This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
The end of August can be a little odd in MLB, especially on Mondays. Both teams that are entirely out of it or biding their time for the postseason are making rotation tweaks and trying new things with the lineup. Still, we do get some actionable information, and beyond that, we can only do our best. There are eight MLB games starting at 7:05 p.m. ET. Here are my DFS lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Luis Castillo, SEA at CWS ($10,700): Castillo hasn't had a steady season, but he still has a 3.23 ERA even though he's primed to allowed over 1.00 homers per nine innings for the first time since 2019. Perhaps the former Red has had some bad luck with the long ball, though getting the face the White Sox is definitely fortuitous. The White Sox are in the bottom five in runs scored, and they are likely locked into finishing last in team OBP, and finishing with a sub-.300 OBP at that.
Allan Winans, ATL vs. NYM ($6,500): Winans is getting another crack at an MLB start, as Atlanta, having effectively locked up the division, are simply idling and waiting until they can shorten the rotation for the postseason. The young pitcher has made two MLB starts, and one of them was a gem against these same Mets wherein he pitched seven innings of shutout ball. The Mets are just below average in runs scored, but I will give Winans a shot, as if he goes five innings I think there's a strong chance he picks up the win, with David Peterson his opposite on the mound for the Mets.
Top Targets
With 29 homers, Rafael Devers ($3,700) is going to have his third 30-homer season, and his success against righties has bolstered that. Since 2021, the southpaw has a .929 OPS against righties, including slugging .567. The Astros needed to trade for Justin Verlander in part because of the collapse of Cristian Javier. Over his last nine starts, Javier has a 7.56 ERA, and on the season southpaws have hit .275 against him.
A scorching-hot Julio Rodriguez ($4,500) has an 1.065 OPS over the last three weeks. His average is up to .278 on the season, and he's notched 21 homers with 33 stolen bases. He's exchanged homer power for doubles power this year, but on the road he has an .855 OPS. Touki Toussaint has a 5.00 FIP, which tracks given that he has a 4.96 FIP in his career. He's also walked 16.7 percent of the batters he's faced this year, so Rodriguez could easily find himself on first, ready to steal second.
Bargain Bats
Coming out of nowhere, Chas McCormick ($3,600) has slashed .284/.373/.525 with 17 homers and 13 stolen bases. His strengths are clear, as the outfielder has an 1.056 OPS against lefties and a .955 OPS at home. Lefty James Paxton has a 3.36 ERA overall, but a 3.94 ERA on the road. I'll take McCormick in Houston against the southpaw.
His walk rate is staggeringly low, but Brandon Drury ($2,800) has slugged .488 with 17 homers in 90 games, and there's more value to DFS players in a guy who only gets on base once but touches them all in the process than walking to first over and over. Drury has also enjoyed his new home ballpark, as he has a .936 OPS at home. Graham Ashcraft has been consistent in his MLB career, as he had a 4.89 ERA as a rookie and has a 4.89 ERA thus far in his sophomore campaign. He's also allowed a .306 average to right-handed hitters in his career.
Stacks to Consider
Padres vs. Marlins (Johnny Cueto): Juan Soto ($3,500), Xander Bogaerts ($2,900), Jake Cronenworth ($2,800)
Cueto was a nice surprise for the White Sox in 2022, but after starting the 2023 season with a bicep injury, the 37-year-old pitcher has not found his footing with the Marlins. Over his last four starts he has a 6.04 ERA and has allowed 2.8 homers per nine innings. Turns out, this was likely not merely a matter of shaking off rust, and now he has to face the Padres, who have some interesting bats to ponder for a stack.
Soto has cooled, but he still has a .404 OBP, and a .491 slugging percentage. A chance to face a righty will help, as he has a .987 OPS against right-handed pitchers since 2021. In Bogaerts first season with the Padres he has 13 homers and 13 stolen bases. He has a .750 OPS against righties and a .754 OPS at home, both the better sides of his splits. Cronenworth only has 10 homers, but he has seven triples, plus six stolen bases for good measure. He also has an .860 OPS over the last three weeks.
Atlanta vs. Mets (David Peterson): Austin Riley ($3,900), Marcell Ozuna ($3,000), Orlando Arcia ($2,700)
Odds are Peterson won't make it beyond the fourth inning, but if the Atlanta lineup even gets two shots at home, that's enough for me. He has a 7.75 ERA on the road, where he's allowed 1.9 homers per nine innings. Righties have hit .293 against him. Then, well, the Mets bullpen doesn't intimidate me either.
Having picked up the pace recently, Riley is up to a .279 average with 29 homers. Additionally, since 2021 he has a .913 OPS against lefties and a .906 OPS at home. After a couple down years, Ozuna has found his old power. He's slugged .477 with 24 home runs. On top of that, he has an .888 OPS against lefties, and an .882 OPS at home. It seems like Arcia's only hits recently have been homers (not in a good way, as he's hit .197 over the last three weeks, though with four homers), but maybe the shortstop just needs to face a homer-happy lefty. Arcia has an 1.116 OPS versus southpaws in 2023.
