This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
It's a loaded MLB schedule to start the week, as all but two teams are in action Monday. Two games kick off before 7:05 pm ET, leaving us with a 12-game main slate. With a larger-than-usual slate, we have more options for roster building than a typical Monday. Coors Field is also on the schedule, with Fenway Park being another hitter-friendly venue to target.
Pitchers
Kevin Gausman ($11,200) and Blake Snell ($10,800) top the pitching market and deservedly so based on their results and skills. Snell has the reputation of being an erratic pitcher, and his BB% of 13.5 certainly backs that up. However, his results have been steady, managing no fewer than 16.5 DK points in his last six starts. A matchup against the Cardinals is a challenge, but Snell is a decent cash game option.
Gausman has been more up and down but has spiked 28 and 29 DK point performances across his last five starts. A matchup against Washington isn't all that intimidating – though the lineup doesn't strikeout much as a whole – so he's okay as a tournament play.
Kenta Maeda ($9,200) has stumbled a bit of late, but a matchup against Cleveland should be beneficial. The Guardians are another team that doesn't strike out much, but they also have very little pop. Maeda's a bit overpriced from a point-per-dollar perspective, but there should be bankable decent results.
Moving down in price, Grayson Rodriguez ($7,500) should be a target. The White Sox have bottomed out, and Rogriguez is only further helped by his home park. Mid-teens points should be the floor, which would be fine at his price point.
There's not much in terms of safety at price points below Rodriguez, but for those willing to take a chance, Kyle Harrison ($6,500) is deserving of a look. He isn't likely to pitch deep into the game and thus his chances of a win are very small. On the other hand, we know he has strikeout stuff from his minor-league track record, and he also punched out five across 3.1 innings in his big-league debut. The Reds have slowed as a whole across the last month and have struck out at a 27.4 percent clip in that span, so the matchup should play in Harrison's favor as well.
Top Hitters
Michael Kopech is a boom or bust pitcher, so there is some risk in targeting him with stacks. Even so, his 2.1 HR/9 on the season dictates we target him, and Anthony Santander ($4,200) is a good power bat that checks in at a reasonable price.
Adam Wainwright remains in the Cardinals' rotation solely because the Cardinals are trying to get him to 200 career wins, but both his skills and results are disastrous. San Diego has been underwhelming given the star power on its roster, but Manny Machado ($5,300) has remained steady.
Value Bats
We've mentioned Josh Palacios ($2,400) a couple times within the past week, but he's now shifted up the Pirates lineup to hit cleanup. Typically, that doesn't create much buzz because Pittsburgh has a poor lineup, but they have another good matchup with Zack Greinke set to take the mound.
Jameson Taillon has a respectable K% and K-BB%, so he's not a pitcher to overly expose ourselves to. However, he still has a homer problem (1.5 HR/9) that makes cheap, one-off plays intriguing. Mark Canha ($2,800) fits the bill. If he's out of the lineup, Rowdy Tellez ($2,400) is likely to play and is even cheaper.
Stacks to Consider
Atlanta vs. Colorado Rockies (Austin Gomber): Michael Harris ($5,300), Marcell Ozuna ($5,100), Eddie Rosario ($4,800)
In most cases, we want to target the top of orders with stacks. Of course, for those that have the budget, rostering Ronald Acuna, Austin Riley and Matt Olson is preferable, but that trio costs $20,200. The middle, or even bottom third, of the order in Atlanta is plenty capable of doing damage – particularly at Coors Field – and comes at a more palatable price. A matchup against Austin Gomber also helps, as he's allowed 1.7 HR/9 with only a 7.6 K-BB%.
Seattle Mariners vs. Oakland Athletics (Kyle Muller): Julio Rodriguez ($6,000), Cal Raleigh ($4,600), Eugenio Suarez ($4,500)
Muller is another pretty obvious pitcher to pick on, as his line is quite comparable to Gomber (1.7 HR/9, 4.6 K-BB%). The Mariners don't have the benefit of Coors Field, but the lineup has been plenty hot on their own. Across the last 30 days, Seattle has maintained a .370 wOBA – second-highest in the league behind only Atlanta. The stack is expensive, but with a few decent mid-tier pitching options there's enough value to work them in.
