This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Most Mondays tend to have all the games at night because it's a travel day, but that's not the case today. It's Labor Day, and games are spread throughout the day. We're going to focus on the main slate beginning just before 7 p.m. ET. Some great pitchers are toeing the rubber despite the lack of matchups to pick from. With that in mind, let's start there.
Pitching
Logan Gilbert, SEA at OAK ($9,600)
Gilbert has been one of the best pitchers in the American League this season, posting a 3.09 ERA and 0.90 WHIP. That makes his 7-10 record laughable, with the righty allowing four runs or fewer in 24 of his 27 starts. The only duds were against some of the best offenses in baseball, but Oakland is nowhere near that. The A's rank 25th in runs scored and strikeout rate. That was on full display when Gilbert scored at least 19 DraftKings points in their last four matchups.
Osvaldo Bido, OAK vs. SEA ($8,600)
The A's have one of the worst pitching staffs in the sport, but Bido is not the reason why. He's been carrying their rotation recently, scoring at least 16 DraftKings points in five straight starts. The righty has a 1.55 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 8.7 K/9 rate in that sensational stretch and shouldn't have any issues against this subpar Seattle lineup. The Mariners rank 25th in on-base percentage (OBP), 26th in runs scored, 28th in wOBA and dead-last in strikeout rate.
Top Targets
Jackson Merrill, SD (vs. Ty Madden) $4,700
Merrill is running away with the National League Rookie of the Year, coming up clutch for the Padres on numerous occasions this season. The rookie is just a few steals away from a 20-20 season, providing an elite .290 batting average (AVG) as well. His numbers in the second half are even more spectacular, sporting a .326 AVG and 1.006 OPS across his last 36 games. Merrill has also maintained some magnificent splits, registering a .888 OPS against righties this year. That's rough for a guy like Madden. We'll dive into his numbers in the stacks section.
Josh Lowe, TB (vs. Simeon Woods Richardson) $4,400
Young pitchers always seem to hit a wall when they reach their career-high in innings pitched, and that's what we're seeing from Woods Richardson. The Twins pitcher has just one quality start over his last six outings, posting a 5.59 ERA and 1.38 WHIP in that span. That should bode well for a guy like Lowe, who's totaled a .803 OPS against righties since his call-up. He also comes into this matchup hot, tallying a .891 OPS across his last 29 games while recording all nine of his steals against righties in that span. Stacking Tampa is one of the most affordable stacks out there, with Christopher Morel ($4,100), Yandy Diaz ($4,000) and Junior Caminero ($3,900) looking like decent values.
Bargain Bats
Masataka Yoshida, BOS (vs. Luis Severino) $3,900
The Red Sox have been one of the best offenses in the second half, and Yoshida's resurgence is a major reason why. The outfielder has a .333 AVG, .405 OBP and .917 OPS across his last 37 outings. He's also amassed a .383 OBP and .853 OPS against righties this year, making him one of the best values below $4,000. Severino is not as scary as he once was either, accruing a 4.45 ERA and 1.32 WHIP since May 1. Boston could bludgeon Severino if he's struggling, with Rafael Devers (5,900) and Triston Casas ($4,800) looking like the best options batting from the left side.
Matt Wallner, MIN (vs. Zack Littell) $3,800
Wallner has sat below $4,000 all season, and I don't understand why. This guy typically bats cleanup for the Twins when they face a right-hander, accumulating a .403 OBP and .980 OPS against righties since the start of last season. That's even scarier when you consider his recent form, establishing a .398 OBP and 1.025 OPS across his last 32 outings. Littell can be a solid pitcher at times, but his 4.25 ERA and 1.31 WHIP since the opening two weeks won't stray us away from Wallner. We also like Trevor Larnach ($3,100), who's got a .790 OPS against righties this year and always bats in the heart of the Twins lineup.
Stacks to Consider
New York Yankees vs. Texas Rangers (Jack Leiter): Aaron Judge ($7,000), Juan Soto ($6,500), Jazz Chisholm ($5,200)
Leiter was a second-overall draft pick for a reason, but he just hasn't found it at this level. The rookie righty has made four starts for Texas, registering a 12.83 ERA and 2.40 WHIP in what's turning into a nightmarish season. He hasn't cleared the fourth inning in any of his starts and could be in for another short one since New York ranks first in OBP and second in runs scored.
Whenever you stack the Yankees, Judge needs to be the first player in your lineup. Despite being a ridiculous price tag, Judge has a .498 OBP, .810 SLG and 1.308 OPS across his last 108 games. Soto has been equally as impressive, producing a .420 OBP and 1.010 OPS this season. He also has a .423 OBP and 1.025 OPS against righties. Chisholm was the sneaky addition at the trade deadline, compiling a 1.109 OPS across his last eight games. He also has the platoon advantage against Leiter and is on his way to a 25-30 season.
San Diego Padres vs. Detroit Tigers (Ty Madden): Manny Machado ($5,400), Jackson Merrill ($4,700), Jake Cronenworth ($4,400) and Xander Bogaerts ($4,100)
We don't know much about Madden, but that's always a sign to stack against. It's easy to see why he's unknown, with the Tigers rookie making his second career start. It's not like he was mowing down hitters in the minors, collecting a 7.97 ERA and 1.77 WHIP at Triple-A. That could be a disaster against a sizzling lineup like San Diego, sitting in the top three in OBP and runs scored since the All-Star break.
Machado is always the first choice when stacking San Diego, with the All-Star generating a .305 AVG, .572 SLG and .925 OPS across his last 61 games. We already talked about Merrill's exploits, but we love that Cronenworth has the platoon advantage against Madden. The second baseman has a .342 OBP and .806 OPS against righties this year. Bogaerts has quietly been crushing it since coming off the injured list (IL), gathering a .325 AVG and .791 OPS in 41 games since then.
