This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Baseball is a nice addition to any Monday, even if the traditional work week usually starts with a lighter day for MLB. We've got eight evening outings Monday. Here are my recommendations for your lineup.
Pitching
Julio Urias, LAD vs. MIL ($10,400): Urias actually faced the Brewers in his last start and went five innings of shutout ball. That's not surprising, given the reigning ace of the Dodgers' rotation has a 2.40 ERA. While the Brewers are above average in terms of runs scored, a few of their key bats are lefties, and Urias has held southpaws to a .195 average since 2020.
Pablo Lopez, MIA at OAK ($9,000): Lopez has had a rough stretch, but he still has a 3.77 FIP after posting a 3.28 FIP last season. This is a great matchup to get things back on track. The Athletics are 29th in runs scored and team OPS, and they have a pitcher-friendly ballpark, too.
Jeffrey Springs, TAM vs. LAA ($8,000): Springs became a starter this year, and the role has served him well. Particularly, at home he has a 2.27 ERA. While Mike Trout is back, the Angels are still bottom six in runs scored with a sub-.300 OBP as a team.
Top Targets
Say, Mookie Betts ($4,400) has a .993 OPS versus lefties and a .961 OPS at home. This game is at Dodger Stadium, and southpaw Eric Lauer is on the mound. Not only that, but Lauer has a 4.48 ERA on the road, which is in line with his 4.78 FIP on the season. Sounds like a rewarding recipe to me.
In addition to his 21 home runs and 13 stolen bases, Francisco Lindor ($3,700) has hit .274. While he's a switch hitter, he has an .844 OPS versus righties. Yankee Stadium tends to help out lefty hitters, as Anthony Rizzo can attest to. Meanwhile, in his career Domingo German has a 4.53 ERA, in part because he's allowed 1.63 home runs per nine innings.
Bargain Bats
Sometimes, an unheralded rookie shows up and makes a splash. Jose Miranda ($3,600) is now the designated hitter for the Twins, and he's hit .284 and slugged .474 with 13 home runs in 82 games. That includes an .876 OPS versus lefties. Cole Ragans' rookie season is not going as well as Miranda's, as he has a 7.44 FIP through three starts.
The speedy Jon Berti ($3,300) is back in the lineup. This year he's hit .265 with a .348 OBP, and he's stolen 30 bases in 67 games. Facing a righty is usually better for a base stealer, and Adam Oller is a righty. Not only that, but Oller has an 8.59 ERA at home and has let righties hit .306 against him.
Stacks to Consider
Braves at Pirates (Roansy Contreras): Matt Olson ($3,800), Michael Harris ($3,400), Vaughn Grissom ($3,400)
In his first start back from the minors, Contreras allowed six hits, four walks and four runs in six innings. On the season, he has a 4.81 FIP. The Braves have a strong lineup, so much so that I didn't even have to include some of the biggest names the team has to offer. Also, I have two lefties here since Contreras is right handed.
Even with 26 homers, Olson has taken a slight step down from his Oakland peak, but this matchup is right up his alley. This season he has an .854 OPS versus righties and an .845 OPS on the road. Harris has hit the ground running as a rookie, racking up 12 home runs and 15 stolen bases. He also has an .892 OPS versus right-handed pitchers as well. Grissom is another rookie who has come roaring out of the gate. He's slashed .395/.447/.674, and that's great even in a sample size of 12 games.
Phillies vs. Reds (Luis Cessa): Rhys Hoskins ($3,300), Kyle Schwarber ($3,200), Darick Hall ($2,800)
The Reds are trying to stretch out Cessa to be a starter, so at most he will probably get through the rotation twice. That's enough, though, given that Cessa has a 5.50 ERA this season mostly pitching out of the bullpen. A parade of relief pitchers could impede the two lefties I am recommending, but I'm still going for it in this stack.
Hoskins has posted an .882 OPS over the last three weeks. While he's been decidedly better against lefties, he also has a .905 OPS at home, and that's encouraging to me. Schwarber has racked up 34 home runs, most of them against righties of course. He has an .856 OPS against righties, but if a lefty shows up, he has slugged .417 versus southpaws in 2022. Hall needs to face a righty. He's shielded from southpaws but has a .915 OPS against right handers. The designated hitter also has an 1.069 OPS at home.
Cardinals at Cubs (Drew Smyly): Nolan Arenado ($4,000), Dylan Carlson ($3,000), Tyler O'Neill ($3,000)
This has become a go-to stack for me when the Cardinals are facing a left-handed pitcher. Yes, Paul Goldschmidt would be a great choice as well, but this stack can save a smidge of salary. Smyly has a 3.67 ERA but a 4.12 FIP. That's actually better than his career 4.32 FIP. Additionally, the lefty has let righties hit .276 against him in 2022.
Arenado is tearing it up, notching an 1.062 OPS across the last 21 days. He also has a .903 OPS against lefties since 2020, and that's even with the struggles he had in his final season as a Rockie calling Coors home. Carlson may be a switch hitter, but he definitely prefers a lefty. In his career he's slashed .325/.379/.506 against left-handed pitchers. O'Neill has dipped from his 34-homer, 15-stolen base season in 2021, but he has seven home runs and nine stolen bases in 72 games. He hasn't gotten to face many lefties this year, but when he has, he has a .751 OPS.
