This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We won't have a Monday article next week because that's the first day of the All-Star break. It's hard to believe we're that deep into the season, but it's been fun grinding MLB DFS every day. That's truly what it is because there are inevitably going to be ups and downs when looking at a 162-game schedule. We feel good about this Monday card, though, so let's go ahead and get into it.
Pitching
Andrew Abbott, CIN vs. COL ($8,200)
It's hard to believe Abbott remains this cheap. The lefty has allowed three runs or fewer in 15 of his 17 starts, generating a 3.28 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. He's also scored at least 16 DraftKings points in four of his last six starts despite facing teams like the Yankees, Red Sox and Brewers. The Rockies are far from that, with Colorado ranked 28th in xwOBA and strikeout rate. The Rockies also rank last in runs scored, on-base percentage (OBP), OPS and xwOBA on the road in three of the last four years. They allowed Abbott to score 19 DraftKings points in their one matchup last month. He is entering this matchup as a -200 favorite.
Jon Gray, TEX at LAA ($7,000)
Gray is too good to be this cheap. The reason for the price drop is due to two blow-ups, surrendering 17 runs to the Mets and Orioles over his last four starts. Not many pitchers are getting through those lineups right now. We're willing to overlook that because Gray has a 2.24 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 8.5 K/9 rate if you take out those two stinkers. We're willing to do that because L.A. doesn't have a single player who would make either of those lineups right now, with the Angels ranked 23rd in runs scored, 19th in strikeout rate and 22nd in OBP. They're also missing Mike Trout, Anthony Rendon and Luis Rengifo. In two starts against them last year, Gray allowed just one run in both, scoring 27 and 16 DraftKings points.
Top Targets
Elly De La Cruz, CIN (vs. Ryan Feltner) $6,300
There's only one everyday player who's averaging more fantasy points than De La Cruz, with the speedster scoring 10.3 DraftKings points per game. His elite power-speed combo is the reason for the emergence, collecting 15 homers and 43 steals. That looks even better when examining his recent form, tallying a .391 OBP and 1.046 OPS across his last 14 games. He's also got much better splits against righties (.837 OPS) and at home (.839 OPS), making him an easy option against the worst pitching staff in baseball. We'll dive into that later on.
Corey Seager, TEX (vs. Davis Daniel) $5,000
Seager has trouble staying on the field but he's one of the best players in fantasy when he's out there. The shortstop has a .375 OBP and .935 OPS since the start of last season and comes into this matchup scorching. Seager has a .386 OBP and 1.033 OPS across his last 35 games. He's also flirting with a .400 OBP and 1.000 OPS against righties since the start of last season, which is bad news since Daniel had a 5.79 ERA and 1.56 WHIP in his final 13 Triple-A starts before being called up two weeks ago. Texas just missed the cut as our third favorite stack, with Adolis Garcia ($4,600), Marcus Semien ($4,900) and Wyatt Langford ($3,900) great pairings with Seager.
Bargain Bats
Jose Miranda, MIN (vs. Erick Fedde) $4,700
To say Miranda is hot would be a drastic understatement. The Twins cleanup hitter rested Sunday, but he is 12-for-13 over his last four games. Four of those were doubles, with Miranda maintaining a .509 batting average (AVG), .548 OBP, .774 slugging percentage (SLG) and 1.322 OPS across his last 14 outings. There aren't many Little Leaguers doing that. We don't want to fade him against Fedde. The Chicago righty has a 4.98 career ERA and 1.45 WHIP. Stacking Minnesota isn't the worst idea, with Carlos Correa ($5,400), Byron Buxton ($4,600) and Brooks Lee ($3,000) all good options.
Jarred Kelenic, ATL (vs. Yilber Diaz) $4,000
With Ronald Acuna and Michael Harris going down, Kelenic has done a wonderful job filling in as Atlanta's leadoff hitter. The former top prospect is hitting .298 over his last 20 games, generating a .876 OPS in that span. That's the stud Seattle fans wanted to see. It looks even better since he has an OPS above .800 against righties this year. He gets to face one making his MLB debut, with Diaz posting a 4.53 ERA and 1.29 WHIP in the minors. Atlanta is one of the best stacks out there against this unproven rookie, with Marcell Ozuna ($5,700), Austin Riley ($5,100) and Matt Olson ($5,000) all in play.
Stacks to Consider
Cincinnati Reds vs. Colorado Rockies (Ryan Feltner): Elly De La Cruz ($6,300), Spencer Steer ($4,900), Jeimer Candelario ($4,400)
As someone who lives in Colorado, it's sad to stack against the Rockies every day. It's mandatory when playing DFS, though, because they rank last in ERA and WHIP. That's terrifying in a hitter's haven like Great American Ball Park, especially for Feltner. The Rockies righty has a 5.88 career ERA and 1.50 WHIP, posting a 6.07 ERA across his last 14 starts.
With how horrid Colorado has been, Cincy is the highest-projected offense on this slate. That's why De La Cruz is our favorite play, but Steer is right there with him. The everyday three-hole hitter has homered in three straight games going into Sunday, sporting a .362 OBP and .968 OPS across his last 19 outings. That doesn't even take into consideration he's on pace for a 25-25 season. Candelario is projected to bat cleanup for Cincinnati, collecting a .282 AVG and .972 OPS over his last 23 home games.
Cleveland Guardians vs. Detroit Tigers (Keider Montero): Jose Ramirez ($6,500), Josh Naylor ($5,600), Steven Kwan ($5,800)
It's hard to believe Cleveland has one of the best offenses in baseball, but that's a testament to this team. They rank in the top 10 in OBP, runs scored and home runs, with the top half of this order getting on base at an unsightly pace. That could be bad news for Montero, with the Tigers righty registering a 6.60 ERA and 1.40 WHIP. His 5.03 ERA and 1.70 WHIP at Triple-A make it hard to believe he's even making starts, especially against a team like this.
Let's kickstart our Guardians stack with an American League MVP candidate. That's Ramirez, with the third baseman leading all players on this slate with 10.6 DraftKings points per game. Naylor has been batting right behind him every day, accruing a .281 AVG, .493 SLG and .832 OPS since the start of last season. He's also got a .851 OPS against righties since 2021. Kwan is the leadoff hitter for this underrated offense, leading the league with a .365 average. He's also got a .463 OBP and 1.081 OPS across his last 34 outings.
