This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Monday's main evening slate on Yahoo has already been dealt a significant blow with two games being canceled because of an outbreak of COVID-19 within the Marlins. Not only will the Marlins not play the Orioles, but the matchup between the Phillies (who just played the Marlins) and the Yankees has also been canceled. Let's dig into the remaining options and discuss who might be worth considering for your entry.
Pitchers
The starting pitching options for this slate are pretty thin. With teams having already used their front-of-the-rotation starters, we are left with mostly fourth and fifth starters taking the mound. One who at least has a favorable matchup to exploit is Adrian Houser ($37), who will take on the Pirates. Houser showed plenty of promise last season, posting a 3.72 ERA and a 3.88 FIP while bouncing between the starting rotation and the bullpen. He also had a respectable 25.3 percent strikeout rate. With the Pirates lineup lacking depth, Houser could be in line to start off his season on the right foot.
Again, we're scraping the bottom of the barrel for starting pitchers. One who at least has the possibility of pitching deep into his start is Aaron Civale ($37), who had a stellar 1.04 WHIP with a 3.40 FIP last season. Facing the White Sox isn't ideal and Civale only had a 20.3 percent strikeout rate last year, but the pitching options for this slate are horrible, so he's at least worth considering.
Top Targets
The Red Sox could be set up in a spot to thrive against Michael Wacha ($26), who disappointed with the Cardinals last season by posting a 4.76 ERA and an even worse 5.61 FIP. He had never recorded a FIP higher than 4.22, so there could be an opportunity for him to bounce back with the Mets. Even if he does have room for improvement, this is a great spot to deploy J.D. Martinez ($23), who already has five hits across his first three games. He's also hit 44 home runs at Fenway Park the last two seasons compared to 35 on the road during that same span.
After posting some impressive numbers at the lower levels in the minor leagues, Dylan Cease ($31) made his big-league debut in 2019 despite having only pitched 68.1 innings at Triple-A. Things didn't exactly go well for him with the White Sox since he posted a 5.19 FIP and allowed 1.8 HR/9. Left-handed hitters also thrived with a .380 wOBA against him, so this could be a favorable spot to deploy the switch-hitting Francisco Lindor ($18).
Bargain Bats
The Tigers still have a long way to go before they can be a contending team again, but they added some veterans to their lineup during the offseason to at least make themselves more respectable. One was the power-hitting C.J. Cron ($14), who has already gone deep twice in the first three games. He has a chance to keep up his hot hitting against Mike Montgomery ($26), who allowed 1.8 HR/9 last season.
Speaking of hitters who are off to a hot start, Kyle Lewis ($14) has been mashing for the Mariners. He has at least one hit in each of their first three games and has already slugged two home runs. Although he struck out a ton across his 18 games with the Mariners last year, he did hit six homers, as well. The Astros will start Josh James ($35), who allowed 10 home runs across just 61.1 innings last year.
Stacks to Consider
Astros vs. Kendall Graveman ($25), Mariners: Alex Bregman ($21), Jose Altuve ($20), Michael Brantley ($15):
Graveman is set to make his first appearance in the majors since 2018 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He's mostly struggled during his career, posting a 4.54 FIP and a 15 percent strikeout rate. He'll be faced with a tough task right out of the gate having to take on the Astros. This trio won't come cheap, but Brantley does at least come at a somewhat budget-friendly price. He's also off to an excellent start, hitting 5-for-12 with a home run and five RBIs across his first three games.
Mets vs. Josh Osich ($25), Red Sox: Pete Alonso ($23), Michael Conforto ($21), Amed Rosario ($13):
Osich will serve as the opener Monday with Zack Godley expected to follow and pitch the bulk of the innings. Godley was terrible last year, posting a 5.20 FIP and a 1.50 WHIP. Alonso and Conforto both carry tremendous upside while Rosario helps make this Mets stack a little more affordable. He showed significant improvement last year and is a tough out based on his 18.9 percent strikeout rate.
