This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
This is the largest slate I've covered all season. I've been tasked to cover Monday and Thursday slates, which tend to be travel days for MLB teams. For some reason, we have almost every team in action for this Monday card. There are 11 games on the main slate and some fascinating pitchers toeing the rubber. With that in mind, let's get started with the best arm on this slate.
Pitching
Yoshinobu Yamamoto, LAD at SF ($10,500)
Yamamoto had fans worried when he struggled mightily in his debut, but he's been a monster since then. He's allowed zero runs in four of his last six starts, tallying a 1.76 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 9.9 K/9 rate in that span. He's also scored at least 20 DraftKings points in all but one of those and shouldn't have any issues in San Francisco. Not only is Oracle Park one of the most pitcher-friendly parks in baseball, but the Giants rank 21st in on-base percentage (OBP) and 23rd in wOBA. That's why he's a -190 favorite, with the Giants projected to score just three runs.
Trevor Williams, WAS at CWS ($7,300)
We have been stacking against Williams for years, but something has changed this season. The right-hander has a 1.96 ERA and 1.06 WHIP to go along with a 4-0 record. He's also allowed just two runs across his last four outings, scoring at least 14 DraftKings points in six of his seven starts. That's all you can ask for from such an affordable player, and he couldn't have a better matchup. The White Sox rank last in runs scored, OBP, OPS and wOBA.
Randy Vasquez, SD vs. COL ($6,000)
We don't have much trust in Vasquez, but we can't fade a $6,000 pitcher in a home matchup with Colorado. The Rockies rank last in xwOBA and 29th in strikeout rate this season but have been historically bad on the road. They've been bottom-three in runs scored and OPS in three straight seasons. That's troublesome in a pitcher-friendly environment like Petco Park, with the Padres entering this matchup as a -200 favorite. The Rockies are also only projected to score 3.5 runs, with Vasquez allowing just one run in two of his three starts. Good luck finding another $6,000 player with this much in his favor.
Top Targets
Kyle Tucker, HOU (vs. Ross Stripling) $6,100
To say Tucker is hot would be an understatement. This guy has homered in eight of his last 13 games, posting .404 OBP and 1.181 OPS in that span. That's scary because it doesn't even factor in his speed, averaging about 30 homers and 25 steals over the last three seasons. He is the best player in fantasy right now, but he's not even top-five in salary for some reason. He's also got the platoon advantage against Stripling. We'll talk about his subpar statistics later.
Oneil Cruz, PIT (vs. Colin Rea) $4,500
Cruz got off to a rough start this season, but this athletic freak is starting to find it. The shortstop has scored at least 12 DraftKings points in six of his last eight games, generating a .406 OBP and 1.273 OPS in that span. We've always seen this ability because Cruz has been atop all the hard-hit metrics throughout his career. The best part is that he faces a weak righty, with Cruz compiling a .360 OBP and .914 OPS against right-handers this year. Rea's unremarkable 5.76 xERA and 15 percent strikeout rate could have him in line for some negative regression here because Cruz's only real weakness is his strikeouts. With the regression monster coming for Rea, we could include Bryan Reynolds ($4,500), Connor Joe ($4,400) and Rowdy Tellez ($3,300) in this stack as well.
Bargain Bats
Nick Castellanos, PHI (vs. Sean Manaea) $4,200
Castellanos was one of the worst hitters in baseball through the opening month, but he's finally getting it going. The former All-Star enters this matchup amid an eight-game hitting streak, providing a .400 OBP and 1.013 OPS. A run like that was inevitable because Castellanos has a .823 OPS over the last seven seasons. He's also slaughtered southpaws throughout his career, amassing a .351 OBP and .869 OPS against them. We also don't mind that Manaea has a 4.44 ERA and 1.68 WHIP across his last five starts. He's clobbered Manaea throughout their careers, collecting a 2.125 OPS in eight at-bats against him. Stacking Philadelphia bats isn't the worst idea, with Alec Bohm ($5,600) looking like a great pairing with Castellanos.
Jo Adell, LAA (vs. Kyle Leahy) $3,500
Adell has been a Quad-A player for most of his career, but an everyday role has got him going at this level. The minor league stud is up to seven homers and seven steals this season, sporting a .338 OBP and .911 OPS across his last 20 outings. He's also scored at least 11 DraftKings points in four of his last five fixtures and shouldn't be this cheap with the way he's swinging the bat right now. Facing a lackluster rookie like Leahy only adds to his value, with the righty posting a 10.38 ERA and 2.19 WHIP at this level and a 6.34 ERA and 1.66 WHIP at Triple-A.
Stacks to Consider
San Diego Padres vs. Colorado Rockies (Dakota Hudson): Fernando Tatis Jr. ($5,400), Manny Machado ($4,900), Jake Cronenworth ($4,600)
It feels shoddy to recommend stacks against the Rockies every day, but it works more often than not. Colorado ranks last in ERA and WHIP, regularly allowing 6-7 runs every game. Hudson has been a major part of that horrific pitching, totaling a 6.35 ERA and 1.79 WHIP. That's why the Padres are projected to score over five runs, the second-highest team total on this slate.
Let's kickstart our stack with Tatis because he's one of the best players in fantasy. He's got a .388 OBP and .888 OPS across his last 11 games and has been a top-five player in points per game since his call-up. Machado's production speaks for itself, producing a .843 OPS across the last nine years. He has also maintained a 1.600 OPS in 10 at-bats against Hudson. Cronenworth is the best value of the group, generating a .385 OBP and .985 OPS against right-handers this season.
Houston Astros vs. Oakland Astros (Ross Stripling): Kyle Tucker ($6,100), Yordan Alvarez ($5,500), Jon Singleton ($3,200)
This Houston offense hasn't been as harrowing as it has been in the past, but they're the highest-projected offense on this slate. It's easy to see why when evaluating their matchup, with Stripling, allowing 11 runs in his most recent start. He's allowed double-digit hits twice this season, totaling a 5.14 ERA and 1.57 WHIP. That's why Houston is projected to score 5.5 runs. The middle of their lineup should do most of that damage.
We already talked about Tucker because he's the best option on the board. We shouldn't overlook Alvarez, though, and his .396 OBP and .990 OPS against right-handers over the last three years. He's never had an OPS below .877 in his six-year career, which means some positive regression is right around the corner. Singleton is the best value because he bats fifth behind these studs. The career minor-leaguer has a .858 OPS across his last 12 games and gets the platoon advantage against the struggling Stripling.
