Major League Baseball gets the new work week started with seven matchups on the main slate on DraftKings. The first game on the slate starts at 7:10 p.m. ET, which is when contests lock for the evening with matchups spread across the country under the lights. Only one of the seven games is a divisional contest while three are interleague matchups.
When building your DFS fantasy baseball team, it’s critical to keep a close eye on pregame lineups and the latest player news leading up to game time. You can do that by installing the DK Live app and following DK Live on Twitter (@dklive). I’m also on Twitter (@ZT_Sports), where you can keep up with all my picks as the season continues.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $250K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st] (Night)
For up-to-the-minute news, analysis, and lineups, download the DK Live app. You also can follow DK Live on Twitter @dklive.
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PITCHER
Stud
James Paxton, Boston Red Sox vs. Colorado Rockies ($9,300) – Paxton has been a very pleasant surprise in the Red Sox starting rotation this season and gets a good matchup against the Rockies away from Coors Field. Colorado’s lineup hasn’t been very productive away from elevation, hitting .236 with a .286 road wOBA and averaging just 3.7 runs per road game, the third-lowest average in the Majors.
Paxton has gone 2-1 in five starts with a 3.81 ERA and 3.54 FIP. He has allowed two runs or fewer in four of those five outings, producing over 21 DKFP in each of those contests. He’s also had at least eight strikeouts in three of his five appearances, including each of his past two. The veteran lefty is coming off a season-high 29 DKFP in a start last week against the Cleveland Guardians, and he should be able to continue his resurgent season in this matchup with the Rockies. He’s the cheapest of the five pitchers priced over $9K and brings great upside on a per-dollar basis.
Other Options – Zach Eflin ($11,000), Jesús Luzardo ($9,600)
Value
Tommy Henry, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Philadelphia Phillis ($6,200) – Since there are fewer starting pitchers on this slate than on a full slate, there’s a weird gap in the pricing structure between $9,300 and $7,500. Of the pitchers on the cheap side of that divide, Henry has the most intriguing upside. The 25-year-old lefty has dramatic home/road splits. At Chase Field, he has a 2.47 ERA and 4.57 FIP while on the road he has a 6.75 ERA and 7.27 FIP. In his 25 1⁄3 home innings, he has 13 strikeouts and has allowed a .205 batting average and a total of seven runs.
Henry was on the road in his most recent start, and he was knocked around by the Washington Nationals. In his two previous games, both at home, he threw 8 1⁄3 shutout innings while allowing just three hits. He had 31.4 DKFP against the Rockies in one of those starts, which was by far his best performance of the season. The upside is there with Henry, and he’ll be facing the Phillies for a second time this season. Even though the Phillies can be a tough matchup, they do rank in the bottom 10 in the league in batting average and wOBA against lefties. Henry got a win against them on the road a few starts ago, totaling 19.2 DKFP in 5 2⁄3 innings of work. He’ll be on the good side of enough splits in this rematch to be worth considering since he won’t have to do much to bring good value at this salary.
Other Options – Luke Weaver ($7,500), Dane Dunning ($6,100)
INFIELD
Stud
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers ($6,300) – If you save money on pitching one superstar hitter to consider paying up for is Ohtani, who can fit in your lineup either at 1B or in the OF. He has hit safely in eight straight games and in 11 of his past 12. In that 12-game span, he has gone 19-for-49 (.388) with four doubles, a triple and six home runs propelling him to a .543 wOBA and an average of 15.0 DKFP per contest. He should be in a good spot to stay hot, as he leads his Angels into Arlington for the only divisional matchup of the night.
Stud
Elly De La Cruz, Cincinnati Reds at Kansas City Royals ($4,300) – The Reds super-prospect has been as good as promised so far in his six MLB games. He has hit safely in each of those six contests while going 8-for-22 (.364) with three stolen bases, a home run, a .473 wOBA and an average of 14.2 DKFP per contest. De La Cruz is a versatile piece to include in your roster construction since he can slot into either SS or 3B. He brings both power and stolen base potential, giving him an extremely high ceiling and relatively low risk at this midrange salary. If he keeps producing, his salary is likely to climb in the coming days, so grab this discount while you can coming into a favorable matchup against Zack Greinke ($7,000) and the Royals.
Other Options – Thairo Estrada ($5,200), Jonathan India ($4,600), Josh Jung ($4,600)
Value
Ty France, Seattle Mariners vs. Miami Marlins ($3,600) – France has been a streaky hitter throughout his five seasons in the Majors and is definitely on a heater right now. The 28-year-old isn’t providing a ton of power mixed into his recent success but has been collecting hits in bunches with five multi-hit games in his past seven contests while going a blistering 14-for-29 (.483) with five doubles and a .506 wOBA. France does have five homers on the season, and three of those have come in his past 17 games. He has been especially good all season against southpaws, hitting .333 with a .381 wOBA against lefties like Jesús Luzardo ($9,600), who he’s expected to face Monday in the Mariners’ series-opener with the Marlins.
Value
Ezequiel Duran, Texas Rangers vs. Los Angeles Angels ($3,200) – Duran is another AL West value who will be on the strong side of his splits taking on a lefty. Duran is hitting .333 against southpaws with a .399 wOBA this season. Since returning from a brief IL stint, the 24-year-old rookie has produced double-digit DKFP in four of his six games, going 7-for-19 (.368) with two doubles, two RBI and five runs scored. He has also been very strong at Globe Life Field this season with a .392 batting average, .270 ISO and .471 wOBA at home. In a matchup against lefty Tyler Anderson ($6,800), the Rangers righties should be set up for more home success.
Other Options – Emmanuel Rivera ($3,300), Brendan Donovan ($2,900), Triston Casas ($2,800),
OUTFIELD
Stud
Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Philadelphia Phillies ($5,600) – Even though he’s officially in a lefty-lefty matchup against Matt Strahm ($7,900), Carroll is my top outfielder of the day since Strahm has struggled badly in his most recent outings and will only be around for an inning or two before handing it over to the rest of the bullpen. It probably doesn’t matter very much anyway since Carroll has been mashing in just about every matchup lately. The 22-year-old has raised his average to .308 on the season with an impressive .271 ISO, .411 wOBA and 159 wRC+. He has really been rolling over his past 20 games, hitting .367 with seven home runs and a .492 wOBA while also adding in nine stolen bases. Over those 20 games, Carroll is averaging 14.8 DKFP per contest, and he produced over 25 DKFP in three of his past four. He has a truly elite ceiling and brings his surging Diamondbacks home after a 5-0 road trip to face the Phillies.
Bryan De La Cruz, Miami Marlins at Seattle Mariners ($4,000) – While Jorge Soler ($5,100) rightfully is getting plenty of attention while the Marlins have been surging, De La Cruz has also been critical to Miami’s success and has shown a knack for coming up large in the biggest moments while also offering consistent production from the cleanup spot. Getting him at just $4K is a pretty good deal! Since May 1, De La Cruz is hitting .324 with a .382 wOBA, six home runs and 21 RBI in 37 games. He has an extra-base hit in five of his past six games while averaging 10.2 DKFP per contest during that stretch. He’s a great midrange target that still provides elite upside. He and the Marlins have an interesting matchup against Bryce Miller ($10,000), who was very impressive in his first few starts but has allowed 15 runs in seven innings in his two most recent games.
Other Options – Adam Duvall ($5,000), Nick Castellanos ($4,800), Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ($4,400)
Value
Luke Raley, Tampa Bay Rays at Oakland Athletics ($3,500) – Raley brings a high ceiling with his power potential and has established himself as a key part of Tampa Bay’s lineup vs. right-handed pitching. Raley has 11 homers in 50 games this season with a .257 average and .391 wOBA. He has gone 9-for-29 (.310) with one home run, one stolen base and a .448 wOBA over his past nine games. He has been crushing the ball and is a good way to get a piece of the Rays’ offense at an affordable price as they take on James Kaprielian ($5,200), who has let lefties like Raley hit .300 against him with a .430 wOBA this season.
Value
Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals vs. San Francisco Giants ($2,900) – Walker was one of everyone’s favorite emerging stars coming into the season, but he struggled a bit and spent most of May back in the minors. He even struggled in Triple-A for a while before finding his stride and going 13-for-38 (.342) with two homers and a .447 wOBA over 10 games and earning a return trip to St. Louis. Since being back in the Majors, Walker has hit safely in seven of his nine games, going 9-for-31 (.290) with one double, two home runs and a .384 wOBA. He also has an impressive 66.7% hard-hit rate and 96.6 mph average exit velocity, per Statcast, which indicates that he’s hitting the ball extremely well even when it isn’t always producing results. For an option under $3K, Walker brings a lot of upside and a high ceiling in Monday’s home game against the visiting Giants and Logan Webb ($10,300).
Other Options – Jesús Sánchez ($3,100), Jake McCarthy ($3,000), Drew Waters ($2,100)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $250K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st] (Night)
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
