This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
The final weekend of August is over, and Monday is a cool down from all the action. There are only six games on the DFS docket. You have to make decisions based on limited options, but some options are decidedly better than others. Here are my lineup recommendations.
Pitching
Corbin Burnes, MIL vs. PIT ($11,100): It's been a step down from his Cy Young campaign, but a 2.84 ERA and 11.23 strikeouts per nine innings is still plenty sufficient from Burnes. The Pirates are 28th in runs scored and team OPS, which is likely to have Burnes looking like a Cy Young guy Monday.
Frankie Montas, NYY at LAA ($9,100): Montas has struggled since being dealt to the Yankees, but it's only four games. On the season, the former A has a 3.56 FIP. The Angels are 25th in runs scored, and honestly this is a rough day for pitchers.
Top Targets
We focus on the power of Vladimir Guerrero ($4,100), but he's a steady bat in more ways than that. He has a career .287 average and .362 OBP. He also has a .990 OPS at home over the last three seasons. We have Javier Assad in line for his second-career MLB start. In his first he didn't allow a run, but he was at home and allowed four walks and four hits in four innings.
Since 2020, Rhys Hoskins ($3,400) has an 1.011 OPS versus lefties. He's in line to face a southpaw Monday in Madison Bumgarner. Over his last five starts, Bumgarner has been smashed to the tune of a 7.53 ERA.
Bargain Bats
Slugging .500 and notching 23 home runs, Hunter Renfroe ($3,400) has been a potent bat for the Brewers. He's enjoyed his new home park as well, managing an .866 OPS at home. JT Brubaker is on the paternity list, changing the pitching situation for the Pirates. We have Manny Banuelos starting, but he could be the beginning of a bullpen game. That's why I wanted a righty to avoid lefty bats for the Brewers being targeted by relief pitchers.
With Patrick Wisdom injured, and a righty on the mound, I expect to see Alfonso Rivas ($2,100) in action Monday. In his career he has a .721 OPS versus right-handed pitchers. Jose Berrios has a 5.28 ERA, and he also has let lefties hit .294 against him.
Stacks to Consider
Red Sox at Twins (Dylan Bundy): Rafael Devers ($3,900), Xander Bogaerts ($3,400), Alex Verdugo ($2,800)
In his first season as a Twin, Bundy has a 4.56 ERA. In his career, his ERA is even higher at 4.70. Bundy has struck out the fewest batters of his career as well at 6.38 per nine innings. The Red Sox have a few strong bats for a stack like this.
Devers has a .294 average and has tallied 25 home runs. Additionally, since 2020 he has a .959 OPS versus righties. Bogaerts' power is down, but fret not. He's still hit .303 with a .372 OBP, plus 11 homers and seven stolen bases. Since 2020, Verdugo has an .824 OPS against right-handed pitchers. He also has a .934 OPS over the last three weeks.
Twins vs. Red Sox (Brayan Bello): Luis Arraez ($3,100), Jose Miranda ($2,900), Nick Gordon ($2,200)
Time to flip this matchup around! Bello's first foray into MLB action has gone rough. He has a 7.36 ERA, even though he has yet to allow a home run. How is that possible? Well, righties have hit .357 against him and lefties have hit .368. When Bello is on the mound, hits are not hard to come by.
Arraez doesn't need help to hit for average. He's hit .341 against righties, so facing Bello is right up his alley. Miranda has settled into the role of designated hitter for the Twins. He's hit .272 and has 13 home runs in 89 games. Gordon has five home runs and six stolen bases. The southpaw also has a .745 OPS against righties.
Yankees at Angels (Jose Suarez): Aaron Judge ($5,000), Gleyber Torres ($3,200), Josh Donaldson ($2,900)
Sure, Suarez's 4.19 ERA is better than his career 5.27 ERA, but it's still not good. Plus, his home ERA is 4.81. He's a lefty, and so I have three right-handed Yankees for this stack.
I probably don't need to tell you that Judge hits lefties well, because he also hits righties well, Having said that, the slugger has an 1.017 OPS against southpaws since 2020. I expect Torres in the lineup Monday. Why? Because he has an .853 OPS versus lefties. This could be another chance for Giancarlo Stanton to rest as he returns from injury. Donaldson has struggled in his new home park, but on the road he has an .837 OPS. He also has a .748 OPS over the last three weeks.
