This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Monday brings a packed schedule across baseball that leaves us with 13 games making up the main evening slate on DraftKings. Let's get right down to business and highlight some pitchers and hitters to consider based on their respective matchups.
Pitchers
Joe Musgrove ($9,500) steamrolled the Rockies in his last start, allowing just two hits and recording 11 strikeouts over seven scoreless innings. He's been a reliable addition for the Padres, posting a 2.47 ERA and a 2.88 FIP. Not known as a pitcher who missed many bats early in his career, he's followed up his breakout 33.1 percent strikeout rate last season with a 34.7 percent mark this season. That could prove to be key for his matchup against the Brewers, who have struck out the fifth-most times in baseball.
While Musgrove has a favorable matchup, Aaron Civale ($8,300) might have an even better one. He'll take the mound against the Tigers, who have the fifth-worst OPS and the third-most strikeouts. He's already faced them twice this season, allowing a combined four runs and recording 12 strikeouts over 14.2 innings. Add in his 1.02 WHIP for the season and it's easy to envision a path to success for him in their third meeting.
Cole Irvin ($6,700) has been a pleasant surprise for the A's this season, recording a 3.59 ERA and a 3.85 FIP through nine starts. After having home run issues during his stint with the Phillies, he's only allowed six homers across 52.2 innings. Although he likely won't provide many strikeouts given his 18.3 percent strikeout rate, a matchup against a Mariners team that has the worst OPS in baseball makes Irvin someone to at least consider in tournament play.
Top Targets
It looks like Steven Matz's ($6,800) strong start to the season may have been a mirage. He's been torched over his last five outings, allowing 19 runs over 24.2 innings. He was taken deep five times during that stretch, which was an issue for him last season considering he allowed 14 home runs over 30.2 innings. That could spell doom for him on the road against Aaron Judge ($5,500), who has a career .326 ISO at Yankee Stadium.
Jose Ramirez ($5,700) has shown an impeccable eye at the plate, recording a 12.6 percent strikeout rate and a 10.4 percent walk rate this season. However, his batting average sits at just .259, which can somewhat be attributed to his .232 BABIP. The good news is that he's still hitting for plenty of power, leaving him with a .297 ISO. That could make him an ideal option against Tarik Skubal ($5,500), who has allowed 21 home runs over 70 innings to begin his career in the majors.
Bargain Bats
With how poorly Skubal has pitched, Ramirez isn't the only player on the Indians to consider. If you want some exposure to the Skubal matchup, but can't squeeze Ramirez's salary into your lineup, then Jordan Luplow ($3,500)) could be a viable option. He's hit for power with a .253 ISO and he has a career .308 ISO against left-handed pitchers.
Few players who have hit as well as Adolis Garcia ($3,400) has out of the gate are available at such a cheap salary. Not only does he have a .311 ISO, but he has a .394 wOBA. His power numbers make him very appealing against Andrew Heaney ($6,200), who has allowed 1.5 HR/9 for his career.
Stacks to Consider
Braves vs. Garrett Richards ($7,500), Red Sox: Ronald Acuna Jr. ($6,100), Freddie Freeman ($5,600), Austin Riley ($4,000)
Richards has been living on the edge this season with his 10.6 percent walk rate. If he can't improve his 1.47 WHIP, his 3.72 ERA won't hold up for much longer. It's not as if he has overpowering stuff, either, given his career 20.8 percent strikeout rate. While Acuna and Freeman are the big names in the Braves' lineup, don't sleep on Riley. Not only has he shown power with his .229 ISO, he's used his 11.0 percent walk rate to boost him to a .411 wOBA.
Twins vs. Dean Kremer ($6,000), Orioles: Josh Donaldson ($4,100), Alex Kirilloff ($4,000), Luis Arraez ($3,200)
It's been a struggle for Kremer, who enters this matchup with a 6.35 ERA and an equally poor 6.24 FIP. He's allowed a whopping 10 home runs over 34 innings, which could be his downfall against a Twins team that has the sixth-highest slugging percentage in baseball. Kirilloff has certainly shown power during his brief stint with the team, hitting four home runs and three doubles over 15 games.
Athletics vs. Logan Gilbert ($5,000), Mariners: Ramon Laureano ($5,600), Matt Olson ($4,000), Seth Brown ($3,200)
Gilbert is one of the top prospects in the Mariners' system, so there was plenty of excitement surrounding his callup a couple of weeks ago. It's been a rough first two starts for him, though, considering he allowed seven runs over 6.2 innings. What makes that even worse is that he faced two bad lineups in the Indians and Tigers. Laureano could be a key player to build an A's stack around given that he has eight steals to go along with his .259 ISO.
