This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There will be 10 games played across baseball Monday, including a doubleheader between the Royals and Tigers. While that's not exactly an exciting matchup, the headline of the night will be the Braves hosting the Mets. After falling in a big hole at the start of the season in the NL East, the Braves have cut the Mets' lead to 1.5 games. It will be a battle between two aces, as well, when Max Scherzer faces off against Max Fried. As you dig into the slate and prepare your lineups on Yahoo, here are some pitchers and hitters to consider including.
Pitchers
Scherzer ($54) was dominant in his first start off the IL, recording 11 strikeouts across six scoreless innings versus the Reds. They only generated two hits, and he didn't issue a single walk. While the Braves' lineup is certainly more difficult to navigate, Scherzer's ability to rack up strikeouts in bunches still makes him a great option.
Miles Mikolas ($42) is very different from Scherzer when you consider that he only has an 18.0 percent strikeout rate for his career. He's just about in line with that this season with his 19.7 percent strikeout rate. However, he's still managed a 2.72 ERA and a 3.65 FIP, mostly by limiting home runs and walks. He also induces a lot of soft contact, with just a 34.9 percent hard-hit rate allowed. More success could be coming against the Phillies, who are still missing their best hitter in Bryce Harper (thumb).
Merrill Kelly ($38) has improved his ERA by a full run this season despite an increase in his walk rate. It's not all smoke and mirrors, either, since his FIP has also improved by more than three-quarters of a run. The key has been him allowing just six home runs over 97.1 innings. Up next is a rematch with the Giants, who he limited to two runs over 6.1 innings in his last outing.
Top Targets
C.J. Cron ($22) loves playing at Coors Field. Since joining the Rockies, he has a 161 wRC+ there. When he faces the Padres at home Monday, he'll be taking on Sean Manaea ($35), who has allowed at least one home run in three of his last four starts. Be sure to check that Cron is in lineup for the Rockies, though, since he's sat out the last two games after being hit by a pitch.
Despite him allowing four runs over four innings in his last start, the Rangers will once again turn to Spencer Howard ($25) to take the mound. He has a 1.88 WHIP through four outings, which comes on the heels of his 1.61 WHIP last season. The Athletics don't have a ton of dangerous hitters, but this could be an ideal opportunity to roll with Ramon Laureano ($17), who has continued to show his versatility with six home runs and eight steals through 55 games.
Bargain Bats
With how bad Howard has been, Laureano isn't the only member of the A's to consider. Seth Brown ($12) and Elvis Andrus ($13) both have cheap salaries, making them potentially worth the risk. Brown provides some power with his .192 ISO, and Andrus is 10-for-34 (.294) with three home runs and three doubles over his last 11 games.
Stacks to Consider
Padres vs. Jose Urena ($25), Rockies: Manny Machado ($23), Luke Voit ($21), Jake Cronenworth ($20)
Making his first start of the season for the Rockies, Urena held the Dodgers to one run over 6.2 innings last week. Given that he hasn't had a WHIP below 1.48 since the 2018 season, don't read too much into one good outing. Now he'll be making his first start for the Rockies at Coors Field, so expect the Padres to be a popular team to stack. Voit has an 11.9 percent walk rate this season, so his strong eye at the plate could be problematic for Urena, who has a career 8.4 percent walk rate.
Red Sox vs. TBD, Rays: J.D. Martinez ($14), Xander Bogaerts ($16), Trevor Story ($13)
As of early Monday morning, the Rays had yet to officially name a starting pitcher for this game. They could open with Matt Wisler, then turn to Josh Fleming to pitch multiple innings. The need for a potential bullpen game came from Jeffrey Springs (lower leg) landing on the IL. If Fleming does pitch multiple innings, it could lead to a big night for the Red Sox, given that Fleming has a 1.89 WHIP.
Rangers vs. Adrian Martinez ($28), Athletics: Marcus Semien ($21), Corey Seager ($18), Jonah Heim ($14)
Martinez has only logged 15 innings in the majors, but he's already given up four home runs. What makes that even more concerning is that he's allowed 13 home runs over 64 innings at Triple-A. This trio brings plenty of power to the plate, and Heim stands out as one of the top options for the catcher position. Over his last nine games, he is 11-for-30 (.367) with two home runs.
