This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Here's the story for Monday. Atlanta and the Mets are playing a doubleheader. If the teams split the games, they both make the playoffs. If one team sweeps, the Diamondbacks make the cut with the sweepee missing out. For DFS purposes, though, only the first game, the one at 1:10 p.m. EDT, is getting a contest. That makes it a single-game contest for FanDuel.
You get five players for your lineup. The MVP earns double points, while the Star earns 1.5 times the points. You have a salary cap of $35,000 to dole out to those players. The pitching matchup featuring Tylor Megill going for New York and Spencer Schwellenbach going for Atlanta. Here are my lineup selections.
MVP
Matt Olson, ATL vs. NYM ($8,500): Megill is the lesser of the two starters. He has a 4.81 ERA on the road, but he has been good at avoiding home runs, even in those away outings. Thus, I wanted my MVP to be an Atlanta hitter who isn't homer reliant. If he was a lefty, so much the better. That's Olson. He's had a "down" year in that he's dropped from 54 home runs to 29 and 139 RBI to 98, but he's hit 37 doubles. On top of that, he has an 1.172 OPS over the last three weeks.
Star
Francisco Lindor, NYM at ATL ($9,000): In terms of approaching Schwellenbach as a matchup, the logistics are clear. The rookie issues few walks (1.77 BB/9 rate) and righties have hit .199 against him. However, lefties have batted .260. Lindor is a switch hitter, but he's also one stolen bases shy of his second 30/30 season in a row. The shortstop has also batted .276 against right handers, and .284 on the road.
Utility
Brandon Nimmo, NYM at ATL ($6,500): It's been an odd year for Nimmo. His average has tanked, and his power is down, but he's set new highs with 15 stolen bases and 88 RBI. Additionally, the southpaw long has struggled at home, but been notably better on the road. While even his .766 OPS in away games in 2024 isn't great, since 2022 he has an .842 OPS away from Citi Field.
Jarred Kelenic, ATL vs. NYM ($5,500): My last couple selections aren't locks to start by any means, but I had to make the salary slotting work, and with a doubleheader on hand, I bet Kelenic plays in one game. There's a good chance the lefty gets his shot against the right-handed Megill. He has a .707 OPS versus righties, and a .730 OPS at home. Since 2022, left-handed hitters have batted .270 versus Megill, so slotting Kelenic into the outfield for Game 1 of this doubleheader makes sense for Atlanta.
Harrison Bader, NYM at ATL ($5,500): Bader has speed. He's stolen at least 17 bases in each of the last three seasons. The righty also managed to hit 12 home runs this season. Bader has a decent shot to swipe a bag, and to close out a lineup with two high-level hitters in my MVP and Star spots, that's a fine way to round things out given the remaining salary at hand.
