This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Monday brings us both the first Monday Night Football game of the season and seven MLB games. Maybe you'll be watching football, but that doesn't mean you can't have a DFS MLB lineup or two in the works as well. Less than half of MLB's teams may be in action, but I can still offer up some recommendations for your lineups.
PITCHING
Adam Wainwright, STL at NYM ($9,800): For a 40-year-old pitcher, Wainwright has been rather impressive. He's made 28 starts and posted a 2.98 ERA. Even his 3.50 FIP is perfectly solid. The Mets rank 27th in runs scored, so Wainwright should be able to live up to his numbers this season.
Rich Hill, NYM vs. STL ($7,500): If this were fantasy hockey, I would have pretty much locked in recommending at least one goalie who would get a win. I guess in my mind goalies are analogs to pitchers? In baseball, of course, the starter doesn't necessarily get the win. Hill has posted a 3.71 ERA since joining the Mets, and over his last four starts he has a 2.45 ERA. The Cardinals' offense is barely better than the Mets' offense, as they rank 26th in runs scored.
TOP TARGETS
Max Muncy, LAD vs. ARI ($3,900): Muncy has shown that his 2020 season was a total fluke. His .255/.375/.537 slash line with 32 home runs is in line with his 2018 and 2019 numbers. The slugger also likes hitting at home, where he has a 1.025 OPS. Zac Gallen has a 4.32 ERA, and he's allowed lefties to his .254 against him. These days, that's not great.
Buster Posey, SF vs. SD ($3,500): Posey missed a chunk of the season, which is not uncommon for a catcher, but when he's played, he's slashed .300/.391/.503. Yu Darvish was supposed to be a nice addition to the Padres, but he's scuffled with his new team. He has a 6.84 ERA over his last 10 starts, and on the season he has a 5.40 ERA on the road.
VALUE BATS
Mitch Haniger, SEA vs. BOS ($3,400): Haniger seems to have lost the ability to draw a walk, but he can still hit. He's tallied 32 home runs and also scored 98 runs this season. The righty will be facing the lefty Eduardo Rodriguez on Monday, and Rodriguez has a 5.15 ERA.
Jazz Chisholm, MIA at WAS ($3,300): Even though he only has a .309 OBP, Chisholm has hit 15 home runs and stolen 20 bases in 104 games. Clearly he has skills, and they tend to be the kind of skills that help fantasy players. Paolo Espino has spent half this season in the bullpen, and overall he has a 4.35 ERA. Over his last five starts, though, he has a 6.08 ERA.
STACK TO CONSIDER
Red Sox vs. Logan Gilbert: Xander Bogaerts ($4,200), Rafael Devers ($4,000), Alex Verdugo ($3,200)
The rookie Gilbert has a 5.10 ERA in 20 starts. He's allowed 1.32 home runs per nine innings, allowed righties to hit .251 against him, and allowed lefties to hit .260 against him. It's not been a first campaign in MLB to remember for Gilbert, and I think the Red Sox could rack up some hits and runs against him. Boston is having COVID-19 issues, but the big names are (as of this moment) healthy.
Bogaerts is back from the COVID-19 list and is trying to hit .300 for the third straight season. Currently, his slash line is .298/.369/.498. Devers is a career .278 hitter who is hitting .273 this year, but his OBP and slugging percentage are above his career average. Also, he's hit 33 home runs. For a guy hitting .287 with a .356 OBP, it's weird that Verdugo only has 12 homers and six stolen bases. However, the southpaw does have a .929 OPS against righties.
