MLB Picks: PrizePicks Plays and Strategy for Monday, April 1

MLB Picks: PrizePicks Plays and Strategy for Monday, April 1

This article is part of our PrizePicks MLB series.

There are 14 games scheduled to be played across baseball Monday, three of which have early start times. Let's focus on the evening games and highlight some appealing options to consider on PrizePicks.

Alec Bohm, PHI vs. CIN: More Than 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI

The Phillies began the season with a tough series against the Braves. Bohm had two hits in two of the three games and also drove in two runs Sunday. He is coming off a stellar 2023 campaign in which he set career-highs in home runs (20) and RBI (97), while also batting .274.

Monday brings a matchup at home against the Reds and Andrew Abbott. Abbott struggled away from Cincinnati last season, recording a 4.29 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP on the road. It should also help Bohm's cause to have a productive evening that Abbott is left-handed. Last season, Bohm had a .929 OPS against left-handed pitchers, compared to a .701 OPS versus righties. Look for the Phillies to score often in this matchup, with Bohm being right in the middle of the action.

Anthony Rizzo, NYY at ARZ: More Than 1.5 Hits + Runs + RBI

Rizzo is finally rid of the effects of a concussion that tanked his production last season. He recorded at least one hit in three of the first four games of the season against the Astros. In terms of this option, he had at least two combined hits, runs and RBI in three of the four games.

Rizzo has a chance to have another productive performance at the play when the Yankees take on Ryne Nelson of the Diamondbacks. Nelson had a 3.46 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP on the road last season, but he had a staggering 8.25 ERA and 1.92 WHIP at home. With Juan Soto and Aaron Judge hitting in front of him, there could be plenty of opportunities for Rizzo to drive in at least one run in this game.

Aaron Judge, NYY at ARZ: More Than 0.5 RBIs

Unlike Rizzo, Judge did not have a good series against the Astros. He went just 2-for-16 at the plate, drawing two walks and striking out six total times. He did produce his first RBI of the season Sunday, and he should have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs with Soto hitting in front of him in the lineup.

Judge isn't going to be held down for long. He has produced an OPS of at least 1.019 in both of the last two seasons. He drove in 131 runs over 157 games in 2022, then recorded 75 RBI over 106 games last year. With how poorly Nelson pitched at home last season, look for Judge to drive in at least one run Monday.

Jose Altuve, HOU vs. TOR: More Than 0.5 Runs Scored

The Yankees swept the Astros, but it wasn't Altuve's fault. He had a terrific series, hitting 6-for-18 with a home run and three runs scored. He has batted at least .300 in both of the last two seasons and hits leadoff in a potent lineup. That helped him record 179 runs scored over 231 games the last two seasons.

The Astros have a great opportunity to score in bunches versus the Blue Jays on Monday. Taking the mound for the Blue Jays will be Bowden Francis, who made all 20 of his appearances last season out of the bullpen. In 2022, 24 of his 38 appearances at Triple-A came as a starter. That season, he produced a 6.46 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP. Combine him starting with the Blue Jays missing Jordan Romano (elbow) and Erik Swanson (forearm) from their bullpen, and the odds are favorable for Altuve to cross home plate at least one time.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Mike Barner plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: mbarner, DraftKings: mbarner51.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mike Barner
Mike started covering fantasy sports in 2007, joining RotoWire in 2010. In 2018, he was a finalist for the FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year award. Mike also won the 2022-23 FSGA NBA Experts Champions league. In addition to RotoWire, Mike has written for Sportsline, Sports Illustrated, DK Live, RealTime Fantasy Sports, Lineup Lab and KFFL.com.
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