This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Monday has the makings of a quiet night in baseball with only six games on the schedule. The evening will be particularly light on quality starting pitching options, which could lead to some high-scoring games. Let's discuss some players to target on DraftKings as you build your entries.
Pitchers
Alex Wood ($9,800) only made nine appearances for the Dodgers last season, seven of which came out of the bullpen. He struggled to keep men off base, leaving him with a 1.82 WHIP. That was more of an outlier performance for him, though, given that his career WHIP is 1.22, He's righted the ship in that department with a 0.78 WHIP through his first four starts with the Giants, leaving him with a 1.96 ERA and a 3.10 FIP. He has a favorable opportunity to keep things rolling against the Rangers, who entered Sunday hitting worse against left-handed pitchers (.678 OPS) than righties (.730 OPS).
After being rained out Sunday, Tyler Mahle ($9,400) will now take the hill Monday against the Pirates. Although he was roughed up for six runs in his last start against the Cubs, he's generally pitched well, allowing two earned runs or fewer in each of his first five starts. He certainly has a favorable matchup considering that the Pirates entered Sunday with the second-worst OPS in baseball.
Martin Perez ($7,300) has a middling 4.90 ERA and 4.62 FIP for his career, but if there's one thing that he has does well, it's limit home runs. For his career, he's only allowed 1.0 HR/9. He's off to another strong start in that area this season after allowing one home run through his first 28.2 innings. His strikeout rate has also jumped to 21.4 percent, which might not seem like much, but it's a significant improvement over his career 15.1 percent mark. On a night with limited option, a matchup against an Orioles team that entered Sunday with the sixth-worst OPS in baseball makes Perez worth considering.
Top Targets
The Red Sox's hitters are appealing for this slate with Jorge Lopez ($6,500) expected to start for the Orioles. Not only does he have a career 1.49 WHIP, but he continues to be plagued by home runs, allowing seven of them through his first 26.1 innings this season. That could leave the powerful duo of J.D. Martinez ($5,400) and Rafael Devers ($5,200) with productive evenings.
Alex Cobb (finger) was placed on the IL on Saturday, which leaves the Angels in need of a starter for their matchup against the Astros. They could reportedly start Jose Suarez ($5,600), who has a career 1.78 WHIP. With an underwhelming lefty on the mound, Alex Bregman ($5,000) is an excellent option when you also factor in his career .420 wOBA versus lefties.
Bargain Bats
If you want to exploit the Red Sox's matchup against Lopez, but can't fit Martinez's or Devers' salaries into your budget, then consider Alex Verdugo ($4,100). He has a miniscule 12.3 percent strikeout rate, which has helped propel him to a .360 wOBA.
For those who decide to fade Wood, Adolis Garcia ($3,200) is an appealing option. He's taken on an everyday role with the Rangers, and thrived, recording a .307 ISO and a .399 wOBA.
Stacks to Consider
Reds vs. Mitch Keller ($6,800), Pirates: Nick Castellanos ($5,600), Jesse Winker ($4,600), Mike Moustakas ($3,800)
A lack of control continues to plague Keller, who has followed up his 20.7 percent walk rate in 2020 with a 13.3 percent walk rate this season. Opponents also have a 51.4 percent hard-hit rate against him this season, which has contributed to his bloated 1.68 WHIP. This could be a great opportunity to deploy a Reds stack, which could include keying-in on Winker. His 53.3 percent hard-hit rate has helped propel him to a .273 ISO and a 180 wRC+.
Padres vs. Antonio Senzatela ($5,800), Rockies: Fernando Tatis Jr. ($5,900), Trent Grisham ($4,700), Eric Hosmer ($5,000)
Senzatela will be activated from the IL to make this start, which will be his first since April 29. It was a short stint on the sidelines, so he shouldn't be on any sort of pitch limits for this outing. He was struggling before going on the IL, posting a 5.76 ERA and an equally poor 5.19 FIP across six starts. Hosmer could prove to be a particularly tough out given that he only has a 17.7 percent strikeout rate for his career. He's been even better this season with a 13.4 percent strikeout rate on his way to a .358 wOBA.
Rockies vs. Dinelson Lamet ($8,100), Padres: Trevor Story ($5,800), Ryan McMahon ($5,300), Charlie Blackmon ($4,800)
Lamet was able to make a quick return after being placed on the IL with a forearm strain, taking the mound last Tuesday against the Pirates. However, the Padres didn't take any chances with him, pulling him after two innings pitched. Expect him to be limited in this game, as well, which could result in the Rockies taking the majority of their at-bats against the bullpen. Story is off to another good start, recording a .211 ISO and a .361 wOBA.
