After a great weekend stuffed with fantasy baseball, a new work week starts on Monday with eight games on the main featured slate on DraftKings, which starts at 7:10 p.m. ET. Only two of the games are divisional contests, one of which is an NL West contest at Coors Field. Half of the eight games are the start of interleague series, which set up unfamiliar opponents to square off in intriguing matchups. It should be a fun Monday of fantasy baseball, and you can find my favorite plays at a variety of price points and positions below.
As always when playing DFS fantasy baseball, be sure to monitor any updates leading up to the first pitch. You can keep up with all the latest injury, weather and lineup news by installing the DK Live app and following DraftKings Network on X (@DKNetwork). I’m also on X (@ZT_Sports), where you can keep up with all my picks as the regular season races play out and we get geared up for what should be an outstanding postseason.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $300K Relay Throw [$100K to 1st]
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PITCHER
Stud
Tyler Glasnow, Tampa Bay Rays at San Francisco Giants ($10,800) – Glasnow has been excellent when available this season although he has been limited to 12 games due to various injuries. This will be his first start since July 31, after he was scratched with back spasms on Sunday, August 6. While his uncertain health is a significant risk factor, his upside is worth accepting that risk.
While his health is a question mark, his upside is not. In each of his last five starts, Glasnow allowed two earned runs or fewer. He totaled 32 2⁄3 innings and 40 strikeouts while going 3-1 with a 1.65 ERA, 2.66 FIP and an impressive 0.66 WHIP. He averaged 27.6 DKFP per contest over that stretch and had at least seven strikeouts in each start. He went exactly seven innings in each of his three most recent starts before his back spasms flared up. If those are behind him, the Giants should provide a good matchup for Glasnow to stay elite. They rank in the bottom 12 this season in runs scored, ISO and wOBA and also rank fourth in the MLB with a 24.9% team K%. If healthy, Glasnow is the top option to pay up for on the mound Monday.
Other Options – Max Scherzer ($11,000), Merrill Kelly ($8,100)
Value
Grayson Rodriguez, Baltimore Orioles at San Diego Padres ($6,400) – Rodriguez has had two stints in the majors, and he has been much more productive since returning to the big leagues after the All-Star break. His season-long numbers are still skewed by early-season struggles, but in his five starts since rejoining the team, he has a 3.45 ERA, 2.74 FIP and 1.08 WHIP. He hasn’t been producing quite enough strikeouts to be an elite option with 24 strikeouts in 28 2⁄3 innings over that span, but he has produced 14.3 DKFP per outing even though he hasn’t been able to get a win.
His five starts since returning have been tough matchups against good offenses. He gave up four runs to the Dodgers but held the Rays, Blue Jays and Astros to a combined seven runs on 11 hits over 17 1⁄3 innings. His other start came against the Yankees, and he went 6 1⁄3 scoreless innings in that start. Facing the Padres at Petco Park is one of his best matchups since returning, and he should be able to put together a strong enough outing to return good value. He might even be able to get his first win since May 9 if he gets some run support.
Other Options – Brady Singer ($7,900), Patrick Sandoval ($7,200)
INFIELD
Stud
Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves vs. New York Yankees ($6,200) – The Braves lineup has been an outstanding source of fantasy production all season, and Riley has been red hot lately coming into this week’s series against the Yankees. Riley has hit safely in 21 of his past 25 games and gone 36-for-104 (.346) over that run with 30 RBI, seven doubles, 12 homers and a .475 wOBA. He produced an impressive 13.5 DKFP per game over that span. Most of his damage this season has been done against right-handed pitchers like Clarke Schmidt ($7,700), who he is scheduled to face Monday night. Riley has hit 21 of his 28 homers this year against righties and has a .360 wOBA in the split.
Stud
Zack Gelof, Oakland Athletics at St. Louis Cardinals ($4,500) – The Athletics are on the opposite end of the run-scoring spectrum from the Braves, but they do have a few options that are useful for fantasy purposes. As the season winds down, they are expected to take a long look at several of their prospects to see if they’re ready for the Majors. Gelof has stepped up and delivered, and the 23-year-old is establishing himself as a key piece of their next wave of young players. He had four hits, two homers and 34 DKFP on Sunday but has been putting up good numbers since joining the team after the All-Star break. He hit .281 in his 25 games since being called up with eight homers, six stolen bases and an average of 10.7 DKFP per game. He and the A’s get a favorable matchup against Miles Mikolas ($7,000) to start their stop in St. Louis, and Gelof is a good place to grab elite upside at a mid-range salary.
Other Options – Marcus Semien ($6,100), Bobby Witt Jr. ($5,900), Christian Walker ($5,200)
Value
Liover Peguero, Pittsburgh Pirates at New York Mets ($2,800) – The Pirates are another team with an extended chance to check out some of its young talent (i.e. out of the playoff race). The 22-year-old Peguero has had success in his 20 games with the team and has been a solid fantasy value in both of the middle infield spots. Before being called up, he had 13 home runs and 21 stolen bases with a wOBA over .350 in 76 games at Double-A and Triple-A, showing both power and speed potential. In his 17 most recent games with the Pirates, Peguero has hit .306 (15-for-49) with four homers and two stolen bases to average 7.9 DKFP per contest. He has double-digit DKFP and multiple hits in three of his six most recent games.
Value
Luken Baker, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Oakland Athletics ($2,000) – Baker is a great buy at the minimum salary after being called up on Saturday. He didn’t get into a game yet but is expected to start against lefty J.P. Sears ($7,400) on Monday. Baker is a big-time power prospect and had 33 homers in 84 games in Triple-A this season. He hit .334 with a .480 wOBA and 98 RBI for the Memphis Redbirds, and he was red-hot before being called up and finished his time at Triple-A with a 17-game hitting streak during which he went 26-for-71 (.367) with 10 home runs and a .526 wOBA. The 26-year-old brings a ton of power potential for the minimum salary.
Other Options – Ezequiel Duran ($3,800), Ke’Bryan Hayes ($3,800), Michael Massey ($3,000)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves vs. New York Yankees ($6,700) – Acuña is always a good play when the Braves are in a good matchup, and he’s worth paying up for if possible due to his sky-high ceiling in virtually every situation. Acuña leads the Major Leagues with 55 stolen bases and has also smashed 26 home runs to go with his .337 batting average, .237 ISO and .423 wOBA. Even if he had zero stolen bases, he’d be a good fantasy play, but with all those five-point stolen bases added in, he has averaged an amazing 12.8 DKFP per game through his first 117 games of the season. In his 13 games in August, he has averaged an even-better 13.3 DKFP per game with four stolen bases, two home runs and a .370 batting average. There isn’t a split where Acuña is bad, but he’s been especially good at home and against right-handed pitching, so this matchup with Schmidt should put him in a place to continue his peak production.
Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies ($6,000) – Carroll has shown the same kind of power and speed combo that makes Acuña an elite option. The rookie produced 21 homers and 36 stolen bases in his 113 games this season and averaged 9.9 DKFP. He has tailed off a little bit, with just a .164 batting average over his past 15 games, but he has hit safely in five of his past six games with a double, triple and stolen base. Carroll is a good option on Monday since he not only gets the boost of playing at Coors Field, but he also gets a great matchup against Chris Flexen ($5,000), who has made three starts since joining the Rockies and allowed 14 runs on 22 hits including six home runs allowed. In those three starts, he has an ugly 8.56 ERA, 9.49 FIP and 2.20 WHIP. Carroll and the Dbacks are a solid stack to consider if you can find some affordable plays to absorb the elevation inflation.
Other Options – Julio Rodríguez ($5,500), Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ($4,500), Anthony Santander ($4,500)
Value
Tommy Pham, Arizona Diamondbacks at Colorado Rockies ($3,800) – Pham is still under $4K even with the matchup at Coors with Flexen. He has jumped right into the middle of the batting order since being acquired by Arizona at the trade deadline. He went just 1-for-16 in his first four games after arriving but has hit safely in five straight contests since then. In those five games, Pham had two doubles, a home run, five RBI and a stolen base and averaged 10.0 DKFP. With his matchup, he’s a good value play under $4K on Monday night.
Value
Dominic Canzone, Seattle Mariners at Kansas City Royals ($2,500) – If you’re trying to get multiple high-priced Braves or Diamondbacks into your lineup on Monday night, it may be time to re-enter the CAN-zone. Canzone was traded away by Arizona at the trade deadline and looks like a potentially strong option in the Seattle outfield. He has hit safely in three straight starts for Seattle, including Sunday’s home run, which was his first as a Mariner. In Triple-A, he posted a .354 batting average and .448 wOBA in 71 games with 16 home runs and a pair of stolen bases. He and the Mariners take on Brady Singer ($7,900) and the Royals in Monday’s series opener in Kansas City.
Other Options – Robbie Grossman ($3,000), Josh Palacios ($2,400), Lawrence Butler ($2,000)
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.
