DraftKings MLB: Monday Picks

DraftKings MLB: Monday Picks

This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.

PITCHER

Ian Kennedy, KC at LAA ($8,800): Kennedy has had strong seasons every year he has kept his home run rate under control and that appears to be the case this year, with Kennedy notching a 0.45 HR/9 rate en route to a 1.35 ERA. The Angels came into action Sunday as the worst team in the league against right-handed pitching, and should be given all they can handle if Kennedy brings his strong walk and strikeout rates.

Jordan Zimmermann, DET vs. OAK ($8,200): Zimmermann has not been scored upon in his first three outings as a Tiger. While he is in line for a bit of regression, there is still a lot to like in this matchup. The first thing to note is that the A's have the sixth-worst wOBA against right-handed pitchers this season (.291) and also hold the third-lowest run value against the slider this season, a pitch that Zimmermann throws 33 percent of the time.

*Alternate option in case of rain: Marcus Stroman, TOR vs. CWS ($8,700)

CATCHER

Yan Gomes CLE at MIN ($2,800): Gomes has been nearly non-existent against righties this season, but he has an excellent .240 ISO with a .320 batting average against left-handed pitchers. Tommy Milone has surrendered a .447 slugging percentage in 13.0 innings against righties this year

*Alternate option in case of rain: Welington Castillo, ARI vs. STL ($3,100)

FIRST BASE

Chris Davis BAL at TB ($4,400):Chris Archer remains broken, but this may be a nice play under any circumstances, as Davis has five hits (two homers) in 14 career at-bats against the fallen ace. Underlying statistics suggest this may be more than small sample noise, as Davis counters Archer's ground ball tendencies with his 42 percent career fly-ball rate. Davis has also kept a positive run value against the slider, which is one of two primary pitches in Archer's arsenal.

SECOND BASE

Robinson Cano, SEA vs. HOU ($4,400):Doug Fister has allowed a startling .501 wOBA to left-handed batters this season. While that number is almost certainly inflated, his 4.30 xFIP against southpaws suggests that he could be a nice option to attack even after the stats normalize. Cano has absolutely hammered righties this season, notching an .829 slugging percentage over 35 at-bats.

THIRD BASE

Brandon Drury, ARI vs. STL ($2,600):Jaime Garcia's numbers this season are misleading, as he has sandwiched two mediocre outings around a complete-game gem. Drury has been a professional platoon hitter for the entirety of his short major league career, having produced a .615 slugging percentage in 39 at-bats against southpaws.

SHORTSTOP

Trevor Story, COL vs. PIT ($5,200): Those who don't mind spending down in a few spots are encouraged to build a stack against Jeff Locke, who has been hit hard in each of his last two starts and has yet to strike out more batters than he has walked in a game this season. Story has been in a bit of a slump after his tremendous start to 2016, but he still carries an .824 slugging percentage against left-handed pitching.

OUTFIELD

Jose Bautista, TOR vs. CWS ($4,500): Bautista's reverse platoon split has continued in 2016, as he is carrying a .387 wOBA against same-handed pitchers. Miguel Gonzalez could be a pitcher to take advantage of in a spot start, as he has surrendered home runs at a 1.3/9 rate over 580.1 career innings.

Sean Rodriguez, PIT at COL ($3,500): Rodriguez showed glimpses of being a power hitter prior to 2016, but he has busted out this year, slugging a cool 1.000 over 14 games. The obvious caveat aside, I will be happy to take Rodriguez at this price, as opposing starter Chad Bettis has surrendered three home runs in just 14.1 innings against right-handed hitters this season.

Nelson Cruz, SEA vs. HOU ($4,600): Fister hasn't allowed a homer to righties all season, but a microscopic strikeout rate and a few more walks have resulted in a similar xFIP (4.20). Cruz has shown decent power against righties (.154 ISO), while logging a 29 percent hard contact rate.

Other options: Christian Yelich, MIA at LAD ($4,300) J.D. Martinez, DET vs. OAK ($4,100) Carlos Beltran, NYY at TEX ($3,300)

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Christopher Olson plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: DraftKings: Sommerset, FanDuel: Christop, Yahoo: Martins.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christopher Olson
Christopher Olson writes DFS articles and blogs for a variety of sports including MLB, NFL and MMA. Follow him on Twitter @RealChrisOlson
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