This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
After filling in this weekend, I'm back to my usual Monday article. These are always some of my favorite slates to cover because I prefer it when every team isn't in action. It limits the player pool and helps me zone in on a handful of teams. With that in mind, let's get started with one of the hottest pitchers in baseball.
Pitching
Blake Snell, SF vs. ATL ($9,300)
Snell was arguably the worst pitcher in baseball before he landed on the injured list (IL), but he's returned to his 2023 Cy Young winner form since his activation. The lefty has allowed just five runs across his last six starts, providing a 1.15 ERA, 0.59 WHIP and 11.3 K/9 rate in that span. He did something similar over the final three months of last season and should continue that success since he hasn't surrendered a run at home in his last three starts. Atlanta sounds like a tough matchup, but they rank 23rd in on-base percentage (OBP) and 26th in strikeout rate without Ronald Acuna and Michael Harris.
Luis Gil, NYY at CWS ($9,000)
Gil had one rough three-start stretch in which he allowed 16 runs, but he's been one of the best pitchers in baseball outside of that. The righty had a 2.02 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 10.8 K/9 rate through his first 12 starts and comes into this matchup with a 1.93 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 11.6 K/9 rate across his last five starts. The three-start stretch is the outlier because Gil is a top-five pitcher in fantasy if you remove those two weeks. His recent form should be easy to duplicate against the White Sox, with Chicago sitting last in runs scored, OBP, OPS, wOBA and xwOBA. That's why Gil enters this matchup as a -300 favorite.
Brandon Pfaadt, ARI vs. COL ($8,600)
We always love to use pitchers when they face the Rockies on the road. This Colorado team ranks last in runs scored, OPS and xwOBA on the road in four of the last five years and is even worse in their first game out of Coors Field. They also sit 28th in xwOBA and 29th in strikeout rate for the year, which should bode well for a breakout pitcher like Pfaadt. The Diamondbacks righty has a 3.03 ERA and 1.08 WHIP across his last 10 starts. He also allowed just one run in his one matchup with the Rockies en route to 21 DraftKings points. We also don't mind that Pfaadt is a -225 favorite.
Top Targets
Vladimir Guerrero Jr, TOR (vs. Davis Daniel) $5,700
Superstars get into these stretches where they look unstoppable and Guerrero Jr. is in one of those right now. He enters this matchup amid a 22-game hitting streak, generating a .494 batting average (AVG), .558 OBP, 1.025 slugging rate (SLG) and 1.583 OPS in that span. That's difficult to do in batting practice, and we expect it to continue in a matchup with Daniel. The Angels arm has an 8.83 ERA and 1.79 WHIP since a fluky showing in his debut. We also like George Springer ($4,700) to pair with Guerrero Jr. because he has a .881 OPS across his last 38 outings.
Xander Bogaerts, SD (vs. Marco Gonzales) $4,700
Bogaerts got off to a rough start but a trip to the IL is just what the doctor ordered. The All-Star has been amazing since his activation, accruing a .372 AVG, .477 SLG and .885 OPS in 21 games since returning. He's also slaughtered southpaws throughout his career, compiling a .379 OBP, .477 SLG and .856 OPS against them since 2021. It's not like Gonzales is a guy we're scared of, generating a 4.95 ERA and 1.52 WHIP since the start of last season. If you want to stack San Diego, Manny Machado ($5,700) and Jurickson Profar ($5,300) have been killing lefties throughout their careers.
Bargain Bats
Joc Pederson, ARI (vs. Bradley Blalock) $4,200
Joc Jams has quietly had an incredible season in Arizona, providing a .392 OBP, .551 SLG and .943 OPS. The reason no one talks about Pederson is that he's a platoon player, posting a .394 OBP, .563 SLG and .957 OPS against righties this year. That's scary when you see his recent form, sporting a .427 OBP and 1.119 OPS across his last 27 games. We'd use him against anyone pitching for the Rockies, which we'll talk about later on.
Rowdy Tellez, PIT (vs. Joe Musgrove) $3,000
Tellez has always been an underrated bat throughout his career, and he's way too cheap at just $3,000. The big man has been batting fourth or fifth every time the Pirates face a righty, registering a .754 OPS against them throughout his career. What really entices us is Tellez's torrid stretch, tallying a .292 AVG, .508 SLG and .841 OPS across his last 42 games. We're usually worried about a matchup with Musgrove, but the righty is making his first start in months, carrying an ugly 5.66 ERA and 1.48 WHIP into this game.
Stacks to Consider
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Colorado Rockies (Bullpen Game): Ketel Marte ($6,200), Corbin Carroll ($4,600), Joc Pederson ($4,200), Eugenio Suarez ($3,800)
We mentioned earlier Colorado is likely sending out Blalock to start, but he's simply an opener for what will likely be a bullpen game. When teams like the Rays do a bullpen game, we usually stay away, but thinking about the Rockies doing it is laughable. Colorado ranks last in ERA and WHIP, typically posting the worst bullpen numbers in baseball. That's terrifying against Arizona because they're the highest-scoring team in the league, averaging nearly seven runs a game over the last month.
We're unsure if Marte will be able to return from his ankle injury, but he's an easy choice if he can. The second baseman has a .427 OBP, .673 SLG and 1.100 OPS across his last 57 games. Carroll is also starting to get hot, collecting a .885 OPS across his last 30 games. We talked about Pederson earlier, but Suarez has been scorching with the rest of these guys. The third baseman has a .369 OBP, .633 SLG and 1.003 OPS across his last 39 games. No wonder these guys can't lose right now.
New York Yankees at Chicago White Sox (Ky Bush): Aaron Judge ($6,900), Juan Soto ($6,400), Giancarlo Stanton ($4,600)
Rarely, I don't know anything about a player, but that's what we have with Bush. The White Sox pitcher is making just his second career start, allowing five walks and three runs to Oakland across 4.2 innings in his debut last week. He also had a 6.16 ERA and 1.53 WHIP at Triple-A before his call-up. It's difficult to see him getting through this righty-heavy Yankees lineup.
We have to kickstart our Yankees stack with Judge. The best hitter in baseball has a .508 OBP, .814 SLG and 1.322 OPS since May 3, posting even better splits against southpaws. Soto doesn't have the platoon advantage against Bush, but he has 30 homers and a .435 OBP in another spectacular season. Stanton benefits from facing the lefty, accruing a .373 OBP, .584 SLG and .957 OPS against them throughout his career. Stanton has also homered in back-to-back games and could be starting one of his vintage tears.
