DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Sunday, 9/11/22

Today is a fantastic day. Not only is it Week 1 of the NFL season, but this marks my final regular season day in my season-long fantasy baseball leagues! That means this is the most important sports day of the season because I have more fantasy teams in those two sports than I'd like to admit. It has me zoned in on this Sunday card, though, because I have numerous teams on the bubble of the playoffs. I feel like our projections are on point, so let's go ahead and get started with the arms!

Now’s your chance to get DFSR PRO, which will give you access to our MLB, NBA, PGA, NHL, and NFL optimizers and our new player lab! Get started for free by clicking the button below.

Pitchers

Aaron Nola FD - P 11000 DK - SP 10800
Opponent - WSH (Aníbal Sánchez) Park - PHI
FD - 46.61 DK - 25.6

Nola had a nightmarish outing against Arizona last week, but he's been astounding outside of that. In his other 26 starts this season, Aaron has accumulated a 3.01 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, and 10.1 K/9 rate. That WHIP and K rate has made him one of the best producers in fantasy, and he should maintain those averages against Washington. This team traded away Josh Bell and Juan Soto at the trade deadline and might have the least talented lineup in baseball. Nola has walloped Washington all year, tallying a 1.66 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in three starts against them. Not to mention, he's likely to be a -300 favorite in this matchup.

Taijuan Walker FD - P 8000 DK - SP 7700
Opponent - MIA (Jesús Luzardo) Park - MIA
FD - 35.48 DK - 18.15

It's hard to understand why Walker remains so cheap on both sites. He's had two horrific outings in which he allowed 15 combined runs, but he's close to that total in his other 22 starts. In fact, Taijuan has a 2.71 ERA and 1.13 WHIP if you take out those two stinkers, and we're willing to do that since it was the Braves and Phillies. Facing Miami is a much easier matchup, with the Marlins ranked 27th in runs scored, OBP, OPS, and wOBA. Walker has certainly had his way with them, allowing three runs or fewer in their last four matchups while posting a 2.59 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, and 7.9 K/9 rate in those starts.

Brady Singer (FD $9200 DK $8700) has 15 Ks in two starts against the lowest-scoring team in baseball and should have no issues with the Tigers here.

Catcher/First Base

Paul Goldschmidt FD - 1B 4200 DK - 1B 6300
Opponent - PIT (Mitch Keller) Park - PIT
FD - 14.23 DK - 10.79

Goldy is one of the most expensive players on this slate, but he's worth every penny. The future 2022 NL MVP has a .327 AVG, .415 OBP, .612 SLG, and 1.027 OPS this year. That's a good week for most players, but he's been doing this for 140 games. Goldy has been even better recently, generating a 1.089 OPS over his last 43 games. A matchup with Mitch Keller might be the best part of this, though, with the Pirates righty registering a 5.24 ERA and 1.61 WHIP across 300 innings at this level. That certainly won't go over well against this dominant Cards lineup, and we'll dive into more options later on!

Josh Naylor FD - 1B 3000 DK - 1B 4000
Opponent - MIN (Undecided) Park - MIN
FD - 8.49 DK - 6.51

Naylor's energy is infectious for this Guardians club, but he's not just a cheerleader. This guy is actually a critical piece of their lineup, battling cleanup against right-handers. It's easy to understand why Terry Francona bats him behind Jose Ramirez in these circumstances, posting a .290 AVG, .523 SLG, and .853 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor. That's all you can ask for from a player in this price range, and we haven't even discussed this superb matchup. Naylor looks likely to face Josh Winder, who's thrown just 35 total innings above Double-A, accruing a 5.87 ERA and 1.74 WHIP across his last five starts at this level.

Salvador Perez (FD $3500 DK $5200) has a .386 OBP, .625 SLG, and 1.011 OPS across his last 11 games and gets the platoon advantage against a lefty with a 5.23 ERA.

Second Base

Jose Altuve FD - 2B 4300 DK - 2B 6000
Opponent - LAA (Tucker Davidson) Park - HOU
FD - 13.43 DK - 10.24

While the Cardinals are our favorite stack of the day, the Astros are the safest bet on the board. This righty-heavy lineup has been a Top-10 offense in every metric and should slaughter a southpaw like Tucker Davidson. They certainly did some damage against him last week, dropping six runs on the lefty's head. The table setter for this terrifying lineup is Altuve, accumulating a .317 AVG, .411 OBP, .598 SLG, and 1.008 OPS across his last 22 games. He's also been crushing left-handers, posting a .322 AVG, .406 OBP, .678 SLG, and 1.083 OPS against them this year.

Brendan Donovan FD - 2B 2300 DK - 2B 3200
Opponent - PIT (Mitch Keller) Park - PIT
FD - 9.84 DK - 7.6

We foreshadowed more St. Louis sluggers, so let's recommend their leadoff hitter. That's Donovan this week, who's taken those duties from Lars Nootbaar. It's easy to understand why when looking at his statistics, totaling a .333 AVG, .392 OBP, and .823 OPS across his last 19 games. That doesn't even include a rare homer on Saturday, and it's impressive how the Cards churn out these players year after year. We already discussed how bad Keller has been this season, amassing a 5.79 ERA and 1.71 WHIP in two starts against them. It also gives BD the platoon advantage from the left side, generating a .390 OBP and .787 OPS against righties this year.

Shortstop

Bo Bichette FD - SS 4100 DK - SS 5700
Opponent - TEX (Martín Pérez) Park - TEX
FD - 10.47 DK - 8.06

We've had Bichette in this article throughout the second half with his price drop, and his ridiculous month of September shows we're doing something right. The slugging shortstop has a .514 AVG, 1.171 SLG, and 1.755 OPS across his last eight games. This stretch has been going on longer than that, totaling a .504 OBP and 1.432 OPS across his previous 16 games. You simply don't see stretches like that from anyone, and it's scary since this is one of the best stat-stuffers in our sport. His splits are sensational, too, producing a .367 OBP, .523 SLG, and .890 OPS against lefties since his call-up. Martin Perez has been struggling recently too, and we'll dive into that at the next position!

Tommy Edman FD - 2B 3300 DK - 2B/SS 5600
Opponent - PIT (Mitch Keller) Park - PIT
FD - 8.38 DK - 6.56

Let's keep our St. Louis stack rolling with Edman. This guy was relegated to the nine-hole in this lineup because of a midseason slump, but they've moved him back to the two-spot after a hot streak. Over his last 17 games, Tommy has tallied a .373 AVG, .746 SLG, and 1.146 OPS. That's funny because this is more of a speedster than a power bat, swiping 27 bags this year as well. That power-speed combo makes him impossible to fade if we want to stack the Cards, especially against a guy with a 1.60 career WHIP. In addition, Edman bats from the left side and has almost all of his career steals against right-handers.

Third Base

Alex Bregman FD - 3B 3600 DK - 3B 5400
Opponent - LAA (Tucker Davidson) Park - HOU
FD - 12.94 DK - 9.71

If you want to stack the Stros against Davidson, Bregman needs to be the first player in your build. This has been one of the best bats in baseball for months, compiling a .339 AVG, .439 OBP, .622 SLG, and 1.062 OPS across his last 38 games. He's got similar averages since the start of June, and it's clear Bregman is seeing the ball well right now. He should see it even better against a lefty, with Bregman blasting a .394 OBP, .538 SLG, and .932 OPS against left-handers throughout his career. Davidson donning a 6.42 ERA and 1.72 WHIP isn't too shabby either!

Matt Chapman FD - 3B 2800 DK - 3B 4900
Opponent - TEX (Martín Pérez) Park - TEX
FD - 9.43 DK - 7.01

We talked about how Perez has been struggling for the Rangers, so let's start there. This lefty has a 4.11 ERA and 1.46 WHIP across his last six starts. That's the atrocious pitcher we've become accustomed to, with Perez providing a 4.46 ERA and 1.45 WHIP for his career. If that guy shows up here, he will have serious issues against the most dangerous lineup in baseball. That's why Toronto is so expensive, but Chapman is one of the few guys who's a good value. The third baseman has a .345 OBP, .506 SLG, and .851 OPS across his last 71 games. That's the All-Star we saw in Oakland, and we certainly don't mind that Matt has a .810 career OPS against lefties.  The BvP numbers are the icing on the cake, with Chapman collecting a .462 OBP, .692 SLG, and 1.154 OPS in 13 at-bats against Perez.

Outfield

Bryce Harper FD - OF 3500 DK - OF 5900
Opponent - WSH (Aníbal Sánchez) Park - PHI
FD - 14.94 DK - 11.1

Harper has struggled with his power stroke since coming off the IL, but a homer on Saturday is hopefully a sign of things to come. He's still got a .385 OBP since rejoining the team, providing a .945 OPS for the season. It's just a matter of time before he returns to the stud we've seen throughout his career, with Harper amassing a .405 OBP, .549 SLG, and .954 OPS since 2015. That's over 1,000 games of complete supremacy, and it's not discussed enough how good this man has been after all of the pre-career hype. We also love his numbers against righties, registering a .417 OBP and 1.033 OPS against them since 2020. He should keep that rolling against a journeyman like Anibal Sanchez, accruing a 5.61 ERA and 1.47 WHIP since the start of last year.

Anthony Santander FD - OF 2900 DK - OF 5000
Opponent - BOS (Rich Hill) Park - BAL
FD - 9.39 DK - 7.15

It's unbelievable to see the Orioles compete for a playoff berth in the AL East, but it's less surprising when you dive into Santander's statistics. He leads the team with 27 dingers and 79 RBI, doing most of that damage recently. In fact, Santander has a .276 AVG, .343 OBP, .540 SLG, and .882 OPS over his last 42 games. That run makes him even more enticing when looking at his superb splits, slinging a .301 AVG, .371 OBP, .556 SLG, and .927 OPS against southpaws this season. It's not like Rich Hill is a harrowing matchup either, posting a 4.79 ERA and 1.34 WHIP in what's likely to be his final season.

Corey Dickerson FD - OF 2500 DK - OF 2800
Opponent - PIT (Mitch Keller) Park - PIT
FD - 9.38 DK - 7.28

It's easy to say Goldy and Arenado are good choices in a St Louis stack, but finding value is what matters most. There might not be a better per-dollar bargain on this slate than Dickerson. This righty destroyer has been batting second in this order recently, tallying a .452 AVG, .641 SLG, and 1.093 OPS across his last 16 games. That's impossible to find from a player in this price range, particularly since he will bat second for one of the highest-projected offenses on this slate. Corey has also clobbered righties throughout his career, collecting a .289 AVG, .509 SLG, and .841 OPS against them.