This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Stack options aren't quite as clear on Monday's nine-game slate as they have been in the past but we can find exploitable options if we look deep enough into the numbers. The slate also features a lack of cheap quality arms, which means players will need to get creative in order to fit in the high-priced bats.
Pitching Overview
Justin Verlander ($10,800) is a familiar face as the most expensive player on the board. I said prior to his matchup last week against the Twins that Minnesota is a tough team to face due to their high contact rate and wOBA against righties, and while that caveat still applies, it's hard to call him fade material after he posted 33.6 DraftKings points against them in a more hitter-friendly environment.
Patrick Corbin ($10,200) is once again having trouble keeping the ball in the park after a reprieve last year but his strikeout rate is sitting in exactly the same spot (31 percent) while his walk rate seems to have improved a bit (five percent). This makes him a solid play against the Cardinals, who are a bottom-10 team in the league against left-handed pitching according to wOBA.
Kenta Maeda's ($9,700) bloated walk and home run rates have contributed to a 5.20 ERA in five starts (27.2 innings). A soft matchup against the Giants may make him worth a look as a GPP play, but there are certainly more trustworthy arms on the slate.
Zack Wheeler ($9,300) had his best start of the year in his last outing against the Phillies when he struck out 11 without allowing a run in seven innings. Wheeler is another pitcher who has dealt with walk issues to begin the year but his strikeout prowess and heavy groundball profile will make him a popular play against the Reds, who sport the third-lowest wOBA against right-handed pitchers (.277).
DraftKings wasted no time putting Eduardo Rodriguez's ($9,100) price back among the top options after a nice performance against the Tigers in his last start. The problem is that the A's are a top-10 team in wOBA, ISO and contact rate against left-handed pitchers, and Rodriguez allows too many walks and home runs to be consistently relied upon. Tread carefully.
Mike Soroka ($8,600) is not without issues but has struck out 13 batters in his first 10.2 frames with the big club this year. That, combined with a career-long elite groundball rate makes him a viable option in the mid-range against the Padres.
The White Sox are a bottom-half team versus left-handed pitchers, against whom they strike out 26 percent of the time. This opens the door to select John Means ($7,000) as a low-cost punt play, as he has struck out 23 batters in his first 20.2 innings while maintaining a 1.74 ERA over that span.
Finally, a word of warning about Jalen Beeks ($5,900). While the 25.5 points he put up in his last outing look nice, it must be noted that he will enter the game following an opener yet again and hasn't thrown five innings in any of his outings this year.
Key Values
It looks as though Cody Bellinger ($5,700) will never stop hitting. The 23-year-old has now posted an unfathomable .608 wOBA against right-handed pitching in 69 at-bats. He will almost certainly be popular against a middling arm Like Jeff Samardijza.
Pete Alonso ($5,300) has lived up to all of his prospect hype and then some in his first 98 at-bats, tallying a .684 slugging percentage over that span. Tanner Roark has thrown the ball well against righties this year but I suspect that Alonso will still get plenty of love from prospective owners.
Jake Odorizzi's strikeouts may have some staying power but George Springer ($5,300) is still worth a strong look, having tallied a .227 ISO against right-handed pitching. Meanwhile, Odorizzi has kept a 6.11 xFIP against same-handed hitters in 10.2 innings.
Trey Mancini ($4,800) is currently day-to-day with a hand injury but he will be a nice option against Manny Banuelos if he is able to take the field, as Banuelos currently holds a 14 percent walk rate against righty hitters.
Brandon Lowe ($4,800) and his .299 ISO against right-handed pitching should fare well against Brad Keller, who has notched a 5.05 xFIP against lefty batters.
Michael Wacha has been hit hard by both sides of the platoon to open the year, which makes Juan Soto ($4,800) an attractive option for less than $5,000.
I have been hesitant to recommend Rockies hitters on the road but Daniel Murphy ($4,700) hasn't built his career in Colorado, and Zach Davies has walked more left-handed batters than he has struck out, which has contributed to a 7.04 xFIP.
Marcus Semien ($4,600) and his .399 wOBA against left-handers are in a good spot to take advantage of the aforementioned flaws of Eduardo Rodriguez.
Jorge Soler ($4,100) has struggled overall this season but is worth a look due to the power he can provide against both sides of the platoon. Beeks has thrown the ball well so far in 2019 but still holds a .336 wOBA against right-handed hitters.
Stacks
Astros vs. Jake Odorizzi (Twins)
George Springer (OF - $5,300) Jose Altuve (2B - $4,700) Robinson Chirinos (C - $3,800)
We can load up on righties in an effort to exploit Odorizzi. The nice thing about this stack is each hitter has power against the extreme flyball pitcher.
Rockies against Zach Davies (Brewers)
Daniel Murphy (1B - $4,700) Charlie Blackmon (OF - $4,900) Raimel Tapia (OF - $4,600)
I alluded to the Rockies' struggles on the road above but I can't resist taking a shot against a pitcher like Davies who is due for some serious regression against lefty hitters. We can also take comfort in the fact that Miller Park, while certainly not Coors Field, is nonetheless one of the more hitter-friendly parks in baseball.
A's vs. Eduardo Rodriguez (Red Sox)
Marcus Semien (SS -$4,600) Matt Chapman (3B -$4,800) Khris Davis (OF - $4,300)
The A's offense might be overlooked after Rodriguez's promising performance, which makes this stack one well worth the salary. In particular, prospective owners should love getting an elite power hitter like Davis at this price.
