This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Apologies for the late post – get your lineups ready! No DFS until after the All-Star break. With all 30 teams in action, it's a full slate to choose from.
Pitcher
Johnny Cueto, $11,000 – It's mind-blowing that Cueto was passed over for a spot on the NL All-Star Team (thank the ridiculous rule that every team needs to have at least one representative). Of the pitchers taking the mound Sunday that have been in the big leagues all season, Cueto is second only to Max Scherzer in fantasy points per game on FanDuel as the first half draws to a close. Sunday's matchup on the road in Miami comes against a Marlins squad that recently added Dee Gordon to an infirmary that already holds Giancarlo Stanton and Martin Prado. Over the last 30 days, the Marlins rank 25th in wOBA as a team (.291), while toting the the fourth-highest K% (22.4%).
Andrew Heaney, $7,000 – Heaney has allowed just four earned runs over three starts with the Angels, including an impressive start at Coors Field earlier this week where he held the Rockies to two runs over 7.1 innings. The drawback here is that Taijuan Walker is taking the ball for the Mariners, so the win probability is less than ideal with a more balanced line for the game. The Mariners' offense continues to disappoint, with a .293 wOBA (24th in MLB) over the last 30 days. Still, any lefty in Safeco Field is worth considering, as the park significantly reduces the platoon advantage of the opposing right-handed hitters, and Heaney is looking like a very good southpaw capable of becoming a long-term solution as a No. 2 or No. 3 starter for the Halos.
Lance McCullers, $6,700 – Maybe the good folks at FanDuel are projecting harsh regression for McCullers as the rest of the season unfolds. There is some risk that even if he pitches well, his workload may be monitored carefully, and walks have become more of an issue for him over the last five starts. Even with the aforementioned uptick in free passes, McCullers has allowed one earned run or less in four of his last five starts. Strikeouts should be on tap, as the Rays ranked third in MLB over the last 30 days with a 23.2 percent K%. Further, the Astros' right-handed heavy lineup could present problems for Rays starter Matt Moore, so run support shouldn't be a problem.
Catcher
John Jaso, $3,100 – If you are not rolling with McCullers as your starter, Jaso is priced very fairly as a catcher-eligible player getting a chance to lead off again Sunday. He's 8-for-19 with a homer and two RBI since returning from the disabled list July 7, and more importantly, he's carried an OPS right around .800 against right-handed pitching over the past two seasons.
Alternative for owners starting McCullers:Jonathan Lucroy at $3,200 against Dodgers left-hander Brett Anderson. Lucroy hasn't hit anywhere near expectations, but the best spots to roll him out there will be in matchups against southpaws as he boasts a career .858 OPS against lefties.
First Base
Lucas Duda, $2,200 – As per usual, there are a handful of cheap options with good matchups at first base. Duda has shown unusual splits this season, hitting much better at Citi Field and better against lefties than righties. Focusing more on the big picture, his production against right-handed pitching ranks among the league's elite hitters. Perhaps he's made some adjustments that explain the improvement against lefties, but Sunday's matchup is against a homer-prone righty in Rubby De La Rosa, opening the door for him to close out the first half with another strong showing after he went deep in each of the first two games of the series with Arizona.
Second Base
Howie Kendrick - $3,100 –Kyle Lohse's meltdown this season has been worse than even the most pessimistic forecasts suggested, making him a default option to pick on when scrambling for a viable bat at any given position. The toss-up for Sunday is Kendrick versus Joe Panik, who faces Chad Billingsley at home and is priced at an even $3,000. In this case, it's just a matter of feeling better about the Dodgers' offense as a whole compared to the Giants on a day where both games are posted with the same over/under (7.5).
Third Base
Kris Bryant - $3,500 – Bryant faces off against disappointing left-hander Jose Quintana on Sunday, and he'll be hitting from the No. 3 spot in the order for manager Joe Maddon. As a minor leaguer, Bryant hit everything thrown his way, but his splits went from excellent against righties (1.014 OPS) to completely bananas against lefties (1.349 OPS). In his rookie campaign with the Cubs, he's shown better numbers against lefties again (.943 OPS) even with very good numbers on the other side of the split (.833 OPS).
Shortstop
Andrelton Simmons, $2,600 – Value at Coors Field is tough to find, but Simmons is a cheap option at a position where very little stands out on Sunday's slate. It's a righty-righty matchup against Chad Bettis, but it's more about having some exposure to a game with an over/under of 10 runs, than anything about Simmons' bat or matchup in particular.
Outfield
Jay Bruce, $3,300 – It's a road matchup in Miami, but it's against Dan Haren. The less favorable run environment is offset by Haren's propensity to serve up the long ball (1.29 HR/9). Bruce has also been in the surprising reverse platoon split group to this point in the season, his overall line includes power numbers (13 HR, .464 SLG) that are more in line with his pre-2014 levels.
Jorge Soler, $2,600 – If not a mini-Cubs stack, a Kris Bryant-Soler combo may be on tap as Soler will man the clean-up spot against lefty Jose Quintana on Sunday. He's still looking for his first big league homer against a southpaw, but Soler's price tag makes him an enticing option, at least in tournament settings, with this matchup.
Michael Taylor, $2,400 –Wei-Yin Chen has pitched very well through the first half, but the right-handed hitting Taylor will lead off for the Nats in the Interleague matchup at Camden Yards on Sunday. This is entirely a price-driven decision, as paying up $11,000 for Johnny Cueto will require a piece or two at or near the salary floor. Not surprisingly, Taylor's lefty-righty splits during his time in the minors favor southpaws (.829 OPS).
