Major League Baseball starts off the new work week with nine games on the main MLB DFS fantasy baseball slate this Monday night. After a fun Rivalry Weekend, the nine new series that begin on this slate include three divisional matchups and the Phillies visiting Coors Field to face the Rockies. Whether you choose to chase the Phillies’ big bats or other pay-up options, you may need to balance out your spending with some bargain options. Check out my top three MLB DFS Bargain Plays for Monday, 5/19/25, who bring high ceilings at very affordable salaries to start the week
As always for MLB DFS, be sure to double-check weather conditions and lineups before game time. Rain is in the forecast for Minnesota and St. Louis, and eight of the nine games on the main slate are outdoors, with the only exception in Milwaukee at American Family Field.
As you make out your lineup card for this Monday night, be sure to check out the full range of MLB coverage from the team at DKNetwork, since these bargain values are just one piece of the MLB DFS picture to consider.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Knuckleball [$50K to 1st]
SP Logan Allen, Cleveland Guardians at Minnesota Twins, $6,500
Allen has much more upside than his salary indicates, and he’s a high-risk play that could pay off on Monday night in Minneapolis. Allen is just 2-2 in his eight starts this season with a 3.70 ERA, 4.06 FIP and 1.52 WHIP, while picking up 31 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings. He is coming off his best start of the season last Tuesday at home against the Brewers. In that outing, he went six shutout innings while allowing just three hits and striking out six to earn 27.1 fantasy points.
He was shelled by the Red Sox in one of his starts, but aside from that outing has allowed three earned runs or fewer in each of his last seven outings. He has 12+ fantasy points in five of those seven starts with a pair of games over 25 fantasy points.
Allen and the Guardians roll into Minnesota to face the Twins, who just had their 13-game winning streak snapped on Sunday. Even when they were winning, though, their offense wasn’t putting up huge numbers. The Twins also have the sixth-highest K% in the majors against lefties and are hitting .227 as a team in the split. In this matchup against Minnesota, Allen is high-risk but brings a great ceiling and doesn’t have to dominate to be a good value at his very affordable salary under $7,000.
1B Nolan Schanuel, Los Angeles Angels at Athletics, $3,000
Schanuel made an amazingly fast rise to the majors in 2023 after being drafted as the No. 11 overall pick. Last season, he played the whole year with the Halos, hitting .250 with 13 homers, 10 stolen bases and a .315 wOBA. Since he’s only 23 years old and less than two full years from being drafted, he still has plenty of room to grow and has shown good signs of progress this season. In 43 games, he’s hitting .265 with two home runs and a .322 wOBA.
In his last 10 games, Schanuel went 13-for-37 (.351) with two doubles, nine walks, eight runs scored, and an average of 8.5 fantasy points per contest. He had at least nine fantasy points in seven of those games, and he brings a high floor and a good chance to return good value on investment, even though he doesn’t have the slugging ceiling of some of the higher priced options at the position.
On Monday, the lefty will face right-handed starting pitcher J.T. Ginn ($6,700), who is coming off the injured list to make the start. Schanuel has strong splits against righties, including most of his power production. He’ll also be playing in a hitter-friendly environment at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento.
SS Ezequiel Tovar, Colorado Rockies vs. Philadelphia Phillies, $3,100
Tovar missed a month with a bruised hip, but he is back as the Rockies’ everyday shortstop and extremely underpriced given his upside at Coors Field on Monday night. Tovar got Sunday off after going 5-for-6 with a triple, a home run, and 35 fantasy points on Saturday. He also had a hit in his return from the IL on Friday.
In his limited action this season, Tovar is hitting .263 with a .310 wOBA and a pair of stolen bases. Last year, the 23-year-old posted impressive numbers with 26 home runs, a .269 batting average and a .324 wOBA. This year, his average is down, but his hard-hit rate is up, meaning that with more time, his numbers will likely improve. He has both power and speed potential on Monday night at Coors Field, and he should be in a premium lineup position for the Rockies moving forward as he tries to give their struggling offense a boost now that he’s healthy.
Ultimately, given the situation and his overall ability, he has much too high a ceiling to have his salary at barely over $3,000.
