This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Monday slates always tend to be lighter, but we have a decent amount of games to talk about. Eight games make up the main card beginning just before 7 p.m. ET. That's the sweep spot for DFS because it gives us plenty of options and not too many to be overwhelmed with. There's a ton to discuss, so let's get started.
Pitching
Justin Verlander, HOU vs. STL ($8,800)
This veteran started slow because of a lengthy rehab, but the Cy Young winner has shown glimpses of why he'll be a Hall of Famer. Verlander has scored at least 28 DraftKings points in three of his last four starts, posting a 2.19 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 10.6 K/9 rate in that span. A seven-run shelling in Yankee Stadium is his only true blip this season, but Verlander has a 2.56 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 9.5 K/9 rate at home over the last three seasons. St. Louis is not as scary as it sounds on the surface, with the Cardinals ranked 23rd in wOBA and 29th in runs scored. That has Verlander entering this matchup as a -190 favorite!
Matt Waldron, SD at LAA ($7,400)
Knuckleballers are always one of the best shows on a baseball field, and Waldron has his dancing right now. The righty has scored at least 16 DraftKings points in four straight starts, sporting a 1.96 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 12.1 K/9 rate in that stupendous stretch. That strikeout stuff is terrifying for the Angels because they don't look like the same team without Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon and Shohei Ohtani. The Angles rank 20th in runs scored, 22nd in strikeout rate and 25th in on-base percentage (OBP).
Tylor Megill, NYM at WAS ($7,200)
My uncle, who lives in New York, always said Megill would be a stud at some point. He finally might be right. Despite sitting with a 0-2 record, Megill has maintained a 1.69 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 11.3 K/9 rate through his first three starts. That's what we saw in his minor league rehab assignment, accumulating a 0.57 FIP and 12.9 K/9 rate. This Washington lineup isn't far from a Triple-A team, ranking 26th in runs scored and 27th in wOBA. That looks even better since Megill has at least 17 DraftKings points in four of his last five starts against the Nats.
Top Targets
Elly De La Cruz, CIN (vs. Ryan Feltner) $6,500
De La Cruz is the most expensive player on the slate, but he's worth every penny. This guy ranks fourth among all position players with 9.9 DraftKings points per game, tallying nine homers, 32 steals and 37 runs scored. The speedster is amid a slump, but facing a bad righty in Coors Field could get him rolling again. De La Cruz has a .489 slugging percentage (SLG) and .818 OPS against right-handers this year. We'll talk about how fantastic of a matchup Feltner is later on.
Fernando Tatis Jr., SD (vs. Tyler Anderson) $5,300
Tatis is one of the most talented players in baseball, ranking in the top five in fantasy points per game since his call-up. Staying on the field has been his major issue, but the All-Star has played nearly every game this season. That consistent playing time has led to his best stretch, posting a .419 OBP and 1.040 OPS across his last seven outings. He's also crushed left-handers, amassing a .384 OBP and .831 OPS against them the last two years.
Anderson is an overachieving pitcher due for some negative regression, having his 5.00 xERA sit double his 2.47 ERA. We also don't mind stacking the rest of these San Diego bats against Anderson, with Manny Machado ($4,900), Jurickson Profar ($4,200) and Ha-Seong Kim ($4,200) killing lefties throughout their careers.
Bargain Bats
Corbin Carroll and Joc Pederson, ARI (vs. Spencer Howard) $4,400/$4,200
These two guys are the best values, according to the RotoWire Optimizer. It's easy to understand why. There's no doubt Carroll has been one of the biggest busts in fantasy, but seeing him at $4,400 is wild. He was $1,500 more at times last year when he was a top-five player, and he comes into this matchup scoring at least 9.0 DraftKings points in five of his last seven outings. In addition, he has a .350 OBP, .494 SLG and a .845 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor since 2022, recording 51 of his 65 steals against righties.
Pederson is also a great option against righties because he always bats third against them. That promotion in the lineup is far from surprising since he has a .397 OBP and .919 OPS against them this year. That's not far off of his career averages. These two should have success against a pitcher like Howard. In 115 career innings at this level, Howard has a 7.20 ERA and 1.67 WHIP.
Alex Bregman, HOU (vs. Kyle Gibson) $4,100
Bregman was terrible through the opening two months, but the All-Star is finally starting to replicate what we've seen on the back of the baseball card. The third baseman has homered in three of his last five fixtures, providing a .909 OPS across his last 19 outings. That's the guy we've become accustomed to, with Bregman accruing a .368 career OBP and .849 OPS. The hot stretch should continue against a journeyman like Gibson, earning a 4.51 ERA and 1.37 WHIP across his 11-year career. Not to mention, Bregman has a .429 OBP and 1.071 OPS in 28 at-bats against the veteran.
Stacks to Consider
Cincinnati Reds at Colorado Rockies (Ryan Feltner): Elly De La Cruz ($6,500), TJ Friedl ($5,000), Will Benson ($4,400)
Using any offense in Coors Field is a cheat code. Not only is that ballpark the most hitter-friendly environment in baseball, but Colorado ranks last in ERA and WHIP. That's a terrifying combination, with Cincy projected to score a slate-high six runs in this game. Facing a guy like Feltner shouldn't deter them from reaching that, with the righty registering a 5.89 ERA and 1.52 WHIP throughout his four-year career.
We already discussed De La Cruz as the best play of the day, but we shouldn't overlook these other guys. Friedl's season-long numbers are far from pretty, but he's only played 10 games because of two lengthy stints on the injured list (IL). He had 19 homers and 27 steals thanks to his .819 OPS last year, and a home run on Sunday could be the thing to get him going. We love Benson because of his splits, sporting a .352 OBP, .489 SLG and .841 OPS against righties since his call-up. He's also got eight homers and eight steals this season, showcasing the power-speed combo that makes him a worthy DFS play for the highest-projected offense on this slate.
San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (Ryne Nelson): Matt Chapman ($4,800), Luis Matos ($3,600), Patrick Bailey ($3,200)
We already recommended expensive stacks like the Reds, Astros and Diamondbacks, but the Giants are one of the best cheap stacks. The main reason for that is this matchup with Nelson, who's been one of the worst pitchers in the National League. The Diamondbacks righty has a 6.34 ERA and 1.80 WHIP in his eight starts this season. It looks even worse when you see Nelson has allowed at least 10 hits in two of his last four starts.
San Francisco isn't the most stackable team, but they have some cheap players we're willing to trust. Chapman is the best option, collecting a .444 OBP and 1.060 OPS across his last 14 outings. Matos comes into this matchup amid an 0-for-17 stretch, but he was moved to the leadoff spot because of a hot stretch before that. He had a .288 batting average (AVG) and .752 OPS in the 13 games prior, averaging 12.6 DraftKings points per game in that span. Bailey is projected to bat third for the Giants, generating a .400 OBP and .916 OPS across his last nine outings.
