This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Monday will be mostly quiet across baseball with just six games on the schedule. The Angels, who have lost a stunning 11 games in a row, will try to snap their skid at home against the Red Sox. The Mariners and Astros will face off in a battle between two AL West teams that have playoff aspirations. Maybe the most intriguing matchup of the night will feature the Padres hosting the Mets. The Padres are trying to catch the Dodgers in the NL West, while the Mets have an eight-game lead in the loss column in the NL East. Let's get to the task at hand and highlight some players to consider for your Yahoo lineups.
Pitchers
Cristian Javier ($44) was not sharp in his last outing, allowing four hits and four walks over four innings against the Athletics. He did at least limit the damage to one run, meaning he has allowed just two runs over his last 15.2 innings. His 1.07 WHIP is a big reason for his success, and is why he should be considered as one of the top options for this slate for his matchup versus the Mariners.
With all of the injuries that the Mets have suffered to their starting rotation, they have to be extremely pleased with Carlos Carrasco ($41). Not only has he been healthy enough to make 10 starts, but he has a 3.63 ERA and a 2.93 FIP. While strikeouts aren't his forte, he's only allowed three home runs over 57 innings. More success could be coming in a matchup against the Padres, who have the seventh-worst OPS in baseball.
Cal Quantrill ($35) is like Carrasco in that he usually does a good job limiting home runs. It's the main reason why he has a 3.52 ERA. His 3.87 FIP supports his strong start, but his 15.1 percent strikeout rate limits his upside in DFS. Still, with the limited options for this small slate, he's at least worth considering for his matchup against the Rangers.
Top Targets
Not much of an argument needs to be made to deploy Jose Ramirez ($27) whenever he's a part of the slate. He's having another spectacular season with a 190 wRC+, and he's even dropped his strikeout rate down to 7.0 percent. Facing Jon Gray ($34) isn't the easiest of matchups, but Ramirez could still provide stellar production.
Francisco Lindor ($20) has caught fire. Over his last 17 games, he is 22-for-67 (.328) with three home runs, three doubles and two triples. He also stole three bases during that stretch. More success could be coming against Blake Snell ($35), given that Lindor has a career .352 wOBA against left-handed pitchers.
Bargain Bats
The Astros have struggled against left-handed pitchers. They only have a .664 OPS against them, compared to a .737 mark versus righties. That could spell trouble for some of their hitters against Robbie Ray ($43). However, Alex Bregman ($12) has a cheap salary and a career .396 wOBA versus southpaws, which makes him very appealing.
Yuli Gurriel ($11) might also be a viable option against Ray. He's off to a slow start with a .628 OPS, but he does have at least one hit in four of his last five games. He also had two walks, two RBI and three runs scored during that stretch.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays vs. Daniel Lynch ($27), Royals: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($19), Bo Bichette ($23), Teoscar Hernandez ($18)
Lynch may be a promising prospect, but he still has a lot of room for improvement. Across his first 111 innings in the majors, he has an 18.4 percent strikeout rate, 10.0 percent walk rate and a 1.60 WHIP. The Blue Jays have a predominantly right-handed hitting lineup, with this trio being particularly dangerous. Hernandez seems to have put his early struggles behind him, hitting 14-for-39 (.359) with a home run and four doubles across his last 10 games.
Red Sox vs. Noah Syndergaard ($29), Angels: Rafael Devers ($27), J.D. Martinez ($23), Alex Verdugo ($16)
The Yankees did a number on Syndergaard in his last start, scoring five runs off of him over 2.1 innings. While he's mostly pitched well, two recent blowups have increased his ERA to 4.02 for the season. The Red Sox have the fourth-highest OPS in baseball, so if Syndergaard isn't at the top of his game, another ugly stat line could be coming. Verdugo is showing signs of coming alive at the plate, hitting 15-for-42 (.357) with six doubles and 10 RBI over his last 10 games.
