This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The NFL took center stage Sunday, but it's not time to turn the page on the MLB season yet. We have a heavy schedule for the entire week, which also includes Monday as we have a nice 11-game slate to work with. As is typical with that large of a player pool, there are good options at a variety of price points for most positions, so we'll focus primarily on matchup and park factors to make our decisions.
Pitchers
Tyler Glasnow ($10,800) and a matchup against the Twins is what dreams are made of when it comes to racking up pitcher points. He has maintained a 33.5 percent strikeout rate, while the Twins strike out at by far the highest rate in the league. They've improved some across the last 30 days, but not enough to stay away from.
Most of the other top-priced pitchers also have very good matchups, but we'll stick with the chalk and highlight Brandon Woodruff ($10,300) of the group. Aside from Glasnow, he's the only other pitcher with a strikeout rate above 30 percent. The Marlins don't strike out at the same clip as the Twins, but they aren't a particularly potent lineup. I'd side with Glasnow in tournaments, but Woodruff is a good cash option and comes at a bit of a discount.
Though the top of the pitcher pool is very appealing, we'll have to move down a tier or two to Jesus Luzardo ($8,500). The primary downside in his case is that he's facing off against Woodruff, so it only makes sense to roster one of the two pitchers. Luzardo is another high-strikeout rate pitcher (28.2%) and Milwaukee is arguably a better matchup than the Marlins. Similar to the comparison to Glasnow, I'd prioritize Woodruff in cash but have no problem dropping down the tier or two to Luzardo in a tournament.
It certainly doesn't seem that Jose Quintana ($7,300) can maintain his current level of success, but the Diamondbacks have struggled to hit lefties all season. He's a fine play in scenarios where there can be some risk, as Quintana is riding a 0.2 HR/9 for a significant part of his success while maintaining just an 8.2 K-BB%.
Clarke Schmidt ($6,600) is pretty clearly the punt option of the day, as his price simply doesn't make sense given his recent level of success. Just beware of the matchup against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
Top Hitters
Xander Bogaerts ($4,700) has struggled for much of the season, though that's changed of late as he's maintained a .703 slugging percentage across the last 10 days. A matchup against Gavin Stone could help him maintain that hot stretch, as he has just a 2.1 K-BB% while allowing 2.0 HR/9 in an admittedly small big-league sample.
Kyle Freeland has pitched better at home as compared to the road, which is strange when considering that Coors Field is his home park. He's still worth targeting, however, and Dansby Swanson ($5,500) comes at a reasonable price relative to the rest of the lineup.
Value Bats
We have to put together a few factors to want to play Daulton Varsho ($3,400), but those factors are present Monday. Dane Dunning has struggled in the second half (2.2 HR/9) and he's been particularly bad against southpaws all season (.346 wOBA against). Varsho hits toward the bottom of the lineup but still gets consistent playing time against righties.
Elehuris Montero ($3,300) has quietly improved his performance since the Rockies turned over the starting first base job to him at the start of the month. He's at home, so this price is too good to pass up.
Stacks to Consider
San Diego Padres vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (Gavin Stone): Ha-Seong Kim ($4,800), Fernando Tatis ($5,900), Juan Soto ($5,500)
The Padres have rivaled the Mets for the most significant underachieving team this season, but they undoubtedly have dangerous bats at the top of the lineup. Meanwhile, the long-term outlook for Stone remains positive, but in the short term, he hasn't proven that he can consistently get outs in the majors. San Diego's lineup should be able to take advantage, especially for those able to pay all the way up for top-of-the-order bats.
Chicago Cubs vs. Colorado Rockies (Kyle Freeland): Mike Tauchman ($4,300), Ian Happ ($5,100), Dansby Swanson ($5,500)
It's easy to identify a stack at Coors Field as one of the top plays of the day, though the structure of the lineup as well as the price points that DraftKings has set will likely help and require getting unique with the exact build. Tauchman isn't the best fit for the leadoff role, but the Cubs have hit him there anyways, so he's a relatively cheap option atop the order. From there, it's probably best to pick off values as Cody Bellinger ($6,800) and Nico Hoerner ($6,100) come in at prohibitive price points.
