This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Monday's main slate on Yahoo brings seven games to choose from across baseball. While that doesn't exactly leave a ton of options, there are several excellent starting pitchers set to take the mound. Let's dive into all of the matchups and discuss some players who might be worth targeting for your entry.
Pitchers
The pitcher with the highest salary is arguably the most appealing for this slate. That is none other than Shane Bieber ($61), who enters his start with a 1.67 FIP and a 0.81 WHIP. He's been even better in the strikeout department than he was in his breakout 2019 campaign, posting a whopping 42.9 percent strikeout rate. Further tilting the scales in his favor is a matchup against the Royals, who have the 10th-worst OPS (.727) in baseball. The last time he faced them. Bieber recorded 14 strikeouts across six shutout innings.
If you're looking to take a shot at a player with a cheap salary in tournament play, then Trevor Williams ($31) could be someone to consider. Overall, his numbers aren't great with a 5.34 ERA that is supported by a 5.27 FIP. However, a lot of that is because he allowed eight runs against the White Sox in his last start. This is a much more favorable matchup against the Brewers, who have the third-worst OPS (.672) and have scored the fifth-fewest runs in baseball.
Top Targets
There has been no slowing down Juan Soto ($27), who has a 209 wRC+ this season. He didn't strikeout out much during his first two seasons in the league and he's been even better in that department this season with a 12.1 percent strikeout rate. His hard-hit rate has also soared to 56.8 percent. He's going to be a tough out for Spencer Howard ($25), who has allowed four home runs and recorded a 2.06 WHIP across his first three starts in the majors.
The Padres have been busy leading up to the trade deadline and added another first baseman in Mitch Moreland. However, he's likely going to spend most of his time at DH with Eric Hosmer ($20) locked in at first base. Hosmer is having the best season of his career, dropping his strikeout rate to 15 percent while recording a 143 wRC+. He'll look to continue that success in a matchup against German Marquez ($39) at Coors Field.
Bargain Bats
If you want to take advantage of the Nationals' matchup against Howard with a more budget-friendly option, than Eric Thames ($10) could be worth a look. He's off to a rough start, but he does have power and posted a .362 wOBA against right-handed pitchers last season.
It would seem unlikely that either Mitch Moreland or Austin Nola would be available for the Padres in their game against the Rockies after they were both just acquired Sunday. With Ty France having also been deal away, we could see Josh Naylor ($12) in the lineup Monday. He was impressive at Triple-A last year with a .392 wOBA, although he did struggle after being called up. Still, he could be a way to gain some cheap exposure to this game at Coors Field.
Stacks to Consider
Braves vs. Colten Brewer ($25), Red Sox: Freddie Freeman ($23), Marcell Ozuna ($20), Nick Markakis ($17)
The Red Sox will once again start an underwhelming pitcher as their rotation is in shambles. Brewer has a 5.99 FIP to go along with a 1.62 WHIP and he's allowed five home runs across 21.2 innings. That could mean a big offensive night is in the cards for the Braves. Freeman and Ozuna are the two big names in this stack, but don't sleep on Markakis. He's been a savior with all of their injuries, posting what would be a career-high .408 wOBA.
Phillies vs. Erick Fedde ($25), Nationals: Bryce Harper ($25), Andrew McCutchen ($16), Didi Gregorius ($15)
While his 3.57 ERA might look nice, Fedde has not pitched well this season. He had a 5.65 FIP to go along with a 1.54 WHIP and he has a staggeringly-low 5.9 percent strikeout rate. Left-handed hitters have a career .360 wOBA against him, making Harper and Gregorius two prime targets. McCutchen might not have the platoon advantage, but he's locked in right now after hitting 20-for-55 (.364) with three home runs and three doubles across his last 12 games.
Rockies vs. Garrett Richards ($29), Padres: Trevor Story ($27), Charlie Blackmon ($23), Raimel Tapia ($16)
Richards was crushed in his last outing against the Mariners, allowing six runs while recording just two outs. His 1.53 WHIP is a problem and he only has 25 strikeouts across 31.1 innings. When he last pitched at Coors Field a month ago, he allowed four runs across 5.2 innings. Tapia doesn't have nearly the upside that Story and Blackmon do, but he doesn't strike out much and he has recorded a 13 percent walk rate on his way to a .351 wOBA. He also has a .455 wOBA at Coors Field.
