This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
A 10-game Monday slate leaves us with an awful lot to sift through, as we (somewhat surprisingly) don't see a pitcher priced in the five-figure range. This leaves us with an awful lot of flexibility as we attempt to mix and match to put together the best possible lineup.
Pitching Overview
Jack Flaherty ($9,800) is a big enough strikeout pitcher to be worth a look but he has had trouble with the long ball for as long as he has been with the big club. This is somewhat mitigated by the fact that the Brewers have been close to a bottom-10 team on the road this year according to wOBA.
The Mets aren't a terrible team to select a hurler against in general but I would be very careful about Jake Arrieta ($9,600) and his hot start, as below average walk and strikeout rates have contributed to a 5.07 xFIP in four starts this year.
Matthew Boyd ($9,100) is worth watching as we progress through the season thanks to a six percent increase in his swinging strike rate, which has led to a 36 percent strikeout rate to go along with a 2.96 ERA in 24.1 innings. Those who wish to target players from this game should be aware that there is a fair amount of rain in the forecast, so prospective owners would be wise to keep an eye on the status of the contest.
The natural instinct is to assume that Chris Sale ($8,600) will bounce back at some point, but the perennial Cy Young contender hasn't given us much reason to be optimistic, having tallied an 8.50 ERA with just 14 strikeouts in 18 innings (four starts). The Tigers have logged the lowest wOBA against left-handed pitchers this season, but it must be noted that they have notched just 78 plate appearances against southpaws.
Brad Keller's ($8,000) strong start to the season has come despite an astronomical 13 percent walk rate. The Rays are a top-10 team when it comes to wOBA against right-handed pitchers but past performance and a strong groundball rate will likely make Keller a fairly popular low-cost play.
Chris Bassitt ($6,800) needs to be given a serious look against the Rangers at home. Texas began the year on a tear away from Arlington but have steadily been moving back towards the bottom-10 mark they held on the road last year. Bassit isn't much more than a mediocre starter with a solid groundball rate who can limit homers but that may be enough for this matchup. It must also be noted that he is not expected to be limited as he makes his season debut after recovering from injury.
Key Values
Anthony Rendon ($5,800) missed Sunday's contest after being hit on the arm but there has been nothing to suggest that the injury will sideline him long-term. Tyler Anderson has kept his homer-allowing ways in 2019 while seemingly losing his strikeout ability, which could make this an excellent spot for those willing to pay up.
What Christian Yelich ($5,700) has done through the first three weeks of the season is nothing short of historic. The issue here is that he has done almost none of his damage away from Miller Park, as evidenced by the .289 wOBA he has logged in 34 at-bats on the road. This likely makes him a fade at the elevated price.
Mike Trout ($5,600) could pay off in a matchup against J.A. Happ, who has been absolutely crushed in his 14.1 innings against righty hitters this season (.412 wOBA against).
Charlie Blackmon ($5,400) has pounded opposing pitchers at Coors Field to the tune of a .406 ISO in 32 at-bats. Meanwhile, Jeremy Hellickson has walked more batters than he has struck out this season, which does not bode well for any matchup at Coors Field.
Adrian Houser has shown flashes of skill in the minors but has yet to show he can get strikeouts in the major leagues on a consistent basis, which could cause him some trouble against Paul Goldschmidt ($5,000).
Trey Mancini ($4,900) appears to have his sights set on a rebound season against both sides of the platoon. He will face off against former Yankees prospect Manny Banuelos, who has had issues finding the plate at all levels of professional baseball.
Jake Odorizzi's improved strikeout rate is something to keep an eye on but his issues with control and penchant for allowing fly balls will likely cause problems against Jose Altuve ($4,900) who has notched a .220 ISO against right-handed pitching.
Rhys Hoskins ($4,800) has a solid matchup against Steven Matz, who appears to be falling victim to a lack of control and the home run ball for the second consecutive season.
Jose Abreu ($4,400) is off to a slow start to the year but is still showing power against right-handed pitching. This makes him an interesting play against David Hess, who has been shelled to the tune of a 5.57 ERA in his first five games (four starts).
Mike Minor may have turned a corner after dealing with the effects of shoulder surgery in 2018 but Khris Davis ($4,400) is hard to pass at this price. He has hit five homers against lefty pitchers in just 27 at-bats.
Matt Harvey hasn't put up double-digit DraftKings points in any of his four starts this season. He could have plenty of trouble with Brett Gardner ($4,300), who has logged a .283 ISO against right-handed pitching in 60 at-bats.
Nicholas Castellanos ($3,800) hasn't done much in the eight at-bats he's had against lefty hurlers in 2019 but the .424 wOBA he put up in 147 at-bats last year makes him someone who should be able to take advantage of a struggling Chris Sale.
Stacks
Yankees against Matt Harvey: Brett Gardner, Gleyber Torres ($3,900) Clint Frazier ($4,300)
This game is being played away from Yankee Stadium, which allows us to get quality bats at a much cheaper price. Even a hitter like Torres is a solid option here due to the .239 ISO he has tallied against righty pitchers.
White Sox against David Hess: Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson ($5,000) Eloy Jimenez ($4,300)
Anderson is flanked by two hitters who haven't lived up to expectations but like Abreu, Jimenez also holds a solid ISO (.182) against right-handed pitchers. Hess has kept a 6.38 xFIP against right-handed hitters this season.
Orioles against Manny Banuelos: Trey Mancini, Renato Nunez ($4,600) Pedro Severino ($3,600)
We will head into the next dugout to see if we can exploit Banuelos and his shaky performance at the big-league level. Severino, who should start after riding the bench for the last two games, has shown power in limited at-bats against lefties this season.
