This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
There are nine MLB games on the docket for Monday starting at 7 p.m. ET. It's a great night for former aces, emphasis on the "former" part. Not only is Adam Wainwright scheduled to pitch, Corey Kluber and Matt Harvey are facing one another. Here are my recommendations for Monday.
PITCHING
Corbin Burnes, MIL vs. MIA ($11,100): Burnes went from being a trendy darkhorse pick for the Cy Young to a (very) early favorite. The guy has allowed one run in four starts and has struck out 40 batters while walking zero. Miami, who finished 21st in runs scored last year and is fighting to keep its team OBP above .300 right now, could be Burnes' next victim.
Julio Urias, LAD vs. CIN ($9,900): Urias has already made 42 starts in the majors and he's only 24 years old. The Mexican hurler made his debut when he was 19, but he still has a career 3.16 ERA and 3.38 FIP. Urias is just entering his prime, and he has great offense behind him. Sure, the Reds are at the top of the majors in runs to start this year, but it's only 21 games. Last year, Cincinnati was 27th in runs scored and also had a .212 batting average as a team.
Zack Wheeler, PHI at STL ($8,300): Wheeler's first year in Philadelphia went well, as he had a 2.92 ERA in 11 starts. This year his ERA is up to 3.80, but it's only four starts, and he has a 9.89 K/9 rate in those outings, which is a new high for him so far. The Cardinals finished 28th in runs scored last season, and while they've added Nolan Arenado, one hitter doesn't tend to make a big enough difference to completely change the quality of a matchup in baseball.
TOP TARGETS
Carlos Correa, HOU vs. SEA ($3,600): Correa's power completely disappeared last year, as he had a .383 slugging percentage. However, this year he's slugged .481, which is right in line with his career .480 number. The southpaw Justus Sheffield really struggles against righties, as he's allowed a .291 batting average to right-handed hitters since 2019. He's also given up a homer in all three of his starts so far.
Anthony Rendon, LAA at TEX ($3,500): Rendon is expected to come off the injured list to get back in the lineup Monday, and, if that's the case, you'll want him in your lineup as well. He has a career slash line of .290/.372/.489 and hit 34 homers in 2019. In his first season in Texas, Jordan Lyles had a 7.02 ERA, and his career ERA is 5.21 on top of that.
VALUE BATS
Cedric Mullins, BAL vs. NYY ($2,700): Will Mullins' numbers fall off? Well, a .346/.404/.442 slash line might be a bit much, but he did show some upside last season. The outfielder hit .271 and stole seven bases in 48 games, after all. Sadly, it seems clear the 35-year-old Corey Kluber is not the pitcher he used to be. Since 2019 he has a 5.57 ERA over 12 starts. Also, he's only been able to make 12 starts since 2019, which is part of the problem.
Rhys Hoskins, PHI at STL ($3,700): Hoskins has six homers and a .548 slugging percentage, not to mention a .250 batting average. However, he also has a .298 OBP, which is way below his career OBP of .363. It seems likely Hoskins' numbers are going to get even better. Adam Wainwright is 39 now, and he has a 5.03 ERA to start the season. He also hasn't had a FIP lower than 4.10 in any of his last four campaigns.
STACKS TO CONSIDER
Athletics vs. Rich Hill: Ramon Laureano ($3,200), Matt Chapman ($2,900), Jed Lowrie ($3,100)
Hill has made four starts, and he's allowed four runs in each of them. Of course, since he isn't pitching complete games, it means he has an 8.82 ERA. Sure, he has a 5.48 FIP, but that's still not good. I wouldn't want to use a lefty against Hill, but two righties and a switch hitter works for me. Laureano is not hitting well, but he's been a bit unlucky based on his BABIP and in his last full season he had an .861 OPS with 24 homers and 13 stolen bases. Plus, even with his issues he has eight swiped bags, which is the most in the majors. Chapman also has struggled to start the year, but he had a .503 slugging percentage prior to 2021, so I expect him to improve. Then there's the pleasant surprise of Lowrie, who didn't play in 2020 and played nine games in 2019. He's back in Oakland, and he's also slashed .293/.361/.493.
Yankees vs. Matt Harvey: Giancarlo Stanton ($3,600), Aaron Judge ($3,500), Brett Gardner ($2,200)
The first three seasons of Harvey's career were fantastic. Since then, though, he has a 5.78 ERA over six seasons. He's given up 1.97 homers per nine innings over the last three seasons. Since 2019 he has a .302 batting average against righties and a .312 batting average against lefties. You want power? You want home-run potential? That's what Stanton and Judge are all about. Stanton may be below the Mendoza Line right now, but he's never had a batting average lower than .240 in a season. Also, he still has five home runs even with his struggles. Judge's numbers are more in line with his career numbers, save for his slugging percentage. The big basher has a career .554 slugging percentage, so I expect more power to come. I wanted to throw a lefty in there, which is where Gardner comes in. He may never again hit 28 homers like he did in 2019, but there's also stolen-base potential with the veteran outfielder as well.
