We’ve got a nine-game Monday slate tonight, and it looks like a lot of major league teams are going with bullpen games today. This leaves us with a scarcity of cheap pitching, but lots of interesting bats to load up on. Let’s do this!

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Pitchers

Walker Buehler (LAD): $9,300 vs. COL
Buehler has been everything we could have expected and more since coming to the big leagues last month. Through five starts he has a 2.67 ERA, 2.22 FIP, and 11.33 K/9. He has been dominant and his peripherals back it up. Buehler also gets an excellent matchup against the Colorado Rockies in Dodger Stadium. Against righties, the Rockies have a .290 wOBA and 24% strikeout rate, and on the road, they have a .291 wOBA and 23% strikeout rate. Those are both in the bottom five of the league. There is always a risk with rookie pitchers, but between his performance, matchup, and price Buehler is in a great spot.

Masahiro Tanaka (NYY): $8,900 @ TEX
Tanaka has had an up-and-down season thus far, but other than an inexplicable seven-run shelling at the hands of the Marlins his bad starts have been against top offenses. He still has a 4.7 K/BB ratio, 3.68 SIERA, and 13.8% whiff rate on the year. The Rangers are not a top offense, and even though they have sluggers like Joey Gallo and Nomar Mazara in their lineup they lack punch as a whole. Tanaka’s biggest problem has long been the home run ball, but the Rangers’ offense only has a .150 ISO against righties this season. The Rangers have a .296 wOBA, and 26% strikeout rate against right-handed pitchers this season.