Monday is a perfect day for DFS. There is a bit of a lull between the weekend and the Fourth of July, and I can think of no better way to take advantage of the downtime between fireworks and barbecue than a slate of nine MLB games. Monday’s slate is good for stacking because there is only one expensive pitcher, so it is easier than normal to pay up for a stack and still be competitive. That being said, if you pay for Stephen Strasburg, which I probably will in most of my lineups, there are a couple of stacks that can make that possible. With that in mind, here are my stacks for Monday, July 3, listed in order of preference:
Colorado Rockies vs. Cincinnati Reds (Luis Castillo, R)
Charlie Blackmon, Mark Reynolds, Nolan Arenado, DJ LeMahieu, Trevor Story, Ian Desmond, Raimel Tapia
I am usually predisposed to fade Rockies at home because they are so expensive, especially on DraftKings. While Coors Field has the highest Park Factor again this season, the Rockies rank fourth in home OPS behind the Yankees, Nationals and Diamondbacks. All that being said, Luis Castillo has a 1.69 WHIP and 6.35 FIP, so I like the Rockies’ chances. Blackmon has a .958 OPS against righties this season while Reynolds has a 1.015 OPS against righties. Those two probably have to be in any Rockies stack, while the others are a bit more interchangeable. If you need a cheaper bat to add to your stack, Tapia is your guy.
Boston Red Sox at Texas Rangers (Martin Perez, L)
Chris Young, Sam Travis, Hanley Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia, Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr.
Keep an eye on Boston’s lineup if Xander Bogaerts is out. Presumably Hanley Ramirez, Chris Young and Sam Travis would all move up in the lineup, but that is far from a sure thing. Young and Travis are so cheap as to be nearly must-play options, especially on FanDuel. Travis has a .917 wOBA against lefties this season while Chris Young has an .837 OPS against lefties in his career. Hanley Ramirez has a seven-game hitting streak and he is 9-for-19 with two home runs since returning from a three-game absence due to knee soreness. Jackie Bradley Jr. has a chance at low ownership, especially on DraftKings, and that could be a mistake to take advantage of. Bradley has a 1.161 OPS against lefties this season and left-handed batters have actually been slightly better against Martin Perez this season, with a .377 wOBA compared to a .361 wOBA for right-handed batters.
Los Angeles Angels at Minnesota Twins (Adalberto Mejia, L)
Danny Espinosa, Luis Valbuena, Kole Calhoun, Yunel Escobar, Albert Pujols, Martin Maldonado, Cameron Maybin
If you want a cheap stack in Monday’s slate, the Angels are your best bet, and it isn’t particularly close. Mejia has a 4.38 ERA, 5.49 FIP and 1.52 WHIP this season, and pitchers like that can surrender big games even to poor lineups. Three weeks ago, Mejia allowed eight earned runs in 3.2 innings against a Seattle team that ranks 18th in wOBA against lefties this season. Escobar and Maldonado are pretty cheap considering they have a .874 and .863 OPS respectively against southpaws this season. Like Martin Perez, Adalberto Mejia has actually surrendered a higher wOBA to left-handed batters this season, so I wouldn’t be shy about including guys like Kole Calhoun or Luis Valbuena in a stack.