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Monday features a six-game main slate starting at 7:10 p.m. ET. Let’s go position-by-position and break down everything you’ll need to know to set your lineups.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Check Swing [$50K to 1st]
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PITCHER
Stud
Blake Snell, San Diego Padres at Milwaukee Brewers ($8,900) - His biggest weakness this season has been right-handed batters (.372 wOBA, .217 ISO and 41% hard-contact rate). Despite those numbers, he carries a respectable 3.83 xFIP against right-handed batters because of his 30% K rate against them. Snell has been lights out against left-handed batters (2.17 xFIP and 42% K rate), and Milwaukee is lefty-heavy lineup. Snell will face a couple right-handed bats, but they’re nothing to write home about. Snell has a dynamic slider and this lineups ranks dead-last against the slider. Go to DraftKings Sportsbook and hammer his strikeout over while you’re at it.
Other Option: Lance Lynn ($9,300)
Value
Sam Hentges, Cleveland Indians at Detroit Tigers ($5,300) - There’s a couple of value bats for the Tigers that are in play, but just because they can return value does not mean they’re going to ruin Hentges’ day. The Tigers are improving, but the numbers do not lie (61 wRC+, .258 wOBA, .084 ISO and 33% K rate vs. LHP). Hentges got blown up in his last start. Even before that game, he hasn’t been great. The rookie has good stuff, but his struggle with control is creating a lot of dangerous situations. The good news is Hentges knows what the problem is, he just has to fix it. If there was ever a place to fix it, it would be a game vs. the Tigers (61% F-Strike — fifth highest in baseball).
Other Option: Frankie Montas ($6,200)
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CATCHER
Stud
Yermin Mercedes, Chicago White Sox vs. St. Louis Cardinals ($4,900) - Paying up at catcher has not appeared to be a great move on recent main slates. But, as always, it’s a way to be different. A top-tier catcher in a perfect spot does not exist Monday, but Mercedes will get some at-bats against the worst bullpen in baseball. That should do the trick for a hitter with a .407 wOBA and 165 wRC+.
Other Option: Sean Murphy ($4,600)
Value
Tomas Nido, New York Mets vs. Colorado Rockies ($3,100) - There’s a catcher battle in New York. Nido is hitting lefties (.444 wOBA, .333 ISO, 187 wRC+ and 67% hard-contact rate), so it would make sense for the depleted Mets offense to give him the start against Austin “The Bomber” Gomber. There are two outcomes when “The Bomber” takes the mound. He blows up DFS lineups by magically escaping jams, often with a micro-BABIP. The other, which Nido is rooting for: Gomber absolutely bombs and allows bombs over the fence.
Other Option: Jacob Nottingham ($3,200)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Check Swing [$50K to 1st]
FIRST BASE
Stud
Jose Abreu, Chicago White Sox vs. St. Louis Cardinals ($5,100) - If you can, play the best hitters. Abreu has a .349 wOBA, .214 ISO, 126 wRC+ and 44% hard-contact rate this season. The early projections have Abreu facing a lefty. If that’s the case, then he becomes an even better play with a .392 wOBA, .344 ISO and 156 wRC+ against southpaws.
Other Option: Trey Mancini ($5,500)
Value
C.J. Cron, Colorado Rockies at New York Mets ($4,000) - David Peterson has done a pretty good job for the Mets. Any pitcher not covered in medical gauze would be considered a star in New York right now. Peterson is far from a complete pitcher; he has allowed a lot of power to right-handed batters (.227 ISO, 36% hard-contact rate and 1.74 HR/9). In limited appearances due to injury, Cron has a .495 wOBA, .303 ISO and a 201 wRC+ against left-handed pitching. For those worried about sample size, his career numbers against left-handed pitching are great (.351 wOBA and .225 ISO).
Other Option: Paul Goldschmidt ($4,100)
SECOND BASE
Stud
Jed Lowrie, Oakland Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners ($4,100) - This slate is ugly in spots and second base is one of them. It looks like Yusei Kikuchi is going to get the start for the Mariners. The lefty has been significantly worse against right-handed batters this season, but not awful (3.4 BB/9 and 1.83 HR/9). However, he can be awful. Over his career, he is allowing a .352 wOBA and a .221 ISO to right-handed batters. Lowrie doesn’t quite have the juice to take pitches over the wall, but he hits lefties hard and often (.200 ISO and 43% hard-contact rate).
Other Option: Jorge Polanco ($5,000 - day-to-day)
Value
Nick Madrigal, Chicago White Sox vs. St. Louis Cardinals ($3,000) - Punt the position, no one is going off in this spot. Take the money and spend it where it counts. Kwang Hyun Kim averages about four innings per start, and those innings are average at best. After Kim exits early, that will mean at least five innings from the worst bullpen in baseball. Over the last week, Madrigal has a .468 wOBA and .316 ISO.
Other Option: Jonathan Schoop ($3,300)
THIRD BASE
Stud
Josh Donaldson, Minnesota Twins vs. Baltimore Orioles ($4,400) - John Means has been good, but he does get into trouble from time to time. He allows a 48% fly-ball rate to right-handed batters, and that’s has led to 1.2 HR/9. This isn’t a killer spot, but that should generate low ownership for a player with a lot of upside against left-handed pitching (.443 wOBA, .233 ISO and 188 wRC+).
Other Option: Matt Chapman ($4,900)
Value
Jeimer Candelario, Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Indians ($3,600) - Detroit bats are always cheap because they’re Detroit bats (worst wRC+ in baseball). Candelario is one of the few Tigers that can hit lefties (.378 wOBA and 143 wRC+), and he’s facing a young left-handed prospect that often finds himself in a hitter’s count.
Other Option: Josh Fuentes ($3,300)
SHORTSTOP
Stud
Trevor Story, Colorado Rockies at New York Mets ($5,300) - It’s not Coors, but he is facing a lefty. When Story faces left-handed pitching, it might as well be Coors. Over his career against left-handed pitching on the road, Story has a .371 wOBA, .218 ISO and 131 wRC+. Peterson has allowed a .230 ISO and 1.7 HR/9 to right-handed batters, and that’s with a low 25% fly-ball rate.
Other Option: Fernando Tatis Jr. ($6,200)
Value
Freddy Galvis, Baltimore Orioles at Minnesota Twins ($3,500) - Until DraftKings raises Galvis’ price tag, he’ll have a permanent place in this article. Among shortstops, Galvis has the seventh-best wOBA (.344) and the fifth-best ISO (.212). He’s not just a good value play, he’s one of the best plays on the slate because Galvis is facing Matt Shoemaker (.364 wOBA, .266 ISO and 2.6 HR/9 vs. LHB ).
Other Option: Willy Adames ($3,100)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Ramon Laureano, Oakland Athletics vs. Seattle Mariners ($5,600) - What if Seattle changes their mind and slides in a right-handed starter? That would put the Seattle pitcher on short rest or mean Oakland is facing an emergency starter. Laureano has a .225 ISO against right-handed pitching; that number is likely higher against subpar right-handed pitching. If Kikuchi starts as projected, then Laureano is in a great spot (.468 wOBA, .291 ISO and 201 wRC+ vs. LHP).
Other Option: Mitch Haniger ($4,600)
Value
Robbie Grossman, Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Indians ($4,700) - Since the start of May, Grossman has a .416 wOBA, .247 ISO and 168 wRC+. Other than Candelario, he’s the only other Tiger that can hit left-handed pitching (.385 wOBA and 148 wRC+). Hentges struggles with getting ahead of hitters, and Grossman has the 13th-best F-strike% in baseball (52.8%). Grossman should be in hitters’ counts every time he faces off against Hentges.
Other Option: Johneshwy Fargas ($2,200)
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Check Swing [$50K to 1st]
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