Mondays can be somewhat light for MLB, but not this week. Chalk that up to the fact that last Monday there weren't any games. While all 30 teams are in action, the DFS slate consists of 10 games starting at 7:07 p.m. EDT or later. Hey, that still means plenty of options, and here are my recommendations.
Try our FanDuel MLB Lineup Optimizer to discover more expert recommendations, customize the player pool, set exposure percentage and mass-enter DFS lineups.
Pitching
Kodai Senga, NYM vs. LAA ($10,100): The Angels are average offensively, but Senga is decidedly above average on the mound. In his MLB career he has a 2.49 ERA, but this year his ERA is down to 1.39. Senga has only made one start since missing a month with injury, but he made it through four innings without allowing a single run. I think that was enough to get him back in the groove of pitching, especially with the added time off of the all-star break.
Shane Baz, TAM vs. CWS ($9,600): It's been an up-and-down season for Baz, but he's on an upswing, or at least he was before the break. Over his last six starts he has a 2.75 ERA, and if you don't mind a slimmer sample size he has a 2.30 ERA over his last four outings. The White Sox are once again down in the bottom four in runs scored, and once again have a sub-.300 OBP as a team.
George Kirby, SEA vs. MIL ($9,500): Kirby got off to a shaky start after his return from injury, but over his last seven starts he has a 3.12 ERA and 10.0 K/9 rate. Monday he gets to be at home, which tends to be good for Seattle pitchers. Indeed, since 2023 Kirby has a 2.97 home ERA. The Brewers maybe in the top 10 in runs scored, but I'd still roster Kirby at home in this matchup.
Top Targets
This season, Junior Caminero ($3,500) has emerged as a top-level power hitter, so much so he got himself an invite to the Home Run Derby. He's slugged .537 against his fellow righties, and also slugged .629 in Tampa's temporary home. The righty Sean Burke has a 5.18 ERA on the road, and right-handed hitters have averaged .269 against him.
I'm really enjoying recommending Mickey Moniak ($3,400) for DFS purposes. Hey, the guy was the first overall pick in the First-Year Player Draft once upon a time. He struggled to find his footing in MLB, but now in his age-27 season he's a regular for the Rockies and has hit .267 and slugged .535 with 14 homers and six triples. It's cool. Sure, Coors Field has done a lot of the heavy lifting, but this game is at Coors so that's not a problem. Michael McGreevy has gotten called back up from Triple-A for a spot start, but he has a 4.22 ERA in limited MLB action this season, and his ERA down at Triple-A Memphis is 3.75, which is not terribly inspiring.
Bargain Bats
I am recommending Mookie Betts ($3,200) with the hope that, now that we're past the All-Star break, he's ready to play like, well, Mookie Betts. The guy with a .933 OPS at home since 2023. He even has an .848 OPS versus his fellow righties in that time. Even with his struggles, he's still managed 11 home runs and six stolen bases. David Festa has a career 5.05 ERA, and righties have hit .262 against him. If there was ever a time for Betts to look like himself, this would be such an occasion.
A quick fun fact for the Astros front office: There are these people called "left-handers" out there. It's true, I'm one of them! Having left-handed hitters on your baseball team can be quite beneficial, especially when a right-handed pitcher is on the mound. Like, say, Zac Gallen, who has a 5.66 ERA at home and has let southpaws hit .274 against him. Well, Victor Caratini ($2,800) is at least a switch hitter (who throws righty, but I digress), and with how banged-up Houston is he'll likely play. He's better against lefties, but he's fine against righties and has an 1.023 OPS over the last three weeks.
Stacks to Consider
Cardinals at Rockies (Austin Gomber): Willson Contreras ($3,600), Masyn Winn ($3,400), Nolan Arenado ($3,300)
Since joining the Rockies in 2021, Gomber has never finished a season with an HR/9 rate lower than 1.44, or an ERA lower than 4.53. Yes, Coors Field bears some responsibility, but this game is at Coors Field. St. Louis doesn't have the best selection of right-handed hitters, but Gomber is a southpaw, and this matchup is well worth it, so I managed.
If Contreras stays healthy he should get to 20 homers again, and possibly to 30 doubles. Facing more lefties will help, as he's struggled against righties but has an .873 OPS versus southpaws. Winn hasn't panned out as expected in MLB, but he has seven homers and six stolen bases this year after having 15 of the former and 11 of the later as a rookie. He also has 19 doubles, and the outfield at Coors has plenty of space to induce doubles. Arenado will be back at the ballpark that help bolster his numbers all those years. He's far from the hitter he used to be, but he's hit .277 against lefties and hopefully can show some of his old form back at Coors Field.
San Francisco at Atlanta (Bryce Elder): Matt Chapman ($3,000), Jung Hoo Lee ($2,700), Mike Yastrzemski ($2,700)
The bad times in Atlanta have continued for Elder. Last year, he worryingly had a 7.99 ERA at home. This season has only been a bit better, as his home ERA remains a woeful 6.69. The ball has been flying out of the park against Elder, as he has an 1.81 HR/9 rate this season. Since 2023, righties have hit .272 against Elder and lefties have hit .263, so options are theoretically plentiful. I ended up with two southpaws in the mix, though.
Chapman isn't having his best season, but he just hit his 13th homer of the campaign in his 76th game. He's slugged .426 against his fellow righties, and he also has an .827 OPS on the road. Lee isn't one for the long ball, but he has eight triples and 20 doubles. That puts him in scoring position quite often, especially as a leadoff hitter much of the time, and that can lead to scoring runs. Yastrzemski has eight homers and six stolen bases. While he's better at home, he's bad against lefties but has an .814 OPS against righties, and that was enough to balance things out for me against Elder, especially with Elder's issues at home.
