Remarkably, it looks like every MLB game on Monday night’s nine-game slate could get rained out. Just kidding, April Fools! Actually, the weather outside of a couple of cold spots looks quite calm for Monday’s nine games on the diamond. The pitching options must also be an April Fools joke as there are no aces on the evening slate, so instead, we’ll scope out a couple of mid-priced options with strikeout upside and load up on bats.
As always, be sure to pay close attention to the lineups when they are released and monitor the weather leading up to game time. For reference throughout the season, be sure to bookmark our overview of MLB Park Factors and how to Use Weather to Your Advantage in MLB DFS.
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Pitchers
Julio Urias (LAD): $8,700 vs. SF
Julio Urias will get a crack at the starting rotation early in the season with a couple of pitchers currently on the shelf. The young lefty has been a top prospect in the organization and had a strong spring with a 1.72 ERA, 0.51 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings. He’ll draw the start on Monday at home against the Giants who had the second-worst wOBA (.283) and the eighth-highest strikeout rate (23.3%) against lefties last season. Meanwhile, he should be backed by plenty offense for the hot-hitting Dodgers lineup as the biggest favorite on the board.
Remarkably, it looks like every MLB game on Monday night’s nine-game slate could get rained out. Just kidding, April Fools! Actually, the weather outside of a couple of cold spots looks quite calm for Monday’s nine games on the diamond. The pitching options must also be an April Fools joke as there are no aces on the evening slate, so instead, we’ll scope out a couple of mid-priced options with strikeout upside and load up on bats.
As always, be sure to pay close attention to the lineups when they are released and monitor the weather leading up to game time. For reference throughout the season, be sure to bookmark our overview of MLB Park Factors and how to Use Weather to Your Advantage in MLB DFS.
Check out today’s MLB Pickoff contest at DraftKings
Stream Mets vs. Marlins for FREE. Start a 7-Day ESPN+ Trial
Pitchers
Julio Urias (LAD): $8,700 vs. SF
Julio Urias will get a crack at the starting rotation early in the season with a couple of pitchers currently on the shelf. The young lefty has been a top prospect in the organization and had a strong spring with a 1.72 ERA, 0.51 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings. He’ll draw the start on Monday at home against the Giants who had the second-worst wOBA (.283) and the eighth-highest strikeout rate (23.3%) against lefties last season. Meanwhile, he should be backed by plenty offense for the hot-hitting Dodgers lineup as the biggest favorite on the board.
Steven Matz (NYM): $8,300 @ MIA
Steven Matz posted solid numbers last season with a 4.13 xFIP and 23.2% strikeout rate while tallying 30 starts for the Mets. He should be able to start out the 2019 campaign strong with a favorable matchup against the Marlins in Miami. While the Marlins don’t strikeout a ton (21.9%), they also don’t hit much with the league’s worst wOBA (.282) and ISO (.115) against southpaws over the last season-plus. Matz should have a good chance for a win as a road favorite while offering a high floor in this matchup.
Other Notables
Hitters
Alex Bregman (3B/SS – HOU): $4,000 @ TEX
Alex Bregman got off to a slow start in the opening series, hitting just 1-for-15, albeit with a long ball for his only hit. A trip to Arlington to face the Rangers’ pitching staff should jump start his 2019 season. Bregman and the Astros will face Rangers’ lefty Drew Smyly, who’s making his first big league appearance since 2016. Smyly has allowed a .327 wOBA to righties in his career to go along with 1.35 HR/9, and that was while pitching primarily in Detroit and Tampa Bay. Bregman had a .409 wOBA and .253 ISO against lefties last season.
A.J. Pollock (OF – LAD): $4,300 vs. SF
You have been doing it wrong if you haven’t had a piece of the Dodgers to start the season. The red-hot Dodgers scored 42 runs through the first four games and will welcome the division-rival Giants to Dodgers Stadium on Monday. The Giants will trot out lefty Drew Pomeranz, who had a lot of trouble containing right-handed bats last season, allowing a .401 wOBA and 1.88 HR/9 rate against them. A.J. Pollock has joined in the fun to start his first season with the Dodgers by going seven-for-17 with a homer and six RBIs. He has a career .355 wOBA and .226 ISO against southpaws.
Justin Turner (3B – LAD): $4,200 vs. SF
Justin Turner has been fairly quiet for the Dodgers so far this season, going four-for-15 without an extra-base hit. He has destroyed left-handed pitching the last two seasons with a wOBA over .430 in each season, while posting a .324 and .244 ISO, respectively, in those years. After a day off on Sunday, Turner should be ready to tee off against the lefty Pomeranz.
Justin Smoak (1B – TOR): $4,200 vs. BAL
Smoak has connected for 20-plus homers off righties in each of the last two seasons. He has already homered off a righty this season through his first eight plate appearances. Smoak will welcome a home-run prone in David Hess to Toronto on Monday night. Hess served up 15 homers to lefties last season in just 53 innings to go along with a .352 wOBA. Smoak has posted a wOBA over .340 against lefties for three straight seasons.
Trey Mancini (1B/OF – BAL): $3,900 @ TOR
Trey Mancini has jumped out to a strong start to the 2019 season by going six-for-13 with a double and a homer in three games. He has reverse splits over his career with a .341 wOBA and .203 ISO against right-handed pitching. Mancini will square off against the Blue Jays’ young righty Sean Reid-Foley on Monday in Toronto. While the sample size is small (seven starts), Reid-Foley had some reverse splits of his own, allowing a .363 wOBA to righties with a 1.76 HR/9 rate.
Other Notables
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Brad Richter is a featured writer and correspondent at FantasyPros and a contributor at DailyOverlay. For more from Brad, you can view his archive or follow him @RotoPilot.
