This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Sure, it's early August, and it's a Monday, so you might feel content to give into the "dog days" of it all. Not here! There is MLB DFS to play! We have eight games on the slate starting at 6:40 p.m. EDT or later. Here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Hunter Brown, HOU at TEX ($9,600): Has Brown turned a corner in his sophomore season? Over his last 10 games he has a 2.23 ERA. He's always been good at racking up strikeouts, but in that stretch of games his walks and home runs are down, and that is an absolute must for Brown going forward. The Rangers are getting less banged up, but they are still middling in terms of runs scored.
JP Sears, OAK vs. CWS ($8,600): On a tricky day for picking pitchers, this matchup makes for an easy selection. When it doubt, take a guy at home (in a pitcher-friendly park at that) facing MLB's worst offense. The White Sox just reached 350 runs. The lowly Marlins? They are in 29th with 408 runs scored, and that's in two fewer games. Sears will face truly a once-in-a-decade example of offensive futility.
Top Targets
Imagine a hitter who tallies 30 homers, 30 doubles, and 30 stolen bases. Now, imagine them also winning the batting title. There's a very real chance Bobby Witt ($4,500) will be such a hitter. He has an 1.174 OPS at home this year, and the Red Sox have brought back James Paxton in a "the devil you know" sense. He washed out with the Dodgers, and now he's back with a Boston team that he put a 4.68 FIP up with last season.
Since returning from injury, Cody Bellinger ($3,200) has been hitting with gusto, so let's not forget that last season he had a .902 OPS at home. His .274 average, 11 homers, and 16 doubles in 85 games are also still quite good. David Festa posted a 4.06 ERA in Triple-A, and he has not taken to the majors. Through four appearances he has a 6.98 ERA and has allowed 2.79 homers per nine innings.
Bargain Bats
The Giants brought Mark Canha ($2,800) over because sometimes a lefty is going to be on the mound. San Fran already rosters a lot of left-handed hitters and loves a platoon. Since 2022, Canha has a .793 OPS against lefties. Well, he won't be facing just any lefty Monday. Patrick Corbin is in line for a start. His 5.88 ERA has him on pace for an ERA over 5.00 for the fifth year in a row. Also, since 2022 righties have hit .310 against him.
"Doubles power" can feel like damning with faint praise, but JJ Bleday ($2,600) is close to the ideal iteration of "doubles power." The lefty has hit 31 doubles this season, and doubles power plays better in Oakland's expansive park. To that end, Bleday has an .827 OPS at home. The White Sox aren't in a position to care too much about results, and on a related note Jonathan Cannon has a 2.90 ERA at home and a 5.76 ERA on the road. He's getting a road start Monday.
Stacks to Consider
Reds at Marlins (Roddery Munoz): Elly De La Cruz ($4,200), Jake Fraley ($2,900), TJ Friedl ($2,800)
Munoz was a bad pitcher at the Triple-A level. He established that over the last couple seasons. As such, it is not surprising that since getting called up Munoz has been one of the worst pitchers in MLB. His 5.45 ERA is bad, but also flatters him, as Munoz has a 6.77 FIP. The righty has a sub-2.00 K/B rate and has allowed 2.59 homers per nine innings. Now, righties have hit only .196 against him. There's that. He's let lefties hit .286, though. That's where the damage is happening. These three Reds all hit left handed.
De La Cruz's 55 stolen bases are eye-popping, but he also has 47 extra-base hits. Though he is a switch hitter, his .890 OPS against righties shows a clear preference. Fraley's power has dipped this year, but he's hit .278 and stolen 14 bases. Plus, he has a .917 OPS over the last three weeks, so that power has started to show again. Friedl has five homers and six stolen bases, but that's in 35 games. He had 18 homers, eight triples, and 27 stolen bases last year. Friedl has shown what he can do as a righty.
Twins at Cubs (Kyle Hendricks): Royce Lewis ($4,100), Willi Castro ($3,000), Max Kepler ($2,800)
Time runs out on every pitcher, but Hendricks is a 34-year-old who never had a robust fastball. His guile doesn't get him by any longer. Hendricks has a 6.86 ERA, a 1/79 K/9 rate, and was even moved to the bullpen for a bit. Righties have hit over .280 against Hendricks the last couple seasons, but this year lefties have hit .308 against him. Thus, I have provided an assortment for this stack.
Royce Lewis is so good! His career numbers are absolutely remarkable, but the 25-year-old has put them up in only 103 total games due to his health issues. Right now, he's healthy, and he's slashed .288/.370/.686. As long as he's able to hit, I want him in my lineups. The switch-hitting Castro often leads off, which makes sense. He has a .351 OBP and plenty of speed. That speed has helped him tally 25 doubles, five triples, and 10 stolen bases. Kepler is the one true lefty in this stack. He's posted an .827 OPS over the last three weeks, and he's slugged .426 against righties since 2022.
