This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The sweet spot for a DFS slate is between 6-10 games, and that's exactly what we have here. Nine games are making up this Monday card, all happening at night. That leaves us with plenty of options to dissect, but not too many to be overwhelmed. With that said, we have one of the best pitchers in baseball toeing the rubber, so let's start there!
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Pitching
Chris Sale, ATL at MIL ($10,000)
Sale has been my favorite pitcher for years, and it's incredible to see him continue to pitch like an ace after 15 years of dominance. The former Cy Young winner has allowed two runs or fewer in nine straight starts, sporting a 1.65 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 11.9 K/9 rate in that span. He's also scored at least 16 DraftKings points in all of those, dropping 23 or more DK points in six of his last seven outings. That form makes Sale impossible to avoid, and Milwaukee is far from a scary matchup right now. The Brewers rank 23rd in wOBA, 26th in xwOBA and 24th in OPS, with Sale striking out 10 batters in their most recent matchup.
Jeffrey Springs, ATH at LAA ($6,800)
Springs had an opener pitch ahead of him in his last start, but it shouldn't overshadow what's been a sensational stretch for the southpaw. The lefty has allowed three runs or fewer in six of his last seven outings, providing a 3.66 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in that span. That even includes a six-run shelling, but we love that Springs gets to pitch on the road since Sacramento is one of the most hitter-friendly parks in the sport. Through his first six road starts before that stinker, Springs had a 2.45 ERA and 0.97 WHIP. That's on par with the 3.17 ERA and 1.14 WHIP Springs has maintained since 2021! Those splits, recent form and long-term success make Springs a sexy option against LA, with the Angels ranked 26th in wOBA, 28th in OBP and 29th in K rate.
Top Targets
Brent Rooker, ATH (vs. Yusei Kikuchi) $4,700
This guy doesn't get recognized as one of the best power hitters in the game, but Rooker is definitely that. The slugger has 82 homers and 218 RBI over the last three years en route to a .272 AVG, .518 SLG and .865 OPS. His splits against southpaws are even more stupendous, tallying a .439 OBP, .714 SLG and 1.153 OPS against lefties this year. It's not like we're concerned about a matchup with Kikuchi, compiling a 4.93 xERA and 1.59 WHIP.
Jonathan Aranda, TB (vs. Brayan Bello) $4,500
Aranda has quietly been the Rays' best bat this season, and their cleanup hitter has a .321 AVG, .409 OBP and .904 OPS in a breakout campaign. His numbers against righties are even more impressive, as he's registered a .414 OBP and .961 OPS against them this season. Aranda also has a 1.135 OPS across his last 12 outings, and Monday he's facing a pitcher with a 5.72 xERA and 1.59 WHIP. Junior Caminero ($4,300), Josh Lowe ($5,000) and Brandon Lowe ($4,800) are great pairings with Aranda if you want to stack Tampa.
Bargain Bats
Pavin Smith, ARI (vs. Emerson Hancock) $3,800
Smith is struggling right now, but the season-long numbers and splits are impossible to overlook. This guy always hits in the heart of Arizona's lineup against righties, amassing a .374 OBP, .500 SLG and .874 OPS since the start of last year. Most of that damage has come with the platoon advantage in his favor, with Smith providing a .381 OBP and .902 OPS against right-handers in that same span. Hancock is probably the worst pitcher on this slate, and we'll dive into his numbers in the Stacks To Consider section.
Addison Barger, TOR (vs. Andre Pallante) $3,300
I didn't know much about this kid before this month, but Barger has opened my eyes. He's developed into an everyday player in Toronto, and he's been batting third against right-handed pitching over the last week. That's an optimal lineup spot surrounded by All-Stars, but it's no surprise since Barger has a .343 AVG, .378 OBP, .829 SLG and 1.207 OPS across his last 10 outings. He's also got an .864 OPS against righties this year, which is fantastic since Pallante has a 4.91 ERA and 1.38 WHIP. If you want to stack Toronto, Vladimir Guerrero ($4,600) and George Springer ($4,300) are viable options alongside Barger.
Stacks to Consider
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Seattle Mariners (Hancock): Corbin Carroll ($5,600), Ketel Marte ($5,500), Josh Naylor ($4,400), Smith ($3,800)
Arizona just had a nightmarish series in Cincy, but this is still one of the best lineups in baseball. This team led the league in runs scored last year, and they rank Top 5 in runs, OPS and wOBA since the start of last season. That makes them a scintillating stack against anyone, but Hancock is one of the worst pitchers in baseball. The righty has a 5.19 ERA and 1.47 WHIP this season, despite pitching in one of the best pitchers' parks in the sport.
We have to kickstart our Arizona stack with their best bat. That's Carroll, with the MVP candidate ranked fifth in the league with 10.4 DraftKings points per game. As for Marte, the second baseman has a .455 OBP and 1.194 OPS across his last 19 outings. Naylor is the cleanup hitter in AZ, accruing a .373 OBP and .870 OPS against righties this year.
Atlanta at Milwaukee Brewers (Aaron Civale): Ronald Acuna ($5,900), Matt Olson ($5,000), Austin Riley ($4,700), Marcell Ozuna ($4,000)
Civale has been a solid pitcher at times throughout his career, but something hasn't been right over the last two seasons. The right-hander has a 4.44 ERA and 1.31 WHIP in that span, failing to record a quality start through four starts this year. Atlanta got off to an awful start, but this offense is finally playing up to its potential. Since starting the season 5-14, Atlanta ranks Top 10 in runs scored since then. That's what we've become accustomed to, and they're only getting better with an MVP candidate back in the fold.
Let's kickstart our stack with that MVP candidate, with Acuna averaging 8.9 DK points per game. He was also the leading scorer in fantasy in his last full season and is one of the best DFS options on every slate. As for Olson, he's got a .374 OBP and .901 OPS against righties over the last three years. Riley has a .296 AVG, .475 SLG and .824 OPS over the last two months. Ozuna also has a career-high .403 OBP and is way too cheap at just $4K behind his power potential.
