Monday night starts another busy week of fantasy baseball with a six-game slate on tap for the main contests on DraftKings, which begins at 7:40 p.m. ET. The upstart Royals host the surging Yankees in a great American League matchup while four of the six games are part of interleague series like the Rockies rolling into Minnesota and the Astros stopping by the Bay to face the Giants.
Since there are no divisional games scheduled for Monday, there are some more unusual matchups to consider. With multiple ways to build your lineup and some good matchups to attack, you might find yourself stretched thin for salary cap space. If you are forced to go cheap in a spot or two, check out the bargain values highlighted below which save significant salary space but still bring high ceilings.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $250K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
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SP Joey Estes, Oakland Athletics at San Diego Padres, $6,800
Estes’ overall numbers for the season are still skewed by a bad outing against the Astros earlier in the year, but he has allowed zero or one run in three of his five MLB starts. In his most recent start, he got through the first six innings with a perfect game and left after 6 1⁄3 shutout innings with just one hit allowed, five strikeouts and 27.7 DKFP. Estes has at least five strikeouts in each of his last three starts and 25 strikeouts in 27 innings this season. While his 4.67 ERA shows he’s high-risk, he has a 3.04 FIP and 0.96 WHIP which indicate he has pitched better than his ERA shows. On Monday, he’ll look to keep rolling against the Padres at pitcher-friendly Petco Park. The Padres have been one of the best offenses in the MLB this season, but they have been able to be held in check at home. They also may be without Manny Machado (hip) in addition to Xander Bogaerts (shoulder). While San Diego is still a tough matchup, Estes has shown enough promise with over 15 DKFP in three straight starts to be worth considering at his bargain salary under $7,000 on Monday’s slate.
2B Spencer Horwitz, Toronto Blue Jays at Milwaukee Brewers, $2,600
The Blue Jays called up Horwitz on Friday when they designated Cavan Biggio for assignment, likely signaling an end to Biggio’s time with Toronto. The Blue Jays decided instead to take a look at what they have in Horwitz, who is the No. 16 prospect in the organization, according to MLB Pipeline. They put Horwitz right in the middle of the action, as he started both Saturday and Sunday against the A’s. He hit second on Saturday and helped the team score in the first inning for the first time in 29 games. He then was moved to the leadoff spot on Sunday, going a combined 1-for-8 with a run scored. In Triple-A, the 26-year-old lefty hit .335 across 57 games with four home runs, three stolen bases and a .436 wOBA. Horwitz could be a great bargain play on this slate against Colin Rea ($6,200) and the Brewers if he continues to hit near the top of Toronto’s lineup and turn in quality at-bats.
SS Adael Amador, Colorado Rockies at Minnesota Twins, $2,000
Another recent call-up with great bargain potential is Rockies youngster Adael Amador, who has reached the MLB at just 21 years old. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the No. 1 prospect in the entire Rockies system and the No. 32 prospect in all of baseball. Colorado moved the middle infielder from Double-A straight to the MLB on Sunday for his MLB debut. He went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and 8.0 DKFP in his debut. Amador’s season-long numbers with the Hartford Yard Goats of Double-A aren’t great—he hit just .195 with seven homers and a .320 wOBA in 46 games. However, he did steal 22 bases in 25 attempts and went 14-for-39 (.359) with six stolen bases and six home runs in his last nine games. Amador’s hot streak and an injury to Brendan Rodgers (hamstring) was enough to convince the Rockies that he’s ready for his first taste of the majors. At just $2,000, his speed alone is enough to put him on the fantasy radar, but he didn’t look overmatched on Sunday and has the tools to return excellent value from his minimum salary at SS.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $250K Relay Throw [$50K 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 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.
