Major League Baseball gets a new work week underway with an impressive 10-game main slate on DraftKings, starting at 7:05 p.m. ET. The top two teams in the American League go head-to-head in Texas, and some big-ticket teams from the AL East visit opponents on the West Coast. There’s only one divisional matchup on the schedule along with a pair of interleague contests. Most of the matchups on the slate are matchups of teams within the same league but in different divisions. There are some great matchups to attack, though, and I’ve highlighted my favorite plays for Monday night below.
Be sure to keep up with the latest news and lineups leading up to the first pitch. One way to do that is to install the DK Live app and follow DraftKings Network on Twitter (@DKNetwork). I’m also on Twitter (@ZT_Sports), where you can keep up with all my picks as the second half of the season gets rolling.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $300K Relay Throw [$100K to 1st]
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PITCHER
Stud
Jesus Luzardo, Miami Marlins at St. Louis Cardinals ($10,200) – Luzardo has been on an impressive roll lately with over 28 DKFP in four straight outings. In those four games, he allowed a total of just two earned runs on 14 hits with 35 strikeouts in 25 2⁄3 innings. He posted at least eight strikeouts in each of those outings and picked up two wins to improve to 8-5 on the season.
The Marlins didn’t give him a start in Baltimore, where they were swept, but will look to him to start the first matchup of their stop in St. Louis. The 25-year-old acquired from Oakland seems to be settling into a very nice groove and has worked at least six innings in six of his past seven outings. While he has been better at home than on the road and the Cardinals have been hitting better lately, Luzardo still brings enough upside to be a very strong stud play Monday night. His strikeout potential gives him a high ceiling and more room for error as long as he keeps piling up strikeouts.
Other Options – Logan Webb ($10,800), Logan Gilbert ($9,800),
Value
Nick Pivetta, Boston Red Sox at Oakland Athletics ($7,300) – Pivetta is expected to work most of the innings on Monday, most likely after an opener gets things started. He has worked out of the bullpen for each of his past 14 games, compiling a 2.79 ERA and 3.28 FIP and going 2-2 with 39 strikeouts in 29 innings.
He faced the A’s in his most recent appearance as well, going five innings out of the bullpen to get a win and earn 24.3 DKFP. Even though he hasn’t started, he has over 15 DKFP in four of his past five appearances. There’s a little added risk with him following an opener, but he has been so good in the role that he’s a strong value option in this great matchup against the A’s. Oakland is last in the majors in team wOBA and runs scored while also posting the fourth-highest team K% on the season.
Other Options – MacKenzie Gore ($7,900), Matt Manning ($6,800)
INFIELD
Stud
Josh Jung, Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays ($4,900) – Jung drove in the tying and winning runs on Sunday afternoon with a clutch eighth-inning single. He had eight RBI in his past 10 games with a .310 batting average (13-for-42), three doubles, two homers and a .369 wOBA. He has been a great play at the hot corner all year when facing a lefty and has gone 31-for-88 (.352) with seven of his 19 home runs coming against southpaws and boosting him to a .441 wOBA against them. Jung and the Rangers will face Shane McClanahan ($11,600) on Monday in his return from the IL. It’s definitely not an easy matchup, but Jung has proven all year that he can produce in key moments and against lefties, so I love getting him for under $5K.
Stud
Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals vs. Detroit Tigers ($4,600) – The Royals have been tough to watch at times this season, but Witt has caught fire over the past few weeks and is a very strong option as an affordable SS on this slate. In his past 13 games, Witt has averaged 13.0 DKFP and has gone 19-for-51 (.373) with four doubles, two triples, four home runs, four stolen bases and a .470 wOBA. He averaged 15 DKFP per contest over the Royals’ three-game series against the Rays to start the second half and has hit safely in 12 of his past 13 games coming into this home matchup with Matt Manning ($6,800) and the Tigers.
Other Options – Rafael Devers ($5,000), Gleyber Torres ($4,800), Gunnar Henderson ($4,700)
Value
C.J. Abrams, Washington Nationals at Chicago Cubs ($2,900) – Even in a lefty-lefty matchup, I’m ready to back Abrams in this matchup against Drew Smyly ($7,700). Abrams has been red hot since before the break and has a five-game streak of multi-hit performances. Over his past 21 games, Abrams has hit .368 with six doubles, two triples, two homers, a .425 wOBA and 10 stolen bases for an average of 10.9 DKFP per contest. During that productive run, he’s been promoted to the leadoff spot for the Nats, where he should be able to stay hot on Monday night.
Value
Triston Casas, Boston Red Sox at Oakland Athletics ($2,600) – Casas is still hitting just .233 through 300 plate appearances this season, but he has been looking much more comfortable at the plate over the past month and brings good power upside when the Red Sox are taking on a righty, like Paul Blackburn ($6,600), who is scheduled to start against them Monday. Casas has hit 11 of his 12 home runs this season against righties and has a .335 wOBA in that split. He has hit safely in five straight games and gone 22-for-70 (.314) over his past 20 games with six doubles, five home runs and a .411 wOBA. He homered in each of the three games the Red Sox played at Wrigley Field to start the second half and will look to carry that momentum with him to Oakland as Boston’s road trip rolls on.
Other Options – Garrett Cooper ($3,100), Zack Gelof ($2,700), Liover Peguero ($2,000)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels vs. New York Yankees ($6,600) – Ohtani’s blister issues may be slowing him down on the mound, but he is having no trouble at the plate. He homered twice over the weekend to increase his MLB-leading total to 34 home runs on the season. Ten of those long balls have come in his past 18 games and he has gone 24-for-71 (.338) with three triples and a .507 wOBA during that span to average 14.0 DKFP per game. He and the Angels host Luis Severino ($6,900) and the Yankees to start a new series on Monday. Severino has served up 11 homers in nine starts and has a 7.38 ERA and 6.38 FIP. He has been hit hard by everyone, but especially lefties, who have a .413 wOBA against him so far this season. Severino has been crushed on the road as well, where he has a 9.27 ERA and 6.69 FIP, allowing six homers in just 22 1⁄3 innings. Ohtani will look to continue those trends in what should be a smash spot for the superstar on Monday night.
Masataka Yoshida, Boston Red Sox at Oakland Athletics ($4,400) – Yoshida had his streak of eight straight multi-hit games snapped on Saturday but bounced back on Sunday with a monster game in the series finale against the Cubs. Yoshida went 3-for-5 with a grand slam, a triple, six RBI and 37 DKFP. Over his past 10 games, Yoshida has hit .465 (20-for-43) with two doubles, a triple, three home runs, a .528 wOBA and an average of 14.9 DKFP per contest. The lefty has had no trouble against left-handed pitching, but he’s even better against righties like Blackburn, so getting him under $4.5K in this great matchup makes him an outstanding midrange target with the ceiling of a true stud.
Other Options – Mookie Betts ($6,400), Julio Rodriguez ($4,900), Giancarlo Stanton ($4,500)
Value
Kerry Carpenter, Detroit Tigers at Kansas City Royals ($3,200) – Carpenter has been limited to just 50 games this season due to a shoulder injury and the Tigers’ hesitation to play him against lefties. When he is in the lineup, though, he has been one of Detroit’s best bats. The 25-year-old has hit .274 with 11 homers and a .365 wOBA. Since returning from his injury 30 games ago, he has been even better with a .316 batting average, seven homers and a .400 wOBA. He homered three times in the Tigers’ three games in Seattle to start the second half and continues to show he belongs in the middle of the order for the Tigers, who have shown some promising signs of turning things around over the past few weeks.
Value
Henry Davis, Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Cleveland Guardians ($2,600) – Davis continues to be a great value, and I’ll keep featuring him as long as he stays so cheap. The Pirates are giving their young guys a chance to play, led by this 23-year-old who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. In his 23 games, he has hit .280 with two homers, three stolen bases and a .346 wOBA. He picked up multiple hits in each of his first three games coming out of the All-Star break, totaling 46 DKFP in the three-game set against the Giants. He’s locked into the middle of the order for Pittsburgh and should continue to be a great value play.
Other Options – Jarren Duran ($3,900), Colton Cowser ($2,900), Dane Myers ($2,700)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $300K Relay Throw [$100K to 1st]
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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 skills 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.
