This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
We have ourselves seven MLB games Monday night. Weather is warming up around the country. We're in the thick of baseball season now. The first pitch is at 7:10 p.m. ET. Here are my recommendations for putting together your DFS lineup.
Pitching
Michael Kopech, CWS vs. CLE ($9,200): The White Sox have eased Kopech into his first season as a full-time starter, but when he's on the mound, he's firing bullets. He has a 1.17 ERA and has struck out a batter an inning. Cleveland's offense has been productive early this season, but I'm not ready to believe in guys like Steven Kwan and Owen Miller just yet.
Paul Blackburn, OAK at DET ($8,600): I am ready to write off the Tigers' offense, however, and that's not just the defeated Tigers fan in me. They were down in the bottom 10 in runs scored last season, and this year they are just trying to stay out of last place on that front. Blackburn's numbers help, too, as he has a 2.22 ERA and 2.09 FIP.
Chris Flexen, SEA vs. PHI ($8,400): Flexen was steady in his first full season as a starter in 2021, posting a 3.61 ERA in 31 starts. This year he has a 3.10 ERA and since joining the Mariners he has a 3.17 ERA at home. It's not a good day for starters, so I will go with Flexen's home prowess against the Phillies as a salary-saving option.
Top Targets
I have been happily rolling with Ty France ($3,700) early this season, and I have no reason to stop. The move from "Bargain Bat" to "Top Target" indicates I am not alone. He's slashed .319/.385/.474. Also, he has an .871 OPS at home since 2020. Ranger Suarez is struggling, as he has a 5.30 FIP. The big problem? Righties have hit .338 against him, and France is a righty who can hit .319 without the help.
The White Sox gave Tim Anderson ($3,600) the day off Sunday, and he earned it. He's started the year by hitting .337 with four home runs and four stolen bases. This is a guy who has hit over .300 in each of his last four campaigns and put up double-digits in homers and swiped bags in every full MLB season dating back to 2017. He's a force on the field, and he's facing pitcher Zach Plesac who has a 4.63 ERA over the last two seasons.
Bargain Bats
There is basically one player in the Oakland lineup doing any hitting this year, and it is Sheldon Neuse ($3,000), a name I had thought of zero times in my life before this season. That being said, over the last two years he has managed a .941 OPS against righties. He's a right-hand hitter with extreme reverse splits. The righty Michael Pineda has one start with five scoreless innings and one start where he allowed three home runs in the mix. All in all, he has a 5.10 FIP after he had a 4.21 FIP last year.
Who is hitting in the profitable second spot in the Diamondbacks lineup right now? That would be Pavin Smith ($2,900), who is getting on base at a .351 clip. The lefty is facing the righty Elieser Hernandez on Monday, and Hernandez has a 6.66 ERA this year and has allowed 2.02 home runs per nine innings in his career. Oh, and lefties have hit .275 against him since 2020 to boot.
Stacks to Consider
Padres vs. Kyle Hendricks: Manny Machado ($4,600), Jake Cronenworth ($3,300), Trent Grisham ($2,700)
FanDuel doesn't have a pitcher listed for the Cubs as I write this, but we at Rotowire (and also ESPN) have Hendricks slated in, so that' who I'm rolling with. The wheels came off for Hendricks last season, as he posted a 4.77 ERA. This year he's up to a 5.64 ERA thanks in part to the fact he's allowed 1.78 home runs per nine innings. I'm going with the hottest hitter in baseball and two lefties who could use an easy matchup against a righty to turn things around as a stack.
Machado has slashed .385/.460/.642 with seven home runs and six stolen bases. I need not say more. Cronenworth has started slowly, but he came into this season with a career .271/.343/.464 slash line and hit 21 home runs last year. He has a .232 BABIP, so I bet he turns things around. Grisham has been even more unlucky, as he has a .219 BABIP (and a career .288 BABIP). In each of the last two seasons he's had double-digit homers and stolen bases.
Marlins vs. Humbert Castellanos ($7,200): Jazz Chisholm ($3,700), Jesus Aguilar ($2,900), Joey Wendle ($2,500)
I always try to offer up three stacks, but sometimes the schedule does not permit it. I'm not going to just toss in a third stack I don't really believe in, because when it comes to DFS, quantity does not necessarily equal quality. There are only two stacks in which I have interest for Monday. Castellanos has a career 4.97 ERA, and Arizona tends to have a ballpark that is hard on pitchers. Indeed, he had a 5.54 home ERA in 2021, his first campaign as a Diamondback.
Chisholm is big on counting stats. He had 18 homers and 23 stolen bases in 2021, and this year he has five of each. The difference is that this year he's also hit .310. Aguilar has hit .274 with a .357 OBP, and the fact he's a righty facing a righty is not a bad thing. Castellanos has allowed right-handed batters to his .303 against him since 2020. Wendle has hit .271 and stolen four bases, and so far he's preferred being away from his new home ballpark. He has a .931 road OPS.
