This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have a good slate of games for a Monday, with lots of top stacks squaring off against juicy matchups. Thankfully, there are plenty of mid to punt-tier pitching options to make space in lineups, giving a clear path to builds.
Pitchers
Sandy Alcantara ($10,200) and Aaron Nola ($10,100) are the top-priced of pitchers taking the mound Monday, and their performance so far this season has dictated that. Alcantara has worked at least seven innings in each of his last six starts, a stretch that very few others in the league are able to match. Even if he gets hit hard at certain portions of his start or doesn't possess the prolific strikeout rate of others, his ability to provide length will cover those flaws. Nola is the more skilled pitcher as measured by SIERA and strikeout rate. His matchup is also superior, so I'd have a slight preference for Nola.
Yu Darvish ($8,400) and Alex Wood ($8,300) are mid-tier pitchers I plan to target. Darvish heads to his old home to face the Cubs, while Wood draws a matchup against the Royals. Both matchups present positives and negatives. The Cubs are a more dangerous lineup, but strike out at a higher clip. Meanwhile, the Royals are a relatively tame lineup but make a lot of contact, which could serve to cut off some of the upside of Wood.
Zack Thompson ($4,300) is a fairly straightforward punt play. He draws a matchup against the Pirates and is priced at a very low point. His workload is a bit of a concern, but he basically just needs to survive a few innings to return decent value.
Top Hitters
Carlos Correa ($4,400) has maintained a 1.133 OPS across his last 10 games and his price has dipped over $1,000 from its highest point. He'll square off against Chris Flexen who has the lowest strikeout rate among all pitchers in the pool Monday and has also coughed up 1.3 HR/9.
Any of Toronto's top hitters are in play Monday. Kyle Bradish has only 37.2 innings of work in the majors this season, but he has allowed a whopping 2.4 HR/9. Of the Jays' hitters, I'll take George Springer ($5,500) thanks to his status as the team's leadoff hitter.
Christian Walker ($3,600) doesn't fit neatly into a value or top hitter, but regardless he's a player I'm targeting. Mike Minor has allowed five home runs across his first 8.1 innings. That's not a big sample, but he still seems to be knocking rust off.
Value Hitters
Luis Gonzalez ($2,800) has served as the Giants' leadoff hitter against righties of late. Brady Singer isn't a great option to stack against due to a lack of walks, but he has given up five home runs combined across his last two starts.
Tyler O'Neill ($3,300) is back in the middle of the Cardinals' lineup and remains underpriced. He's been a disappointment this season overall, but remains capable of going yard at any time. Mitch Keller has shown some improvement of late, but he's hardly a matchup to avoid.
Stacks to Consider
Houston Astros vs. Taylor Hearn: Jose Altuve ($5,400), Michael Brantley ($4,100), Alex Bregman ($4,800), Yordan Alvarez ($5,700)
Hearn is the exact type of pitcher to target in stacks. He allows 14.9 runners on base (combined H/9 + BB/9) per nine innings and serves up 1.3 HR/9. We know the Astros lineup is capable of taking advantage, and Michael Brantley provides at least some salary relief. This is likely to be a popular stack, especially considering the mid-tier pitching options available.
Atlanta vs. Josiah Gray: Ronald Acuna ($6,000), Dansby Swanson ($5,300), Austin Riley ($5,500), Matt Olson ($4,700)
By the numbers, Atlanta is a great team to stack tonight. Gray has allowed 2.0 HR/9 and has a walk rate just below 11%. However, he has shown flashes of dominance, including across his last pair of starts. Meanwhile, Atlanta is a really high-priced stack. That leaves little margin for error in lineups, as the Atlanta stack will need to deliver in a big way. However, that combination – Gray's recent starts and the price of the stack – could push roster rates down and actually turn them into a decent contrarian play.
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Kyle Bradish: George Springer ($5,600), Bo Bichette ($5,600), Vladimir Guerrero ($5,500), Teoscar Hernandez ($5,000)
The matchup has already been covered against Bradish, but the Jays are a prime stacking opportunity on Monday's slate. To add to the prior discussion, the Rogers Centre is seventh in park factors for home runs and fifth for overall runs scored. This is another expensive stack, but it appears to be one of the safer ones on paper.
