Kuzul

All but one game on a packed Sunday Major League Baseball schedule is a matinee. That means a ton of options for DraftKings players. There’s only so much salary to go around, so it’s easy to get overwhelmed in this situation. 

We can’t go big on every selection. You’re going to need to find some sleepers and bargain options. Here are five for Sunday’s schedule, including a low-cost pitcher to watch on the mound.

Josh Tomlin, SP ($5,600)

In three starts this season, Josh Tomlin is trending upward. He’s gone at least six innings in each start. He and the Cleveland Indians host the struggling Los Angeles Angels on Sunday. The Angels haven’t scored more than three runs in a game in their last four contests.

Tomlin doesn’t walk a ton of hitters. To be specific, he’s issued just two free passes in 19.1 innings. Last but not least, Tomlin strikes out 8.38 batters per nine innings. That’s a big reason he’s averaging 21.7 fantasy points per game this season.

Obviously, that’s not a total you can be completely content with from the pitcher spot, but Tomlin’s low salary gives you some flexibility. Perhaps you want to draft the Chicago Cubs’ Jake Arrieta for $12,400, he and Tomlin’s salaries combined are just $18,000. That’s an average of $9,000 per pitcher spot.

That’s reasonable, as it would allow you to fill a solid lineup of position players as well. 

Lonnie Chisenhall, 3B ($2,900)

When he’s gotten an opportunity to play of late, Lonnie Chisenhall has been on a tear at the plate. In his last 10 games, he is hitting .565, slugging .752 and his OPS is 1.333. Indians in Depth on Twitter offer even more perspective on Chisenhall’s performance in August:

The Indians will face scuffling Angels starter Jered Weaver on Sunday. He’s allowed four or more runs nine times this season. Most recently, Weaver surrendered six earned in his last start against the Detroit Tigers on August 25.

To boot, Chisenhall is hitting .412 in 17 at-bats against him. It seems crazy for the Indians or any DK player not to have him in the lineup on Sunday.

Marcel Ozuna, OF ($3,000)

In his last four games, Marcel Ozuna has been hot.

He’s hitting .375 in that span with three multi-hit games and three extra-base hits. Ozuna’s hot hitting isn’t the only reason to draft him on Sunday. The 24-year-old Miami Marlins outfielder will be facing the Washington Nationals’ Stephen Strasburg, and Ozuna has gotten the better of this matchup in their career meetings.

In 17 at-bats, Ozuna is hitting a paltry .412 with a home run, double, triple and five RBI against Strasburg. With recent success at the plate and positive history against the opposing pitcher, Ozuna could be a steal for $3,000.

Danny Espinosa, 2B/3B ($3,200)

The Marlins may need all they can get from Ozuna. Miami is sending Brad Hand to the mound to face the Nationals, and that could be problematic. 

Current Nationals hitters are batting a combined .326 against Hand. Not least of the bunch is Danny Espinosa. In 11 at-bats against the Marlins left-hander, Espinosa is hitting .455.

Espinosa had a single and scored a run on Saturday. The hit was his first in three games, so he may be breaking out of a slump. Facing Hand could help continue to improve.

Victor Martinez, 1B ($3,400)

The 36-year-old Victor Martinez hasn’t had a very good season for the Detroit Tigers this year. Martinez echoed those sentiments in a quote captured by Matthew B. Mowery of the Oakland Press in Pontiac, Michigan:

Despite his 2015 struggles, Martinez has always hit Toronto Blue Jays starter Mark Buerhle. Guess who the Blue Jays are sending to the mound on Sunday?

In 78 at-bats, Martinez is carrying a healthy .359 batting average against the veteran lefty. He’s slugging .538 against Buerhle and he’s taken him deep four times.

Martinez doesn’t have a recent hot streak to reference, but his overwhelming success, in such a large sample size of at-bats against Buerhle, is reason enough to draft the Tigers veteran.

All stats per DraftKings.com, unless otherwise linked. The head-to-head references per ESPN.com.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter

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Does anyone else feel like this was the fantasy football draft weekend of the summer? I’m in three leagues, and all three of my drafts were this weekend.

What’s the deal? Football is still 11 days away. I don’t want to have to shift my focus from baseball to football yet. Hopefully you don’t either. Let’s jump right into today’s baseball primer. 

Nathan Eovaldi ($7,400) at Braves

Check out Eovaldi’s 10-game log on DraftKings. The Yankees righty is nothing if not consistent. He’s scored in double digits in each of his past 10 starts. And despite back-to-back outings in which Eovaldi has posted 26 or more fantasy points, he’s not that expensive. 

Oh yeah, today Eovaldi gets the combusting Braves away from the bandbox in the Bronx. Since the All-Star break, Atlanta’s been the worst offensive club in the league. They’re dead last in wRC+, runs and team offensive WAR according to Fangraphs. 

Eovaldi will also benefit from not pitching against a designated hitter. If he can avoid injury in his third, fourth and fifth at-bats of the season, he should have a big fantasy night. 

Stephen Strasburg ($10,000) vs. Marlins

Make no mistake, Strasburg is in the middle of his worst season in the bigs by far. But in the past month-and-a-half, he’s returned to form. On DraftKings, Strasburg has scored 20 or more fantasy points in four straight games and averaged 26 fantasy points over his last seven starts. It’s been more than three months since Strasburg allowed more than two runs in a game. 

Like Eovaldi, Strasburg has a terrific matchup. What is it with humid southern NL East cities? According to Fangraphs, the Marlins are the second-most incompetent team (behind the aforementioned Braves) at the dish since the All-Star break. They’ve hit only 21 home runs since the Midsummer Classic. Twenty-one! That’s roughly one jack every two games. Look for Strasburg to go seven or more innings in the nation’s capital today.

Other good options: Charlie Morton ($7,200) vs. Rockies, Josh Tomlin ($5,600) vs. Angels, John Lamb ($5,300) at Brewers 

Stack the ‘Stros

Sadly, the Blue Jays just passed the Astros in total team home runs. Houston led the league for the first four months of the season, but the sluggers up north finally caught them. In fact, Houston’s offense has been struggling lately. They’ve dropped to ninth in the league in wRC+, according to Fangraphs. 

However, they should tee off today against Ervin Santana in Minneapolis. Per DraftKings, Santana has been horrible recently. He’s posted a negative fantasy total in four of his past six outings. He’s allowed more than five runs per start and walked 15 batters in that same six-game stretch. 

If you stack the top of the Astros lineup and they strike with one big inning, you’re in good shape to cash in for any tournament. The way Santana is chucking, Houston is liable to put up multiple crooked-numbered innings at Target Field. 

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With few afternoon games available, daily fantasy baseball competitors might as well wait for the night session to create a lineup Saturday. The good news is there will still be plenty of options on the board even with a smaller slate of games.

Considering how inconsistent the top options like Corey Kluber and Jon Lester have been this year, you might be better off saving money with some balance across the board. Here is a look at some of the best bargain picks for August 29.

J.A. Happ, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates ($7,700)

He has only made four starts for Pittsburgh since coming over from the Seattle Mariners, but J.A. Happ has a 2.08 ERA with 22 strikeouts and just six walks in this stretch. This includes back-to-back games of six shutout innings leading up to Saturday’s start.

The visiting Colorado Rockies have always struggled to hit away from home, and this year hasn’t been any different. If the left-handed Happ can neutralize lefties Carlos Gonzalez and Charlie Blackmon, he could have a very good game.

Martin Perez, SP, Texas Rangers ($4,600)

A miserable start against the New York Yankees (eight runs allowed in one inning) destroyed Martin Perez’s ERA, but he has been much better as of late. The 24-year-old starter hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any of his last four starts and has averaged about 15 fantasy points in this stretch.

Against a sliding Baltimore Orioles team, Perez could provide some adequate value for dirt cheap.

Francisco Lindor, SS, Cleveland Indians ($3,900)

Although overshadowed by some other rookies around the league, Francisco Lindor has been extremely exciting to watch this season. It has been even better over the past week with the shortstop displaying power, speed and an excellent approach at the plate.

After his three-stolen-base game last Wednesday, it’s clear the upside is fantastic for this player.

Anthony Rendon, 2B/3B, Washington Nationals ($3,600)

It took a few weeks for Anthony Rendon to get back up to speed after missing much of the season with a quad injury. However, the talented batter is finally coming around and hitting the ball hard. 

With Rendon‘s price slowly climbing as he gets back into form, you want to jump on the opportunity to get him for cheap before the price gets out of control.

Domonic Brown, OF, Philadelphia Phillies ($2,900)

This is clearly a long-shot bet, but if you are looking for a high-upside player for very cheap, you could do worse than Domonic Brown. The Phillies are giving the one-time prospect another chance to show what he can do, and he has come through with a few home runs this month. 

San Diego Padres starter Colin Rea has just a 5.52 ERA in three career games, so the entire Philadelphia lineup has a chance to do damage. However, a cheap outfielder with power (he did hit 27 home runs in 2013) could represent a good bet in tournament play.

Note: All prices and fantasy score info courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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According to ESPN.com, the MLB playoffs start on October 6. That means two things.

One, playoff baseball is almost here! It’s less than 40 days until the ever-tense Wild Card Round begins. Eek! I’m giddy!

Two, less than 40 days of full daily fantasy baseball slates remain. By now I’m sure you’ve figured out that there is more variation and, consequently, more value on the days when all 30 teams play ball.

So let’s take advantage of those large slates while we still can! Here are some tips for Friday’s lineup.

Colorado Rockies SP Jon Gray ($4,300) at Pittsburgh Pirates

Jon Gray was terrible in his last outing, as he was on the wrong end of Yoenis Cespedes‘ 67-point fantasy night. Gray allowed seven earned runs in just 1.2 innings, including two home runs from the Cuban outfielder. 

As odd as it may seem, that performance helps Gray’s value. He enters Friday night’s game in Pittsburgh as the third-cheapest starting pitcher on the board. But he should get a massive bump from not pitching at home in the altitude.

Other than the two Cespedes at-bats, Gray’s also shown to be quite capable in his young rookie campaign. In his three previous starts, he allowed just four total runs and struck out 14 batters. Two of those starts were at home. 

Gray is talented. The Rockies took him third overall in the 2013 draft, and he blew through the minors while posting nearly a strikeout per inning. He is the most likely pitcher on the board to quadruple—or even quintuple—his cost. 

Other inexpensive starters to target: Baltimore Orioles SP Kevin Gausman ($5,600) at Texas; Kansas City Royals SP Erasmo Ramirez ($6,000) at Tampa Bay

Washington Nationals SP Max Scherzer ($12,500) vs. Miami Marlins

According to numberFire.com, Scherzer is projected to score 20.66 fantasy points Friday—the highest projected total for any pitcher in the league.

It makes sense—the Marlins stink. They’ve scored the second-fewest runs in the league, are one of just two teams with fewer than 100 home runs on the season and are dead last in wRC+ and wOBA. 

Scherzer isn’t pitching like he did for a couple of weeks in June, but he’s still a candidate to toss a complete-game shutout every time he gets on the bump. 

Los Angeles Dodgers OF Carl Crawford ($2,400) vs. Chicago Cubs

Though Carl Crawford is likely the most overpaid baseball player in the league, he’s a smart bargain buy in daily fantasy. According to the Dodgers’ Twitter account, Crawford will start in place of the injured Yasiel Puig in the outfield Friday. 

Crawford is having a terrible season. He’s getting on base just 28 percent of the time and has only stolen three bags so far this year. However, he’ll be hitting in the middle of a good power-hitting lineup against a steady, but hittable pitcher. 

Stack the Mariners

Looking to stack? Look no further than Seattle. Nelson Cruz, Kyle Seager, Franklin Gutierrez, Robinson Cano and Austin Jackson all make for nice plays Friday as Seattle travels to face John Danks and the Chicago White Sox.

According to ESPN.com’s pitcher vs. team stats, both Robby Cano and Austin Jackson are hitting well over .400 against Danks in their careers. Cruz is just above .300 (and probably the best hitter in the league this season,) and though Seager and Gutierrez don’t have stellar lifetime numbers against the lefty, they shouldn’t be intimidated by Danks’ 1.42 WHIP and 4.90 ERA. 

All prices courtesy of DraftKings.com. All stats are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.com unless otherwise noted.

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It almost feels like Opening Day with so many aces on the mound. There will be no shortage of elite pitching options in Friday’s daily fantasy baseball contests, so the challenge will be picking the right ones and balancing your lineup to help you come out on top.

Here is a look at the best and worst options across the board for August 28.

Players to Draft

Michael Wacha, SP, St. Louis Cardinals ($10,300)

As good as Clayton Kershaw has been, it might not be worth spending the $14,400 when there are a total of eight players valued at $10,000 or more. Instead, you could save some money and go with the safest pick of the top names: Michael Wacha.

The Cardinals starter comes into the day at 15-4 with a 2.80 ERA after allowing just four runs in his previous five starts combined. This includes a bit of a disappointing performance his last time out, not because he allowed one run in six innings, but because he snapped a streak of 14 straight starts with at least five strikeouts.

Pitching in AT&T Park, which has been the best stadium for pitchers this season, according to ESPN.com, Wacha is as close to a sure thing as you can find for this price.

Raisel Iglesias, SP, Cincinnati Reds ($7,800)

He is coming off the best start of his career, and it wasn’t a fluke. Raisel Iglesias struck out 13 batters over seven innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks, allowing just one earned run and three hits.

This continues an excellent August for Iglesias that includes a 1.93 ERA and .145 opponent batting average in five starts. While he has struggled on the road at times this year, the fact he has two quality starts away from home this month should ease concerns.

With an average of 24.4 fantasy points per game in this stretch, he is well worth this relatively inexpensive price tag.

Nelson Cruz, OF, Seattle Mariners ($5,600)

If you are going to spend money on a hitter, it might as well be Nelson Cruz. Obviously, the outfielder has been one of the best sluggers in baseball this season and is always worth a spot on your team, but he has been especially good lately with three home runs in his last seven games.

Considering he has destroyed lefties this year to the tune of a .371 batting average and 1.170 OPS, veteran southpaw John Danks could be in trouble. 

Mike Moustakas, 3B, Kansas City Royals ($4,100)

After going through a bit of a slump, Mike Moustakas has been tearing the cover off the ball lately. During his current eight-game hitting streak, the third baseman is batting .452 (14-for-31) with four home runs, four doubles and 12 RBI.

Right-handed pitcher Erasmo Ramirez has pitched well lately but should be no threat to slow down Moustakas.

Wilmer Flores, 2B/SS, New York Mets ($3,600)

After almost being traded at the deadline, Wilmer Flores has made his second chance count for the New York Mets. Since crying on the field July 29, the middle infielder has batted .329 with four home runs and 14 RBI in 22 games.

You will have to make sure he is in the starting lineup, but this shouldn’t be a problem against left-handed starter Henry Owens.

Players to Avoid

Max Scherzer, SP, Washington Nationals ($12,500)

While Max Scherzer was worth almost any price earlier in the year, this has not been the case as of late. The Nationals ace is just 0-2 with a 6.86 ERA in August, allowing at least three runs in all four starts.

Obviously, Scherzer has the talent to put together a dominant performance against the inconsistent Miami Marlins offense. However, it is just not worth the risk with so many quality options available.

Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks ($5,400)

Like many top hitters across the board Friday, Paul Goldschmidt simply has a difficult matchup. In this case, it is Oakland Athletics starter Sonny Gray, who has allowed only five home runs to right-handed hitters this season in 292 at-bats.

He is almost always a great bet to score points, but Goldschmidt is unlikely to have his best performance in this game.

Team to Stack

Toronto Blue Jays

With the No. 1 offense in baseball, the Toronto Blue Jays are always a good choice to stack. When the predominately right-handed lineup is facing a lefty starter, it is an even better option. When that starter is Matt Boyd, a rookie with a career ERA of 7.04 in seven appearances, you shouldn’t even need to think twice.

The 24-year-old started the year in Toronto, but his former team might not be too nice to him on Friday.

Note: All prices and fantasy score info courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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In order to win in daily fantasy baseball, it’s often important to look past the highest-priced players on the board.

While players like Jake Arrieta ($12,500) and Josh Donaldson ($6,400) are clearly strong options, they might be too expensive to be worthwhile. However, if you supplement your top picks with cheaper players at various positions, you could be in good position to win.

Value Picks

Charlie Morton, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates ($7,100)

The consistency isn’t always there, but Charlie Morton has pitched well as of late. Add in his recent knack for strikeouts, and he has become a quality fantasy pitcher, topping 24 fantasy points on DraftKings in three of his last four games.

Pitching in a spacious ballpark against a Miami Marlins team that has struggled offensively all year long, Morton can be ready for another strong outing. 

Khris Davis, OF, Milwaukee Brewers ($3,800)

Although he still doesn’t hit for average, Khris Davis has been one of the better power hitters in the league since the All-Star break. He has 10 home runs in the second half of the year, including four in his last four games.

With three multi-home run games this month already, the outfielder is always a threat for a big day.

Francisco Lindor, SS, Cleveland Indians ($3,700)

Even the Cleveland Indians are probably surprised by Francisco Lindor‘s offensive ability this season. The rookie has come on strong in the second half of the year and has a .361 batting average in August. He has even showed some pop lately with two home runs in his last three games.

At a position with a lot of struggling hitters, Lindor is one of the best options on the board. 

Ryan Howard, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies ($3,500)

A lack of playing time has killed his value, but Ryan Howard still generally starts against right-handed pitchers, which will be the case on Tuesday. The New York Mets will use rookie Noah Syndergaard, who has been excellent at home (1.82 ERA) and miserable on the road (5.05 ERA). He has also allowed six home runs in his last four starts.

After Howard’s home run on Monday and three doubles in his previous start on Friday, he remains a high-upside option.

Steve Clevenger, C, Baltimore Orioles ($2,500)

All he has done since entering the Baltimore Orioles lineup is hit. Steve Clevenger has appeared in only 13 games this season, but he has amassed a .391 batting average in this stretch and is in the midst of an eight-game hitting streak.

As long as he is in the lineup, you can keep getting great value for this catcher/designated hitter.

Note: All prices and fantasy score info courtesy of DraftKings. Unless otherwise noted, all stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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Even though Tuesday night’s MLB schedule features a full slate of 15 games, there’s a distinct lack of big-name pitchers taking the mound.  DraftKings daily fantasy players may want to employ a pair of second-tier arms instead of a traditional ace.

At the plate, two Seattle sluggers have very favorable matchups, while a Cubs rookie comes in swinging a red-hot bat.

Here are five ideal lineup choices for August 25.

SP Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals ($10,000) vs. San Diego Padres

For much of 2015, Stephen Strasburg has not lived up to his lofty expectations.  However, in three appearances since returning from a recent stint on the disabled list, Strasburg has once again looked like his old self.

Over his last three starts, Strasburg has surrendered a total of three earned runs while striking out 25 batters in 20 innings.  He’s averaging 29.6 fantasy points per game in that time.  The above video contains highlights of Strasburg‘s most recent outing, in which he allowed only three baserunners and no earned runs in seven strong innings at hitter-friendly Coors Field. 

On Tuesday, Strasburg has the added bonus of facing a Padres team that ranks last in baseball with a .300 on-base percentage.

SP Jaime Garcia, St. Louis Cardinals ($9,500) at Arizona Diamondbacks

Jaime Garcia doesn’t qualify among the league leaders because he’s only made 12 starts this year.  But as Birds on the Bat recently pointed out before Garcia last took the mound, his stats rival some of the best in the game:

In all 12 of his outings, Garcia has lasted at least five innings and yielded no more than three earned runs.  He’s also gone six or more innings 11 times and has given up one run or fewer on seven occasions.

On the road this season, Garcia boasts a 1.32 ERA and is holding opposing hitters to a .196 batting average.  The Cardinals lefty is putting up All-Star numbers at a very affordable salary.

OF Nelson Cruz, Seattle Mariners ($5,200) vs. Oakland A’s

It never hurts to have the major league home run leader in your lineup, but Nelson Cruz is a particularly good play because of what he’s done in the past against A’s pitcher Jesse Chavez.  In 11 career at-bats, Cruz has five hits and two home runs off Chavez:

Cruz had an eight-game hitting streak snapped on Monday, although he still managed to score a run for the ninth time in nine contests.  So far in August, Cruz is batting .338 with 10 home runs and 15 RBI.

The 35-year-old is also hitting .344 in night games this season, as opposed to just .273 during the day.

3B Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs ($4,300) at San Francisco Giants

On Monday, Kris Bryant launched the second walk-off home run of his young career, something Ace of MLB Stats noted puts him among very exclusive company as a Cubs rookie:

It was the third homer in two games for Bryant, who now has four long balls and nine RBI over his last six contests, during which he’s 10-for-23.  After hitting just .168 in July, Bryant is batting .338 with a .437 on-base percentage in August.  He’s also reached base in 19 of 21 games this month.

Bryant faced Giants starter Matt Cain for the first time on August 8, going 1-for-2 with a home run and three RBI. 

2B Robinson Cano, Seattle Mariners ($3,700) vs. Oakland A’s

Like his teammate Cruz, Robinson Cano has an excellent track record versus Chavez—seven hits and a walk in 16 at-bats, good for a .438 average.

In addition, Cano is rebounding quite well after a slow start to the 2015 season.  Through June, he was hitting .238 with four homers, 24 RBI and a .277 OBP.  When the calendar turned to July, Cano became a completely different player:

The veteran is also 8-for-19 during a current five-game hitting streak.  There are nine second basemen with higher price tags than Cano, which makes him a steal at just $3,700.

All prices courtesy of DraftKings. Statistics via MLB.com unless otherwise noted. Mark Vandeusen is an MLB Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @LucidSportsFan.

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Mondays don’t have to be awful with DraftKings daily fantasy baseball. Even with only 10 games to pick apart on Monday, the possibilities are endless with a massive amount of stars playing.

However, several players have recently started to shine again heading down the final stretch of the season. Here’s a look at those names on the rise before locking in your lineups on DraftKings.

Pitcher: Julio Teheran, Atlanta Braves ($8,100)

Julio Teheran has finally turned a corner. The Atlanta Braves starter got off to a rocky start this season but seems to have stabilized down the stretch. Teheran has tallied more than 21 fantasy points in three of his last four starts.

Another factor to take into consideration is his home-away splits with 20.9 fantasy points per game at Turner Field. That pales in comparison to his 8.8 points on the road. Going against the Colorado Rockies, who are 1-5 in their last two series, Teheran should shut the door for fantasy owners.

First Baseman: Mark Trumbo, Seattle Mariners ($3,600)

A change of scenery appears to have benefited Mark Trumbo. The former Los Angeles Angels star was scuffling with the Arizona Diamondbacks before being traded to the Seattle Mariners. If his recent starts are any indication, he might be the weapon Seattle needed for the future.

Over his last three games, Trumbo has just three hits. However, two were home runs and the other was a double. With an average of 15 points per game in the last three starts, look for Trumbo to serve as a solid first-base option against Felix Doubront and the Oakland Athletics.

Second Baseman: Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds ($4,000)

He might not be the player he once was, but Brandon Phillips is more than capable of putting up great fantasy numbers. Starting the year on my “Duds” list, Phillips has put together a good season with several stretches of great production.

As one of the more expensive options on this list, the Reds infielder is well worth the price thanks to his matchup. Going against Buck Farmer, who has an ungodly 8.39 ERA and has been shelled nearly every start, look for Dat Dude to tee off on the rookie. At $1,000 less than the top option, Phillips is worth the price.

Third Baseman: Brett Lawrie, Oakland Athletics ($2,900)

Every once in a while, DraftKings owners can find gems at or below the $3,000 mark at key positions. For those in need of a third baseman who is heating up, Brett Lawrie is the perfect starter.

Since his return to the lineup after back soreness, Lawrie lit up the Rays over the weekend with six hits in three games. Averaging 10.7 points in that series, Lawrie will look to continue that on Monday. Even against Hisashi Iwakuma, Lawrie should outperform his salary for DraftKings owners.

Outfielder: Nick Markakis, Atlanta Braves ($3,500)

Nick Markakis still hasn’t found the consistency he once had in Baltimore, but the Braves outfielder is starting to churn out good numbers. Over his last five games, Markakis has averaged 9.2 fantasy points with three extra-base hits and two multihit outings.

At his price tag, owners can afford to put him as a low-end No. 2 option or high-end No. 3. Going against Jorge De La Rosa, who has been erratic in four August starts, Markakis will put up solid numbers for owners at a decent value.

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As a new week in fantasy baseball begins, Sunday’s MLB action features a full dosage of 15 different games. While pitching often presents better value for daily fantasy leagues, it’s smart to choose offense over subpar pitching for today’s games.

Clayton Kershaw and Cole Hamels are arguably the top two pitching options for Sunday and the only true aces taking the mound. Veteran talents such as R.A. Dickey, Edinson Volquez and Francisco Liriano are a few of the top options based on their reasonably low DraftKings values.

When selecting from a variety of veteran pitching options, it’s best to balance your budget for a plethora of high-quality offensive players. American League MVP candidates Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera are just a few of the great talents worth consideration despite their high asking prices.

Here are the top options for Sunday’s games, primarily focused on hitting rather than pitching.

Begin Slideshow

Welcome back to yet another edition of Sunday Funday with daily fantasy baseball still in full swing. The playoffs are fast approaching, but the pennant races haven’t slowed down. This, of course, means there is still plenty of opportunities to earn wads of cash on DraftKings.

But before any lineups are locked in, take a look at these bargains and sleepers for the August 23 slate of games.

Pitcher: Ryan Vogelsong, San Francisco Giants ($6,000)

Will the real Ryan Vogelsong please stand up? If the pitcher we’ve seen over the last two starts is real, Vogelsong is a steal for any owner on Sunday. What’s more impressive is that the last outing came against the St. Louis Cardinals on the road.

After allowing just one earned run over his last two starts, Vogelsong is beginning to round back into form for the Giants to close out the season. Going up against the Pittsburgh Pirates, look for Vogelsong to outperform his salary and shut the door to tie the series up at two games apiece.

First Baseman: Carlos Santana, Cleveland Indians ($3,900)

Carlos Santana isn’t exactly the most consistent option at first base, but the Cleveland Indians slugger has found patience at the plate recently. During the weekend series against the New York Yankees, he’s averaging over eight points per contest with three walks and a home run in three games.

Those certainly aren’t stats that will wow owners, but he also has a great matchup on Sunday. Facing off with C.C. Sabathia, Santana is batting .385 against him during his career. With a history against the southpaw, expect solid production from Santana on Sunday.

Second Baseman: Chris Coghlan, Chicago Cubs ($3,400)

Here’s a perfect example of a player who simply performs well when he has the right matchup. Chris Coghlan has been horrific against left-handed pitchers this year but is destroying righties recently. Oh, and he had four home runs in six games before Saturday.

Considering the fact that he has not slowed down against Atlanta with two double-digit fantasy-point performances already, look for big things from Coghlan again. And with rookie Matt Wisler taking the mound, this should be another mammoth game for the Cubs’ infielder.

Shortstop: Troy Tulowitzki, Toronto Blue Jays ($3,500)

It seems strange to say that Troy Tulowitzki is a bargain option, but here we are. The Blue Jays’ newest shortstop is averaging 7.7 fantasy points but has struggled somewhat against righties. But even with Garrett Richards toeing the rubber, Tulo is a great start for the price.

At a salary of $3,500, Tulowitzki has a chance to still make a huge impact against Richards. While he is hitting just .266 against right-handed hurlers, 12 of his 15 homers have come against them. Lock Tulo into your lineup with the expectation that he will be consistent with the potential for another long ball.

Outfielder: Nick Markakis, Atlanta Braves ($3,600)

For the final spot on this Sunday’s list, Nick Markakis fills the role of a bargain outfielder to a tee. The Braves offseason acquisition has been hitting around .300 all year, but he is recently heating up. His seven hits over the last four games make him a great find below the $4,000 price point.

With those seven hits, Markakis has three doubles, four RBI and three runs. The Braves haven’t won a single game during his hot streak, but Markakis seems to keep on producing. Regardless of the outcome for Atlanta on Sunday, Markakis will show up and show out for DraftKings owners.

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