This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Summer is here, and Monday there are eight MLB games on the slate. However, that includes a doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets, so they are not included for DFS purposes. That means missing out on a Jacob deGrom start, but at least we can still appreciate him when he's on the mound, even if we can't place him in a lineup. Here are some recommendations from the six remaining games.
PITCHING
Frankie Montas, OAK at TEX ($9,500): This is a brutal day for pitchers. Montas has a 3.69 FIP through 14 starts, which is strong. Meanwhile, the Rangers are in the bottom five in runs scored and has an OBP around .300 as a team. Also, he's not reliant on Oakland's stadium for pitching help, as he has a 3.13 ERA on the road this year and a 2.33 road ERA in 2019.
Kyle Gibson, TEX vs. OAK ($7,900): I'm flipping around this matchup now. The Athletics are middle-of-the-pack in runs scored, but Gibson has been outstanding. He has a 2.09 ERA and 3.35 FIP. In fact, if you take out his terrible first start of the year, he has a 1.51 ERA. Meanwhile, at home he has a 0.96 ERA.
These are the only two pitchers I am recommending for Monday. I couldn't really justify anybody else, and there's a good chance one of these pitchers is going to pick up a win. Montas has the better team situation and matchup. Gibson has been the better pitcher in 2021. Whichever of those you value more is the way to go.
TOP TARGETS
Nick Castellanos, CIN at MIN ($4,200): The Reds have Castellanos and Jesse Winker, but Winker is a lefty and Castellanos is a righty, so I am going with Castellanos against the southpaw J.A. Happ. Happ's strikeouts are way down, and he has a 6.12 ERA and 5.12 FIP. As for Castellanos, the former Tiger has smashed the ball this year, posting a .344/.395/.591 slash line with 13 home runs.
Ketel Marte, ARI vs. MIL ($3,400): Marte against a lefty? Sign me up. Since 2019, he has a 1.048 OPS versus left-handed pitchers. Milwaukee's Brett Anderson is indeed a lefty pitcher. On top of that, he hasn't had a FIP lower than 4.11 in his last six seasons.
VALUE BATS
Ryan Mountcastle, BAL vs. HOU ($3,000): Last year, Mountcastle surprised in his debut season by hitting .333. This year he's hitting .266 but his power remains, as he has 12 home runs in 65 games. Additionally, most of his issues have been on the road, as at home he has a .989 OPS. Jake Odorizzi's last couple of seasons have not gone well, as he has a 6.00 ERA over 11 outings.
Kolten Wong, MIL at ARI ($2,800): I mentioned that summer is here, which usually means the ball flying off bats in Arizona. Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly has a career 4.38 FIP and has allowed 1.41 home runs per nine innings in his career as well. Wong recently returned from injury, and this year the southpaw has a .285 average with five homers and five stolen bases.
STACK TO CONSIDER
Astros vs. Keegan Akin: Jose Altuve ($4,400), Carlos Correa ($3,900), Yuli Gurriel ($3,300)
Well in his last start, Akin allowed eight runs over 5.2 innings for starters. That raised his ERA to 5.76, even though only four of his eight appearances have been starts. The 26-year-old has been in and out of the starting lineup as a pitcher in his career, racking up a 5.20 ERA. In the only stack I'm recommending for Monday, I am going with three right-handed Astros against the left-handed pitcher.
Altuve has put 2020 behind him entirely. Most encouragingly, his power is back. The second baseman has slugged .520 and has hit 16 home runs. Correa has bounced back as well, with an average (.296) and OBP (.393) we haven't seen since 2017. He's also hit 13 home runs. Gurriel has been particularly strong against lefties the last couple years. He had a .940 OPS versus southpaws in 2020 and has a 1.029 OPS this season.
