Covering The Bases: MLB DFS Picks for Sunday, August 4th
Long-time grinder, stlcardinals84, is here to cover the bases for the upcoming MLB DFS slate. Whether you are looking for the top pitchers or the best stacks, Cards has you covered with an extensive deep dive into his favorite MLB DFS picks.
Happy Sunday, everyone! We have what looks to be a fun Sunday slate today, with nine games available on the main slate this afternoon on both FanDuel and DraftKings. It also appears that we might have a few potential weather issues today, though nothing seems like it is in imminent danger of being postponed. The biggest issue looks to be in New York, where we have a “yellow/orange” weather rating as of the time I am writing this. I am going to write the article as though every game plays fine, but this is a day where I would advise keeping an eye on our MLB weather page for updates leading up to lock from chief meteorologist Kevin Roth.
This looks to be a slate that is somewhat balanced between pitching and offense, but I like the pitching options we have today. There’s a lot to break down, so let’s get to it and see what this Sunday slate has to offer!
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Sunday Pitching: MLB DFS Picks on FanDuel & DraftKings
FIVE GUYS! AT THE TOP
Paul Skenes vs. Diamondbacks
Max Fried vs. Marlins
Gerrit Cole vs. Blue Jays
Corbin Burnes vs. Guardians
Nathan Eovaldi vs. Red Sox
I almost excluded Nathan Eovaldi from this group, but I put him in here just so that I could list five guys. I don’t think I’ve had a five pitcher top tier all year, so I haven’t been able to borrow that line from Cheese… and Five Guys sounds pretty good right now. Unfortunately, the nearest one is about an hour from me. Such is life when you live in a rural area. In any case, I digress. Let’s take a look at the 2024 numbers for these five aces:
Skenes – 1.90 ERA, 2.50 xFIP, 33% K, 5% BB
Fried – 3.08 ERA, 3.44 xFIP, 22% K, 8% BB
Cole – 5.40 ERA, 4.30 xFIP, 25% K, 8% BB (seven starts)
Burnes – 2.47 ERA, 3.49 xFIP, 23% K, 6% BB
Eovaldi – 3.38 ERA, 3.34 xFIP, 24% K, 6% BB
It seems crazy to have the conversation that Paul Skenes is the best pitcher in baseball after 13 career starts, but I think we are there. This is the best pitcher in baseball right now. I also don’t think you’d get much disagreement as to that statement. That’s how crazy good Skenes has been in his rookie season. There’s literally nothing to point at in his profile as a negative. The Pirates are still in the Wild Card race, and they are letting him go deep into games. The strikeout rate is elite. The command is strong. Hitters aren’t squaring him up.
I believe that Skenes and Max Fried will get the most attention today. Fried has a fantastic run prevention matchup against the now woeful Marlins lineup, and he is a huge home favorite. However, Fried does not have numbers that are even in the same stratosphere as Skenes. The only positive in the Fried camp is the matchup today. However, we must also note that this is Fried’s first start in over three weeks after a stint on the injured list, so we can’t be sure that he will even have a full pitch count allotment today.
For my money, this decision is not close. Skenes is the SP1, even with the tougher matchup. Max Fried is not likely to have a performance that breaks a slate… a “must have” outing, if you will. Paul Skenes is capable of that, and he’s my choice even in a matchup against a hot Diamondbacks team.
If you are looking for other options to consider here, Gerrit Cole would be next on my list. He looks to be getting close to full strength again and had been pitching very well in recent outings until a hiccup his last time out. I think he gets back on track today against a weak Toronto lineup, and there likely won’t be a lot of ownership here with Skenes/Fried available and with this game having a potential weather concern. If you want to play Cole, make sure you monitor the forecast and only use him if this game ends up getting the green light from Roth.
The other two pitchers I have listed here would be MME tournament options only. I don’t love the matchup for either. Corbin Burnes faces a low strikeout Guardians team, while Nathan Eovaldi faces a Red Sox lineup that is very dangerous against RHP. I would keep them both in my pool if building 20+ lineups today, but they wouldn’t make my first five or six builds.
SECONDARY PITCHING OPTIONS
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