This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Mondays in the majors tend to feature a lighter schedule, and this week is no different. There are only 18 teams in action, meaning your options for daily fantasy are slimmer than usual. The first games begin at 7:05 PM ET, so you'll have to make your choices by then. Here are my recommendations.
STARTING PITCHER
Gio Gonzalez, WAS vs. SD ($11,900): It's not a great day for starting pitchers, as Zack Greinke is the only real ace on the schedule. However, Gonzalez is no slouch. He has a 2.36 ERA and 2.90 FIP despite the fact he has a .346 BABIP. The Padres are in the bottom 10 of the league in runs scored, and they have played as many games as any team (48). This comes after they scored the fewest runs last season.
GPP Fade: Nick Pivetta, PHI vs. ATL ($9,100): Pivetta has a 3.72 ERA through nine starts, but last year he had a 6.02 ERA in 26 starts. Hence, his career ERA is still a lackluster 5.43. Now he has to face a Braves team that is third in the league in runs scored. Pivetta could be in for a long night.
Cheap GPP Consideration, Chase Anderson, MIL vs. ARI ($6,300): Anderson has gotten off to a bit of a slow start, but last season he had a 2.74 ERA and 3.62 FIP. However, this is a matchup that is perhaps better than expected. The Diamondbacks are off to a poor start of their own, as they have scored the third fewest runs per game. They also rank last in batting average.
CATCHER
Welington Castillo, CWS vs. BAL ($3,200): Castillo hit 20 home runs in 96 games with the Orioles last season. This year, he has six homers in 30 games. He also has a .299 BABIP, which is below his career average of .317, so he has also been arguably a bit unlucky. Andrew Cashner has a 5.70 FIP, and he's also allowed 1.97 home runs per nine innings this year.
FIRST BASE
Jose Martinez, STL vs. KC ($4,100) Martinez had a .309/.379/518 slash line last season, and this year he's improved upon his batting average and OBP so far. Kansas City's Ian Kennedy has a 4.75 FIP over the last three seasons, and this year his FIP is 4.52. He's also never been good at preventing home runs, as he's allowed at least 1.52 homers per nine innings over the last four seasons.
SECOND BASE
Brian Dozier, MIN vs. DET ($3,900): Dozier has formidable power for a second baseman. He's hit at least 23 home runs in each of the last four seasons, and he had 34 last year. This season, he has seven through 42 games. Detroit will be starting Blaine Hardy, and this will be only his second start in his career. In his first start, which was at home, he allowed eight hits and two runs in 4.3 innings.
THIRD BASE
Justin Turner, LAD vs. COL ($3,800) Turner has looked no worse for the wear since returning from a stint on the DL that started the season. Over the last three years he's had a .294/.371/.498 slash line, so the Dodgers are surely pleased to have him back and hitting. Meanwhile, German Marquez has a career ERA of 4.61 and WHIP of 1.45. Clearly, keeping hitters off base is not his strong suit.
SHORTSTOP
Didi Gregorius, NYY at TEX ($3,900): Gregorious has struggled a bit recently, but he still has 10 homers and a .523 slugging percentage through 42 games. His .858 OPS is a career best, and there's no reason to think he'll stay slumping. The 45-year-old Bartolo Colon may have a 2.82 ERA, but look closer at his numbers and you will be less impressed. He has a 4.53 FIP, .212 BABIP, and has allowed 1.59 homers per nine innings.
OUTFIELD
Giancarlo Stanton, NYY at TEX ($5,100): Why not grab another hard-hitting Yankee for your lineup? After a slow start, Stanton has a .263 batting average and 11 home runs this season. As was just noted, Bartolo Colon has given up 1.59 home runs per nine innings this year. This comes after he gave up 1.76 last season. Texas also tends to be a rather hitter-friendly environment, especially once the weather warms, which could benefit Stanton as well.
Michael Conforto, NYM vs. MIA ($3,900): Conforto struggles against lefty, but he hits righties just fine. Last season, he had a 1.012 OPS against right-handed pitchers. We don't know much about Elieser Hernandez, as he has only pitched 8.0 innings in the majors. In that time, he has a 4.45 FIP. Oh, and he's a righty.
Jorge Soler, KC at STL ($3,800): Soler seems to finally be putting it all together, as he has a .297/.401/.486 slash line this season. The Cuban is still only 26, so it's not like it's insane that he would finally live up to his former hype. Miles Mikolas has returned from Japan and posted a 3.63 FIP so far. Before his excursion to Asia, he had a 6.44 ERA and 4.84 FIP in 2014, his one season as a major-league starter.
