This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
I was tempted to look at the all-day slate for DFS purposes Monday, since the first MLB game doesn't start until 2:10 p.m. ET. However, for your West Coaster out there, I will stick to the main slate of contests. Those start at 6:40 p.m. ET and consist of seven games. That's still a decent selection. It's still quite early in the season, so don't get thrown off by the numbers you're seeing this year. Keep your eye on the bigger picture, and these recommendations.
Pitching
Ranger Suarez, PHI vs. NYM ($9,600): Honestly, Monday is rough for pitchers. I'm only going to recommend a couple, and even that is a stretch. Suarez has some upside certainly. He had an 1.36 ERA over 106.0 innings last season, though he only made 12 starts and pitched a lot of the year out of the bullpen. Still, that's impressive. What's not impressive is that the Mets had the 27th-ranked penalty kill.
Luis Patino, TAM vs. OAK ($6,800): Patino used to have touted-prospect status, but the bloom has come off the rose a smidge. In his first season as a starter, he had a 4.31 ERA and struggled to strike people out. He's still only 22, though, so don't write him off. That's especially true at home on this salary against an Athletics team that sold off so many players this offseason.
Top Targets
In his first season pitching for the Yankees, Jameson Taillon had a problem. That problem was allowing home runs, as he gave up 1.50 homers per nine innings. At home that number was 1.60 home runs per nine innings. Vladimir Guerrero ($4,500) is built to do damage off pitchers who struggle with the long ball. He slugged .601 last year with 48 home runs in a breakout campaign.
The story with Byron Buxton ($3,700) has been a story of him struggling to stay healthy. Over the last three seasons he's hit .277, slugged .575, and racked up 42 home runs and 25 stolen bases. The problem is that he's only played in 187 games over those three seasons. Well, he's healthy right now, so take advantage of that while you can. Mariners pitcher Chris Flexen was walloped by righties last season, allowing a .296 batting average to them.
Bargain Bats
With Marcell Ozuna ($3,000) having a spot hitting clean up and hitting in a designated fashion, the Braves are hoping he looks more like he did in 2020 when he posted a 1.067 OPS. Anibal Sanchez is doubtful to start Monday due to an injury, and the expectation is Josh Rogers will draw into the rotation for a spot start. The lefty Rogers had a 5.83 FIP last year and allowed righties (like Ozuna) to hit .286 against him.
Jesus Sanchez ($2,600) has earned the starting role in center field for the Marlins after a campaign in which he hit .251 and slugged .489 in 64 games. He was better on the road as well, with an .897 OPS in away games. Michael Lorenzen is getting the start for the Angels, but he only pitched out of the bullpen for the Reds last year. Not only that, he had a 5.59 ERA.
Stacks to Consider
Rays vs. Paul Blackburn ($6,000): Brandon Lowe ($3,600), Wander Franco ($3,500), Randy Arozarena ($3,400)
As a rookie in 2017, Blackburn looked solid in 10 starts. Since then, however, he's been a disaster in his limited action for the Athletics. Over the last four seasons he's made 17 starts and posted a 7.60 ERA. These three tend to lead off the batting order for the Rays, and they all bring a lot of upside to this favorable matchup.
Anytime Lowe gets to face a righty, it tends to bode well for him. He's posted a .923 OPS against righties since 2020 and hit 39 home runs last season. Franco has lived up to the promise with which he debuted in the majors. As a 20-year-old last year, he slashed .288/.347/.463. Last season was Arozarena's rookie campaign – you may have forgotten because of that playoff run – and he hit 20 home runs and stole 20 bases with a .356 OBP.
Giants vs. Nick Martinez ($5,700): Brandon Crawford ($2,700), Brandon Belt ($2,600), Joc Pederson, ($2,300)
Martinez joins the Padres after posting a 5.29 FIP in four seasons with the Rangers. Also, last year he allowed 2.10 home runs per nine innings. The Giants don't have the most enticing offense, but don't overlook them in a matchup like this.
Crawford may be 35, but last year he showed he still has it. He slashed .298/.373/.522 with 24 home runs and 11 stolen bases, all career highs. Facing a righty at home is right up Belt's alley. Since 2020, he has a 1.015 OPS against right-handed pitchers and a 1.011 OPS at home. Pederson is a great upside play against a righty himself. Sixteen of his 18 home runs came against right-handed pitchers in 2021, and he has four seasons with more than 20 homers in his career.
Mariners vs. Dylan Bundy ($6,300): Jesse Winker ($3,300), Mitch Haniger ($3,200), Ty France ($2,700)
There was talk of Bundy looking good this spring. I'm going to need to see it in the regular season. Bundy posted a 6.06 ERA last season for the Angels. He has one season with a FIP lower than 4.33 in his career. Until he shows it on the mound, I'm happy to stack against him.
Winker is a lefty, and he's also great at getting on base. He has a career .385 OBP. Winker has also slugged .552 over the last two campaigns. Haniger hasn't gotten on base like Winker the last two seasons, but he hit 39 home runs and had 100 RBI last year. France doesn't have a ton of power by modern standards, but he's a "professional hitter." Over the last two campaigns he had a .294 average and .368 OBP.
