This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
The MLB season marches on, though with the occasional rain postponement. By and large, though, we're cruising along, and if you are like me you are finding the matchups you like to target and the players you think are providing real value for your DFS lineups. Here are my recommendations from the 10 MLB games Monday starting at 7:05 p.m. ET or later.
Pitching
Gerrit Cole, NYY vs. BAL ($11,000): The math here is simple. We're talking an elite pitcher and a bottom-five offense going head-to-head. Cole has a 2.89 ERA through eight starts and hasn't taken a loss yet. Over his last five starts, his ERA is a sparking 1.67 as well.
Marco Gonzales, SEA vs. OAK ($8,200): This is about the matchup, as the Athletics have been brutal offensively. After dropping some key bats in the offseason, Oakland ranks last in team OPS. Though Gonzales' season hasn't been great, though his 3.08 ERA is better than his 2-4 record, this is the kind of matchup most adequate pitchers can handle.
Miles Mikolas, STL vs. TOR ($9,600): I thought about going with Chris Archer against the Tigers for my final pitching recommendation, but Archer hasn't gone five innings in a start yet, and if he doesn't do that, he can't pick up a win. As such, I am going with a pitcher off to a surprisingly good start against an offensive off to a surprisingly bad one. I did not expect to see Mikolas with an 1.68 ERA through eight starts, and I didn't expect to see the Blue Jays in the bottom 10 in runs scored at this point in the season.
Top Targets
How has Ronald Acuna ($4,100) looked since returning from a serious knee injury? Oh, you know, just slashing .298/.429/.474 with two home runs and eight stolen bases in 15 games. Zack Wheeler has wild home/road splits right now, with an 1.48 ERA at home and a 10.80 ERA on the road. Sure, those numbers will normalize, but I'm happy to roll with Acuna on Monday.
Though Nick Castellanos ($3,300) hasn't looked like he did last year when he put up a .938 OPS with 34 home run, but as per usual he's handled lefty pitchers with gusto. Since 2020 he has a .914 OPS against southpaws. The lefty Tucker Davidson has a 5.87 ERA in MLB this year, and a 4.44 ERA at Triple-A to boot.
Bargain Bats
The lefty Andrew Benintendi ($2,800) looked solid in his first year as a Royal, but this year he's been a bit better. He's hit .329 with a .390 OBP, and when a righty is on the mound it's always a point in Benintendi's favor. After a couple impressive starts, Zach Davies has allowed eight runs over his last 9.2 innings. That gives him a 4.35 ERA on the season.
This season, Christian Walker ($2,800) has become one of those hitters who isn't making a lot of contact, but when he does, he's making an impact. While he's only hit .199, he has a .452 slugging percentage in part because he has 10 home runs. The all-or-nothing approach works for a bargain bat for DFS. The fact that Zack Greinke has allowed righties to hit .293 against him since 2020 (and .305 this season) may raise the odds of Walker making contact as well.
Stacks to Consider
Dodgers vs. Joan Adon ($6,300): Mookie Betts ($4,300), Freddie Freeman ($4,000), Cody Bellinger ($2,800)
Adon doesn't seem quite ready to be in an MLB rotation, yet here we are. Through eight starts he has a 6.38 ERA. The Dodgers bring plenty of big bats to the table, giving you options in your stack. These are the three I'd go with.
Double-digit seasons with home runs and stolen bases is business as usual for Betts, and this year he has 10 homers and three swiped bags. On top of that, he's got a .362 OBP. Freeman can crush righties with ease, and since 2020 he has a 1.002 OPS versus southpaw pitchers. Bellinger is hitting better than last year, though he's still struggled. Hower, he has five home runs and five stolen bases and has enough upside whenever a righty is on the mound.
Twins vs. Elvin Rodriguez ($5,500): Byron Buxton ($4,000), Jorge Polanco ($3,200), Max Kepler ($3,000)
The Tigers have two E. Rodriguezes, and Elvin has been called up while Eduardo is injured. Elvin's 13.50 ERA comes in 2.2 innings, so I am not looking at that. He has a 3.57 ERA in Triple-A, though, and not being good enough for the Tigers' rotation does not necessarily speak well to a pitcher's performance.
Buxton has slowed down after a torrid start, but he's still slugged .604 and has 11 home runs. Over the last three seasons he has a .618 slugging percentage. Polanco had 33 home runs and 11 stolen bases in 2021, and this year his issues have been on the road. At home, he has a .773 OPS. Kepler has an .819 OPS against righties since 2020, and last year he had his first campaign with double-digit home runs and stolen bases with 19 and 10 respectively.
Yankees vs. Jordan Lyles ($8,100): Giancarlo Stanton ($3,800), Anthony Rizzo ($3,800), DJ LeMahieu ($3,000)
Lyles has a career 5.17 ERA. This is his first year as an Oriole, and through eight starts he has a 4.11 ERA and a 6.64 ERA on the road. Lefties have hit .270 against him since 2020, while righties have hit .288. Lyles has been this pitcher his entire career, and that makes him a trustworthy target for a stack.
Stanton is bringing a lot of power even for him, as he's slugged .545 and hit 11 home runs. He's also hit .297, and if he can keep that going he'll add another dimension to his batting profile. Rizzo has an .888 OPS against righties this year, and a 1.037 OPS at home. The lefty has slugged .503, and as a guy with a career .368 OBP he should improve on that front. LeMahieu has a ways to go to get back to the power he showed his first two years as a Yankee, when he slugged .536 over two seasons. However, he does have a career .356 OBP, and at home he has a .923 OPS.
