MLB daily notes: Fantasy rankings for Sunday

— -- As an old-school baseball fan, I think pitchers' duels are a blast to watch. As a fantasy player, and as a writer in that space, I think they can be frustrating. We like to complain about the variance with wins, but on a granular level, a better pitcher with better run support has a better chance to win than a lesser pitcher with less run support.

We use this when building lineups, be it in DFS or seasonal play. Sunday is one of those frustrating days for DFS, as four of the day's top seven pitchers are matched up against other top pitchers. On the other hand, that means fewer of the lesser pitchers face stiff competition, which is key for the last day of this head-to-head scoring period. Whether you're setting DFS lineups or trying to win you head-to-head match, everything you need is here in Sunday's Daily Notes.

Pitching

Elite

As an example of how fickle wins can be, Jacob deGrom has one more victory than Julio Teheran. The difference in their ERAs is negligible, but because the New York Mets have won significantly more games than the Atlanta Braves, one might intuit that deGrom has a few more wins than Teheran. That said, what's done is done, and what matters is this game, which will favor deGrom, but not by as much it would if there were a weaker mound foe -- and that adds an element of risk to DFS usage. The New York Mets right-hander is still the top cash game option on the docket, as he faces a weak offense at home at Citi Field. On the flipside, Teheran is a viable GPP option, as the home team affords him strikeout upside with its 24 percent whiff rate against righties.

Keeper league alert: It's getting close to the time when owners make the often difficult decision between contender and pretender. There's a pretty good chance Carlos Carrasco is available from a struggling team, since his draft day cost was likely high. Long story short, you want Carrasco for your second-half push, especially in American League-only formats. He appears to be getting his groove on and reminding us why there was so much helium back in March. As for the present, Carrasco and the Cleveland Indians wrap up a weekend series against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field. The visitors' offense versus righties is league average, so at minimum, Carrasco profiles as a solid cash game candidate. He's viable in DFS too, though the tempered strikeout upside might not warrant the price tag.

If, coming into the season, you were told that  David Price would have an ERA of 3.27 in mid-June, you'd take that. Well, that isn't his ERA, which sits at 4.52, but it is his xFIP, which takes into account an uncharacteristic 1.2 HR/9 buoyed by a career-high 15 percent home run per fly ball rate. Remember, while Fenway Park embellishes scoring, it takes away homers, so this isn't just park difference. Price's date with the Seattle Mariners on Sunday won't be easy, but the southpaw will hold the platoon edge over Robinson Cano and Kyle Seager, lefty swingers who have had success at Fenway Park. If Price's salary reflects his bloated ERA, he's in play for DFS.

Solid

Perhaps the most intriguing contest on the Father's Day docket pits the Washington Nationals against the  San Diego Padres at Petco Park. The game features two of the top seven hurlers in Gio Gonzalez and Drew Pomeranz. The intrigue lies in the fact that despite two solid arms being paired in a pitcher's venue, both offenses are well above average in terms of weighted on base average (wOBA) in their respective scenarios. Heads-up: Gonzalez has the edge, despite being on the road, as the Friars whiff at a greater clip than the Nats (25 percent versus southpaws). On the other hand, Pomeranz boasts a better K/9, with 10.7, compared to Gonzalez's 9.3. As alluded to in the intro, the win is too close to call, which dents both pitchers' potential. Most will elect for Gonzalez, due to his elevated punchout upside and better team, which classifies Pomeranz in the contrarian category.

On paper, Kenta Maeda is in the best spot of any of Sunday's scheduled starters, as the Milwaukee Brewers and their 26 percent whiff rate against right-handers take on the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Assuming he's OK after getting his knee in the way of a 95 mph Paul Goldschmidt liner the previous time out, Maeda is in position to take advantage of his weak opponent, as he hasn't allowed a home run in his past six outings and hasn't walked more than two in eight straight starts.

Streamers

Despite 17 of the 30 probable starters checking in with projected Game Scores below 52, with no one in the automatic avoid range, there aren't many who stand out for streaming. Let's highlight the top options.

After looking like he was toast, San Francisco Giants veteran Jake Peavy has rebounded and is now a matchup play, especially when at home. This tilt happens to be on the road, but when the road leads to Tropicana Field, Peavy is in play. He might even get a couple extra punchouts, as the Tampa Bay Rays whiff at a 25 percent pace versus righties.

From the tell-me-something-I-don't-know department, the Colorado Rockies are much tamer on the road, so Miami Marlins Tom Koehler is in play as the squads wrap up a set at Marlins Stadium. The Rockies will counter with rookie Tyler Anderson, who was impressive in his MLB debut and is worth a start as the Fish offer some strikeout upside.

Circling back to the notion of chasing wins, the St. Louis Cardinals are among the top scoring teams in the league. Mike Leake will take the hill at Busch Stadium to close an interleague series with the Texas Rangers. The visitors are dangerous, but if you need a win to put you over the top, Leake is the best of the steaming options.

If strikeouts are the primary need, as opposed to ratios, Chris Tillman, Jameson Taillon and Brandon Finnegan are all in play.

Avoid

The standard "Do what you gotta do" mantra applies in head-to-head. That said, despite Marcus Stroman and Chris Tillman both possessing solid skills, the opposing offenses are explosive. The series-ender at Camden Yards between the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles has the feel of a slugfest.

Hitting

It's a strange day to find bats, as the top projected team score is seven, via the Los Angeles Angels in a date against Oakland Athletics southpaw Eric Surkamp at O.co Coliseum. Right-handed sticks Yunel Escobar, Albert Pujols, C.J. Cron, Johnny Giavotella and, of course, Mike Trout are in the best position to take advantage of Surkamp's 1.9 HR/9 mark.

The St. Louis Cardinals didn't really take advantage of some weak Texas pitching on Saturday, when they scored just three runs in a loss to the Rangers. They should top that total Sunday, with Martin Perez taking the Busch Stadium hill. Matt Carpenter might not have the platoon edge, but he's in play regardless. Aledmys Diaz, Matt Holliday, Stephen Piscotty and Jhonny Peralta will enjoy the platoon bump.

The Houston Astros bats have been making some noise lately, and they're in a good spot to be heard again with southpaw Brandon Finnegan taking the ball for the Cincinnati Reds at Minute Maid Park. Righty-swinging George Springer, Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Evan Gattis and the recently promoted Danny Worth are the targets.

If Stroman and Tillman make the avoid section, it stands to reason that the opposing offenses should be featured. Both clubs are loaded with sluggers, but because he has the platoon edge over Stroman, let's highlight Chris Davis for the Orioles (though Adam Jones and Manny Machado are always in the mix). Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion are the main cogs in the Blue Jays' lineup, with Michael Saunders stepping up with Jose Bautista sidelined.

Most likely to go deep: Imagine how many homers Chris Young would surrender if he didn't work at Kauffman Stadium about half the time? He's there again, but that won't stop Miguel Cabrera from putting one over the fence.

Most likely to swipe a bag: I probably should go elsewhere since he might not play, but if he's in the lineup, look for Jose Peraza to take advantage of any opportunity to show off his wheels.