*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
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Monday brings a light slate in the majors with only 10 games, nine of which make up the main evening slate in DFS. There may be fewer options to choose from than normal, but there are still some great matchups you can take advantage of. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
STARTING PITCHERS
Corey Kluber vs. Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $11,200
DraftKings = $12,500
Kluber’s last start was a disaster as he allowed six runs in only 1.2 innings to the Cardinals. It marked the second time in his last three games that Kluber has allowed at least four earned runs after having allowed three runs or fewer in each of his first 14 outings. Even with his recent brief rough patch, Kluber still has outstanding numbers with a 2.54 ERA, 3.29 FIP, and a 0.86 WHIP. The Royals have scored the fewest runs (288) in baseball, so look for Kluber to get back on track in a major way.
Nathan Eovaldi vs. Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $6,300
DraftKings = $8,700
Eovaldi has been inconsistent since returning from Tommy John surgery, but his 4.08 ERA, 4.87 FIP and 0.82 WHIP in six starts is certainly respectable since he hadn’t pitched since 2016. The Rays rotation has been hit hard by injuries, leaving Eovaldi as one of the few healthy traditional starters they have left. He doesn’t have significant strikeout potential with a 6.6 K/9 for his career, but this is a great matchup against a Marlins team that has scored the third-fewest runs (311) in baseball.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Wilson Ramos vs. Wei-Yin Chen, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $3,000
DraftKings = $3,900
Chen pitched well in his last start, but he’ll likely be a popular pitcher to stack against Monday with his 6.17 ERA and 1.62 WHIP this season. He doesn’t strike out many hitters with a 6.6 K/9 and has allowed 1.6 HR/9, which is especially damaging considering his WHIP. Ramos is having one of the best seasons of his career and has a .380 wOBA against left-handed pitchers this year, making him a key part of any Rays stack you might consider.
Yonder Alonso vs. Jakob Junis, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $3,800
Junis has allowed at least five runs in three of his last four starts, giving up at least three home runs in all three of those contests as well. He has a 2.1 HR/9 this year and allowed 1.4 HR/9 in 2017, so this isn’t just an isolated bad stretch. Alonso has hit nine of his 12 homers off of righties and has a .355 wOBA against them this season, leaving him as a viable option at a reasonable price on both sites.
Others to consider: Edwin Encarnacion (first base) and Greg Bird (first base)
SECOND BASE
Scooter Gennett vs. James Shields, Chicago White Sox
Stadium – Great American Ball Park
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $5,000
Shields’ time with the White Sox had largely been a disaster, but he’s shown significant improvement this year with a 4.29 ERA, 4.44 FIP, and a 1.24 WHIP. That being said, he’s still not a dominating pitcher by any stretch of the imagination and will have no easy task against Gennett on Monday. Gennett has a lofty .332 average to go along with 13 homers and a .371 wOBA against right-handers.
Gleyber Torres vs. Anibal Sanchez, Atlanta Braves
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $4,200
There aren’t a lot of great cheap options at second base Monday, so if you don’t want to add Gennett to your entry, Torres is another option to consider. He went deep again Sunday night and incredibly has 15 home runs already after never hitting more than 11 in a season in the minors. Sanchez has a sparkling 2.68 ERA this year, but he’s been a bit lucky considering his 4.05 FIP and .238 BABIP allowed.
Others to consider: Jason Kipnis and Yoan Moncada
THIRD BASE
Max Muncy vs. Nick Kingham, Pittsburgh Pirates
Stadium – Dodger Stadium
FanDuel = $3,900
DraftKings = $4,600
Muncy has played at various positions for the Dodgers as they try to keep his hot bat in the lineup. He was declared the everyday second baseman over the weekend, locking him into a significant role that he has earned by hitting .273 with 17 home runs and a .416 OBP. With his .419 wOBA against righties, don’t hesitate to play him against Kingham.
Matt Duffy vs. Wei-Yin Chen, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $4,000
Duffy doesn’t get much hype, mainly because he has just four home runs this year. He’s played very well for the Rays, though, batting a career-high .321. He was particularly hot in June by hitting .340 with a .394 OBP. Currently on a 10-game hitting streak, he is a great cheaper option if you want to save money at third base, especially on FanDuel.
Others to consider: Jose Ramirez and Miguel Andujar
SHORTSTOP
Francisco Lindor vs. Jakob Junis, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $4,500
DraftKings = $5,400
With Junis’ recent struggles, he’s another great stacking target. Lindor has been not only one of the best hitters on his team, but he’s been one of the best hitters in all of baseball with a .296 average to go along with 21 home runs and 10 steals. He has scored exactly 99 runs in both of the last two seasons but is on pace to blow past that mark with 70 runs already this year. Although he has better numbers against lefties, his .376 wOBA against righties still makes him a great option Monday.
Willy Adames vs. Wei-Yin Chen, Miami Marlins
Stadium – Marlins Park
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $3,700
With Chen on the mound, it might be a good idea to target a couple of cheap hitters on the Rays who can help you fill out the rest of your lineup with high-priced studs. Adames is cheap on both sites and while he hasn’t taken off yet in his first taste of action in the majors, Chen has allowed a .398 wOBA to righties.
Others to consider: Trevor Story and Didi Gregorius
OUTFIELD
Aaron Judge vs. Anibal Sanchez, Atlanta Braves
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $5,000
DraftKings = $5,300
Simply put, Judge loves hitting at Yankee Stadium. He hit .312 with 33 home runs there in last year and is batting .357 with 15 home runs there so far this season. Don’t worry that he doesn’t have the platoon advantage against Sanchez as Judge’s wOBA against righties (.422) is actually much higher than it is against lefties (.367) for his career.
Nick Markakis vs. Jonathan Loaisiga, New York Yankees
Stadium – Yankee Stadium
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $4,500
Injuries have forced the Yankees to insert Loaisiga into their starting rotation even though he had never pitched above Double-A. He had an 11.5 K/9 there before being called up and has carried that success over with an 11.6 K/9 through three starts. Two of his three starts came against the Rays and Phillies, so this will be a tougher test against the Braves. Markakis has a .361 wOBA against righties this year, leaving him as a viable option to consider for your lineup.
Lonnie Chisenhall vs. Jakob Junis, Kansas City Royals
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $2,500
DraftKings = $3,400
Whenever a righty is on the mound, Chisenhall is a cheap option to target for your outfield. He’s only played 29 games this season due to injury, but he’s hit well with a .321 average and a .394 OBP. He still only has one home run, but he has a .368 wOBA against righties.
Others to consider: Joc Pederson and Jesse Winker
