This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Monday's DFS action kicks off with an "all-day" slate at 2:05 p.m. EDT, which includes the only early game, San Francisco at Colorado. The main slate begins at the usual 7:05 p.m. EDT and features a total of 10 contests, including the second game of the Giants-Rockies doubleheader.
Pitching
The pitching slate is actually tricky tonight with the four highest-priced pitchers all getting their starts on the road. The best cash game option appears to be the Yankees' James Paxton ($9,000). He just had 49 fantasy points against these same Rays, and Tampa has struggled against left-handed pitching this season. Their 25.9 percent strikeout rate against southpaws is the fourth-highest in baseball, and their .311 wOBA against that handedness is the 11th lowest. Paxton has an elite 11.2 K/9 and has pitched much better at home this season with a 3.26 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP.
With a game in Coors Field, there will be a lot of interest in both cash and GPPs for mid-to-lower-priced pitching. The Indians' Adam Plutko ($7,500) fits in that category at this price and has a great home matchup. He'll face the Tigers, who have taken over from the Marlins as the worst-hitting team against right-handed pitching. Their .284 wOBA against that handedness is the lowest in baseball while their 26 percent strikeout rate is only one point away from being the worst. Plutko has a 0.89 WHIP at home this season and has scored 34, 37 and 40 fantasy points in three of his six starts.
Another low-priced pitcher to consider is the Royals' Jakob Junis ($6,800). He's gets a nice matchup against the White Sox, a team that's struggled against right-handed pitching. They have a 25.5 percent strikeout rate against righties (third-highest), and their .302 wOBA is the seventh-worst as well. Junis has a respectable 8.3 K/9 this season and has scored 27 or more fantasy points in 10 of his 19 starts this season.
Key Values/Chalk
All of the Rockies will be popular plays, and Raimel Tapia ($3,200) is an economical option if he's in the starting lineup. Tapia has a .348 wOBA at home against right-handed pitching this season and has improved his stats since the start of the season. David Dahl ($4,200) and Charlie Blackmon ($4,800) are firmly in play, but Tapia could outproduce them at a cheaper cost.
The Indians' Francisco Lindor ($4,000) is just the fifth-highest-priced player despite being a consistent elite fantasy option. While he's not cheap, he's worth paying up for given his .422 wOBA at home this season against left-handed pitching. His opponent, Daniel Norris, is allowing a .351 wOBA to right-handed hitters on the road.
Josh James is going to get the starting nod for the Astros and is likely only going to pitch a few innings. Therefore the Angels, including Matt Thaiss ($2,100), can take advantage of Houston's middle relievers. He's only $100 more than the minimum and is coming off a 34.9-point fantasy effort. Punting here will allow for more expensive bats in the rest of the lineup.
The Red Sox's Brock Holt ($2,600) is batting .324 and has a good home matchup against Toronto righty Trent Thornton, who has allowed a .346 wOBA to opposing left-handed hitters. Holt has a .340 wOBA against right-handed pitching this season.
The Giants' Brandon Belt ($3,700) is in as good of a spot as he's been in this season facing either Jeff Hoffman or Chi Chi Gonzalez in Coors Field. Belt has hit well in his trips to Coors and will have the benefit of facing a right-handed pitcher either way. He has a career .356 against righties, and Hoffman and Gonzalez aren't considered to be even average pitchers at this level.
Stacks
Rockies vs. Giants (Dereck Rodriguez)
David Dahl (OF - $4,200), Charlie Blackmon (OF - $4,800), Raimel Tapia (OF - $3,200), Trevor Story (SS - $4,600)
Using this stack with Junis will still allow for an average over $2,850 for the remaining four spots. Using Thaiss and Belt in two of those spots allows still allows for $2,800 for each of the remaining two spots. This is the obvious stack; using the Giants bats will be a lower-owned stack who could pay off in GPPs.
Indians vs. Tigers (Daniel Norris)
Francisco Lindor (SS - $4,000), Jose Ramirez (3B - $3,400), Carlos Santana (C/1B - $3,800), Greg Allen (OF - $2,300)
This is all about fading Daniel Norris, who has a 5.01 ERA on the road. All four of these players are capable of having big games by either speed or power. Allen is the sleeper in the group; just make sure he's in the lineup.
