We’ve got a nine-game slate for Monday’s MLB action.
Let’s find some studs and values for your MLB DFS lineups on DraftKings. This article was written before lineups were announced.
Make your DraftKings MLB DFS picks here: MLB $225K Knuckleball [$50K to 1st]
PITCHER
Stud
Garrett Crochet, Boston Red Sox at Minnesota Twins, $10,300 — Crochet has a 29.7% strikeout rate but it was 31.3% and 35.1% the last two seasons. The sky is falling! Crochet got tagged for four earned runs in his second start of the season, finishing with a measly 12.4 FPTS. THE SKY IS FALLING! Yes, I am the Son that cried wolf because Crochet is just getting warmed up. He put up 23.4 and 30.5 FPTS in the other two starts and has struck out at least seven batters in all three starts. The K-BB% is a robust 24.3% while the average exit velocity is 88 mph with a launch angle of only 8.8 degrees. The barrel rate is only 6.7%. Now he faces a Twins team that is ninth in strikeouts.
Value
Bailey Ober, Minnesota Twins vs. Boston Red Sox, $6,500 — I guess I’m expecting a pitcher’s duel, but I don’t particularly feel good about it. Through three starts and 13.2 innings, Ober posted an 11.9% strikeout rate and is averaging a career-low 89.7 mph on the fastball. That said, the average exit velocity is 87.3 mph while the barrel rate is only 6.3%. The 3.92 FIP is much lower than the 5.27 ERA. The matchup is also a good one as Boston is 10th in strikeouts, 28th in ISO, 23rd in wOBA and 25th in wRC+.
INFIELD
Stud
Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, $5,600 — Through 14 games and 66 plate appearances, Henderson has a career-high 28.8% strikeout rate. But, but, but…the ISO is a whopping .368 and he’s already clubbed six home runs, scored 11, driven in 12 and stolen two bases. The slash is .246/.348/.614 with a BABIP of only .250. Now he gets to face Ryne Nelson, who has a 6.19 FIP and served up four home runs in 15 innings. The average exit velocity is 91.8 mph, launch angle is 22.7 degrees and the barrel rate is 13%. Three of the four home runs have come off the bat of lefties while the K-BB% is 0% and the FIP is 8.62.
Juan Brito, Cleveland Guardians at Atlanta Braves, $2,400 — With Gabriel Arias suffering a hamstring injury, Brito was called up last Tuesday and all he’s done is produce fantasy goodies. Has it been robust production? It has not, but four, five, 12 and eight FPTS ain’t bad for the price. And that’s without hitting a home run or stealing a base. Now, the .385 BABIP is fueling the .357 average, but Brito has excellent plate discipline and the ISO is a healthy .143.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Taylor Ward, Baltimore Orioles vs. Arizona Diamondbacks, $4,300 — Yeah, I want to stack against Nelson. As mentioned in the Henderson section, Nelson has been giving up a ton of hard contact. Taylor has yet to leave the yard, but the ISO is .182 and launch angle is 20.5 degrees. The barrel rate is 0%, though, and the BABIP is .452. Both numbers are unsustainable, which means the batting average will come down while he’s going to start squaring up the ball. And when that happens, balls are going to fly over the fence. Ward gets his first of the season!
Thomas Saggese, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Cleveland Guardians, $2,400 — With Masyn Winn dealing with a shin injury, Saggese has started the last two games. There’s little power and not much speed, but Saggese provides a morsel of fantasy goodies when he’s in the lineup. He’s put up a bagel for FPTS only twice in 11 games.
