It’s always difficult to say a particular night is the most stacked pitching slate I’ve ever seen in MLB DFS, because you have to remember that Opening Day slates tend to be pretty incredible. That said, there’s some legitimate aces toeing the rubber on Monday. So much so, that there are five different starters priced above $10,000 on DraftKings.
Which of the five should you build your lineups around? Do you even need to spend up? Let’s break it all down.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Knuckleball [$50K to 1st]
PITCHER
Stud
Cristopher Sanchez, Philadelphia Phillies at Chicago White Sox, $10,500 – Did you know that the White Sox actually have MLB’s second-best wRC+ (136) since the All-Star break? It’s a testament to the youth movement happening on the south side, yet at the same time, it’s not enough for me to shy away from some heavy exposure to Sanchez on Monday evening. There’s just no one more locked in at the moment. After striking out 12 in a complete game victory over the Red Sox last week, Sanchez now sports a 1.22 ERA and a 1.64 FIP across his past six outings. It’s also a span of time where the left-hander owns an 11.5 K/BB ratio and where he’s registered at least 24 FPTS in each and every start. Chicago’s been a nice story in July, but Sanchez has been even better.
Value
Carson Whisenhunt, San Francisco Giants vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, $7,000 – There’s a case to be made that Whisenhunt is more of a cash game pick and that Chase Burns ($7,500) is the high-upside rookie that you should be starting in GPPs. That said, I simply can’t ignore how poorly the Pirates have hit this month. There might never be a softer matchup for a prospect’s MLB debut. Whisenhunt is the Giants’ No. 3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, and while his numbers in the always offensively-tilted PCL aren’t amazing, the LHP has consistently put up huge strikeout totals throughout his time in the minors. But as I hinted at above, Whisenhunt’s viability is far more about Pittsburgh than anything else. In July, the Pirates have a 54 wRC+. The second-worst team in that category? The Tigers at 82. Pittsburgh is currently in a class of terribleness all by itself.
INFIELD
Stud
Manny Machado, San Diego Padres vs. New York Mets, $5,100 – Machado comes into this contest hotter than the Sun. In fact, following a four-hit performance on Sunday, the veteran infielder now has collected 13 hits in his past five contests. Not too shabby! Need a larger sample? Well, how about Machado slashing .307/.369/.537 with a 155 wRC+ since the beginning of May? That’s what I thought. Machado will attempt for another multi-hit game this evening against Frankie Montas ($7,300) — a pitcher I simply refuse to trust anymore. He’s only made five starts with the Mets in 2025, but Montas’ 4.86 xERA is a perfect representation of his skill level.
Stud
Corey Seager, Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels, $4,800 – Remember those three weeks after Seager came off the IL and he couldn’t hit? Those days are over. The shortstop is slashing .346/.457/.654 with a .308 ISO and a 204 wRC+ in July. For the season as a whole, even including those aforementioned dark times, Seager still sports a 100th percentile expected batting average (.311) and a 98th percentile expected wOBA (.426). Simply put, Seager is a massive reason why the Rangers are red-hot and suddenly back in the AL Wild Card picture. He’ll look to keep the good times going in a matchup with Jack Kochanowicz ($5,200), who is back from Triple-A. LHBs have combined for 2.08 home runs per nine off Kochanowicz in 2025. That’s probably why he was demoted in the first place.
Value
Sean Murphy, Atlanta Braves at Kansas City Royals, $3,900 – While Rich Hill ($5,000) survived his first start last week, you have to assume there’s an absolute clunker on the horizon for the 45-year-old — especially if his 4.3% strikeout rate was any indication of things to come. For his part, Murphy has torched left-handed pitching so far in 2025, with seven home runs and a .606 slugging percentage in his 76 plate appearances within the split. Murphy also has a long ball in his eight career at-bats against Hill prior to this season. Add in a price tag below $4,000, and Murphy seems like one of the best picks on the whole slate.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Randy Arozarena, Seattle Mariners at Athletics, $5,000 – At the moment, it seems like every hit Arozarena racks up is for extra bases. The outfielder is only batting .256 in July, and his 29.3% strikeout rate is an actual red flag; but if the trade-off for a couple more whiffs is 10 home runs and a .402 ISO, I think the Mariners will happily take it. Specific to Monday, Arozarena and Seattle will face the struggling JP Sears ($6,800), who is in possession of a putrid 6.25 FIP at Sutter Health Park in 2025. Meanwhile, Arozarena is slashing .292/.345/.547 with a .380 wOBA against LHPs. I think you can see where this is going.
Value
Roman Anthony, Boston Red Sox at Minnesota Twins, $3,900 – I guess the fact that Anthony’s only hit two home runs at the MLB level is what’s keeping his salary below $4,000, but I’ll gladly continue to put the top prospect in my DFS lineups. Dating back exactly a month ago to June 28, Anthony is slashing .341/.437/.511 with a 165 wRC+ across 103 plate appearances. Would I like to see the ball go over the fence a little more? Sure. However, it’s not up for debate that the 21-year-old is already one of the Red Sox’s best hitters. Simeon Woods Richardson ($6,600) has been strong lately, yet I can’t overlook Anthony in an opposite-hand matchup at this microscopic price.
