ridiculous averages, and it's scary since he led spring training in dingers as well. Castellanos is no slouch either, hitting .309 en route to a .939 OPS last season. We've seen that stud for a few years now, and it's horrifying that these two will bat back-to-back in such a tasty spot. Getting to face Jefferies is the best part of this, though, with this potent Philly lineup projected for six runs.

George Springer FD - OF 3700 DK - OF 5200
Opponent - TEX (Martin Perez) Park - TOR
FD - 13.34 DK - 10.02

If the Blue Jays are one of the best stacks on the board, Springer must be one of our top plays. He's batting atop this nightmarish lineup, and he's one of a million righties that will go off this season. The former Houston bat has a .362 OBP, .520 SLG, and .883 OPS since 2017. Injuries have been the only thing holding him back, but we have to love him when he's in the lineup. He's been even more absurd against southpaws, accumulating a .905 OPS against them in that same span. We already discussed how bad Perez is for the Rangers, and he could be out of the game in the third inning because of this bludgeoning Blue Jays lineup.