This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
There won't be much baseball to speak of Monday with only four games on the schedule. The AL East will take center stage, with the Blue Jays hosting the Yankees and the Orioles taking on the Red Sox. Over in the National League, the Braves will continue their pursuit of the NL East crown when they take on the Nationals. They find themselves just one game behind the Mets in the loss column, while the Nationals are one defeat away from their 100th loss of the season. We don't have a ton of options to choose from on Yahoo, so with that in mind, here are some players to consider for your lineups.
Pitchers
Kevin Gausman ($43) has come through during his first season with the Blue Jays, posting a 3.32 ERA and a 2.37 FIP. What makes him so appealing for this slate is that his 28.2 percent strikeout rate makes him one of the few starters who can miss a lot of bats. The Yankees aren't the easiest of matchups, but Gausman has limited them to two runs over 12.2 innings this season.
The Yankees got to Roansy Contreras ($36) in his last start, tagging him for six runs over 4.2 innings. Prior to that, Contreras had allowed two or fewer runs in five straight outings. This is a much more favorable matchup against the Reds, who only have a .644 OPS on the road this season. Don't be surprised if he bounces back in a big way.
Bryce Elder ($31) didn't exactly light up Triple-A, recording a 4.46 ERA and 4.45 FIP over 105 innings. He's been a bit wild in the majors, posting a 12.1 percent walk rate. However, he's only allowed three home runs across 40 innings, helping him compile a 3.38 ERA and a 4.09 FIP. He's at least worth considering against the Nationals, who have scored the fifth-fewest runs in baseball.
Top Targets
Starting for the Reds will be Chase Anderson ($28), who has a 5.21 ERA and a 5.32 FIP despite the fact that opponents only have a .167 BABIP against him through six appearances. With him allowing 24 home runs over 100.2 innings the last three seasons, the powerful Bryan Reynolds ($21) stands out as a top option. After hitting another home run Sunday, he has 26 home runs and a .202 ISO for the season.
In what has been a disappointing season for the Red Sox, Xander Bogaerts ($21) continues to shine. He has a 138 wRC+, which is on pace to be the second-highest mark of his career. Another excellent stat line could be coming in a matchup against the underwhelming Jordan Lyles ($26), who has a 1.43 WHIP for his career.
Bargain Bats
As good as Bogaerts has been, J.D. Martinez ($13) has not lived up to expectations for the Red Sox. For just the second time over the last nine years, he's on pace for an OPS below .800. However, his salary is cheap enough to at least have him on your radar against Lyles.
Jack Suwinski ($11) has brought a ton of power to the plate, posting a .209 ISO for the Pirates. The rest of his numbers aren't great, though, given his 31.7 percent strikeout rate and .295 wOBA. Still, with Anderson giving up so many home runs, Suwinski has a favorable opportunity to go deep in this game.
Stacks to Consider
Braves vs. Cory Abbott ($27), Nationals: Michael Harris II ($22), Dansby Swanson ($13), Austin Riley ($17)
Abbott stands out as one of the top pitchers to stack against. He has a 4.85 ERA and his 6.09 FIP suggests he may be pitching even worse than his ERA would lead you to believe. He's also given up nine home runs over 39 innings. One of the Braves' most dangerous hitters has been Harris, who has stormed onto the scene with a .230 ISO and a .379 wOBA.
Orioles vs. Connor Seabold ($26), Red Sox: Adley Rutschman ($22), Gunnar Henderson ($20), Cedric Mullins ($18)
Seabold has made four starts for the Red Sox this season, allowing at least four runs in three of them. He has even allowed seven runs in a start two times. The Orioles will continue to rely on youngsters Rustchman and Henderson, who have a .354 and a .343 wOBA, respectively. Mullins is also an intriguing option for an Orioles stack because, even though left-handed pitchers have held him to a .254 wOBA, he has a .345 wOBA versus righties.
