This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Monday is not quite a full day of MLB action. For DFS purposes, the focus is on the seven games starting at 7:07 p.m. ET or later. We're used to a little less baseball on a Monday, but to get the most out of these MLB games, here are my DFS recommendations.
Pitching
Spencer Strider, ATL vs. MIA ($11,200): Strider is making it clear last season was no fluke. After posting a 2.67 ERA as a rookie, he has a 2.45 ERA through four starts this year while striking out a whopping 14.73 batters per nine innings. I think we can call Strider a legit ace at this point. We can also call Miami one of the worst offenses in baseball. They finished 28th in runs scored last year, and they are down in the bottom five again to start 2023.
Colin Rea, MIL vs. DET ($7,200): Rea is only in the rotation because Brandon Woodruff is hurt, but the Brewers have worked things out so he gets to be at home against the Tigers. The most encouraging thing about Rea is both of his MLB starts this year have seen him go at least five innings, meaning that he's qualified for a win. The Tigers have the worst offense in baseball again. At this point, I expect that to be the case when the season is over. If Rea goes five innings, I love his odds of picking up a win.
Top Target
Maybe it makes sense that the guy taking the biggest advantage of the base-stealing paradigm in 2023 is a true star, Ronald Acuna ($4,600). He's already stolen 12 bases, showing no ill effects of that serious knee injury from a couple years ago. While Acuna only has three home runs, he's slugged .560, so I expect that to change. In his career, Edward Cabrera has a 3.81 ERA, but a 4.84 FIP. He's walked almost 20 percent of the batters he's faced in 2023, and if Acuna is on first, well, before you know it he may be on second.
Bargain Bat
Recently, Jose Suarez got the, "Yes, he's staying in the rotation…for now" vote of, um, confidence, but that rarely bodes well. The lefty does have a 9.26 ERA through three starts while striking out a mere 5.40 batters per nine innings. Ah, but what to do with an Athletics team that has, well, nobody of note. Well, Brent Rooker ($3,100) is a 28-year-old journeyman who absolutely mashed in Triple-A last year. While he has a "Quad-A" guy reputation, so far he's slashed .318/.415/.614 with four homers for the Athletics. Could he enjoy a Joey Meneses-like run? I'm willing to roll the dice.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays vs. White Sox (Lance Lynn): Matt Chapman ($4,300), Vladimir Guerrero ($3,900), Daulton Varsho ($2,900)
Lynn gave up 10 hits in 5.1 innings in his last start, but at least he didn't give up multiple home runs again. So far, righties have hit .302 against him, lefties have hit .342, and he's allowed 2.53 home runs per nine innings. It's been a tough campaign for Lynn, and visiting the Blue Jays isn't likely to make it any easier.
Guerrero is looking like he wants to be an MVP threat again, having batted .341 and hit five home runs. Though he is right handed, he's always done better versus his fellow righties, posting a .923 OPS in those matchups since 2021. Chapman is off to an incredible start, having slashed .367/.438/.684. In his first season with Toronto the former Athletic greatly preferred to be at home, where he had an .826 OPS. Varsho is new to the Blue Jays for 2023, and he has two home runs to go with four stolen bases. He's the one lefty here, and even looking past the sample size of this season, lefties hit .253 against Lynn in 2022.
Angels vs. Athletics (Ken Waldichuk): Mike Trout ($3,900), Hunter Renfroe ($3,700), Taylor Ward ($2,900)
Waldichuk has gotten better with each start, but he still has a 7.96 FIP, so I can't say I am encouraged. Also, in his career he has a 7.76 ERA on the road, and righties have batted .305 against the southpaw. If Waldichuk is on the road and on the mound, grab three righties for a stack each and every time.
Trout has performed better against righties in recent years, but with his standards he still has a .981 OPS versus lefties since 2021, a number most hitters couldn't dream of. Plus, in that time he has an 1.128 OPS at home. Renfroe has slugged .493 in his career and has two 30-homer seasons, and this year he has six homers and has slugged .560. Since 2021, he has an .899 OPS against southpaws as well. Ward has struggled after a breakthrough 2022, but he seems to have been a bit unlucky. He has a .275 BABIP, below his career .311 number. Last year he had a .901 OPS in Anaheim, so hopefully some home cooking (and an easy matchup) can help.
