Alec Burleson DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Alec Burleson is not in the starting lineup on Sunday when the Cardinals face Washington Nationals left-handed pitcher MacKenzie Gore. Through the early part of the season, Burleson has yet to receive a start against a left-handed pitcher. Instead, this will open the DH spot for catcher Ivan Herrera, who will bat in the six-hole. Through his first 36 games of the season, Burleson has been effective at the plate, holding a .261/.311/.351 slash line with two home runs and three stolen bases. Under the hood, the 26-year-old has generated a low .279 xwOBA with a 3.2% barrel rate, which suggests he could face regression later in the season. Fantasy managers should expect Burleson to also sit on Monday as they are set to face Phillies left-hander Cristopher Sanchez. This afternoon, the Cardinals are best to fade in DFS facing Gore.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Alec Burleson will take a seat on the bench to start Saturday's contest at Busch Stadium against the Philadelphia Phillies with a left-hander on the mound. Luken Baker will get the start at designated hitter and will bat second against Phillies lefty Cristopher Sanchez. Burleson is hitting .286 (12-for-42) early on with five RBI and five runs scored and is currently on a five-game hitting streak, but the Cards will give him a break on Saturday against a left-hander that has been stingy so far in 2025. Despite Burleson's hot early-season hitting, he has yet to clear the fences for his fantasy managers. Baker is also in search of his first long ball on Saturday and is hitting a strong .286 (4-for-14) with a double, two RBI and a run scored in his eight games played as a reserve. Baker has never faced Sanchez in his career.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Alec Burleson went 3-for-4 with two singles and a long ball with two RBI on Saturday evening. Burleson launched his 21st round-tripper of the campaign in the third inning which scored shortstop Masyn Winn. Entering this game, the 25-year-old carried a .233/.250/.395 over his previous 11 games and will now carry some momentum into Sunday's series finale. Overall, Burleson is on pace to have a career season, holding an overall .278/.311/.465 line. Under the hood, he carries an above-average 40.8% hard-hit rate and a stellar 13.1% K rate. While the East Carolina product will occasionally sit against southpaws, he should remain in most lineups going forward and will be worth a look in favorable DFS matchups.