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.
Player News
Angels manager Ron Washington said Wednesday that they haven’t discussed when Zach Neto (shoulder) will be activated to make his season debut.
Neto played all nine innings at shortstop on Tuesday night for Triple-A Salt Lake and launched his fourth homer in 12 games on his rehab assignment. The 24-year-old shortstop is expected to be activated at some point later this week, possibly for Friday’s series opener against the Giants at Angel Stadium, but Washington isn’t tipping his hand. He’s clearly ready to return to Los Angeles and should be rostered in all fantasy formats.
Brenton Doyle (quad) remains out of the lineup for Wednesday’s series finale against the Dodgers.
This is getting strange. Doyle indicated Tuesday night that his left quad is feeling better and won’t require a trip to the injured list, but he’s going to sit out his sixth consecutive game on Wednesday night. It’ll be Mickey Moniak in center field once again in his absence. The decision gives him a couple extra days of rest ahead of Friday’s series opener against the Nationals, but it’s definitely a frustrating development for fantasy managers.
Marlins manager Clayton McCullough said Wednesday that Eury Pérez (elbow) is roughly one month from starting a minor league rehab assignment.
Pérez threw 45 pitches on Wednesday in a live batting practice session, which included three up-and-downs, as he continues to ramp up his throwing progression towards a midseason return to Miami’s rotation. The dynamic 22-year-old righty should be ready to make his first rehab start in mid-May and could potentially be ready by mid-to-late June for his season debut.
Jon Gray (wrist) is expected to resume throwing in two weeks.
Gray isn’t expected to return until July or August after suffering a fractured right wrist back in mid-March. The 33-year-old recently underwent imaging that showed his wrist is healing well. There should be a clearer return timetable once he resumes throwing in a couple weeks.
Teoscar Hernández (illness) is back in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Rockies.
Hernández is back in right field and batting cleanup in Wednesday’s series finale at Dodger Stadium following a brief two-game absence due to a stomach bug. The 32-year-old slugger is off to a strong start this season, batting .281/.309/.563 with five homers, 16 RBI and two steals through 17 games.
Twins acquired INF Jonah Bride from the Marlins for cash considerations.
Bride gives Minnesota some immediate help at multiple spots with Willi Castro (oblique), Matt Wallner (hamstring) and Carlos Correa (wrist) dealing with injuries. The 29-year-old infielder was removed from Miami’s 40-man roster earlier this week after going 4-for-40 in 12 games to open the year.