This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
There will be no shortage of options to choose from Monday in DFS with 13 games making up the main slate on DraftKings. Let's get right down to business and highlight some players to consider for your entries.
Pitchers
Lance Lynn ($9,900) has been locked in all season, allowing no more than three runs in any of his starts. In fact, he's allowed two or fewer runs in 10 of his 11 outings. His WHIP is a microscopic 0.88 and he's only issued 17 walks compared to 72 strikeouts. He could especially thrive in the strikeout department against a Rays team that has struck out the most times in baseball.
Alex Wood ($8,500) has hit a bit of a rough patch, allowing 15 runs across 15 innings in his last three starts. Prior to that stretch, he hadn't allowed more than two runs in any of his first seven starts. He'll look to bounce back against the Diamondbacks, who have the eighth-worst OPS in baseball and look to be well on their way to becoming sellers heading into the trade deadline.
As far as favorable matchups go, it doesn't get much more appealing than taking on the Tigers, who have the third-worst OPS. That makes Brad Keller ($6,400) someone to consider despite his 1.75 WHIP. When he faced them in April, he allowed two runs and recorded four strikeouts across six innings.
Top Targets
Nick Castellanos ($4,800) has been as hot as it gets, recording at least one hit in 27 of his last 28 games. During that stretch, he's hit 47-for-111 (.423) with four home runs and 15 doubles. Add in his career .378 wOBA against left-handed pitchers and he's an excellent option for his matchup against Eric Lauer ($7,900).
Speaking of players who dominate left-handed pitchers, Kris Bryant ($5,900) has a career .423 wOBA against them. This season, that mark sits at a staggering .565. That makes him a top target against David Peterson ($7,600), who has struggled in his own right with a 1.49 WHIP.
Bargain Bats
After getting off to a slow start with his new team, Ahmed Rosario ($3,700) has picked things up of late, hitting 20-for-51 (.392) with two home runs and two steals over his last 13 games. He only had a 13.2 percent strikeout rate during that stretch, lowering his overall mark for the season to 18.7 percent. With the hot streak that he's on, he's a viable option for his matchup against a bad Orioles pitching that will likely either be starting Dean Kremer ($6,200) or Matt Harvey ($6,300).
Cedric Mullins ($3,500) has been one of the better hitters on the Orioles this season, posting a .206 ISO and a .392 wOBA. He's cut his strikeout rate to 18.4 percent, which is nearly six percentage points lower than last season. He's also nearly doubled his walk rate. That makes him an appealing option against Jean Carlos Mejia ($5,600), who hasn't pitched more than three innings in a game this season and gave up four runs while only recording two outs in their last outing.
Stacks to Consider
Dodgers vs. Spencer Howard ($6,200), Phillies: Mookie Betts ($5,800), Justin Turner ($5,400), Gavin Lux ($3,900)
Control has been an issue for Howard given that he has issued 11 walks across 13.2 innings. He's been able to limit the damage by not allowing a home run, but pitching to a 1.54 WHIP could mean that some bad nights are on the horizon. Although the Dodgers are dealing with their share of injuries, they could still capitalize on this matchup. Turner has remained one of their more reliable hitters and is on pace to have a wOBA of at least .370 for the fifth straight season.
Padres vs. Austin Gomber ($7,000), Rockies: Fernando Tatis Jr. ($6,100), Manny Machado ($5,300), Wil Myers ($4,400)
Gomber has pitched well for the Rockies, posting a 3.95 ERA and a 3.84 FIP. The schedule has worked in his favor, though, with nine of his 13 starts coming on the road. Pitching at Coors Field against the loaded Padres lineup will be a tall order. Machado is starting to turn things around after a slow start, hitting 7-for-21 (.333) with two home runs over his last six games.
Giants vs. Matt Peacock ($5,300), Diamondbacks: Mike Yastrzemski ($4,900), Buster Posey ($4,600), Brandon Crawford ($4,100)
With the Diamondbacks running out of healthy starting pitchers, they will turn to Peacock to start this contest. He's already made 13 appearances this season, five of which were starts. They mostly haven't gone well given his 5.23 ERA and 4.90 FIP. Crawford is an appealing player for a Giants stack given his .279 ISO and .366 wOBA. His strikeout rate has remained largely unchanged, but his 11.0 percent walk rate is on pace to be the best mark of his career.
