There are a solid seven games on tap for Monday night, setting up a fun night of fantasy baseball on DraftKings, which gets underway at 6:10 p.m. ET. All seven of the games on the docket are the start of brand new series, as we get a whole new set of matchups to break down to start the workweek. Some of the matchups are ones we have seen recently, though, as teams finish home-and-home sets started earlier this month.
Throughout the day, stay locked into the DK Live app for updates on the weather and players’ availability. You can also follow DK Live on Twitter @dklive for the latest news and analysis leading up to the first pitch. I’m also usually hanging out on Twitter too — my handle is @ZT_Sports — where you can let me know what you think of these picks, ask any questions and find more bargain-specific content.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $250K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
For up-to-the-minute news, analysis and lineups, download the DK Live app. You also can follow DK Live on Twitter @dklive.
PITCHER
Stud
Corbin Burnes, Milwaukee Brewers vs. San Francisco Giants ($10,200) – There are some elite options on this slate, but none of them have been as locked in as Burnes. The 2021 NL Cy Young award winner has picked up where he left off, allowing only five runs on 11 hits over 19 innings in his first three starts. He has 22 strikeouts in those 19 innings and 18 in his past two starts while producing 28.8 DKFP against the Orioles followed by 33.4 DKFP against the Pirates in his most recent outing. Burnes faced the Giants twice last year, allowing two runs in 13 innings while striking out 14. His strikeout rate gives him a high ceiling, and he continues to be one of the most reliable aces in the Majors.
Other Options – Max Scherzer ($9,300), Walker Buehler ($8,800)
Value
José Berríos, Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox ($5,500) – I admit it — I don’t understand the pricing on this one. Berríos is coming off a great start against the Red Sox, holding them to just one run in six innings to get his first win with the Blue Jays. He finished with 21.5 DKFP and seems to be fully extended after ramping up to 96 pitches in that outing. Berríos struggled in his first start of the season but has gotten progressively better with each outing and has 11 strikeouts in 11 1⁄3 innings. In this matchup, he’ll face the Red Sox lineup that has gone oddly quiet over the past week, scoring just 16 runs over their past seven games. Sure, it is a hitter-friendly environment, but Berríos should be able to at least return value at this extremely affordable price point.
Other Options – Kyle Gibson ($6,800), Michael Lorenzen ($6,300)
INFIELD
Stud
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox ($5,600) – Guerrero had two more hits on Sunday in Houston and is hitting .351 through his first 16 games this season with two doubles, five home runs, a .298 ISO, .452 wOBA and a 55.6% hard-hit rate. He has multiple hits in six of his past 11 games with a ridiculous 66.7% hard-hit rate over that span. He faced opposing starter Nathan Eovaldi ($8,000) in one of those multi-hit games and will look to keep crushing the ball as he comes home for this rematch.
Stud
Alex Bregman, Houston Astros at Texas Rangers ($4,700) – Bregman posted double-digit DKFP in three straight games against Guerrero’s Blue Jays over the past weekend and has at least seven DKFP in five of his past six games. The recent surge has raised his average to .294 in 15 games this season with three doubles and three home runs. He also has a .235 ISO and .406 wOBA, which are nice bounce-back numbers after disappointing marks in those categories last season. Bregman and the Astros face Dane Dunning ($5,200), who has allowed a .411 wOBA this season on his way to a 5.68 ERA and 4.82 FIP.
Other Options –Jean Segura ($4,700), Will Smith ($4,700)
Value
Zack Collins, Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox ($3,200) – Collins continues to offer affordable power in the middle of the Toronto lineup and is turning into a key pickup for the Blue Jays. He connected on his third homer of the season on Sunday and is hitting .303 with a .333 ISO and .421 wOBA. Eovaldi has allowed three home runs and a .390 wOBA to lefties so far this season, so Collins makes a great option at this price and an attractive mini-stack with Vladdy.
Value
Josh Naylor, Cleveland Guardians at Los Angeles Angels ($2,500) – I was high on Naylor on Sunday, and he burned me with an 0-for-4 showing against Gerrit Cole and the Yankees. Prior to that letdown, though, he collected multiple hits in five straight games, going 10-for-18 (.556) with two doubles, a home run and five RBIs. Naylor has always had plenty of raw power but struggles to stay consistent. Despite the setback Sunday, I love his upside in the middle of the Guardians’ lineup as they switch coasts and take on Michael Lorenzen ($6,300) in a much more hitter-friendly matchup. Lorenzen has held righties to a .045 average this season, but lefties like Naylor have gone 5-for-12 with a double and two home runs.
Other Options – Keston Hiura ($3,100), Christian Walker ($3,000)
OUTFIELD
Stud
Starling Marte, New York Mets at St. Louis Cardinals ($5,700) – Marte has produced at least 12 DKFP in six of his past nine games after posting 16 DKFP on Sunday by going 1-for-4 with a double and his fourth stolen base of the season. He has offered an impressive blend of power and speed from the second spot in the Mets’ lineup while hitting .254 with two home runs, a .127 ISO and a .319 wOBA. Those numbers could actually improve as the season goes on, but he’s already averaging 10.4 DKFP per game, so there’s a lot of upside to love in his multiple ways of producing fantasy points.
Stud
Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks ($4,900) – Getting Betts for under $5K is an unusual situation to consider taking advantage of, especially since he has been heating up lately after a slow start by his lofty standards. He has scored eight runs over his past four games and averaged 15.3 DKFP per game over that span. While Merrill Kelly ($7,200) has started the season strong, holding the Dodgers in check is a tall task, so Betts and the rest of the Dodgers’ bats still make sense, although I don’t think they’re one of the top stacks.
Other Options – Mike Trout ($6,000), Nick Castellanos ($5,300)
Value
Randal Grichuk, Colorado Rockies at Philadelphia Phillies ($3,800) – Grichuk went 0-for-4 in his Rockies’ debut but hasn’t been held hitless since then. During his nine-game hitting streak, he has gone 15-for-34 (.441) with three doubles and a home run. Over that span, he has a 48.3% hard-hit rate and has moved up to the middle part of the Rockies’ lineup or even the second spot in the order. Grichuk has been streaky throughout his career, so ride this heater while you can still grab him under $4K.
Value
Nick Solak, Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros ($3,100) – Solak has started the year 7-for-17 (.412) against southpaws with a pair of home runs. He has struggled against righties (1-for-16), though, so his season numbers as a whole aren’t impressive, keeping him cheap. He has a .296 average against lefties with a .354 wOBA, so getting him against Framber Valdez ($8,400) looks like a good option given Valdez’s inconsistency early in the season (discussed below).
Other Options – Joc Pederson ($3,600), Hunter Renfroe ($3,400)
TEAMS TO STACK
Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies – The Phillies are an interesting team to stack since they have one set of bats that thrive against righties and another set that excels against lefties. Going up against lefty Kyle Freeland ($5,000), the right-handed bats should be good targets here. Freeland has gone 0-2 in his first three starts of the year with a 7.71 ERA and 4.30 FIP. Part of his struggle is definitely due to all his starts coming at Coors Field, but in his career, he has given up a .342 wOBA to righties, so stacking power righties against him isn’t just a reaction to the small sample size. The right-handed bats that make sense in the projected Phils lineup are Jean Segura ($4,700), Rhys Hoskins ($5,100), Nick Castellanos ($5,300), JT Realmuto ($5,100) and Alec Bohm ($3,600) as a value option. Segura has gone 4-for-9 against him in their past meetings with a pair of home runs.
Texas Rangers vs. Houston Astros – I think there’s some sneaky value in a Rangers stack against lefty Framber Valdez ($8,400), even though Valdez is usually a solid starter. He has struggled in his past two outings, though, allowing 20 baserunners and seven runs in just 7 1/3 innings. The Angels took it to him in his previous outing, and the Rangers will look to continue that trend Monday. It’s an affordable stack to pursue with Marcus Semien ($4,200) and Mitch Garver ($4,300) the only right-handed hitters over $4K. Adolis Garcia ($3,400) and Solak (discussed above) are solid mid-lineup options while Eli White ($2,100) could be worth a flier for his speed if he’s in the lineup and you need an ultra-cheap punt play that still brings a high ceiling.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $250K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
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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 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.
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