The first Sunday of the NFL season is upon us, but that also means its a pivotal time for fantasy-baseball players. The season is drawing ever closer to an end, so whether you want to chase points or wins in your season-long league or cash in a few more times in daily fantasy, we have the rankings and analysis you need to build the best lineups.PitchingEliteAfter beginning July with a subpar effort, Corey Kluber ran off 10 straight quality starts before the Houston Astros picked up four runs in seven frames against him last time out. Still, including those bookend scuffles, Kluber has enjoyed an exceptional second half featuring a 2.70 ERA and 1.14 WHIP supported by 88 whiffs and 26 walks in 80 innings. Next up for the Cleveland Indians right-hander is a challenge at Target Field against a potent but strikeout-prone Minnesota Twins squad, rendering Kluber better for DFS tournaments.Has there ever been a pitcher sporting a 2.84 ERA and 1.05 WHIP subject to more concern than Jake Arrieta? To be fair, a drop in whiffs and a significant spike in walks is alarming, particularly the latter. But the Chicago Cubs righty is inducing a hard-contact rate well below league average, resulting in a .229 batting average on balls in play (BABIP), well below league norm. This is even more impressive coming from an extreme ground ball artist, as they usually carry a BABIP above league average. The defending NL Cy Young award winner is in a sneaky good spot as the opposing Astros have had a rough time with a righty on the hill since the All-Star break. The spot is even better if Carlos Correa remains sidelined. Like with Kluber, theres ample risk to knock Arrieta from cash game ranks but plenty of strikeout upside to pay up for GPP action.Along with being in play for GPP contests, the distinction of top cash-game hurler belongs to Chris Sale, taking the hill in the finale of a weekend set with the Kansas City Royals at U.S. Cellular Field. The lanky lefty is on a roll, tossing four straight games lasting at least eight frames, fanning 36 over those 33 stanzas. The visitors are uncharacteristically whiffing at an above-average clip versus left-handers, exacerbated by Sale enjoying the platoon edge over the better Royals hitters.Closing out the elite tier is Kenta Maeda, who has assuaged the early season fears regarding how effective hell be down the stretch. The questions were warranted considering the increased workload and travel incurred by the Los Angeles Dodgers rookie, not to mention whether the league would adjust to Maedas deception. If theres a negative to Maedas campaign, its averaging only 5 2/3 innings per outing, which ranks 74th out of the 111 hurlers with at least 20 starts. On the other hand, the conservative number of frames is likely the reason why the 27-year old freshman is still effective with three weeks to go in the 26-week marathon. And considering the Dodgers bullpen is the third-best in baseball despite accounting for more innings than any other, Maeda has been handled smartly. The limited number of innings does limit Maedas DFS upside, though his solid floor is fine for cash play which is the case for his date with the Miami Marlins.SolidAs consistent as Maeda has been this season, the opposite is true of Gio Gonzalez, making the Washington Nationals lefty a matchup play. On Sunday, the matchup is a good one with the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park for the finale of a weekend set. The guests tote the lowest weighted on base average (wOBA) in the league against lefties while fanning at a healthy clip in that scenario. Consider the veteran southpaw for your tournament lineups.Since the All-Star break, the Baltimore Orioles have been average on the road versus righties. This bodes well for Justin Verlander as the Birds and Detroit Tigers meet at Comerica Park. This will be an interesting contest since the visitors strength is the long ball, and thats whats needed to score on Verlander lately. To wit, he has allowed nine homers but only 13 runs over his last six starts. If Verlander can keep the Orioles in the yard (and their post-break struggles arent a fluke), hes in line for a big game.Theres a chance Brandon Finnegans 2016 season will be over after Sunday, so lets take a moment to point out his strong finish. Since the midsummer hiatus, the 23-year-old lefty acquired by the Cincinnati Reds in last seasons Johnny Cueto trade has spun a 3.24 ERA and 1.17 WHIP, featuring 60 punchouts in 58 1/3 innings. Finnegan, who struggled with control last time out, no doubt wants to end his season on a high note and has the chance to do just that facing a Pittsburgh Pirates club thats vulnerable to dominant lefties. However, the Bucs are also very patient, so Finnegan will need to throw strikes, or he may go into the offseason on a downer. Its worth noting Ryan Vogelsong will be Finnegans mound foe, putting the win in play. All totaled, it adds up to Finnegan checking in as a tournament candidate.Even St. Louis Cardinals fans are surprised how well Luke Weaver has acquitted himself in his rookie campaign. The 22-year-old righty only tossed four innings last time out, but he did punch out five with no walks, which is a good sign. Weaver is in play for DFS tournaments with the strikeout-happy Milwaukee Brewers visiting Busch Stadium.Chad Bettis closes out a stacked solid tier with a date in Petco Park. The Colorado Rockies right-hander is coming off a couple of stellar outings, including a sparkling complete-game home effort against the San Francisco Giants. Bettis looks to make it three great games in a row against a San Diego squad recording the poorest wOBA in the league versus righties in tandem with being the second easiest team to punch out in that scenario.StreamersConsidering the magnitude of Sunday for head-to-head enthusiasts, its worth reviewing the rough guidelines used to identify those highlighted as spot-starters. All arms with a projected game score 53 and above are generally safe to use. Those with projected game scores 45 or below are assumed too risky unless youre desperate. Anyone falling in between with an ESPN league ownership below 50 percent are eligible for inclusion in this space. We reserve the right to make an exception to these guidelines when apropos. Since its impossible to cover every scenario, questions are always welcomed in the comments below or via Twitter to @ToddZola.Lets start off taking advantage of the exception rule as Zack Greinkes 97 percent o