We're halfway through September! It's Monday and we have seven games on the DFS docket. The first pitch is at 7:35 p.m. ET. Here are my MLB DFS lineup recommendations. Hopefully we can kick off the work week on a high note.
Pitching
Carlos Rodon, NYY at MIN ($10,000): As the Yankees head toward the playoffs, Rodon is entirely locked in. Over his last seven starts he has a 2.38 ERA, never allowing more than two runs in a start. The Twins, of course, tumbled into the bottom 10 in runs scored after the trade deadline and seemed primed to finish 26th on that front.
Zac Gallen, ARI vs. SFG ($8,700): Over his last eight outings, Gallen has a 2.83 ERA, and he's gone at least six innings in seven of those starts. Additionally, his only bad start in that time has been on the road. At home, he has an 1.88 ERA in four outings. The Giants are average in terms of runs scored, but I'd roster Gallen, especially since he has a 3.47 ERA at home since 2023.
Top Targets
This season, Jeremy Pena ($3,200) didn't merely become viable against his fellow righties. He has an .832 OPS versus right-handed pitchers, and he also has a .922 OPS at home for good measure. Though Jack Leiter has avoided allowing many home runs, he still has a 4.45 ERA on the road. Additionally, righties have hit .280 against him in his career.
Though Jackson Holliday ($3,100) has been undisciplined (130 strikeouts and 11 stolen bases in 139 games), he's delivered impressive counting stats for a second-year second baseman. The lefty has 17 homers and 17 stolen bases on the campaign. Holliday has also been hot, as he has a .905 OPS over the last three weeks. Sean Burke has a 5.04 FIP and 1.55 HR/9 rate. While righties have hit for a higher average against Burke, lefties have hit one more homers in slightly fewer at-bats.
Bargain Bats
After starting his Reds tenure scorching hot, Austin Hays ($3,100) has cooled down. However, he still has 15 homers, five triples and seven stolen bases in 97 games. When he's had a chance to face a lefty this season, though, he's been remarkable. Hays has an 1.007 OPS versus southpaw pitchers here in 2025. Matthew Liberatore is a lefty, and over his last seven starts he has a 5.58 ERA and has allowed eight homers.
Since returning from injury, Alec Burleson ($2,800) has picked up plenty of hits. On the season the southpaw has an .812 OPS versus righties, plus an .813 OPS at home. Across his time with the Rays and Reds this season Zack Littell has a 6.30 K/9 rate and 1.79 HR/9 rate, which should mean plenty of opportunity for Burleson.
Stacks to Consider
Yankees at Twins (Simeon Woods Richardson): Jazz Chisholm ($3,800), Cody Bellinger ($3,300), Ben Rice ($3,100)
Though Woods Richardson has a 3.42 ERA at home, compared to a 5.89 ERA on the road, I'd still stack against him Monday. He has allowed 1.53 homers per nine innings, and he has a 6.75 ERA over his last five outings. Given that Woods Richardson is right-handed, and given that lefty have hit .261 against him, this is a three-southpaw stack.
Chisholm is one homer shy of a 30/30 season. Though he's been much better at home, his .747 OPS on the road isn't terrible. Plus, Chisholm has an 1.011 OPS over the last three weeks, which is decidedly encouraging. Bellinger is going to have hit first 30-homer season since 2019, when he was NL MVP. He's also been hot, having posted a .936 OPS over the last three weeks. Rice has 23 homers and 25 doubles in 127 games and has pushed Paul Goldschmidt to the periphery. He's slugged .477 against righties, and while he's better at Yankee Stadium than most lefties, he still has a .457 slugging percentage on the road.
Diamondbacks vs. Giants (Kai-Wei Teng): Corbin Carroll ($4,200), Geraldo Perdomo ($3,900), Ketel Marte ($3,700)
Maybe it won't be Teng, but if it isn't, it will be another below-average righty. If it's a bullpen game, Marte and Perdomo are switch hitters. Let's say, as projected by the Rotowire probable pitcher grid, it is Teng. He has a career 8.29 ERA in MLB and this year lefties have hit .318 against him. Also, in terms of a larger sample size, Teng has a career 5.62 ERA in Triple-A.
Carroll is going to end up with 30 homers, 30 doubles and 30 stolen bases. He has a .935 OPS versus righties, but also has a .915 OPS at home. Also, if you fear a bullpen game, his .766 OPS versus lefties is workable for a southpaw. Perdomo has batted .286 and has gone from a shortstop with no power to one with 19 homers. He hits a bit better against lefties, but he's slugged .451 against righties. On top of that, Perdomo has a .907 OPS at home. Injuries will mean Marte falls short of 30 homers, but a second baseman who can hit .279 with 25 homers is remarkable. He's slugged .512 against righties this season, but since 2023 has slugged .565 against lefties as well.
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