MLB DFS Picks: Yahoo Plays and Strategy for Sunday, June 18

There are 15 MLB games on the slate for Sunday. Only the second game of the Yankees-Red Sox doubleheader is included, the one that was originally on the docket before Saturday's game was postponed. Hey, that's plenty of teams to pick players from. First pitch is at 1:05 p.m. ET on Father's Day. Here are my lineup recommendations.

Pitching

Zack Wheeler, PHI at OAK ($52): Wheeler may have a 3.73 ERA, but he has a 2.64 FIP. A matchup with the Athletics should help. They are last in runs scored, last in team OPS and last in winning percentage. Oakland also has a pitcher-friendly park. Those factors should all benefit Wheeler and get his ERA more in line with his usual numbers.

Jesus Luzardo, MIA at WAS ($44): Luzardo seemed to break through with a 3.32 ERA last year, but his ERA is up to 4.17 ERA this season. However, that's paired with a 3.58 FIP, and he's struck out an encouraging 10.31 batters per nine innings. The Nationals are 24th in runs scored, in part because they are 29th in home runs.

Bryce Miller, SEA vs. CWS ($41): Miller started his rookie season with five good starts, got lit up by the Yankees and Rangers, and then bounced back against the Marlins in his last outing. All in all, he has a 4.06 ERA and 3.36 FIP. The White Sox are in the bottom 10 in runs scored, and they also have a sub-.300 OBP.

Top Targets

I'm feeling vibes from Jorge Soler ($23) that evoke his 2019 campaign with the Royals, when he posted a .923 OPS and hit 48 homers. This season, he's slashed .260/.365/.558 with 20 home runs. The Cuban loves to see a lefty on the mound, and since 2021 he's slugged a whopping .594 in those matchups. Patrick Corbin is a lefty who has allowed 1.61 home runs per nine innings over the last three seasons, and in that time righties have hit .311 against him for good measure.

The Guardians have a poor offense, but Jose Ramirez ($22) has done his level best to keep it from being the worst offense in MLB. He's posted a .287/.353/.502 slash line with 11 homers and six stolen bases. While he's a switch hitter, Ramirez has a .916 OPS versus righties since 2021. Zach Davies has made four starts at home this year, and in that time he has a 7.71 ERA.

Bargain Bats

Starling Marte ($16) has shown no power this year, but he's stolen 19 bases. He's mostly struggled versus righties, as he has a .314 average against southpaws this season. The lefty Matthew Liberatore has a career 5.66 ERA, and righties have hit .323 against him.

Though J.P. Crawford ($15) isn't a great hitter, I'll give him this: He has a .765 OPS versus righties and a .741 OPS at home. Lance Lynn is having a brutal campaign, posting a 6.75 ERA through 14 starts. Staggeringly, lefties, like Crawford, have lit up Lynn to the tune of a .360 average.

Stacks to Consider

Rays at Padres (Joe Musgrove): Randy Arozarena ($17), Wander Franco ($17), Yandy Diaz ($17)

It's been a rough campaign for Musgrove. He has a 4.37 ERA, including a 5.55 ERA at home, and is dealing with elbow bursitis. Musgrove is a righty who handles lefties better, and that has been true again this year. However, he has gotten to that 4.37 ERA in 2023 because righties have hit .293 against him, so I have three guys who can hit right-handed in this stack.

It's been a top-notch season for Arozarena, who has slashed .280/.398/.480 with 13 homers and nine stolen bases. He stole 32 bases last year, and it tends to be easier to steal against righties. Franco has a .295 average and has already stolen 24 bases. While he has been better against lefties, his .804 OPS versus righties is quite good. Diaz has a .398 OBP, and he's the righty here who has been better versus his fellow right-handers. He has a .951 OPS in those matchups.

Rangers vs. Blue Jays (Chris Bassitt): Corey Seager ($22), Nathaniel Lowe ($16), Jonah Heim ($13)

Bassitt's first season with the Blue Jays has gone poorly, as he has a 5.00 FIP and has allowed 1.59 home runs per nine innings. He's gotten there through a recent run of bad play on the mound. Over his last five starts, Bassitt has a 5.90 ERA. He's held righties to a .169 average, but lefties have hit .280 against him, so I have three guys who can hit left-handed in this stack.

Seager has had an incredible year when healthy, and he hasn't slowed down as he has an 1.027 OPS over the last three weeks. He also has an OPS over 1.000 versus righties and at home, and last year he had a .901 OPS at home. Lowe's .276 average and .358 OBP are right in line with his career .278 average and .353 OBP. The lefty also has an .845 OPS against righties and an .889 OPS at home. Heim is a switch-hitting catcher with a .279 average, eight homers and two stolen bases. While he's better against lefties, his .848 OPS at home balances things out.

Cardinals at Mets (Carlos Carrasco): Paul Goldschmidt ($18), Nolan Arenado ($18), Tommy Edman ($14)

Carrasco's first campaign as a Met in 2021 was bad, but truncated, so his 2022 season wherein he had a 3.97 ERA was almost encouraging. This year, though, things have fallen apart. The veteran pitcher has a 5.71 ERA and 6.24 FIP. His strikeout percentage is a mere 13.3, and he's allowed 1.76 home runs per nine innings. I went with three guys who can hit right-handed, as he's allowed a .287 average against righties since 2021.

Even in a down year, Goldschmidt has slashed .287/.381/.493 with 12 home runs and seven stolen bases. He has a career .915 OPS, so I can see him picking things up. Plus, he has an .896 OPS versus righties this year. After a slow start, Arenado has an 1.042 OPS over the last three weeks. Since joining the Cardinals, the former Rockie has an .874 OPS on the road as well. Edman has seven homers and 11 stolen bases. He's stolen at least 30 bases in each of the last two seasons as well. While his power shows itself against lefties, the switch hitter steals his bags against righties.