This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Setting aside the doubleheader between the Twins and White Sox, we have 11 games on the slate for MLB on Monday. Although, with how much it has been raining recently, things could always change. All that rain has also left the pitching rotations in flux for a lot of teams, but here at Rotowire we're pretty good at staying on top of rotation plans for all 30 squads. I certainly make use of that, and it helps me do stuff like recommend players for your DFS lineups Monday.
PITCHING
Casey Mize, DET vs. TEX ($8,100): As a Tigers fan, it feels good to be opening the pitching section with Mize. The first-overall pick a couple years ago, Mize struggled in 2020, and he got off to a slow start to this season. However, since the start of May, he has a 3.01 ERA. I'd personally like to see more strikeouts (7.5 K/9 rate since the beginning of May), but the Rangers are an easy matchup. They are flirting with the bottom five in runs scored and a .300 OBP as a team.
Kyle Gibson, TEX at DET ($9,100): Now, for the flip side of this matchup. Detroit's offense is a bit better than Texas', but still around the bottom 10 in runs scored. Gibson has also been quite strong this season with a 2.29 ERA. Granted, his last start was a tough one against these same Tigers, but his first start and his last start are the only two where he has allowed more than three runs in a game.
Yu Darvish, SD at ATL ($11,200): Darvish obviously has a better track record than Mize or Gibson, but there are a couple of things I am keeping in mind. First, he's coming off the IL. Second, he has a 2.79 ERA at home but a 3.71 ERA on the road. What I am less concerned about, though, is Atlanta's offense. The overall numbers are good, but unfortunately Ronald Acuna is out for the rest of the season, and that was a huge blow to the offense in Atlanta.
Caleb Smith, ARI vs. PIT ($7,000): You might think, "Oh Smith is starting at home, that's going to be a concern." However, in spite of the Diamondbacks' ballpark's offensive reputation, Smith has a 3.89 ERA at home as compared to a 5.46 ERA. I know those aren't encouraging numbers, but this is all about the matchup. The Pirates are all but locked into finishing last in runs scored for the second season in a row.
TOP TARGETS
Rafael Devers, BOS at TOR ($3,800): Devers had a breakout campaign in 2019 with a .916 OPS. After the chaos of 2020, he's bounced back with gusto in 2021 (and even in 2020 he slugged .483). In particular, the southpaw has a 1.030 OPS versus righties. Ross Stripling is a righty, and he also has a 4.86 FIP.
Nolan Arenado, STL vs. CHC ($3,300): Arenado has been a bit cold recently, but we know the potential in his bat. It's not just Coors Field either, as he had a .866 OPS on the road in 2019. He does have 17 homers and has slugged .484 with the Cards, and getting to face Alec Mills should help. Not only does he have a 4.84 ERA, he has a 6.49 ERA on the road.
VALUE BATS
Eduardo Escobar, ARI vs. PIT ($3,000): Escobar has never quite figured out how to get on base with any regularity, but when he makes contact, he does damage. Even with a sub-.300 OBP he's hit 21 homers, and since he's been with the Diamondbacks, he has an .845 OPS at home. Chase De Jong has a 5.59 ERA this season, which is actually an improvement on his career 6.48 ERA.
Miguel Rojas, MIA at WAS ($2,700): Rojas may only have four homers and six stolen bases in 2021, but he's sneakily good against left-handed pitchers. Since 2019 he has a .914 OPS versus southpaws, while righties have kept him in check. Jon Lester is indeed a lefty, and the 37-year-old has a 4.83 ERA over the last three seasons.
STACKS TO CONSIDER
Astros vs. J.C. Mejia: Jose Altuve ($4,100), Yordan Alvarez ($3,600), Yuli Gurriel ($2,700)
Mejia has gotten the call up to face the Astros, which effectively feels like he's been called up as a sacrificial lamb to the Astros. The 24-year-old has a 7.42 ERA in his rookie campaign, hence his being sent back down to Triple-A. Altuve has been in a bit of a down stretch, but he's slashed .273/.354/.485 with 20 home runs in 81 games. The lefty Alvarez has tremendous power with a career .588 slugging percentage. Gurriel has a career .290 batting average, which is impressive, but this season he's setting personal highs in average (.311) and OBP (.376).
Reds vs. Robert Stock: Jesse Winker ($3,300), Jonathan India ($2,700), Tyler Naquin ($2,200)
I would have liked to include Nick Castellanos ($3,600) here, obviously, but his wrist is banged up and he didn't start Sunday. As such, I'm going to set aside Castellanos, but there's still plenty to like in a stack here. Stock pitched in the bullpen in his first three seasons, and this year the Mets have given him his first starts. He's started twice and has a 7.88 ERA. Winker has already set a high with 19 homers and has a career .870 OPS. India is having an intriguing rookie season with a .271/.395/.409 slash line with seven homers and seven stolen bases. I'm also going with the lefty Naquin because he's much better against righties and has 13 homers to go with four stolen bases.
