This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We get half the teams on the main slate to begin the week, which gives us a decent number of options to work with. It's a solid pitching slate with viable options at various price points, with one intriguing arm available at $6,300. From a park factor perspective, there aren't many obvious places to attack, so we'll be relying primarily on quality lineups in good matchups.
Pitchers
Zac Gallen ($10,200) has a lengthy track record of suppressing runs effectively, but he continues to carry an elevated strikeout rate early on this season. He's the only pitcher with a K% above 30 available in the pool Monday, and he has an astoundingly good 32.1 K-BB%. Gallen is also the highest-priced pitcher in the pool, but a matchup against a fairly punchless Miami offense should make him worth paying up for.
Logan Gilbert ($9,000) doesn't have the same advantage as Gallen from a matchup perspective, but his price point still doesn't match the skills he's shown to this point He's the fifth-highest-priced pitcher but has the second-best strikeout rate, K-BB% and SIERA.
There are a lot of pitchers that have showcased similar skills in the middle tiers Monday, but one option should allow us to bypass all of them. JP Sears ($6,300) is easy to overlook because he pitches for the Athletics, but he's posted over 22 DK points in two of his last three starts. Like Gilbert, his skills far outpace his price, as he has the fifth-highest strikeout rate and matches the 19.7 K-BB% of Freddy Peralta at a $2,300 discount. A matchup against the Yankees – particularly in New York – would typically be one to steer clear of, but without Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in the lineup, it becomes significantly less intimidating.
Top Hitters
The Mariners have had a slow start as a whole, and Julio Rodriguez ($5,800) certainly shoulders some of that blame. I was on the Mariners' offense Saturday and they disappointed, but I'll keep coming back to them. A matchup against Jon Gray should help, as he's had a surprising 14.5 percent strikeout rate and 1.8 HR/9.
Jeremy Pena ($4,500) may not be the first name to come to mind in the Houston order, but against lefties, he should be. He owns a career .233 ISO and .373 wOBA with southpaws on the mound and draws a matchup against Patrick Sandoval, who has been unimposing this season.
Value Bats
LaMonte Wade Jr. ($3,200) has consistently occupied the leadoff spot for the Giants this season. He's been on an excellent run of late -- averaging 11.3 DK points across his last 10 games –and is in a good spot to continue that Monday night in a matchup against the inexperienced Jake Irvin.
Not much has gone right for the White Sox this season, and things got worse over the weekend after Eloy Jimenez had an appendectomy that will sideline him for the next several weeks. Nevertheless, there are still values to pick off in the lineup, and on Monday that's highlighted by Andrew Vaughn ($3,100). Vaughn should occupy the third spot in the order and will face Zack Greinke, who owns a minuscule strikeout rate and a high homer rate – a good combination for opposing batters.
Stacks to Consider
Seattle Mariners vs. Texas Rangers (Jon Gray): Julio Rodriguez ($5,800), Jarred Kelenic ($4,500), Eugenio Suarez ($3,600)
Gray's struggles were highlighted above, and we should acknowledge that the Seattle offense has also underperformed this season. I'll continue to bet on the talent, particularly as prices at the top of the order continues to fall. None of the traditional powerhouse offenses have great matchups Monday night, so it's possible this becomes a chalky option. They become less desirable in tournaments if that is the case.
Houston Astros vs. Los Angeles Angels (Patrick Sandoval): Mauricio Dubon ($3,600), Alex Bregman ($4,400), Yordan Alvarez ($6,200)
The Astros are the potential exception to traditional powerhouse lineups being in bad matchups (or not playing) Monday night. Sandoval is a redraft darling, but he checks a lot of boxes we look for in stacks. Most notable is a relatively low strikeout rate (17.9 percent) and poor walk rate (11.2 percent). His surface stats look reasonable, but there's a massive gap between his 2.93 ERA and 5.00 SIERA. There are a ton of ways to stack the Astros lineup, not all of which include burning a lot of the budget.
