This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
As we near the end of the MLB regular season, what are you hoping for when it comes to your team? A first-round bye? A wild card spot? A winning record (I'm a Tigers fan, so that's the ceiling for me)? Not being the worst team in modern MLB history (shout out to White Sox fans)? I think I know what you're hoping for when it comes to your DFS lineups, and that's winning. There are eight games on the MLB slate Monday night starting at 7:10 p.m. EDT or later. These are my DFS recommendations.
Pitching
Sean Manaea, NYM vs. WAS ($10,800): As a lefty, Manaea finds a favorable matchup in a Nationals team with a few key hitters who are southpaws. Also, he may be about to avoid his one issue this season. In his first season as a Met, Manaea has a 2.77 ERA on the road with a 0.6 HR/9 rate, but a 3.95 ERA at home with an 1.4 HR/9 rate. Well, Washington is 29th in home runs, so it isn't a threat to go yard too many times.
Shota Imanaga, CHC vs. OAK ($9,900): Imanaga seems to have embraced the tactic of, "It's okay if I allow home runs as long as I'm not allowing baserunners." He's allowed 2.0 homers per nine innings over his last seven starts, but has a 2.86 ERA in that time. Is he playing with fire? Perhaps, but on the season he has a 2.93 ERA at home where he's allowed 1.4 homers per nine. The Athletics are in the bottom five in runs scored, so Imanaga should be able to handle them, homer issues aside.
Reid Detmers, LAA vs. CWS ($8,500): The White Sox just had an unexpectedly good series against Oakland, but this is still a team primed to finish 100 runs behind the rest of the league, and a team with a .618 OPS. In two September starts since a lengthy injury absence, Detmers has gone 6.0 innings and allowed two runs both times.
Top Targets
In a sophomore season that has earned him many admirers on the fantasy front, Brenton Doyle ($3,800) has over 20 homers, 20 doubles, and 20 stolen bases. Oh, and a .950 OPS at home. The Diamondbacks' pitching situation is a bit murky, because manager Torey Lovullo has said that Merrill Kelly could start "Monday or Tuesday" as he works through a hamstring issue. Since we don't know who will be on the mound for Arizona, I'll go with a right-handed hitter, who also happens to be the best DFS option on the Rockies.
With 32 homers this season, Pete Alonso ($3,300) likely won't hit 40 for the third season in a row. However, he has 30 doubles for the first time since his rookie campaign. Plus, this year he has an .838 OPS at home. Andre Pallante has only struck out 6.24 homers per nine innings in his career, and he's allowed his fellow righties to hit .298 against him.
Bargain Bats
Last season, Nolan Schanuel ($2,800) became one of the rare position players to debut in MLB the same year he was drafted. For a young hitter he has a good batting eye and plenty of patience, which is why he has a career .355 OBP. He also has 13 homers and eight stolen bases this season. Jonathan Cannon has a 4.94 ERA on the road in his rookie season, and lefties, like Schanuel, have hit .292 against him.
Five home runs is not exciting even for a second baseman, but Nico Hoerner ($2,700) does bring some things to the table. He lives to be at second base, as the righty has 32 doubles and 29 stolen bases. While Oakland's ballpark is known to be kind to pitchers, it's still remarkable that Joey Estes has a 2.74 ERA at home and a 6.18 ERA on the road.
Stacks to Consider
Diamondbacks at Rockies (Antonio Senzatela): Eugenio Suarez ($4,200), Corbin Carroll ($4,100), Christian Walker ($3,900)
Senzatela is making his first start for the Rockies this season after having Tommy John surgery. He has a career 4.87 ERA, and this game is at Coors Field. Though the righty will likely not be in the game more than a few innings as he works his way back from his elbow procedure, it's not like I fear the Rockies' bullpen. Especially since, again, this game is at Coors Field.
Suarez has gone on a tear as the Diamondbacks have made the surge for a wild card spot. He has an 1.300 OPS over the last three weeks and so he now finds himself up to 28 homers and 95 RBI. Even in a sophomore campaign that is decidedly a disappointment, Carroll has gotten over 100 runs scored, stolen 28 bases, and tallied a whopping 13 triples. He has a .766 OPS against righties this season, and while he's been bad on the road by and large, obviously this is an unusual circumstance in terms of road environment. With 25 home runs, Walker may not get to 30 for the third season in a row, but that's just because injuries have limited him to 117 games. He's also slugged .520 against his fellow righties in 2024.
Phillies at Brewers (Aaron Civale): Kyle Schwarber ($4,000), Bryce Harper ($3,800), J.T. Realmuto ($2,900)
The Brewers added Civale from the Rays to bolster the rotation for the division push and likely the postseason. While his 3.84 ERA with Milwaukee is better than his 5.07 ERA with Tampa, it still isn't good. Civale has averaged 1.61 homers per nine innings this year, and that number is still up at 1.5 in his 11 outings with the Brew Crew. That kind of profile is tricky to make work against the Phillies' lineup.
Schwarber didn't end up missing any real playing time after hurting his elbow, which is good because with 35 home runs on the year he's got some work to do to get to 40 for the third season in a row. Given that he's slugged .638 over the last three weeks, clearly he's giving that his all. Able to stay reasonably healthy, Harper should have 30 homers and 40 doubles for the first time since 2021. He has an 1.100 OPS over the last three weeks as well. You don't need a catcher in your lineup for FanDuel, but I like Realmuto anyway because, for whatever reason, he doesn't have much affinity for hitting at home. Since 2022 he has a .727 OPS in Philly, but an .836 OPS on the road. He also has an .845 OPS over the last three weeks.
