Major League Baseball is ready to get the work week underway with a giant Monday night slate of fantasy baseball excitement on DraftKings. The first pitch of the night is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET, but there is some rain to keep a close eye on in Baltimore, Boston and Philadelphia which could cause delays or cancelations. The weather is clearer across the rest of the country as games get underway in the Midwest and the West Coast later in the slate.
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Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $333K Relay Throw [$100K to 1st]
For up-to-the-minute news, analysis and lineups, download the DK Live app. You also can follow DK Live on Twitter @dklive.
PITCHER
Stud
Tony Gonsolin, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals ($10,200) – This pitching slate looks like it will be quite the adventure with Gonsolin one of just two pitchers over $10K and six pitchers over $8K. With so much volatility across the rest of the pitcher player pool, Gonsolin’s reliability makes him worth considering as the safest play. He is an impressive 11-0 in 17 starts with a 2.02 ERA, 3.39 FIP and 8.26 K/9 rate. He has gone at least five innings in 10 straight starts and has only allowed more than two earned runs one time all season. The Dodgers normally don’t let him work extremely deep into games and his strikeout rate isn’t high enough to make him elite. His consistency and a good matchup against the Nationals, though, are enough to still make him a solid cornerstone to build around Monday night.
Other Options – Sean Manaea ($8,800), Merrill Kelly ($8,500)
Value
Jake Odorizzi, Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics ($7,800) – Odorizzi is another option that has been fairly reliable when available this season although injury has limited him to just 10 starts. He has gone 4-2 with a 3.56 ERA, 3.43 FIP and 6.75 K/9. He’ll be facing the Athletics for the third straight start after allowing three runs over 12 1⁄3 innings while striking out 12 and producing 30.8 and 12.4 DKFP. Odorizzi should be able to keep rolling against a struggling Oakland lineup and he should get good run support going head-to-head with Adam Oller ($5,200), who has given up 28 runs in 27 1⁄3 innings this season.
Other Options – Aaron Ashby ($7,700), JT Brubaker ($7,400)
INFIELD
Stud
Marcus Semien, Texas Rangers at Seattle Mariners ($5,100) – Semien started slowly in his first season with the Rangers but has been playing much better over the past month. In his 22 most recent contests, he is hitting .307 with seven doubles, six homers, five stolen bases and a .412 wOBA. He’s typically in a top lineup spot for Texas, resulting in plenty of opportunities, and he should have a good matchup against Chris Flexen ($7,200), who he is 4-for-8 against in his career with a home run. His power and speed combo gives him a high ceiling and makes him an attractive middle infield play Monday.
Stud
Amed Rosario, Cleveland Guardians at Boston Red Sox ($5,000) – Rosario has an 11-game hitting streak coming into this series at Fenway Park, going 20-for-45 (.444) with six doubles, a triple and a stolen base during that span. Like Semien, he has been hitting the ball well over the past month, usually occupies a good lineup spot and brings both power and speed potential. Rosario is also in a good matchup against Nick Pivetta ($8,200), who has struggled lately along with the rest of the Red Sox pitching staff.
Other Options – Austin Riley ($5,800), J.T. Realmuto ($5,400)
Value
Hunter Dozier, Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels ($3,100) – Dozier has been heating up a little bit this month, going 18-for-54 (.333) over his past 15 games with five doubles, a triple and two home runs. Dozier comes at a nice salary and brings good power potential as one of Kansas City’s best bats coming into their home series against Noah Syndergaard ($7,000) and the Angels.
Value
Ezequiel Duran, Texas Rangers at Seattle Mariners ($2,700) – Duran showed some flashes in his first stint in the Majors earlier this season but was ultimately sent to Triple-A at the end of June. The Rangers recalled him after the All-Star break, though, and the 23-year-old has started all three games since then with a hit in each contest. In his 18 games with the Round Rock Express, he hit .295 with six home runs, a .376 wOBA and three stolen bases. If he continues to get regular time, he brings a high ceiling for an option available under $3K.
Other Options – Luis Rengifo ($3,500), Nathaniel Lowe ($3,400)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics ($6,300) – No Yankees on the slate means no Aaron Judge locked into this spot, which opens up the door for another young slugger to step in. Alvarez was out of Sunday’s lineup with lingering hand soreness, but as long as he’s back in the order Monday, he’ll get a great matchup highlighted below in stacks. Alvarez has mashed 10 homers in his past 20 games bringing his season total to 28 and boosting his wOBA to .447 on the year. He is hitting over .300 and is demolishing right-handed pitching with a .343 average, .425 ISO and .494 wOBA. He has actually been better on the road than at home and is hitting .350 with a .487 wOBA against the Athletics, so all the splits are in his favor for Monday night’s contest.
Stud
Hunter Renfroe, Milwaukee Brewers vs. Colorado Rockies ($4,100) – Renfroe has homered and had multiple hits in each of the first three games of this four-game set with the Rockies and has a seven-game hitting streak dating back to before the break. Renfroe also has a good history against opposing lefty Kyle Freeland ($7,500), going 7-for-18 (.389) with a home run in their previous meetings.
Other Options – Adolis García ($4,900), Kyle Tucker ($4,800)
Value
Alek Thomas, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. San Francisco Giants ($3,000) – All season, exciting rookie hitters have been providing good value and Thomas has been one my regular picks in this space when facing right-handed pitching. The 22-year-old top prospect went 3-for-4 with 17 DKFP on Saturday and followed that up with 9.0 DKFP on Sunday. He has hit safely in nine of his past 11 games and has regularly hit second in the order against righties. In July, he’s hitting .279 with four doubles, a triple, a home run and eight RBI. He still doesn’t walk very much (just 15 in 64 games), but he’s producing enough to be worth a look at just $3K against Jakob Junis ($7,900) and the visiting Giants.
Value
Nomar Mazara, San Diego Padres at Detroit Tigers ($2,600) – After going 0-for-7 in his first two games after the All-Star break, Mazara bounced back with a pair of hits and 8.0 DKFP on Sunday night against the Mets. The lefty has been hitting cleanup for the Padres and was providing nice value by going 17-for-54 (.315) in his 17 games leading into the break with three doubles and a home run over that span. At such an affordable salary, he’s a nice way to spend up in other spots while still getting a middle-of-the-order bat with upside in a good lineup.
Other Options – Austin Slater ($3,300), Trayce Thompson ($2,500)
TEAMS TO STACK
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals – The Dodgers won four straight before the break and resumed play with four straight wins over the visiting Giants. They’ll look to continue their successful homestand against the visiting Nationals and Paolo Espino ($6,500) on Monday night. Espino has given up two home runs in three of his past four starts, allowing at least four runs in each of those outings. Over his past five starts, he has allowed 15 runs on 29 hits including seven homers in 22 2⁄3 innings. From his time in the NL East, Freddie Freeman ($6,200) knows him well and has gone 4-for-8 with a home run against him in the past. The rest of the order is less familiar with Espino but brings plenty of home run potential with Mookie Betts ($5,400), Trea Turner ($5,800), Will Smith ($5,100), Cody Bellinger ($3,600) and Max Muncy ($4,000) all plays worth considering. Trayce Thompson ($2,500) and Jake Lamb ($2,200) have also been solid bargain options helping to round out the lineup and chip in meaningful production.
Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics – The Astros have won five straight since the All-Star break, averaging over five runs per game. They will look to keep rolling as they head to Oakland to face Adam Oller. Oller has been hammered this season, surrendering 28 runs on 35 hits including eight home runs and issuing 19 walks in his 27 1⁄3 innings. Five of those eight homers allowed have come to lefties, who have a .462 wOBA against him on the season. Lefties Yordan Alvarez (discussed above) and Kyle Tucker ($4,800) make sense to build around, and Tucker has homered off Oller in the past. Jose Altuve ($5,000) and Alex Bregman ($4,700) are always good plays when Houston has a favorable matchup, and there is usually some value in the Astros’ order as well with Aledmys Díaz ($3,300), Chas McCormick ($2,800), Mauricio Dubon ($2,700) or even J.J. Matijevic ($2,200) making sense if they get the start against Oller.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $333K Relay Throw [$100K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
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