What is happening on Monday? Well, first and foremost, it’s my Mom’s birthday, and she reads every article I write. So, Happy Birthday, Mom!
Secondly, Monday night features an eight-game featured MLB DFS slate on DraftKings. Let’s break down everything you’ll need to know.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Knuckleball [$50K to 1st]
PITCHER
Stud
Michael King, San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Angels, $9,500 – There are three legitimate pitching options priced above $9,000 on tonight’s slate, but I’m partial to King. The 29-year-old might be in the midst of his best season yet, managing a 2.22 ERA and a 2.82 xERA across eight starts and 44.2 innings of work. King is also in possession of an eye-popping 1.32 ERA and a 34.9% strikeout rate when toeing the rubber at Petco Park — which is where the Angels will travel this evening to start a new series. There’s only two things you need to know about Los Angeles so far in 2025. They lead the league in strikeout rate (26.9%) and Mike Trout (knee) is currently on the IL.
Value
Justin Verlander, San Francisco Giants vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, $7,100 – It still feels odd to be able to get Justin Verlander into a lineup at a price tag this close to $7,000, but the man is 42-years-old. I get it. The veteran right-hander’s time with the Giants did not get off to the best start, yet Verlander has looked much better in his last four outings. Since April 20, Verlander has pitched to a 2.70 ERA across 23.1 innings, holding opponents to a .193/.256/.361 slash line. In the pitcher-friendly confines of Oracle Park, expect Verlander to at least come out and deliver a quality start on Monday evening.
INFIELD
Stud
Carson Kelly, Chicago Cubs vs. Miami Marlins, $5,300 – I’m not sure how much longer Kelly is going to cosplay as Babe Ruth, but his start to the season has been amazing. Through 93 plate appearances, Kelly is hitting .315 with eight home runs and a 213 wRC+. I’m not usually in the business of spending up at catcher, yet this level of production is difficult to ignore. I’d expect Kelly and the Cubs to keep the good times rolling on Monday in a matchup with Cal Quantrill ($5,000). Quantrill has faced 65 RHBs in 2025. They’ve combined to hit .426 off the veteran with a .480 wOBA. Yikes.
Stud
Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals, $4,700 – With each passing day, Olson’s 54 home run showing in 2023 is looking more and more like an outlier. Still, the first baseman does possess a lot of raw power, and after a couple extra-base hits this weekend, Olson sports a .189 ISO and a 118 wRC+ through 40 games. Let’s focus on the “raw power” aspect for another second. That could be very important in a matchup with Jake Irvin ($7,200), as the Nationals’ RHP is currently surrendering a whopping 2.28 opponent long balls per nine to LHBs. Seems like a perfect storm.
Value
Josh Jung, Texas Rangers vs. Colorado Rockies, $3,400 – There’s a lot of bats in the Rangers’ lineup that will be viable on this slate, but Jung and Marcus Semien ($2,900) stand out as the best pure values. The 27-year-old isn’t an All-Star or anything, yet Jung does own a .183 ISO and a 108 wRC+ since the beginning of 2023. He’s a solid hitter with some pop and he’s simply too cheap — especially for a matchup with Chase Dollander ($6,000) and the Rockies. While Dollander’s been at his worst at Coors Field, the rookie has still conceded 1.74 home runs per nine on the road. Understandably, Texas possesses a large implied run total on Monday. Jung should be part of those fireworks.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs vs. Miami Marlins, $4,900 – Seems like a Cubs stack is the way to go this evening and it’s hard to ignore Crow-Armstrong in such a scenario. Regarded mostly for his speed and defense coming into 2025, Crow-Armstrong hit his 10th home run of the season on Sunday, giving him five long balls since April 29. In 171 plate appearances, the 23-year-old is up to a .270 ISO and a .361 wOBA. That’s noteworthy at any time, yet it certainly helps when an opponent like Quantrill is on the mound for the Marlins.
Stud
James Wood, Washington Nationals at Atlanta Braves, $4,800 – Wood only has a single home run since April 29, but the 22-year-old is clearly in the midst of a breakout campaign, slashing .274/.374/.529 with a 152 wRC+ in his 182 plate appearances. He’s dangerous. It’s as simple as that, so Grant Holmes ($7,400) would be wise to tread carefully around Wood on Monday night. Holmes has been quite susceptible to the long ball so far in 2025, giving up 1.83 per nine. That’s the main reason why Holmes’ FIP has ballooned to an ugly 5.33 mark.
Value
Michael Harris II, Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals, $4,000 – Speaking of outlier seasons on the Braves, it’s been a steep decline for Harris since a fantastic rookie campaign back in 2022. Still, Harris is another left-handed bat to throw at the aforementioned Irvin and he’s got some trends on his side. First and foremost, Harris has seven hits (three XBHs) in his last six games. On top of that, no current Atlanta player has more hits off of Irvin in their careers than Harris. At $4,000, you could do a lot worse.
