Monday night features a solid seven-game MLB DFS slate, and DraftKings has a wide variety of ways to get in on the fantasy baseball action including GPPs, Tiers and Pick6.
However, in this post, we’ll be keying in on some great picks for cash games, contests where your entry fee is doubled and almost half of the players are paid out. In on-diamond terms, we’re looking to hit singles with these lineups, not home runs. Variance is not as much of a factor here, as we look for player with high floors regardless of their ceilings. In short, these should be the safest and most consistent MLB DFS plays of the slate.
With all that in mind, let’s dive into my top picks.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB Single Entry $10 Double Up
SP Clarke Schmidt, New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels, $8,700
Schmidt is a relatively low-risk starting pitching option at home against the Angels on Monday night as the Yankees look to quickly erase an ugly weekend in Boston. In his last outing, Schmidt struck out seven in six shutout innings against the Royals to earn 28.5 fantasy points and improve to 3-3 on the season with a 3.60 ERA and 3.73 FIP. He has been very solid at home, holding opponents to a .218 average with a 21.6% strikeout rate.
In each of his last eight starts, Schmidt has at least 12 fantasy points, showing his relatively high floor. His strikeout rate gives him a good ceiling as well, especially facing the Angels, who strike out more than any other team in the majors. On the season, the Halos have a 26.7% strikeout rate, the highest of any team in the MLB. The fact that the strikeouts should be there for Schmidt helps lower his risk because even if he does give up some runs, he can compensate with K’s..
2B/OF Jose Altuve, Houston Astros at Athletics, $3,900
I included Altuve in my top home run props for the day as he and the Stros head to Sacramento, and I love using him as one of my MLB DFS Picks for cash games as well. The 35-year-old veteran brings great positional versatility and value at this salary under $4,000. He can fit into multiple builds either at 2B or in the OF and brings solid production in his current form and matchup.
Over the last 21 games, Altuve is hitting an impressive .358 with six homers, two stolen bases, a .428 wOBA and a 32.9% hard-hit rate. He hasn’t had many at-bats this year against lefties but is hitting .286 with a .375 wOBA in his 30 plate appearances on that side of the split.
He has been very effective against lefties throughout his career, especially against the Athletics as well. He also has a 9-for-22 (.409) history against Athletics starter J.P. Sears with three doubles and two home runs.
He has multiple paths to fantasy points and makes a lot of sense in the matchup, especially since the Astros should be able to put plenty of runs on the board at hitter-friendly Sutter Health Park on Monday night.
OF Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres at Los Angeles Dodgers, $4,900
Tatis is another great example of a hitter who can have a monster night in multiple ways and almost always finds ways to chip in solid production. Tatis and the Padres will be in the spotlight against Shohei Ohtani in his return to the mound on Monday, then will face Ben Casparius ($6,000) as a long reliever after Ohtani serves as the opener.
Tatis had a slow stretch from mid-May through the first week of June, hitting only .163 over a 20-game span. Starting with last week’s series against the Dodgers, though, he seems to have found his groove again. He is 10-for-21 (.476) over his last six games and has three stolen bases, three doubles and nine runs scored in that short window.
While he hasn’t hit a home run during that stretch, Tatis has been crushing the ball. In his last five games, he has 15 batted ball events with a 73.3% hard-hit rate and an average exit velocity of 99.2 miles per hour. He’s crushing the ball but hasn’t quite gotten one over the fence yet.
All that great contact and his aggressiveness on the bases have resulted in at least 12 fantasy points in five of his last six games. His best game during that stretch came on Sunday, when he had two doubles, a stolen base and 29 fantasy points while helping the Padres avoid the sweep in Arizona.
He has a high floor with plenty of potential production even in a so-so matchup against Shohei and Casparius. Even if he doesn’t get a home run, his contact rate and run production from the top of the Padres lineup is a great option for one of your outfield spots without having to pay $5,000 or more for elite upside.
