This Monday night, the MLB has a nice nine-game slate to get the week underway, and each of the nine games is the start of a new series. DraftKings has a wide variety of ways to get in on the fantasy baseball action including GPPs, Tiers and Pick6. For this post, we’re focused on some prime picks for MLB DFS cash games.
This style of contest gives managers the opportunity to double the entry fee since almost half of the players are paid out. These 50/50 or “double-up” contests are best suited for lineups with high floors and as little risk as possible. 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 players 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 Gavin Williams, Cleveland Guardians at St. Louis Cardinals, $8,800
Williams has been very strong in his three starts for the Guardians to start the season and has a favorable road matchup against the Cardinals this Monday night in St. Louis. Williams is 1-1 but has a solid 2.04 ERA and 4.16 FIP. He was not extremely impressive against Seattle with 14.4 FPTS in his first start of the year, but he looked very sharp with 36.75 FPTS and 23.2 FPTS in his last two starts against the Dodgers and the Royals.
Williams struck out 10 in seven innings against the Dodgers to get his one win this season, and he struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings against the Royals. He has at least seven strikeouts in each of his first three starts, but he’s also issued at least three walks in each game.
He’ll need to improve his control to reach the elite level of the arms at the top of this slate, but as a midrange play, he makes lots of sense as one of Monday’s MLB DFS picks, since he brings good upside and a high floor against St. Louis, which ranks in the bottom 10 in the MLB in team batting average. Jordan Walker is crushing everything for the Cardinals, but the rest of the lineup has been quieter lately.
OF Brandon Nimmo, Texas Rangers at Athletics, $4,700
Nimmo is off to a strong start in his first season for the Rangers, hitting .367 with three homers, three doubles, a .453 wOBA and .233 ISO. He is averaging 10.3 FPTS per game on the year and has at least 7 FPTS in four straight. On Saturday, he had a huge game with three hits and two homers on his way to 35 FPTS.
Nimmo and the Rangers roll into Sacramento for a favorable matchup against Luis Severino ($6,300) on Monday night. Nimmo is 5-for-10 with two doubles and a home run off Severino in the past, and the lefty has picked up most of his extra-base production this season when facing righties like Severino.
Nimmo can be a solid part of a balanced build for cash game lineups and brings a high ceiling if he hits leadoff at Sutter Health Park, where the Rangers should be able to rack up runs this Monday.
2B/3B Amed Rosario, New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels, $3,000
Rosario can be a nice, inexpensive play at either 2B or 3B at only $3,000, leaving plenty of salary available to fill the rest of your roster. The right-handed hitting Rosario will likely start against lefty Yusei Kikuchi ($6,000). He didn’t start Sunday, but he had a double in the ninth inning after entering the game in the outfield.
Rosario is 7-for-24 (.292) on the season with a double, triple, two homers and six RBIs. He had 32 FPTS last Tuesday in a two-homer game against the A’s, and he had 13 FPTS last Friday against the Rays. He hit .302 against lefties with four homers and a .350 wOBA last season, so getting him at this salary against a southpaw is a great way to fill an infield spot in MLB DFS play for cash games.
