This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
It's Independence Day in the States! There are 14 games on the schedule, and that includes a doubleheader between Cleveland and Detroit, so clearly not every team is in action Monday. For FanDuel's main DFS slate, though, only seven games are included. The first starts at 6:10 p.m. ET. Before you get out the sparklers and the barbecue grill, get your DFS lineups in, and consider these recommendations.
Pitching
Sean Manaea, SD vs. SEA ($10,000): In his first season as a Padre, Manaea has a 3.80 FIP. He hasn't made great use of Petco Park, but it's still a pitcher-friendly stadium. The Mariners have been pitcher friendly as well, as they are down in the bottom 10 in runs scored. They are also without a few key bats due to injuries and suspensions.
Julio Urias, LAD vs. COL ($9,500): Even though he's allowing more home runs than in the past, Urias still has a 2.64 ERA. He also happens to have a pitcher-friendly home park. The Rockies' offensive numbers are always bolstered by Coors Field, but obviously they are far from their ballpark Monday.
Dylan Bundy, MIN at CWS ($7,300): Want to try and save some salary and willing to roll the dice? Bundy is a nice option if you are only dishing out this much salary for him. Over his last three starts, Bundy has an 1.89 ERA, and the White Sox are in the bottom 10 in runs scored as well.
Top Targets
It's been a step down from his 48-home campaign in 2021, but this has been the second-best season Vladimir Guerrero ($4,100) has put together. He has a .353 OBP and .497 slugging percentage with 19 home runs. The lefty Cole Irvin has allowed righties to hit .270 against him since 2020, and in that same time Guerrero has a .933 OPS against lefties.
Welcome back Mookie Betts ($3,600)! He returned to action Sunday and hit two doubles and walked twice. Betts now has a .278/.357/.544 slash line. Sure, Kyle Freeland isn't at Coors, but his career 4.45 FIP is not merely a matter of Denver's thin air. He also has a 3.68 ERA on the road since 2020.
Bargain Bats
Once upon a time, Max Kepler ($2,700) hit 36 home runs in a season. He only had 19 last year, but that was in 121 games. The lefty struggles with southpaws, but he'll be facing the righty Johnny Cueto on Monday. After two strong starts to begin the season, Cueto has a 4.29 ERA over his last seven starts, and he's allowed eight home runs in that time.
Last year Austin Slater ($2,600) got his first real MLB action, and he managed 12 homers and 15 stolen bases in 129 games. This year he has five homers and three swiped bags, but primarily I am interested in his .368 OBP as a leadoff hitter. Madison Bumgarner has a 4.71 FIP this year, and since joining the Diamondbacks he has a 4.02 ERA at home.
Stacks to Consider
Mets at Reds (Hunter Greene): Starling Marte ($3,700), Francisco Lindor ($3,700), Jeff McNeil ($2,800)
The Reds keep tracking out the rookie Greene, and Greene keeps getting knocked around. He has a 5.72 ERA through 15 starts, and a big reason is the fact he's allowed a staggering 2.43 home runs per nine innings. Maybe someday the rookie will live up to his vaunted prospect status, but it's not happening yet.
Marte is more associated with speed, as he stole 47 home runs last season and has nine stolen bases this year. However, he's also hit nine home runs with a .284 average. Lindor is not a guy who racks up 30 homers and 20 stolen bases with average anymore, but his counting stats can still help DFS players. He's tallied 12 home runs and nine swiped bags this season. McNeil doesn't rack up a ton of homers, but he has a .450 slugging percentage anyway. He's posted a .317 average and .375 OBP, and the lefty has an .886 OPS against righties.
Padres vs. Mariners (Chris Flexen): Manny Machado ($3,900), Jake Cronenworth ($3,300), Luke Voit ($2,900)
Flexen was mediocre in 2021, his first season as a Mariner. This year, though, he has a 4.52 FIP. His biggest problem is that since moving to Seattle he's allowed righties to hit .296 against him. That's why I have two righties in this stack.
Machado has slashed .320/.391/.540 this year. He's not afraid of the spaciousness of Petco Park either, as he has a .956 OPS at home since 2020. Cronenworth has an .821 OPS over the last three weeks. Additionally, since 2020 he has an .811 OPS against right-handed pitchers. Voit has power, as the righty has 10 home runs in 61 games this year and has slugged .497 in his career. He also has a .927 OPS over the last 21 days.
Braves vs. Cardinals (Dakota Hudson) : Matt Olson ($3,800), Austin Riley ($3,700), Dansby Swanson ($3,600)
Hudson doesn't allow home runs, but he still has a 4.46 FIP. Somehow he's only struck out 4.95 batters per nine innings. Contact is common when Hudson is on the mound, especially when a righty is at the plate. Right-handed batters have hit .297 against the Cardinals pitcher this year.
Olson is a lefty, but one with an. 861 OPS against righties this year. He also has a career .506 slugging percentage even though he was an Athletic until this season, and they have a pitcher-friendly ballpark. Riley has followed up his breakout 2021 with an equally strong campaign. He's slashed .266/.336/.530 with 20 home runs in 78 games. This year, it's Swanson's turn to break out. He has a .301/.360/.500 slash line with 14 homers and 12 stolen bases.
