This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Monday's nine-game main slate doesn't offer too much in the way of non-elite pitching, but we can still find one name in a strong matchup on the road. On the hitting side, we take a look at two powerful lineups we can use to stack against mediocre arms.
Pitching
Luis Castillo, CIN vs. MIL ($9,800): Castillo has always been a flamethrower on the mound, but he is outdoing himself in 2020, tallying a robust 31 percent strikeout rate in 10 starts. The Brewers have logged the second-highest strikeout rate in the league against right-handed pitchers this year, while also tallying a top-10 groundball rate. This should come in handy thanks to the fact that Castillo has thrown grounders at a nearly 60 percent clip.
Adam Wainwright, STL at KC ($9,500): Wainwright's age-39 season has been nothing short of phenomenal, as he has logged his lowest ERA since 2014 (2.87). He has done this on the strength of a curveball which registers 9.8 RAA, the second-highest mark in the league. This should give him a serious advantage in the matchup against the Royals, as they have notched a bottom-5 mark against the bender according to RAA.
Jon Lester, CHC at PIT ($7,700): Lester's 4.91 ERA may not exactly scream "roster me!" in DFS circles, but the veteran has been a different pitcher on the road, wherein he has logged a 2.30 ERA and .254 wOBA against in 27.1 frames. The Pirates have been a bit better against southpaws in 2020, but Lester should be able to use his groundball profile to stifle the Pittsburgh bats, as they hit the ball on the ground at a 44 percent rate.
Top Hitters
DJ LeMahieu, NYY at TOR ($5,600): LeMahieu has gotten on base against right-handed pitching all season, but the power has really come on strong for the infielder of late, as he now registers a .275 ISO against same-handed opposition in 138 at-bats. Matt Shoemaker had quite a bit of trouble keeping the ball in the yard against righties prior to his trip to the injured list, allowing three homers in 9.1 frames.
Marcell Ozuna, ATL vs. MIA ($5,000): Trevor Rogers has been hit spectacularly hard by righties during the shortened season, as evidenced by the .566 slugging percentage and 3.4 HR/9 rate he has kept in 13.1 frames. Meanwhile, Ozuna has been one of the best hitters in the league against southpaws, notching a .561 ISO to go along with a .553 wOBA against them in 41 at-bats.
Best Values
Lourdes Gurriel, TOR vs. NYY ($4,200): After humming along in what was a solid, if unspectacular season, Gurriel has come from out of nowhere in the month of September, logging a .306 ISO and .456 wOBA in 72 at-bats. Michael King has been beaten up in his rookie year with the Bombers, keeping a 6.75 ERA in 24 frames.
Kyle Schwarber, CHC at PIT ($4,000): JT Brubaker has been lit up at home this year, as we can see from the 7.08 ERA he has logged at PNC Park in 20.1 frames. Schwarber hasn't hit the ball well overall, but he has brought plenty of power against righty arms, which is evident from the .231 ISO he has tallied against them in 121 at-bats.
Yuli Gurriel, HOU at SEA ($3,100): I'm not quite sure why Gurriel finds himself down in the basement on a slate against a left-handed pitcher, as he has logged a .321 ISO and a .409 wOBA against southpaws in 53 at-bats. Marco Gonzales is trying to put the finishing touches on a career-best year in 2020 but has still allowed a 1.5 HR/9 rate to righty hitters in 41.2 innings.
Stacks to Consider
Yankees against Matt Shoemaker: DJ LeMahieu ($5,600) Clint Frazier ($4,600) Giancarlo Stanton ($4,700)
There aren't many value bats among the big hitters on the Yankees, but we should feel fortunate to get Frazier and Stanton at under $5,000, as they both feature ISOs over .270 against righty hurlers. Shoemaker hasn't thrown the ball at this level in a calendar month, which already puts him behind the eight ball against such a powerful lineup.
Braves against Tyler Rogers: Marcell Ozuna ($5,000) Adam Duvall ($4,800) Austin Riley ($3,800)
Rogers is potentially dangerous due to the number of strikeouts he can rack up in a given outing, but he gets hit so hard by righty bats that we have no choice but to put him in our sights. Ozuna and Duvall are the usual suspects in this stack, but the way Riley cooled off after his hot start may put him off the radar of some DFS players. He represents a nice value at under $4,000, though, due to the .231 ISO he has tallied against his opposite hand in 39 at-bats.
