This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
It's been a busy start to the MLB season, but Monday is taking a step back. There are only five games on the docket for FanDuel's main slate of contests, and that only excises two games that are taking place. We DFS players are used to having a lot of options for our MLB lineups, and that won't be the case Monday. However, I still have recommendations. First pitch is at 7:07 p.m. ET.
Pitching
Walker Buehler, LAD at ARI ($9,400): I wish that Buehler had gone at least six inning in a start so far this season, but maybe the Dodgers just want to ease him in. It's not like he needs to be protected, as he has a career 2.93 ERA and came into the year as a Cy Young favorite. The Diamondbacks finished 25th in runs scored last season, and they are hovering around that same spot to start this season.
Framber Valdez HOU at TEX ($8,700): Valdez's last start didn't go so well, but his first start was stellar, and it seems like he may pitch away from home anyway. Since 2020 he has a 2.96 ERA on the road. The Rangers have risen up the runs scored rankings after finishing 28th last season, but a couple additions aren't likely to change things too much. Plus, as a lefty, Valdez may be able to neutralize Corey Seager anyway.
Top Targets
Though Jose Ramirez ($4,100) hasn't had to be a one-man offense this season, he's still hit like he thinks that's the case. He's started the campaign with a .362/.415/.690 slash line with four homers. Just last season he hit 36 homers and stole 27 bags. Michael Lorenzen has spent most of his career in the bullpen, and he has a career 4.08 ERA. His first start this season went well, but the second was pretty disastrous.
I don't expect Jose Berrios to keep struggling this year, but through three games he has a 6.71 FIP. Besides, it's not like Rafael Devers ($4,000) sweats a matchup with a righty anyway. He has a .939 OPS versus right-handed pitchers since 2020. His struggles so far this season have been at home, so maybe being on the road will help him look more like the guy who hit 38 home runs in 2021.
Bargain Bats
After struggling in 2021, Jeff McNeil ($3,200) is back to looking like the career .299 hitter that he is. While he doesn't bring a ton of power, you can trust him to hit for average and to get on base against righties. Miles Mikolas is off to a great start to the season, but he's posted ERAs over 4.00 in each of his last two campaigns.
With a righty on the mound, Gavin Lux ($3,000) will likely be back in the lineup for the Dodgers. He hasn't had a breakout campaign yet, but he's shown signs early this year. Lux has a .795 OPS in 2022. I highly doubt Merrill Kelly keeps this up for the Diamondbacks. Last season he had a 4.44 ERA in 27 starts.
Stacks to Consider
Astros vs. Dane Dunning ($7,000): Alex Bregman ($3,400), Kyle Tucker ($2,900), Michael Brantley ($2,600)
Last year Dunning posted a 4.51 ERA while getting his first real MLB action. This season isn't going any better. In fact, he has a 5.68 ERA. The righty has also allowed southpaws to hit .277 against him in his career. Thus, I have two lefties in this stack.
Bregman isn't a lefty. He's just an elite hitter who is looking like one again. Bregman's .777 OPS in 2021 qualified as a "down year" for him, but he also struggled to stay on the field. This season he's opened the year by slashing .294/.393/.529. Tucker could use some of that form himself, but he was great last year. In 2021 he had a .916 slash line with 30 home runs and 14 stolen bases, and he's a lefty to boot. Brantley is an underrated hitter, and this year that's been true again, as he's slashed .316/.361/.474. Since 2020 he also has a .917 OPS against righties.
Blue Jays vs. Nathan Eovaldi ($8,200): George Springer ($3,500), Bo Bichette ($3,400), Zack Collins ($2,700)
Eovaldi and his big fastball has a career 4.18 ERA, and this year he has a 3.68 ERA. However, in 2022 he has a 5.75 FIP because he's already allowed five home runs. Also, for a righty, right-handed hitters smack him around. He's allowed a .281 batting average to righties since 2020.
Springer isn't walking, but he's hit .263 and slugged .509 this year. Last season he managed 22 home runs in only 78 games as well. I have zero fear about Bichette's slow start. He's slashed .296/.339/.493 in his career. Plus, last year he hit 29 home runs and stole 25 bases. Collins is off to a hot start to the season, slashing .303/.324/.636 with three home runs. Now, he's never hit like this before, but at this salary it's worth seeing if he stays hot.
