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Monday features a nine-game MLB main slate, and the action on DraftKings gets underway at 7:05 p.m. ET. Let’s go position-by-position and break down everything you’ll need to know to set your lineups.
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PITCHER
Stud
Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs ($10,500) – The Cubs got embarrassed in Los Angeles last night, now they have to travel back east and continue their road trip against the first-place Brewers. Peralta ranks sixth in WAR (2.4), sixth in ERA (2.11), 13th in xFIP (3.37), third in wins (7) and third in K% (36%). The Cubs struck out 13 times last night against Cy Young candidate Clayton Kershaw and it won’t get any easier tonight. The Cubs have a 91 wRC+, .302 wOBA and a 27% K rate against right-handed pitching.
Other Option: Zack Greinke ($9,800)
Value
Jerad Eickhoff, New York Mets at Washington Nationals ($5,700) – Several seasons ago, Eickhoff was a part of a Philadelphia pitching staff that had a lot of promise. Poor performances and injuries led to most of that staff being split up. Last week, Eickhoff returned to the majors a different pitcher. Formerly, he relied heavily on a dynamic curveball, but as the pitch went away in 2018, so did his performance. In his first game back, he rarely used his curveball, and instead threw a slider for nearly half of his pitches. The slider worked well (43.8% whiff rate and a 28.6% K rate) with his fastball (.175 wOBA), but this is a one-game sample size. In his first start, the launch angle that he allowed was too high, and it is a concern tonight. In the minors, he allowed five multi-home-run games, so stacking against a $5,700 pitcher is not a bad idea. However, at this price, Eickhoff can hit 3x value easily if his slider continues to strike out batters.
Other Option: Eli Morgan ($6,200)
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CATCHER
Stud
Omar Narváez, Milwaukee Brewers vs. Chicago Cubs ($4,800) – Through using smoke and mirrors, Kyle Hendricks ($9,100) limits damage and wins games. Stacking against him never works, but a Brewer or two will work. Against left-handed batters, Hendricks is allowing a (.394 wOBA, .269 ISO and 2.4 HR/9). Narváez has a .378 wOBA and a 140 wRC+ against right-handed pitching.
Other Option: Salvador Perez ($5,000)
Value
Max Stassi, Los Angeles Angels at New York Yankees ($3,400) – An injured thumb and a concussion have resulted in two separate trips to the IL, but Stassi has been healthy since June 1. However, he is priced on this slate as if he is still injured. In June, Stassi has a .432 wOBA, .276 ISO and a 179 wRC+. He draws a matchup in a hitter’s park against Michael King ($6,500), who allows an above-average amount of hard contact (35%) and strikes out a below-average amount of right-handed batters (19%).
Other Option: Alex Avila ($3,300)
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FIRST BASE
Stud
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels at New York Yankees ($5,000) – The way that Ohtani hits the ball, the park doesn’t matter because his home runs would be home runs on Venus (the gravity on Venus is 8.9 m/s as compared to Earth’s 9.8 m/s). However, a game in Yankee Stadium doesn’t hurt, and a matchup against King is even better (.344 wOBA, 1.4 HR/9, 19% K rate and a 13% BB rate against left-handed batters). Ohtani will surely find himself in hitter’s counts and in a position to score DFS points (.429 wOBA, .380 ISO, 177 wRC+ and a 45% hard contact rate vs. right-handed pitching).
Other Option: Pete Alonso ($5,600)
Value
Ryan Mountcastle, Baltimore Orioles at Houston Astros ($3,700) – Zack Greinke ($9,800) is a better wizard than the aforementioned Hendricks. Stacking Baltimore bats is never a great proposition, and it should be out of the question against Grienke, but there is an opportunity for DFS points. Grienke does not strike out right-handed batters (18% K rate), and he also allows his fair share of home runs (1.5 HR/9). Mountcastle has been hot this month against right-handed pitching (.469 wOBA, .348 ISO and a 203 wRC+).
Other Option: Josh Bell ($4,200)
SECOND BASE
Stud
Max Muncy, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants ($5,400) – He’s scored 10 or more DKFP in three of his five games since returning from the IL. Muncy draws a favorable matchup against a pitcher that has struggled with left-handed batters over his career. In 369 innings, Anthony DeSclafani ($7,300) has allowed a 4.54 xFIP, .349 wOBA, .208 ISO and 1.7 HR/9 to left-handed batters. This season has been a bounce-back year for DeSclafani, but the only real change has been the scenery. He’s getting away with a lot of loud fly ball outs in San Francisco. His .238 BABIP is clue No. 1, but the biggest giveaway is his HR/FB rate. Over the past three seasons, DeSclafani's HR/FB rate was 19.8%, 16.2% and 17.9%. This season it has plummeted to 9.2%, but against left-handed batters, it has not changed (17.5%). Muncy has a .395 wOBA, .270 ISO and a 156 wRC+ against right-handed pitching, which makes 10 DKFP seem like a low-end projection.
Other Option: Jose Altuve ($5,800)
Value
EDITOR’S NOTE: Dodgers 2B/OF Zach McKinstry is not in the lineup for tonight’s game vs. the Giants.
Zach McKinstry, Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Francisco Giants ($3,300) – As predicted, he crushed last night on the Showdown slate. Why did he crush? He was facing a right-handed sinkerball pitcher. Against right-handed pitchers, McKinstry has a .412 wOBA vs. fastballs and a .874 wOBA against sinkers (as I stated yesterday, this is not a typo). DeSclafani is a sinkerball pitcher that is going from an extreme pitcher’s park to a park that favors left-handed power. His fastball allows a .402 wOBA to left-handed batters, and although his sinker has produced solid results (.250 wOBA), it’s being hit at an average launch angle of 18 degrees – that’s not much of a sinker.
Other Option: Rougned Odor ($4,400)
THIRD BASE
Stud
José Ramírez, Cleveland Indians vs. Detroit Tigers ($5,500) – Against right-handed pitching, Ramirez does not strike out (12%) and Matt Manning ($5,900) does not strike out left-handed batters (5%). There will be contact, and that contact favors Ramírez (.364 wOBA, .304 ISO, 130 wRC+ and a 40% hard contact against right-handed pitching). In 10 innings, Manning has allowed a .352 wOBA and a 53% hard contact rate to left-handed batters.
Other Option: Nolan Arenado ($5,400)
Value
Eduardo Escobar, Arizona Diamondbacks at St. Louis Cardinals ($4,000) – Against left-handed pitching, Escobar has been a tough out (.352 wOBA, .243 ISO, 123 wRC+, 41% hard contact rate and a 15% K rate). Wade LeBlanc ($5,300) is a 36-year-old lefty on his second team this season. In eight innings, he has allowed a .422 wOBA, .250 ISO and 2.3 HR/9 to right-handed batters. That’s a small sample size, but over his career, he has a 4.65 xFIP against right-handed batters.
Other Option: Patrick Wisdom ($3,700)
SHORTSTOP
Stud
Tim Anderson, Chicago White Sox vs. Minnesota Twins ($5,200) – The 2021 season has been underwhelming for Anderson, but there is reason to be hopeful. In June, Anderson has a .348 wOBA and a 123 wRC+ against right-handed pitching, and he’s stolen five bases. Kenta Maeda ($7,500) is allowing a .371 wOBA, .210 ISO and 1.8 HR/9 to right-handed batters. Anderson likely won’t benefit from the power that Maeda is allowing because his ISO is below .100 this month, but he could earn the poor man’s home run via the stolen base.
Other Option: Trea Turner ($5,600)
Value
Nick Ahmed, Arizona Diamondbacks at St. Louis Cardinals ($3,100) – Arizona is a sneaky stack (103 wRC+ against left-handed pitching). LeBlanc is not a good lefty and the Cardinals have the worst bullpen in baseball (4.84 xFIP). Ahmed, meanwhile, has been an above-average hitter against left-handed pitching (.352 wOBA, 123 wRC+ and a 14% K rate).
Other Option: Ramón Urías ($2,300)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Giancarlo Stanton, New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels ($5,900) – The Yankees will be a popular stack at home against Dylan Bundy ($8,200). The right-handed pitcher is allowing a .363 wOBA, .252 ISO and 2.0 HR/9 to right-handed batters. This is the exact pitcher that Stanton needs to face to break out of his slump that’s not really a slump. Over the last week, Stanton has a .338 wOBA and .000 ISO. His average exit velocity has been 93 mph and he has a 46.2% HardHit%, but his average launch angle is five degrees. Normally, Stanton does not put the ball in the air enough, but five degrees is very low and some positive regression is anticipated. Bundy is not an extreme fly ball pitcher, but he does allow an above-average amount of fly balls (37%) as his 2.0 HR/9 to right-handed batters would indicate.
Other Option: Kyle Schwarber ($4,700), Juan Soto ($6,000)
Value
Akil Baddoo, Detroit Tigers at Cleveland Indians ($3,000) – Eli Morgan ($6,200) has a home run problem. In three appearances, he has allowed four home runs. Against left-handed batters, he has allowed a 60% fly-ball rate and a 40% hard-contact rate. Baddoo has a .406 wOBA, .259 ISO, 159 wRC+ and a 39% hard contact rate against right-handed pitchers.
Other Option: Chas McCormick ($3,200)
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