Monday, Aug. 30, brings a nine-game main slate with half of the action hosted on the West Coast, so there is also an excellent late set. Let’s get into the top MLB DFS picks for pitchers and stacks for Yahoo, DraftKings and FanDuel daily fantasy baseball lineups.
MLB DFS Picks: Spotlight Pitchers and Top Stacks, Monday, Aug. 30
Yahoo Stack of the Day: Toronto Blue Jays vs. RHP Chris Ellis — 6.1 implied runs
Chris Ellis will be making his second start for the Orioles after he was released by Tampa Bay. He toiled in the minors, 314.2 innings across five seasons in Triple-A and posting a 6.09 ERA and 1.602 WHIP. He made one start with Tampa before his release, which came against Baltimore, and he threw four scoreless innings and struck out seven. The Orioles are desperate for arms, so it is no surprise they claimed Ellis.
George Springer ($23) has been out with a knee issue for the last two weeks, but he is slated to return any day. While it seems crazy to roster him with his premium salary, he will at least make the Toronto offense better. The trio to target on Monday will be led by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($14), Bo Bichette ($12) and Corey Dickerson ($14). Bichette should be in the heart of the order, and is a steal at his current salary, and Dickerson has a long track record of success with the platoon advantage.
Marcus Semien ($18) does not get enough credit from DFS gamers for his power (.213 ISO) in same-handed matchups. Lourdes Gurriel Jr. ($13) is a nice option, as he will provide some differentiation at the bottom of the order. Finally, Teoscar Hernandez ($17) has been solid for the Blue Jays over the last three seasons, and he has been seeing time as the cleanup hitter in their loaded lineup.
Evening Slate
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. RHP Chris Paddack — 4.0 implied runs
Chris Paddack is slated to return after missing a month with a strained left oblique. In his six July appearances prior to the injury, which includes five starts, he managed just 27 innings and a 6.33 ERA. The league has caught up to Paddack, who has three straight seasons of diminishing returns. While the Diamondbacks are not a particularly exciting offense against righties, they are going to be well down the list for most gamers. This should give their backers a leg up in a very positive matchup. Now that the temperatures are somewhat cooling down, the Chase Field roof could open tonight, which would be an additional boost to bats.
The salary savings provided by the Diamondbacks will enable gamers to load up on the evening aces and several premium bats. Daulton Varsho has been solid when he has the platoon advantage, and he has a .198 ISO over his last 324 plate appearances against right-handed pitchers. On DraftKings he is particularly intriguing given his catcher eligibility. While David Peralta’s best days are behind him, he still gets a veteran nod with a decent spot in the lineup when the D-Backs are facing right-handed starters.
Carson Kelly and Josh VanMeter have giant holes in their swings, but they also have power and are cheap. Pavin Smith is also someone to keep an eye on, as he should be near the top of the order. Unfortunately, Ketel Marte is much better from the right side of the plate, but he is not getting much of a discount on Monday against a righty. Looking to duos and trios from Arizona is a way to gain salary cap flexibility against a league-average starter.
Late Slate
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. LHP Drew Smyly — 5.3 implied runs
Drew Smyly is having a decent season, but he has been getting lucky; his 1.86 home runs per nine innings have resulted in just a 4.54 ERA. Taking on the Dodgers is no easy feat, and they are a preferred main stack on all slates Monday. Trea Turner continues to excel against southpaws, with a .460 wOBA and .308 ISO in his last 188 righty/lefty matchups. A.J. Pollock and Chris Taylor should be in the lineup and drawing favorable positions in the batting order. Albert Pujols may also show up with a lefty on the mound, and he is near the minimum salary on every DFS site.
Prime options are Mookie Betts and Justin Turner, who should be near the top of the order. Max Muncy (back) is still not starting, but he has been available as a pinch hitter and is solid in same-handed matchups, as is Corey Seager. Long story short, all of the Dodgers are in play on Monday.
Spotlight Pitchers
Top MLB DFS Picks Target: RHP Zack Wheeler at Washington Nationals — 3.4 implied runs
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $49 | FanDuel $10,600 | DraftKings $10,000
Zack Wheeler leads MLB in strikeouts with 204. On a dollar-per-pitch basis, he has a favorable salary given he tops 100 pitches more often than not. This will be his sixth start of the season against Washington, and while they have been decent, though 30.2 innings Wheeler has kept them in check with a 4.11 ERA, 29 strikeouts and just three home runs.
Secondary MLB DFS Picks Target: RHP Luis H. Garcia at Seattle Mariners — 3.6 implied runs
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $49 | FanDuel $8,600 | DraftKings $9,200
It is going to be unseasonably cool in Seattle on Monday, with game-time temperatures around 60 degrees. Though they are not complete pushovers, they are in the bottom third of the league with a 90 wRC+ against righties. They also have the third-highest strikeout rate at 25.4%, which plays in Luis Garcia’s favor.
Wild Card MLB DFS Picks Target: LHP Robbie Ray vs. Baltimore Orioles — 3.5 implied runs
- DFS Salary: Yahoo $53 | FanDuel $10,900 | DraftKings $9,70
Generally this section is reserved for a cheaper pitcher, but none are really standing out at this time. Instead, look to the tremendous upside of Robbie Ray. Though the pucker factor is always high when Ray is on the mound, he has posted top-10 marks with his 2.72 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. Ray is fifth with 11.3 strikeouts per nine innings, and a double-digit mark is always in play. While the Orioles are a top-10 offense against southpaws, the back half of their lineup drops off quickly. and Baltimore offers strikeout upside.
Final Thoughts for the Monday, Aug. 30 MLB DFS Picks Slate
Monday has a nicely distributed schedule, which should lead to some larger-than-usual late-slate tournaments. It will not be long before MLB is going against Monday Night Football.
