Sigh. This is it. We have reached the final week of the 2017 MLB regular season, and what a wild ride it’s been.
There are nine games on the final Monday of the regular season, with just a slight chance of precipitation in Denver (chilly as well). Let’s kick the week off right and look at some top plays on FanDuel.
Weather Situations to Monitor:
- Marlins @ Rockies
Check out today’s MLB Grand Slam contest at FanDuel 
Pitchers
Yu Darvish (LAD): $9,600 vs. SD
Darvish is the clear top option at the position tonight, as the gap between his projected output and the next option is significant. Darvish possesses immense strikeout upside tonight, as he will face a San Diego squad who strikes out quite a bit, while they rank near the bottom in terms of wRC+ against right-handed pitching.
Darvish is currently a -258 home favorite, with the Padres carrying a low 2.93 implied run total. He is by far your top option in cash games, and he will be very highly sought after in tournament play as well.
Zack Godley (ARI): $9,100 vs. SF
Godley is coming off of a tough outing in his last start, as he allowed five earned runs over five innings against the lowly Padres. He will have a good chance to bounce back at home tonight, as the Giants do not pose much of a threat against right-handed pitching. He doesn’t possess the strikeout upside that Yu Darvish does, but I still think he’s a viable option tonight, especially in tournaments.
Collin McHugh (HOU): $8,100 @ TEX
The Rangers have scuffled towards the finish line, as they rank 29th against right-handed pitching over the last month, while crushing their playoff hopes in the process. McHugh is coming off of a decent outing against the White Sox, in which he struck out five batters through five innings, while allowing just one earned run.
The Astros are still chasing the Indians for the best record in the American League, so there’s still something on the line for Houston. However, I would keep McHugh for tournament play only tonight.
Hitters
Rockies LHB vs. Odrisamer Despaigne
Charlie Blackmon (OF): $4,700
Carlos Gonzalez (OF): $4,400
Gerardo Parra (OF): $3,700
Despaigne has struggled with lefties in his time at the Major League level, which is a trend that has carried over into 2017. This puts the lefties in play tonight, although it’s worth pointing out all three listed above have been cold in the batting average department as of late.
Still, Gonzalez (3 HRs) and Blackmon (2 HRs) have been supplying some power over the last two weeks, and hitting at home certainly will aid their cause. The Rockies have an implied total that is pushing seven runs, so be sure to get plenty of exposure here tonight.
Red Sox RHB vs. Brett Anderson
Mookie Betts (OF): $4,500
Dustin Pedroia (2B): $3,100
Hanley Ramirez (1B): $2,700
Brett Anderson has been awful this season, and he’s worth targeting as a result. He’s allowed a .375 wOBA to right-handed batters this season, with his hard contact rate at a high 37.1%.
Betts (.215 ISO) and Ramirez (.222 ISO) have some pop against lefties, with Pedroia faring well in the wOBA department (.392). The Red Sox have plenty to play for as they look to inch closer towards a division title, and with a healthy implied run total of 5.68, they should be targeted in tournaments.
Giancarlo Stanton (OF): $5,500 @ Rockies vs. Tyler Chatwood
You can certainly make the case for a few Marlins’ hitters tonight, but be sure to lock Stanton into your lineups no matter what. He’s locked in at the plate, and he has a tremendous history at Coors Field. In 20 games, Stanton has 25 hits in 79 at-bats (.316 AVG), with 10 home runs and 24 runs batted in, Tyler Chatwood is certainly nothing to be afraid of on the mound, so lock in the massive upside of Stanton tonight.
Mike Trout (OF): $4,300/Justin Upton (OF): $3,900 @ White Sox vs. James Shields
The Angels are clinging to faint playoff hopes, and they couldn’t ask for a better scenario to get the final week started. James Shields is a home run machine, and they will be in a park that plays well for right-handed power. Trout is hitting just .214 over the past two weeks, which has brought his salary down to an absurdly low level.
Lock him into your lineups, as he’s too good of a player to be down for long. Upton simply feels a bit mispriced, considering he’s clubbed seven home runs over the past two weeks. This duo is a fine way to get exposure to Shield’s issues with allowing home runs.
Hot Hitter
J.D. Martinez (OF): $4,900 vs. Johnny Cueto
Martinez continues to hit everything in sight, as he’s hitting .398 in the month of September. This includes 14 home runs, along with a whopping .578 ISO. Johnny Cueto has allowed a .341 wOBA to same-handed hitters this season, while he’s served up 10 home runs in just 64 IP to right-handed hitters. Martinez boasts a .354 ISO against right-handed pitching, and he should be targeted across all formats tonight as a result.
Batter vs. Pitcher
Yadier Molina (C): $3,200 vs. Jon Lester
In 32 career at-bats, Molina has collected 12 hits (.375 AVG) with a home run against Jon Lester. Lester has been susceptible to right-handed hitters this season, as he’s allowed a .345 wOBA and 21 home runs. Molina has scuffled a bit over the past two weeks, but perhaps a familiar foe will get him going tonight.
Adam Sutton is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Adam, follow him @DraftStars_Adam. You can find more of Adam’s work at DraftStars.net.
