This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
There will be plenty of action across baseball Monday with 10 games on the schedule. One of the bigger storylines is the expected return of Gerrit Cole (COVID-19) for the Yankees. Among the more exciting matchups will be the Giants hosting the Mets, two teams fighting for a playoff spot in the National League. A battle between two of the best teams in the American League will also take place with the White Sox hosting the A's. Let's dig into the matchups and highlight some players to consider for your DraftKings lineups.
Pitchers
The Giants will have their ace Kevin Gausman ($10,100) on the mound for their big matchup with the Mets. He's been among the best pitchers in baseball with a 2.29 ERA and a 2.94 FIP. He even has a 29.8 percent strikeout rate, which is nearly seven percentage points higher than his career mark. The Mets haven't been a consistent offense, to begin with, and now they are even more depleted with Francisco Lindor (oblique) and Javier Baez (back) out. This could lead to another juicy stat line from Gausman.
Wade Miley ($8,200) is another veteran pitcher who is having a strong season with a 3.00 ERA and a 3.67 FIP. He's only allowed 0.7 HR/9, which isn't a huge surprise given his career mark of 1.0 HR/9 allowed. Unlike Gausman, though, Miley only has an 18.5 percent strikeout rate. Still, he's an excellent option for his matchup against the Cubs, who traded away most of their best hitters at the deadline.
If you're looking to take a chance on a pitcher with a cheap salary who probably won't be included in a lot of entries, Carlos Hernandez ($6,600) might be your man. He has a tough matchup against the Astros, which might scare away most people. However, Hernandez's last three starts have come against tough opponents in the Yankees and White Sox (twice). Not only did he survive that stretch, but he dominated, allowing two runs and recording 13 strikeouts over 17.2 innings.
Top Targets
Make no mistake about it, the Yankees getting Cole ($10,900) back is huge. He has been a bit shaky lately, though. Over his last 10 starts, he's allowed 12 home runs across 59.2 innings. That could end up being his downfall in a matchup against Shohei Ohtani ($6,000) and his .386 ISO.
Trevor Story ($5,400) has two factors working in his favor Monday. First, the Rockies will be playing the Padres at Coors Field, where Story has a career .405 wOBA. Also, the Padres are expected to start left-handed pitcher Ryan Weathers ($5,700), which is noteworthy because Story has a career .413 wOBA against southpaws.
Bargain Bats
How does Luis Robert ($3,100) still have a salary this cheap? While injuries have limited him to just 30 games, he has a dangerous combination of speed and power to go along with his .354 wOBA. It wouldn't be a surprise to see him provide value at home against Frankie Montas ($9,500), who has a career 4.43 FIP and 1.34 WHIP on the road during his tenure with the A's.
Lewis Brinson ($2,300) has largely failed to live up to lofty expectations that followed him throughout the minors. The rebuilding Marlins are giving him a chance to play every day, though, and he's shown signs of life lately. Across the last 13 games, he is 19-for-48 (.396) with four home runs and five doubles. Up next is a matchup with Touki Toussaint ($8,400), who hasn't jumped off the page with his career 5.59 ERA and 5.10 FIP.
Stacks to Consider
Padres vs. Antonio Senzatela ($6,800), Rockies: Fernando Tatis Jr. ($6,100), Manny Machado ($5,900), Trent Grisham ($4,100)
Senzatela has actually pitched better than his 4.71 ERA would lead you to believe given his 3.77 FIP. However, his 1.43 WHIP and 16.0 percent strikeout rate aren't helping his cause. Now he has a tough matchup at home against a loaded Padres lineup that has Tatis back. He certainly didn't show any ill effects from his shoulder injury when he launched two home runs Sunday against the Diamondbacks.
Braves vs. Braxton Garrett ($7,400), Marlins: Ozzie Albies ($5,200), Austin Riley ($4,500), Dansby Swanson ($5,100)
This is a tough spot for Garrett, who has a 1.71 WHIP cross 31 innings. The Braves may have lost Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) for the season, but they made several moves to help bolster their outfield at the deadline. This infield trio has also been very productive, especially Riley of late. Over his last 22 games, he is 32-for-89 (.360) with 10 home runs and five doubles.
Giants vs. Rich Hill ($8,100), Mets: Kris Bryant ($4,900), Brandon Crawford ($4,200), Evan Longoria ($3,500)
Hill appears to be wearing down as the season moves along. Over his last 11 outings, he has a 5.26 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. He gave up nine home runs during that stretch and only had 40 strikeouts across 51.1 innings. This will be a tall order for him against the Giants, who have the fifth-highest OPS in baseball. In particular, Bryant could give him problems given his career .415 wOBA against left-handed pitchers.
