This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have a light Monday schedule, which is fairly common as the season wears on. The doubleheader between the Mets and Braves that is scheduled to begin at 1:10 pm ET is excluded from the main slate, but the rest of the matchups are available. That leaves us with six games beginning at 7:05 pm. Overall, it's an ugly night for pitching, though there are still plenty of spots to take stands and build lineups in unique ways. Let's jump in.
Pitching
You know it's a bad day for pitching when Domingo German ($8,700) is the first option mentioned. However, he has a few things going for him Monday, particularly a matchup against the unformidable Cleveland lineup. He's also one of only three pitchers to boast a strikeout rate above 30 percent early in the season in the pool Monday.
Jose Berrios ($8,300) has been in strong form in each of his last three starts (22.9, 14.8 and 34.8 DK points) after a disastrous start to the campaign. A road start at Boston is uncomfortable, but Berrios has excelled in recent matchups against the Astros and Rays -- other high-powered offenses. He owns the third-highest K-BB% at 21.7 percent among all pitchers available to roster.
MacKenzie Gore ($8,100) has been one of the early breakouts of the 2023 season, as he's finally starting to live up to some of the hype that captivated dynasty managers when he was a prospect. Despite averaging 20.8 DK points per start, Gore has a walk rate of 14.4 percent – an obvious red flag. A matchup against the Cubs further dampens his intrigue, but on a thin night of available arms, he's worth mentioning.
Luke Weaver ($7,000) is the punt option of the night and is not for the faint of heart. In two starts this season, he has 16 strikeouts across only 11.2 innings, which translates to a 31.4 percent strikeout rate. Weaver has outpitched his 7.71 ERA – he has a 3.43 SIERA – but a matchup against San Diego is enough to make this a tournament option play only.
Top Hitters
The Yankees lineup is thinning quickly with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton both out. The Bronx Bombers are more likely to be the Bronx bloop hits in the short term, but they'll nevertheless be an option Monday thanks to a matchup against Cal Quantrill. Quantrill has a strikeout rate of only 12.8 percent a few turns through the rotation this season and also has a 5.37 SIERA – second-worst among pitchers taking the hill Monday. Anthony Rizzo ($4,300) is a strong value option to build around at his price.
Corey Kluber has allowed at least one home run in every start this season and takes on the Blue Jays on Monday. Expect that homer trend to continue and Matt Chapman ($5,600) to go yard.
Value Hitters
Jose Abreu ($3,300) has had a mighty fall, as he's only hit one home run across his last 82 games. That's far from a ringing endorsement, but his price has dropped $900 since Opening Day. Ross Stripling has allowed six home runs across his first 14.2 innings to begin the season, and the Giants have tried to move him out of the starting rotation but can't due to other injuries, so the matchup should aid Abreu's efforts to break out of his lengthy slump.
Taijuan Walker has an ERA near 5.00 and his skills have not been convincing (8.3 K-BB%, 1.4 HR/9) early this season. There aren't many values in the Dodgers' lineup, though Miguel Vargas ($2,500) is one. He's averaged 6.8 DK points across his last 10 games, a solid mark given his price.
Stacks to Consider
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Red Sox (Corey Kluber): Vladimir Guerrero ($6,100), Bo Bichette ($5,900), Matt Chapman ($5,600)
Needless to say, this stack will take up a significant amount of the $50,000 salary cap. Monday is a good night to pay up for high-priced stacks however, thanks to some affordable pitching options. Rostering a pair of upper-level arms (Berrios and Gore) plus this trio leaves $3,200 per remaining player spot, which is doable given the ability to pay down at second base and catcher. As for the matchup itself, Kluber has the third-lowest strikeout rate of any pitcher in Monday's pool and a 5.00 SIERA. His propensity to serve up homers and Toronto's talented lineup is a good combination for production.
New York Yankees vs. Guardians (Cal Quantrill): Anthony Volpe ($3,700), Gleyber Torres ($4,700), Anthony Rizzo ($4,300)
As was already noted, the Yankees' lineup is watered down in its current form as they'll be without both Judge and Stanton. Even so, Quantrill allows so much contact and will be in hitter-friendly Yankee Stadium, so there should still be plenty of offense. This is about the cheapest DK users will be able to roster the top of the Yankees' lineup at any point this season and it may go under-rostered due to the current lack of star power.
