This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have a modest seven-game slate to work with Monday. It's a poor day for pitching, which will leave at least one key decision point being whether to pay up for the aces on the slate or not. There are also a couple good hitting environments to attack, most notably Philadelphia and Cincinnati. As a final note, make sure to get lineups in, as the main slate locks at 6:40 pm ET as opposed to the more typical 7:05 or 7:10.
Pitchers
Aaron Nola ($10,200) is the top-priced pitcher available and will be one the key decisions of the slate. He hasn't lived up to his own lofty standards this season by posting a 4.70 ERA, but he's still maintained a 1.13 WHIP and has a significant difference between his expected metrics such as FIP and SIERA and his actual results. In other words, he's still among the most skilled pitchers available Monday and has a manageable matchup against Detroit – albeit in his own hitter-friendly home park.
Blake Snell ($9,700) is the cheaper alternative to Nola. He remains a volatile pitcher and hasn't struck out batters at his typical rate, but his mark of 24.6 percent is still the highest of any traditional starter available Monday. He'll square off against the Cubs, who have hit lefties fairly well this season but have struck out at a 25.3 percent rate against them – fifth-highest in the league.
There are two pitchers in the mid-tiers worth considering in Braxton Garrett ($8,300) and JP Sears ($7,600). Both boast higher strikeout rates than that of Aaron Nola and rank second and fourth in SIERA among the available arms Monday. Garrett gets a home matchup against a Royals lineup that has been mediocre when facing a lefty this season. Meanwhile, Sears has the benefit of throwing at pitcher-friendly PNC Park. Win potential is higher for Garrett, though Sears offers a decent bit of salary savings.
The punt play is Andrew Abbott ($4,000) and he's a fairly easy choice. He racked up a 34.8 percent strikeout rate at Triple-A Louisville before getting the call to make his debut Monday against the Brewers. The pitching environment is scary at Great American Ballpark, but his price point can't be beaten.
Top Hitters
Alex Bregman ($5,200) has looked a lot more like himself in the last month after a particularly slow start to the season. Speaking of slow starts, Alek Manoah is one of the worst pitchers on the slate Monday from a statistical perspective, so the Astros should put up some runs.
As we've come to expect, Fernando Tatis ($6,200) has taken over in the last couple weeks. He draws a matchup against Kyle Hendricks, who has avoided major problems but has allowed a lot of contact in his first two starts since returning from a shoulder injury.
Value Bats
Ezequiel Duran ($2,900) was held out of the lineup Sunday for precautionary reasons, but he should be a target assuming he's in the lineup Monday. He hit eighth in the order after being activated from the injured list Saturday, which isn't what we typically want to target. However, the Rangers offense is excellent and they draw a matchup against Adam Wainwright – who doesn't miss a lot of bats – on Monday.
Kevin Newman ($2,100) has occupied the leadoff spot for the Reds of late and has had some decent production in the role. Given the matchup against Julio Teheran and positive hitting environment, he's a good value option to lock into lineups Monday.
Stacks to Consider
Texas Rangers vs. St. Louis Cardinals (Adam Wainwright): Marcus Semien ($6,000), Corey Seager ($5,900), Nathaniel Lowe ($4,800)
Two months into the season, it certainly appears that Wainwright has stuck around one year too long. He has the second-lowest K-BB% and fourth-worst SIERA among pitchers taking the mound Monday. The only thing saving him from true disaster is his ongoing ability to limit home runs, though the Rangers lineup should test that. This is a deep lineup, so there are plenty of combinations to play, including Adolis Garcia ($5,500) and Josh Jung ($5,300).
San Diego Padres vs. Chicago Cubs (Kyle Hendricks): Fernando Tatis ($6,200), Juan Soto ($5,800), Manny Machado ($4,800)
Hendricks' story is similar to that of Wainwright in that he gives up a lot of contact but has managed to limit home runs. He's survived in matchups against the Rays and Mets to this point, but at some point his skills will catch up with him. The Padres' offense hasn't clicked as expected early this season, but the talent is pretty obvious with one glance. The leadoff hitter could be a value to make the salary burden a little cheaper if Xander Bogaerts (wrist) remains sidelined.
