This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
There are options galore on Sunday's slate, which features 12 games that all get underway before 2:30 PM ET. I think you can make a case for at least the first four pitchers (and possibly up to six), which may make this slate one where you want to grab your bats first, and then see what arm fits into your plan. Conversely, there are a handful of arms to stack against, which forces a choice between top bats, or value bats in the right matchup if you're paying for pitching.
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PITCHER
Robbie Ray, ARI at WAS ($9,300): Ray may get glanced over given his 5.10 ERA and inability to work deep into games thus far, having not lasted more than six innings while failing to make it through five frames twice. But you're paying for Ray's immense strikeout upside, as he comes in having fanned a whopping 37.2 percent of the batters he's faced through five starts. Washington has struggled out of the gates against lefties, posting just a .278 wOBA, 72 wRC+ and .107 ISO while striking out 24.7 percent of the time.
GPP Fade: Jose Berrios, MIN vs. CIN ($9,500): Something about this matchup just seems too obvious. The Reds' offense has been woeful, sporting a .292 wOBA, 81 wRC+ and .105 ISO. Berrios comes $900 cheaper than Gerritt Cole, has a nifty 24.8 career strikeout rate at home (33.8 in 2018) and is the Twins are the third-most favored squad behind the Blue Jays and Astros. The clear cut positive matchup simply has me looking elsewhere on a slate loaded with top pitching options.
Cheap GPP Consideration: Chad Bettis, COL at MIA ($6,600): It may be a bit lazy to pick on the Marlins here, but that doesn't make it wrong. Bettis has allowed two runs or fewer in four of his five starts, is starting in a game with the lowest total on the slate at eight, and faces Marlins' Caleb Smith and his 5.82 ERA. That only makes this more appealing than the Marlins' offensive lines against righties to date; a league worst .263 wOBA, in addition to a 65 wRC+ and 25.6 percent strikeout rate. The Cubs' Tyler Chatwood ($7,400) gets an honorable mention here.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
C.J. Cron, TAM at BOS ($3,500): Cron has gone for at least 12.2 points in his last six games, producing multiple hits three times, at least two runs four times while scoring eight times total. While Red Sox starter Rick Porcello has been great out of the gates, he did have a 5.40 ERA at home last year, allowing a .340 wOBA to righties in the process.
SECOND BASE
Matt Carpenter, STL at PIT ($3,300): The Bucs will debut Nick Kingham on the bump Sunday, who had mid-tier prospect upside before elbow surgery cost him a season, but was dealing at Triple-A this year prior to Sunday's arrival. Sometimes, the unknown finds early success, so I'm not all-in on the Cards' offense, but want a low-risk option with some upside. Carpenter fits that bill at $1,000 lower than the top-priced Ozzie Albies, and despite his slow start, he's posted a .367 wOBA and .225 ISO against righties since the start of 2017.
THIRD BASE
Mike Moustakas, KAN vs. CWS ($4,200): So long as he isn't the top-priced option at his position, I'm very content to run Moustakas out more nights than not against righties. He's gone for a .370 wOBA and .288 ISO against them since the start of 2017, and has an inviting matchup against veteran Chris Volstad, who hasn't thrown significant Major League innings since 2012. The only cause for concern is Saturday's double header, which could lead to a few regulars getting a day off Sunday.
SHORTSTOP
Xander Bogaerts, BOS vs. TAM ($3,300): This just looks like a clear case of a player whose price hasn't risen to its normal value following injury. Bogaerts is 4-for-8 in his two games back from an ankle injury, and a new-found approach had yielded great results prior to his setback, posting a .532 wOBA against righties. Bogaerts had a .318 wOBA a year ago, which may be more in line with this price, but when factoring in Rays' starter Jake Faria allows a .354 wOBA to righties on the road, where he has a 5.37 career ERA, Bogaerts appears to regain some upside.
OUTFIELD
Mitch Haniger, SEA at CLE ($3,900): Haninger has hit righties well over the past year-plus to the tune of a .385 wOBA, 147 wRC+ and .245 ISO. That looks like it will play well against Tribe starter Josh Tomlin, who has allowed a .379 wOBA to lefties since the start of 2017 and boasts a 9.24 ERA in 2018.
Nick Markakis, ATL at PHI ($3,600): It's certainly tempting to use phenom Ronald Acuna here, especailly at the same price as Markasis. But Phils' starter Vince Velasquez has struggled against lefties, allowing a .376 wOBA to them since 2017. Markakis has hit safely in six straight and in nine of his last 10, and has a .357 wOBA and 127 wRC+ in his first 85 plate appearances against righties in 2018.
Kevin Pillar, TOR vs. TEX ($3,000): Pillar is fresh off a two-home run game Saturday and has now hit safely in five of his last six, driving in five runs in the process. He posted an eye-popping .395 wOBA, 148 wRC+ and .224 ISO last year against lefties entering a matchup with Martin Perez, who has allowed a .376 wOBA to righties since the start of 2017.
UTILITY
Matt Davidson, CWS at KAN ($3,700): Davidson is a great GPP option at this tag. He's white hot, going 7-for-13 with four homers and six RBI in his last three games. It's led to a .414 wOBA, 164 wRC+ and .353 ISO against righties thus far, which should play well against Ian Kennedy, who allowed a 6.46 ERA at home in 2017, as well as a .350 wOBA to righties.
