Monday starts another busy week of the Major League Baseball season, and there’s definitely no slow start to the week with a massive 12-game slate on tap under the lights. With 24 teams in the player pool, there are plenty of options to consider and a host of new series to break down. Half of the 12 games on the schedule are divisional contests, including two from the NL West in the final two matchups of the night with the next chapter of the Dodgers-Giants rivalry as the late-night hammer.
If you find a matchup you love, you can build a stack from a single game or even a single team or you can opt to spread your picks across the slate. As you assemble your squad, you may run short on salary, but these three bargain plays can help stretch your salary cap space to get the stars you want to build around. Each of these options has high ceilings at their bargain salaries.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $222K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
For up-to-the-minute news, analysis and lineups, download the DK Live app. You also can follow DraftKings Network on Twitter @dknetwork.
SP Jose Soriano, Los Angeles Angels vs. St. Louis Cardinals, $6,500
The cheap options on Monday’s slate are all high-risk, but if you want to go cheap on the mound, Soriano offers good enough upside to be the best play under $7,500. Soriano’s transition to the starting rotation this season has been a mixed bag, as he has gone 1-4 with a 4.32 ERA and 4.30 FIP. He does have 32 strikeouts in 33 1⁄3 innings, though, including four starts with at least six strikeouts in his six starts this season. He has over 17 DKFP in three of his last five outings as well, including a ceiling game against the Reds with 23.3 DKFP. Soriano catches the Cardinals at a good time after they went just 2-8 over their last 11 games while hitting .222 as a team with only a .289 wOBA. and 21.9% K%. He’ll be going head-to-head with Matthew Liberatore ($8,300) as the opener for a bullpen game, so he has a good chance to come away with a win if he turns in another good outing. While he’s not a sure thing due to his inconsistent results, he brings enough upside in this matchup as the best of the bargain arms.
1B Andrew Vaughn, Chicago White Sox vs. Washington Nationals, $2,700
Vaughn has helped the White Sox play much better over the last couple of weeks, going 6-3 in their last nine games and winning four straight before going down 7-0 to the Guardians on Sunday. While his batting average for the season is still only .207, he has hit .368 (7-for-19) over his last five games and .274 (10-for-62) over his last 16. He typically hits in the heart of the White Sox batting order and has produced at least 7.0 DKFP in five straight games while averaging 9.2 DKFP per contest with a .476 wOBA. He hit his only home run of the year during that stretch on Friday night and finally seems to be coming around after his slow start. Getting him under $3,000 is a solid way to fill 1B if you are looking to stack big-name middle infielders and outfielders this Monday.
OF Eddie Rosario, Washington Nationals at Chicago White Sox, $2,600
One of the best bargains in the outfield this Monday is from the other side of that same matchup between the Nats and White Sox. Rosario has a reputation as a streaky producer, and right now he’s on an impressive heater coming into this stop in the Windy City. Rosario has four homers over his last six games while going 9-for-19 (.474) with a .696 wOBA and 64.7% hard-hit rate during that span, per Statcast. Rosario is still hitting only .174 on the season, but his .196 ISO is consistent with last season’s mark when he blasted 21 homers in 142 games for the Braves. Rosario and the Nats will face Chris Flexen ($5,800) on Monday. Four of Flexen’s five home runs allowed this season have come against lefties like Rosario, and he has allowed them to post a .379 wOBA so far this season. Since he’s on the right side of the splits and has been seeing the ball so well, Rosario is a solid value play in the outfield on Monday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $222K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
For sports betting, head over to DraftKings Sportsbook or download the DK Sportsbook app.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
