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Monday features a nine-game main slate starting at 1:05 p.m. ET. Let’s go position-by-position and break down everything you’ll need to know to set your lineups.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Check Swing [$50K to 1st]
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PITCHER
Stud
Carlos Rodon, Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Indians ($10,100) - The Indians are playing doubleheaders on back-to-back days. Their lineup is weak already (86 wRC+, .294 wOBA and .158 ISO vs. RHP), but with four games in two days, Rodon will likely face a watered-down version featuring bench players. Rodon has a 17% swinging strike rate and a 39% K rate. In a seven-inning game, a complete game shutout does not seem like a stretch.
Other Option: Corbin Burnes ($9,900)
Value
Wade Miley, Cincinnati Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies ($6,500) - This is not a good slate for value pitchers. There are cheap pitchers, but most of them should be stacked against. Targeting Miley is more appealing than rostering him, but he has stepped up several times this season. He imploded at Coors Field in the game following his no-hitter, but he looked fine in his next start (early exit due to spraining his ankle while hitting). There are only two right-handed batters with power in the Phillies lineup (Rhys Hoskins and Andrew McCutchen), and Miley has neutralized any advantage right-handed batters used to have against him with the development of his cutter.
Other Option: Logan Gilbert ($5,100)
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CATCHER
Stud
Mitch Garver, Minnesota Twins at Baltimore Orioles ($4,700) - Jorge Lopez is a below-average pitcher (4.17 xFIP, 1.8 HR/9) throwing in a hitter’s park. The Twins will be one of several very popular stacks on Memorial Day. Against right-handed pitching, Garver has a .376 wOBA, .241 ISO and 143 wRC+, and he is coming in hot. His .578 wOBA over the last week is the fourth-highest in baseball. If that’s not good enough, factor in Lopez is allowing a .366 wOBA and 2.0 HR/9 to right-handed batters.
Other Option: Yermin Mercedes ($5,400)
Value
Tucker Barnhart, Cincinnati Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies ($3,700) - The Reds will be another popular stack Monday afternoon. Vince Velasquez is a good pitcher, but the cadre of Cincinnati lefties hitting at Great American Ballpark can beat around even the greatest of pitchers, let alone one that is allowing a 33% hard-contact rate to left-handed batters. Barnhart, like every major league hitter, is better in Cincinnati. At home, he has a .420 wOBA and a .286 ISO. On the road, he has a .273 wOBA and a .106 ISO.
Other Option: Omar Narvaez ($3,500)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Check Swing [$50K to 1st]
FIRST BASE
Stud
Ji-Man Choi, Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees ($4,900) - The third stacking option Monday is Tampa Bay. Yankee Stadium is a hitter’s park and Jameson Taillon is struggling with left-handed batters this season (.387 wOBA, .263 ISO and 2.5 HR/9). The sample size is small, but Choi has a .479 wOBA, .292 ISO, 217 wRC+ and 47% hard-contact rate vs. right-handed pitching. Those numbers are inflated, but over his career, Choi has been a plus hitter against right-handed pitching (.357 wOBA and .223 ISO).
Other Option: Jose Abreu ($6,000)
Value
Andrew Vaughn, Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Indians ($2,700) - The Indians are in a tough spot. In the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader, Cleveland’s starter lasted two innings. In the first game of Monday’s doubleheader, they will be forced to start a reliever and then go back to the bullpen. Vaughn is one of the hottest hitters in baseball. Over the last week, he has a .436 wOBA and a .364 ISO.
Other Option: Miguel Sano ($3,800), Tyler Stephenson ($3,100)
SECOND BASE
Stud
Brandon Lowe, Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees ($5,100) - Taillon has his work cut out for him Monday. Tampa’s 112 wRC+ against right-handed pitching is the third-best in baseball. Lowe is leading the way with a .365 wOBA, .227 ISO and 140 wRC+. Getting out of Tampa’s pitcher paradise is a huge boost for Lowe. At home, he has a .261 wOBA and a .138 ISO. On the road, his numbers skyrocket (.351 wOBA and .247 ISO).
Other Option: DJ LeMahieu ($4,900)
Value
Jake Cronenworth, San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs ($4,700) - He hit at every level of the minors, and he’s continued to hit since his major league debut last season. Trevor Williams was going to be a perfect stacking target, but he was scratched because of an emergency appendectomy. The Padres are still a premier stack because the Cubs’ starter will be a minor leaguer that does not deserve to be in the big leagues. If the Padres were a good stack against a major league pitcher, then they might be the best stack against an emergency call-up. Since his debut last season, Cronenworth has a .352 wOBA and .166 ISO. His power is down a little bit this season, but so is his K rate.
Other Option: Rougned Odor ($3,500), Kolten Wong ($4,200)
THIRD BASE
Stud
Joey Wendle, Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees ($5,500) - All of the Tampa left-handed batters are in play against Taillon. Wendle’s splits are the best of the lot (.425 wOBA, .275 ISO and 180 wRC+ vs. RHP). Like other Rays, his numbers would be even better if half of his at bats weren’t in Tampa (.256 home wOBA vs. .500 away wOBA).
Other Option: Manny Machado ($5,600), Alex Bregman ($5,200)
Value
Eugenio Suarez, Cincinnati Reds vs. Philadelphia Phillies ($4,500) - Unfortunately, slumps are a part of his game. The first half of the 2020 season was a slump for Suarez, and he experienced another in the first seven weeks of this season (.261 wOBA and .204 ISO). He never lost his power, but hitters that play in Cincinnati never do. Over the last week, Suarez is heating back up (.388 wOBA and .316 ISO). Left-handed batters tend to have more success against Vince Velasquez, but right-handed batters hit for a lot of power against the Philly righty (.236 ISO, 36% hard-contact rate and 2.3 HR/9).
Other Option: Maikel Franco ($4,600)
SHORTSTOP
Stud
Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs ($6,100) - Major league pitchers can’t stop Tatis, so how is minor league pitcher going to stop him? He is tattooing everything (18 barrels and an average exit velocity of 92.7 mph). He is Mr. Homerun GIF (15 HRs in 36 games). Major League Baseball’s social media person has the easiest job in the world — embed video from Tatis home runs, no text needed.
Other Option: Tim Anderson ($5,000)
Value
EDITOR’S NOTE: Freddy Galvis is not in the lineup Monday vs. the Twins.
Freddy Galvis, Baltimore Orioles vs. Minnesota Twins ($3,700) - Until DraftKings raises Galvis’ price, he will remain the best value option among shortstops. He’s hit all season long (.349 wOBA and .242 ISO), and he’s on a hot streak. Over the last week, he has a .372 wOBA, .379 ISO and 55% hard-contact rate. Jose Berrios is a good pitcher (3.25 xFIP), but he’s struggling with left-handed batters this season (.398 wOBA, .245 ISO and 37% hard-contact rate).
Other Option: Danny Mendick ($2,900)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Austin Meadows, Tampa Bay Rays at New York Yankees ($5,400) - Completing the Rays stack is another lefty with a lot of power, and in this case, a lot of power against right-handed pitching. Meadows has a .083 ISO against left-handed pitching, but with the platoon advantage, he has a .344 ISO against right-handed pitching. Taillon’s best pitch is a slider, but it’s ineffective against left-handed batters. Right-handed batters have a .203 wOBA against his slider, but left-handed batters have a .687 wOBA against the pitch. This forces Taillon to rely on an average fastball and a below-average curveball against left-handed batters, and that’s why he has a 5.40 FIP against lefties.
Other Option: Nelson Cruz ($5,000), Jesse Winker ($4,600)
Value
Alex Kirilloff, Minnesota Twins at Baltimore Orioles ($4,100) - The prime example of a buy-low hitter this season is Kirilloff. His xwOBA is .408, but his actual wOBA is .304. If you missed out on Bitcoin, GME or AMC, then don’t make that mistake again with Kirilloff because he is about to take off. Earlier this month, he was lifting off, but an injury delayed the countdown. He is back, and he’s hitting the ball hard and in the air.
Other Option: Tyler Naquin ($3,700), Trevor Larnach ($2,500), Seth Brown ($3,100)
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