This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Don't lose steam with the weekend over. It's another day brimming with DFS opportunity. This Monday, there are seven games on the DFS docket, as one of the scheduled games is the second half of a doubleheader between the Royals and the Tigers. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. ET. Here are some recommendations for your lineup. Let's make this a productive Monday!
Pitching
Miles Mikolas, STL vs. PHI ($8,800): It's a tough day for pitchers. This isn't a particularly-good matchup, but the Phillies don't have Bryce Harper right now at least. Despite Mikolas' 2.72 ERA, I'm not super enthused given the opponent, but your options are iffy on the mound Monday.
Alex Cobb, SF vs. ARI ($8,400): Cobb has a 4.74 ERA but a 3.06 FIP. Plus, his home ERA is 3.45. The Diamondbacks are mediocre in terms of runs scored, but they have a hitter-friendly home ballpark, and this game is in San Francisco.
Spencer Howard, TEX vs. OAK ($5,900): With the lack of strong pitching options, I'm targeting the easy matchup here, not the pitcher. The Athletics are entirely punchless on offense. They are last in runs per game and also have the lowest team OPS in the majors. I liked this better when Glenn Otto, not Howard, was in line for the start, but Howard's salary and this matchup makes him worth a shot.
Top Targets
Over the last three weeks Jose Abreu ($3,800) has a .931 OPS. He's excelled on the road all season, with an 1.027 OPS in away games in 2022. Since 2020, righties have hit .262 against Cal Quantrill, who has a 4.55 FIP.
It's strange that Xander Bogaerts ($3,200) only has seven home runs, given that he slugged .523 over the previous four seasons and look strong in other areas this year, hitting .311 with a .389 OBP. Josh Fleming was called up from Triple-A, and it's expected he'll do the bulk of the pitching for the Rays on Monday. He has a 6.17 ERA, and Bogaerts has a .992 OPS against lefties this year.
Bargain Bats
In his first season as a Rockie, Randal Grichuk ($2,800) has benefited from his home ballpark, posting a .773 OPS at Coors Field despite a .520 mark on the road. On top of that, he has an .819 OPS against lefties. Sean Manaea is one such lefty and has a 4.93 ERA over his last 12 starts after a strong start to the season.
Steven Kwan ($2,500) has classic leadoff hitter skills. He doesn't have power, but he gets on base (.358 OBP) and has speed (three triples and five stolen bases). Lance Lynn hasn't been able to get into the swing of things this season, posting a 5.33 ERA through five starts.
Stacks to Consider
Padres at Rockies (Jose Urena): Manny Machado ($4,400), Jake Cronenworth ($3,800), Luke Voit ($3,200)
A game at Coors Field usually bears fruit. We have Urena pegged to start this one. He's made one start this season, and it was on the road. His 4.73 career ERA doesn't seem to bode well ahead of his first Coors outing of the year.
Machado has scuffled a bit after returning from injury, but on the season he's hit .309 with 14 home runs and seven stolen bases. He has a career .281 batting average and .491 slugging percentage, so he should be just fine. Since 2020, the lefty Cronenworth has an .803 OPS against righties. He also has an .831 OPS on the road this year. Voit hasn't enjoyed his new home ballpark much, but he also has an .831 OPS on the road. The former Yankee has a career .493 slugging percentage, so he has the power to take advantage of Coors.
Rangers vs. Athletics (Adrian Martinez): Corey Seager ($4,000), Adolis Garcia ($3,800), Nathaniel Lowe ($3,400)
Martinez owns a poor 6.00 ERA through the first three MLB starts of his career. In 13 Triple-A starts this year, he has a similar 5.63 ERA. The righty has put up poor numbers ever since graduating from Double-A, so the Rangers have themselves a fine opportunity here.
The lefty Seager has 19 home runs, and the move to Texas is working out for him. He has a .910 OPS in his new home ballpark. Garcia has racked up 15 home runs and 12 stolen bases. He also has an .821 OPS at home since joining the Rangers. The left-handed Lowe has a .918 OPS over the last three weeks. In a small sample size, Martinez has allowed lefties to hit .333 against him.
Rays vs. Red Sox (Brayan Bello): Randy Arozarena ($3,600), Yandy Diaz ($3,500), Ji-Man Choi ($3,400)
Bello has made one MLB start in his career, at home against these same Rays. He went four innings, gave up six hits, walked three guys and allowed four runs. The Rays are dealing with injuries right now, but I have a solid stack for them nevertheless.
Arozarena has racked up 10 homers and 18 stolen bases. That comes after he had 20 homers and 20 stolen bases in his first full MLB season in 2021. Diaz doesn't have power, but he has a .299 average and a .412 OBP. If he can get on base, he can score runs. Choi has a .281 average and .391 OBP. The lefty will get the platoon advantage and has a .971 OPS at home this year.
