This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
As far as Mondays go, this is a busy one with 10 games making up the main evening slate on Yahoo. There are several lineups with the potential to do some significant damage, including the Rockies playing against the Giants at Coors Field. Without further ado, here are a few of the better options to consider for your lineup.
Pitching Overview
The first half couldn't have gone any better for Lucas Giolito ($52), who recorded a 3.15 ERA that is backed by a 3.20 FIP. His strikeout rate has jumped up all the way to 30.1 percent, making him a force in DFS. He'll take the mound against the Royals on Monday, which will actually be the fifth time that he's faced them this season. After allowing five runs and recording 34 strikeouts across 25 innings in the first four outings, this is another great opportunity to add him to your entry.
As good as Giolito has been, James Paxton ($44) wasn't exactly at his best for the Yankees. Not only did he deal with some injuries, but he also had a 4.01 ERA and an abnormally high 1.43 WHIP. He'll be facing the Rays for the second time in as many starts after holding them to two runs while posting 11 strikeouts across six innings the last time. The Rays have a 95 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers compared to a 107 wRC+ versus righties, so this might be a matchup to exploit.
After pitching out of the bullpen in his last outing, Adam Plutko ($38) will return to the starting rotation against the Tigers. He's already faced them once, allowing three runs (two earned) and recording six strikeouts over six innings. Despite being a disappointment in the strikeout department, it's difficult to pass him up at such a cheap price considering the Tigers have scored the second-fewest runs (329) in baseball.
Key Values/Chalk
The Astros will use Josh James as an opener with Framber Valdez set to follow and pitch the bulk of the innings. That's great news for the Angels since Valdez has a bloated 1.50 WHIP. This would normally be a prime spot to deploy Mike Trout ($28), but it seems like he'll be out of the lineup after departing Sunday's contest with a calf injury. Still, this could be an ideal opportunity to deploy the right-handed trio of Justin Upton ($16), David Fletcher ($12) and Andrelton Simmons ($11).
The Dodgers continue their road trip with a matchup against Zach Eflin and the Phillies. While his 3.78 ERA doesn't look bad, Eflin has a 4.65 FIP to go along with a paltry 19.4 percent strikeout rate. He's also allowed a career .368 wOBA to left-handed hitters, which could be his downfall against the Dodgers. Among their potent lefty bats to target are Cody Bellinger ($23), Max Muncy ($20) and Joc Pederson ($10).
If the Red Sox are going to make up ground in the AL East, they need to take care of business in their series against the Blue Jays. They'll face Trent Thornton in the series opener, who they destroyed for seven runs over 2.2 innings less than two weeks ago. Thornton's 1.48 WHIP means he could give up a crooked number whenever he steps on the mound, making the Red Sox an appealing lineup to pursue. Among the most exciting options is Rafael Devers ($27), who is 32-for-81 (.395) with seven home runs and eight doubles over his last 20 games.
Stacks
Rockies vs. Dereck Rodriguez (Giants)
Charlie Blackmon (OF - $27), David Dahl (OF - $21), Daniel Murphy (1B- $18)
After torching the Reds' pitching staff over the weekend, the Rockies now have their sights set on a big series against the Giants. This will be the second game of a doubleheader, so it will be important to keep an eye out for the starting lineup because it may have fewer regulars in it than usual. With that being said, this is a great matchup to target since Rodriguez has a 5.27 ERA and an even worse 5.56 FIP. To make matters worse, he's allowed 1.6 HR/9.
Braves vs. Adrian Houser (Brewers)
Freddie Freeman (1B - $21), Josh Donaldson (3B - $24), Nick Markakis (OF - $17)
The Braves have a chance to feast on one of the weak links of the Brewers rotation since Houser has a 4.23 FIP and a 1.45 WHIP. He's also allowed a .404 wOBA against lefties, leaving Freeman and Markakis with significant upside. Despite not having the platoon advantage, it's hard to pass on Donaldson if you are stacking the Braves considering he has launched six home runs over his last eight games. That hot streak has helped increase his ISO to .264 for the season.
Indians vs. Daniel Norris (Tigers)
Francisco Lindor (SS - $19), Jose Ramirez (3B - $18), Roberto Perez (C - $19)
Norris has managed to stick in the Tigers' rotation, but that's not saying much based on their options. He hasn't pitched all that well, recording a 4.61 FIP and a 1.42 WHIP. His struggles to keep runners off base is nothing new based on his 1.44 career WHIP. Lindor is the most talented hitter on the team, making him a great building block for an Indians stack. Ramirez has started to come around by hitting 18-for-56 (.321) with three home runs and four doubles over his last 15 games. Perez is also a great option to fill the catcher spot based on his 163 wRC+ against lefties.
