This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
While this Monday is a step down from a busy Sunday in MLB as per usual, it's not exactly a light day for the league. There are still 10 games on the slate. Soon, Mondays will be ceded to the NFL in the minds of many sports fans, but we aren't there yet. Let's make the most of this Monday with some DFS baseball. The first game begins at 7:05 p.m. ET. Here are some recommendations for your lineup.
PITCHING
Kevin Gausman, SF vs. NYM ($10,300): Gausman is having the season of his career in his first campaign with the Giants, posting a 2.29 ERA. If you are more of a FIP fan, his 2.94 FIP is still robust and impressive, and he had a 3.09 FIP in 2020 as well, so this isn't coming out of nowhere. There are three teams that are being left in the dust by the rest of the league in terms of runs scored: the Pirates, the Rangers and these Mets.
David Price, LAD vs. PIT ($): I just mentioned the woeful Pirates, so I might as well get to them. Pittsburgh is last in runs scored, which is where they finished last season as well. It's expected that Price will start Monday, and at home he has a 2.93 ERA. If he is able to go five innings in this game, I expect the veteran lefty to get a win.
Wade Miley, CIN vs. CHC ($8,800): Miley's last start was rough, but prior to that he had a 2.30 ERA over his previous 13 outings. Overall, he has a 3.00 ERA this season in spite of the fact he is not a strikeout pitcher in a strikeout-happy era. The Cubs are just outside the bottom 10 in runs scored, but we can't forget what happened at the trade deadline. Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez are all gone now.
TOP TARGETS
Matt Olson, OAK at CWS ($4,100): Olson has always shown power – he has a career .516 slugging percentage – but this year he's hitting as well as ever. The slugger has slashed .283/.378/.574 with 30 home runs. Now, you might notice that Olson is a lefty, and White Sox starter Dallas Keuchel is also left handed. Well, this year Olson has an 1.040 OPS versus southpaws. Meanwhile, Keuchel has allowed lefties to hit .277 against him this season. This matchup isn't the worrisome one you might have imagined.
Yordan Alvarez, HOU at KC ($3,900): Alvarez showed a ton of power as a rookie before effectively missing 2020, but he's returned without missing a step in 2021. The Cuban has slugged .529 with 22 home runs, and against righties he's slugged .556. Cesar Hernandez has mostly pitched out of the bullpen in his career, and this season, but he still has a career 4.30 ERA.
VALUE BATS
Brandon Lowe, TAM vs. BAL ($3,600): Lowe's batting average has plummeted to .227, but that's with a .270 BABIP. His career BABIP is .309, so clearly he's been unlucky. Mostly that's been against lefties, though, as against righties he has a .918 OPS. Matt Harvey is a righty, and he's also a pitcher with a 5.87 ERA over the last six seasons. The pitcher he was early in his career is long gone.
Dansby Swanson, ATL at MIA ($3,400): Ronald Acuna unfortunately went down, but Swanson has stepped up to try and fill the hole in Atlanta's lineup. Over the last 21 days he has a 1.060 OPS. He's already hit a career-high 24 home runs, and the first-overall pick of 2015 has nine stolen bases as well. Braxton Garrett is a rookie pitcher who has made limited appearances in MLB so far, but he still has a career 4.89 ERA, which is decidedly not impressive.
STACK TO CONSIDER
Padres vs. Antonio Senzatela: Manny Machado ($4,600), Tommy Pham ($3,800), Trent Grisham ($4,000)
Hey, it's a game at Coors Field. Why wouldn't I be interested in a stack here? Senzatela is actually good at suppressing home runs. He's allowed 1.11 homers per nine innings in his career, which is not bad in this era, especially for a guy who pitches his home games in such a hitter-friendly ballpark. And yet, he has a career 4.94 ERA, because he is still a Rockies pitcher, after all. Also, he's allowed lefties to hit .299 against him since 2019 and righties in hit .291 against him in that time. Maybe he doesn't allow many home runs, but he allows a ton of contact.
Machado's season has had ups and downs, but ultimately he has 21 homers and nine stolen bases with a .279 average. That's about perfectly in line with his career .280 average. Pham hasn't shown a ton of power, but that might be on his home ballpark. On the road he has a .449 slugging percentage. Plus, he has 12 homers and 13 stolen bases. Grisham is also a guy who mixes a bit of power with speed. He's tallied 12 homers and 10 stolen bases in 92 games. Power tends to translate better in Denver than in San Diego as well.
