DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Sunday, 8/28/22

We're getting down to the final few weeks of the fantasy baseball regular season, and it has me more zoned in more than ever. I have more season-long teams than I'd like to admit, but it forces me to pay more attention than the average person. We're just hoping that can be beneficial for you guys because season-long fantasy and DFS have a ton of correlation. The pitching pool on this particular slate is amazing, so let's kick things off with the best pitcher of this generation.

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Pitchers

Justin Verlander FD - P 11400 DK - SP 11000
Opponent - BAL (Austin Voth) Park - HOU
FD - 45.69 DK - 25.67

Verlander is the heavy favorite for AL Cy Young, and it's crazy to see him have such a massive season after Tommy John surgery. The future Hall-of-Famer has a 1.87 ERA and 0.85 WHIP this season, en route to a 15-3 record. That makes him one of the best options in fantasy, entering this matchup as a -275 favorite in a game with a seven-run total. That means Baltimore is projected for less than three runs! That's easy to understand when looking at this matchup, with the Orioles ranked 25th in OBP, 21st in OPS, and 20th in wOBA. Not to mention, JV has at least nine Ks in each of his last five meetings with the O's dating back to 2017.

Dylan Cease FD - P 10600 DK - SP 10600
Opponent - ARI (Zach Davies) Park - CHW
FD - 41.69 DK - 23.29

Cease is quietly having a monster season for an underperforming White Sox team, leading all starters in K rate. That makes him an elite option in DFS, but his recent form is absurd. Over his last 16 starts, Cease has compiled a 1.27 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, and 10.8 K/9 rate. He's actually scored at least 29 FanDuel points in all but two of those, and that threshold should be easy to reach in this matchup. The Diamondbacks rank 22nd in OBP, 20th in OPS, and 21st in xwOBA. All of that has Cease and the Sox entering this matchup as a -180 favorite, with Arizona projected for just 3.5 runs.

Max Scherzer (FD $11000 DK $11400) is a -350 favorite against the Rockies and is one of the safest plays if you're willing to pay up.

Catcher/First Base

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. FD - 1B 4100 DK - 1B 5700
Opponent - LAA (Tucker Davidson) Park - TOR
FD - 15.96 DK - 12.02

The Blue Jays are the best stack of the day, and it's not relatively close. This offense is loaded with a bunch of righty sluggers, and they should lay the wood on a lefty like Tucker Davidson. We'll have more Jays in here later, so we'll get into Davidson's numbers later on. Vlad is the best hitter among this group, finishing second in AL MVP voting last season. He's been playing at that level for a month, tallying a .320 AVG, .364 OBP, .547 SLG, and .911 OPS across his last 36 games. He also gets to bat from the left side against this lefty and he's one of the safest plays out there.

Trey Mancini FD - 1B 3400 DK - OF 3900
Opponent - BAL (Austin Voth) Park - HOU
FD - 9.26 DK - 7.08

Mancini has been cheap on these DFS sites all season long, and it's hard to understand why. This Home Run Derby participant had his numbers crippled in Camden Yards, but he'd be approaching 30 bombs if he played anywhere else. That's the guy we've seen since he joined Houston, generating a .524 SLG and .824 OPS across his last 23 games. That's all you could hope for from a sub-$4K player, especially since he gets to hit in the heart of one of the best lineups in baseball. That lineup could do damage here against Austin Voth, amassing a 4.73 ERA and 1.44 WHIP this year.

Alejandro Kirk (FD $3000 DK $4500) is an easy play in the Blue Jays stack at the catcher position.

Second Base

Jonathan India FD - 2B 3500 DK - 2B 4600
Opponent - WSH (Patrick Corbin) Park - WSH
FD - 11.71 DK - 8.84

It's been a disappointing season for the 2021 NL Rookie of the Year, but India continues to play well in the second half. The slugging second baseman has a .285 AVG, .363 OBP, .508 SLG, and .871 OPS across his last 36 games. That's the stud we saw throughout most of last season, and getting the platoon advantage against a guy like Patrick Corbin makes him a sensational choice. The Washington lefty has been the worst pitcher in baseball this season, accruing a 6.81 ERA and 1.81 WHIP. That's awesome since India has a .369 OPS against left-handers since his call-up.

Jake Cronenworth FD - 2B 3100 DK - 2B 4400
Opponent - KC (Jonathan Heasley) Park - KC
FD - 9.98 DK - 7.65

Cronenworth earned an All-Star berth with his stellar first half, and he's finally starting to get going again after a midseason lull. The second baseman has a hit in nine of his last 10 games, totaling a .375 OBP, .552 SLG, and .927 OPS across his last eight games. That's the guy we saw throughout May and June, making him an excellent play against John Heasley. The Royals righty has a 5.21 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in a nightmarish sophomore season. That's scary looking at Cronenworth's splits, amassing a .348 OBP and .811 OPS against right-handers since 2020.

Shortstop

Corey Seager FD - SS 3900 DK - SS 5500
Opponent - DET (Drew Hutchison) Park - TEX
FD - 12.25 DK - 9.3

It's been a strange season for Seager, but this dude continues to provide elite power. The former All-Star has already tied a career-high with 26 bombs, doing most of that damage at home. In fact, Corey has collected a .355 OBP, .548 SLG, and .903 OPS in Arlington this season. Being comfortable in your home park is huge when looking at Seager's recent form, accumulating a .304 AVG, .385 OBP, .554 SLG, and .938 OPS across his last 44 games. The best part is that he gets to bat from the left side against Drew Hutchinson, dreading a 4.85 career ERA and 1.41 WHIP across 553 innings.

Bo Bichette FD - SS 3200 DK - SS 4900
Opponent - LAA (Tucker Davidson) Park - TOR
FD - 13.17 DK - 10.14

We have Bo in here a ton even though he's been struggling with his average because this is one of the best stat-stuffers in MLB. Since becoming a regular last season, Bichette has 186 runs, 46 homers, 168 RBI, and 33 steals. All of that makes him a Top-5 player at the shortstop position, and it's far from surprising since he bats in the heart of this bludgeoning Blue Jays lineup. He's also got a double in three of his last four games, and it looks like his season is starting to turn around. We foreshadowed that we want to stack against Davidson, donning a 6.23 ERA and 1.75 WHIP against this terrifying Toronto lineup.

Third Base

Alex Bregman FD - 3B 3500 DK - 3B 4900
Opponent - BAL (Austin Voth) Park - HOU
FD - 10.91 DK - 8.19

Bregman has been too cheap on these DFS sites all season long, and it's hard to understand what they're thinking. This perennial All-Star has been one of the hottest hitters, producing a .378 AVG, .452 OBP, .714 SLG, and 1.166 OPS across his last 28 games. That's a month of dominance, and he should continue to rake in the heart of this Houston lineup. We already talked about how Voth has a 4.73 ERA and 1.44 WHIP, giving the Stros a five-run projection in this fantastic spot. Stacking Mancini and Bregman is a relatively cheap two-man stack, and it's one of the best options out there if you want to ride JV or Mad Max.

Josh Donaldson FD - 3B 2800 DK - 3B 3900
Opponent - OAK (Zach Logue) Park - OAK
FD - 10.59 DK - 7.9

It looks like Donaldson's career is winding down to an end, but he's been playing better since the All-Star break. The former All-Star has a .360 OBP, .459 SLG, and .820 OPS across his last 21 games. Those are absurd averages from such an affordable player, and it looks even better since JD bats behind studs like Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Anthony Rizzo. That means the RBI opportunities should continue to flow in, and we're obviously not worried about him facing a lefty with a 6.04 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. That gives JD the platoon advantage from the right side, registering a .379 OBP, .395 wOBA, and .932 OPS against left-handers throughout his 12-year career.

Outfield

Aaron Judge FD - OF 5100 DK - OF 6200
Opponent - OAK (Zach Logue) Park - OAK
FD - 15.78 DK - 11.8

We could have Judge in here every single day. This guy is the massive favorite for AL MVP, leading the league with 101 runs and 49 home runs. He's actually lapping the field with that ridiculous home run total, providing a .397 OBP and .665 SLG as well. That makes him a worthy pick at any price, particularly since he gets to face a lefty with a 6.04 ERA here. The giant outfielder also enters this matchup with a dinger in three of his last four games, totaling a 1.020 OPS against left-handers since 2020. Judge is the safest bet for a homer on this slate!

Adolis García FD - OF 3800 DK - OF 4900
Opponent - DET (Drew Hutchison) Park - TEX
FD - 10.87 DK - 8.29

Not many people are talking about Garcia, but this guy is having a tremendous season in Texas. After breaking out with 31 homers and 16 steals last year, Adolis has 20 bombs, and 21 steals this year. His K rate is still horrific, but Garcia enters this matchup with a hit in 23-straight games. He's been doing damage in that span, accruing a .308 AVG, .479 SLG, and .827 OPS in that stretch. All of that makes him a good value in this price range, and we haven't even discussed that he faces one of the worst pitchers in baseball.

George Springer FD - OF 4000 DK - OF 5400
Opponent - LAA (Tucker Davidson) Park - TOR
FD - 16.1 DK - 12.09

Springer has been in and out of the lineup with numerous injuries this season, but he's always a beast when hitting atop this Blue Jays lineup. We've thoroughly discussed just how much we like this lineup which means we have to adore their leadoff hitter. That's Springer Dinger, providing a .276 AVG, .352 OBP, .484 SLG, and .836 OPS this year. That's pretty good, but he's got some positive regression headed his way when you look at his .939 OPS between 2019-2021. He's also raking right now, tallying a .354 AVG, .415 OBP, .521 SLG, and .936 OPS across his last 24 games.