This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
This is not your typical Monday for MLB. Usually Monday is a light day, but this week, it's Memorial Day. That means we are getting 14 games, but two of them are doubleheader outings between Cleveland and the Chicago White Sox. Hey, you still have more options than your typical Monday. Here are some recommendations for your holiday DFS lineup.
PITCHING
Corbin Burnes, MIL vs. DET ($10,600): You can blame Burnes' 2-4 record on a lack of offensive support. He has an amazing 1.06 FIP through eight starts and has struck out a staggering 14.37 batters per nine innings. The Tigers are in the bottom five in runs scored, so Burnes' should be able to mow them down (while hopefully getting enough support for a win).
Trevor Bauer, LAD vs. STL ($11,800): Bauer is on the opposite end of the offensive-support spectrum from Burnes. The Dodgers are at the top of the league in terms of runs scored. Bauer won a Cy Young with the Reds last season with a 1.73 ERA, and this year he has a 2.07 ERA through 11 starts. The Cardinals are middle-of-the-pack offensively, but Bauer's almost matchup proof at this point.
Charlie Morton, ATL vs. WAS ($8,800): Morton may be 37, but he's still got his chops. Through 10 starts, he has a 3.59 FIP in his first year with the Braves. Though the Nationals still have a few postponements to make up, the fact they are still in the bottom five in runs scored does not speak well of their offensive acumen. Morton has a 1.96 ERA over his last four outings, and he might be able to keep that up with this matchup.
Mike Minor, KC vs. PIT ($8,400): Minor has a 4.06 FIP, which is in line with his career 4.01 FIP. However, this is all about the matchup for me. The Pirates have a bottom-five team OPS and have scored the fewest runs in the league other than the Mets, who have played the fewest games in the majors by a few. Pittsburgh also finished last in 2020, so this isn't anything new.
TOP TARGETS
Matt Olson, OAK vs. SEA ($3,500): Mariners starter Logan Gilbert isn't just a rookie with a 7.59 ERA. He's also allowed lefties to hit .321 against him. Olson has 13 homers and has an .895 OPS versus righties since 2019, so this matchup could not be much better for him.
Ketel Marte, ARI vs. NYM ($3,200): Here on the last day of May, I'm thinking about how offense picks up in Arizona when the weather is warmer. I'm also thinking about the fact that Marte has a 1.010 OPS versus lefties since 2019 and hit 32 homers in his last full season. New York's David Peterson is a southpaw, and he also has a 4.91 ERA this year.
VALUE BATS
Alex Kirilloff, MIN at BAL ($3,400): Kirilloff has gotten off to a bit of a slow start to his career, but he does have four home runs and a .474 slugging percentage. Plus, he's Minnesota's top prospect and also one of the top prospects in baseball. I also like the fact he is a lefty facing a right-handed pitcher in Jorge Lopez. Lopez, by the way, has a career 5.99 ERA.
Dansby Swanson, ATL vs. WAS ($2,500): Swanson's numbers aren't great overall, but he has a .937 OPS at home. This is not a new thing either, as last year he had a .957 OPS at home and a .618 OPS on the road. Swanson is at home Monday, and Joe Ross has a 5.21 ERA over the last four seasons.
STACKS TO CONSIDER
Astros vs. Eduardo Rodriguez: Alex Bregman ($3,200), Jose Altuve ($3,400), Carlos Correa ($3,000)
The Red Sox saw their game Sunday postponed, so Rodriguez is starting Monday now. The lefty, unfortunately, couldn't pitch in 2020 due to health issues, but in 2021 the southpaw has a 5.06 ERA. I've got three righties here to take advantage of the matchup. After seeing Bregman's average dip to .242 in 2020, this year his .297 average calls to mind when he hit .296 in 2019 while mashing 41 homers. Altuve is a career .311 hitter and has a .902 OPS versus lefties since 2019. Correa has really rebounded since last season, especially at home. He's slugged .567 in Houston in 2021 and slugged .630 there in 2019.
Giants vs. Dylan Bundy: Buster Posey ($3,400), Evan Longoria ($3,000), Mike Yastrzemski ($3,000)
Bundy just can't figure it out this year. He has a 6.50 ERA through nine starts and has allowed 1.77 homers per nine innings. It's not like things are getting brighter either, as over his last three starts, he has a 15.83 ERA. Posey sat out 2020 but has returned like he wants to bolster his Hall of Fame resume. The catcher has slashed .331/.415/.613 with 10 homers. Longoria has found a bit of the Fountain of Youth as well, as his personal slash line is .265/.352/.484 with eight homers. Yastrzemski has struggled a bit more, but in his career he has a .872 OPS, so I think he'll be just fine in time.
