This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
We're closing in on every MLB team having hit the 100-game mark. Triple digits! A few teams will hit that mark Monday. There are eight games starting at 7:05 p.m. ET or later. Let's make this a Monday worth remembering. Here are my DFS recommendations.
Pitching
Luis Castillo, SEA at MIN ($10,800): Oddly, the last time Castillo took the mound he faced the Twins. He went six innings, allowed three runs and picked up 11 strikeouts in a no decision. Hey, had he gotten the win, fantasy players would have been happy. All in all, Castillo has a 3.04 ERA, and the Twins are below average in runs scored, even though they play in baseball's worst division.
Yu Darvish, SD vs. PIT ($10,000): Since joining the Padres, Darvish has really benefited from his home park. He has a 4.40 ERA on the road over his last three seasons, but a 3.18 ERA at home. Plus, over his last two starts he's gone 12 innings and only allowed one run. The Pirates have collapsed after their hot start, and now rank 27th in runs scored.
Logan Allen, CLE vs. KC ($9,400): Rookie Allen hasn't allowed a run over his last three starts, though it is worth noting he's only hit the five-inning mark once in those three outings. If he can do that in this game, though, there's a good chance he picks up a win. The Royals are the worst team in baseball's worst division, ranking 29th in runs scored and team OPS.
Top Targets
It's been another stellar campaign for Freddie Freeman ($4,500), who has slashed .331/.412/.585 with 20 homers and 12 stolen bases. The southpaw has long smashed righties, as since 2021 he has a .957 OPS in those matchups. Jose Berrios has gotten his home runs back in check in 2023, but on the road he has a 3.84 ERA. Also, lefties have hit .261 against him.
As a rookie Julio Rodriguez ($3,500) notched 28 homers and 25 stolen bases. This year he's tallied 14 of the former and 23 of the latter. In his career he has an .802 OPS versus righties, and it tends to be easier to steal against right-handers. Kenta Maeda had a 4.66 ERA in 2021 with the Twins, and in nine starts this season he has a 5.10 ERA, including an 8.44 ERA at home.
Bargain Bats
It's been a tough season for Willy Adames ($3,000) but the power is still there. Hey, even last season when he hit 31 homers as a shortstop he had a sub-.300 OBP. This year his OBP is still below that threshold, but he has 17 homers in 90 games. The righty has also slugged .482 at home. Graham Ashcraft has put together a few good starts in a row, but he still has a 5.77 ERA this season. Additionally, in his career righties have hit .313 against him.
Top prospect Ezequiel Tovar ($2,700) has some work to do, but the shortstop has nine homers, three triples and four stolen bases. In his career he has an .815 OPS against lefties as well. The Rockies may be on the road Monday, but Tovar is getting a chance to face Patrick Corbin. Corbin has a 4.89 ERA, has struck out 6.32 batters per nine and has allowed 1.42 homers per nine as well. On top of that, since 2021 he's allowed right-handers to hit .311 against him.
Stacks to Consider
Diamondbacks vs. Cardinals (Adam Wainwright): Corbin Carroll ($4,100), Ketel Marte ($3,900), Geraldo Perdomo ($2,800)
The 41-year-old Wainwright is returning from a shoulder injury, but even before his injury he was pitching terribly. On the year he has a 7.66 ERA, having allowed 1.74 home runs per nine innings and struck out a mere 4.88 batters per nine. Last year he was hit hard, but this year he's been as effective as a pitching machine in a batting cage. Righties have hit .336 against Wainwright, but lefties have somehow hit .396 against him. The veteran pitcher is turning southpaws into Ted Williams.
Carroll is a lefty, and he's gotten hot again to try to put the finishing touches on his NL Rookie of the Year campaign. He's slashed .284/.363/.550 with 21 homers and 29 stolen bases. Even if Wainwright wasn't serving up hit after hit to southpaws Carroll would be worth rostering. Marte has also been hot, and he got on base five times Sunday. The switch hitter has a .291/.350/.517 slash line, and this year he has an .887 OPS against lefties and an .872 OPS versus righties. Even after Wainwright leaves the game, good luck to the Cardinals bullpen. Perdomo has been leading off for the Diamondbacks, hitting right in front of Marte and Carroll, and his .384 OBP should keep him in that role. While he's a righty, his .805 OPS against right-handers is better than his work against lefties, and of course righties are hitting Wainwright quite well.
Reds at Brewers (Colin Rea): Elly De La Cruz ($3,700), TJ Friedl ($3,400), Jake Fraley ($3,300)
Getting his first regular MLB action since 2016, Rea hasn't suddenly become a good pitcher. He has a 4.80 FIP, including a 5.31 ERA at home. On top of that, he's allowed 2.0 home runs per nine innings at home as well. Now, Rea has held righties to a .216 average, but lefties have hit .261 against him. Thus, I have three guys who can hit left-handed in this stack.
After a bit of a drop in performance after the scorching start to his MLB career, De La Cruz hit his fifth homer Sunday to go with 17 stolen bases. While he's a switch hitter, De La Cruz struggles against lefties and has an .831 OPS versus righties. Friedl has a .292 average and .360 OBP, and he's a lefty who actually does well against southpaws. He's stolen 16 bases, and it tends to be easier to steal against righty pitchers. Fraley has racked up 14 homers and 16 stolen bases. He's a real power hitter, provided a righty is on the mound. In fact, since joining the Reds, he's slugged over .500 against right-handed pitcher.
