This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Unfortunately for DFS players, we have no early games Monday, meaning the main slate at 7:05 p.m. is the first opportunity to fill out a lineup. There are 11 games on the slate with four stud pitchers priced at $9,600 or more. There's no game at Coors Field or Petco Park, but three games have an over/under of at least 10 runs.
Pitching
The Astros' Gerrit Cole ($11,700) is always in the conversation for cash games and GPPs, but his price is incredibly high, and the Athletics strike out only 20.8 percent of the time (eighth-best in baseball). It seems like he's best left for tournaments as a result.
For cash games, the Diamondbacks' Robbie Ray ($9,600) seems like a better option at over $2,000 cheaper and holding a prime matchup. Ray has a 13 K/9 rate at home this season, and his ERA (3.45) and WHIP (1.22) are better there than on the road. The Orioles are a great matchup as they've struck out 25.9 percent of the time against lefties (fifth-worst) and .302 wOBA (both fifth-worst in the league). Ray has four straight starts at home of at least 40 fantasy points, and all of those games were against better-hitting teams.
The other good cash game option is the Nationals' Stephen Strasburg ($10,000), who also has a solid home matchup against the Rockies. At first glance, the Rockies might seem like a team to avoid, but looking at their away splits against right-handed pitching, they're actually an outstanding matchup. On the road they have a league-worst .275 wOBA, and their 26.3 percent strikeout rate is the fourth-highest. It's pretty close to a coin flip between Strasburg and Ray for cash games.
A cheaper option to consider for GPPs is the Mariners' Marco Gonzales ($7,400). He'll be hosting the Rangers, who've been a great matchup for any southpaw this season. Texas has struck out at a 27.8 percent rate against lefties (the highest mark in baseball), and its .306 wOBA ranks in the bottom third of the league. While Gonzales is coming off a rough start, he had allowed three or fewer runs in each of his previous six starts, averaging 30.5 fantasy points over that span of games.
Key Values/Chalk
Looking at the outfield since it's a day the Indians are facing a lefty, Jordan Luplow ($2,800) is in play. Luplow has a .451 wOBA against left-handed pitching while remaining a near fixture in the cleanup spot when Cleveland has faced that handedness. Ryan Borucki is making his first start since April as he comes off the injured list, which probably means he'll be on a pitch count.
The Mariners' J.P. Crawford ($3,300) has been one of the few bright spots on the team this season and brings a .346 wOBA against right-handed pitchers into this contest. He'll face off against Adrian Sampson, who has allowed a .404 wOBA to left-handed hitters on the road this season. Sampson has a 7.64 ERA on the road this season putting all of Seattle's bats in play.
The splits show the Pirates' Colin Moran ($2,700) has been a good fantasy play whenever at home and facing right-handed pitching this season. He has a .412 wOBA in that split and will face the Cardinals' Daniel Ponce de Leon, who has a FIP that is a whole run higher than his ERA and a .234 BABIP. Negative regression is coming his way.
A sneaky play fading Robbie Ray tonight would be using Baltimore's Hanser Alberto ($2,600), who has crushed left-handed pitching to the tune of a .386 wOBA and should be hitting leadoff. Unsurprisingly, Ray has struggled more against right-handed hitters this season, allowing a .321 wOBA to that side of the plate.
It's probably due to being a catcher, but it seems like the Twins' Mitch Garver ($3,400) usually goes overlooked by the DFS community. He has an insane .509 wOBA against left-handed pitching this season and will get that matchup against the Yankees' CC Sabathia. Sabathia has been terrible on the road this season with a 5.84 ERA, and all of the peripheral stats in that split are bad.
Stacks
Cleveland at Toronto (Ryan Borucki)
Jordan Luplow (OF - $2,800), Francisco Lindor (SS - $3,900), Jose Ramirez (3B - $3,800), Oscar Mercado (OF - $3,600)
As already stated, Borucki is coming off the IL and likely won't be in top form. Cleveland has been hot as of late with a .364 wOBA against left-handed pitching in July.
Minnesota vs. New York (CC Sabathia)
Mitch Garver (C/1B - $3,400), Nelson Cruz (OF - $4,100), Marwin Gonzalez (OF - $2,800), Miguel Sano (C/1B - $3,600)
All four of these players crush left-handed pitching and are a reason the Twins are second in wOBA against that handedness (.358 wOBA). Sabathia just turned 39 and has done poorly on the road.
