This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
The heat is still waving, so be careful out there. At least Monday doesn't have any afternoon games on the schedule. There are eight MLB games on the DFS docket, the first of which is at 7:05 p.m. ET. Here are my MLB DFS lineup recommendations for you. The NBA and NHL are done for the season, so it's MLB (and WNBA) time!
Pitching
Bryan Woo, SEA at MIN ($9,600): Woo's rookie season in 2023 was okay, but not remarkable, but since then he's been quite impressive. He has a 2.99 ERA over his last two seasons with a truly elite walk rate. In over 200 innings pitched he's allowed a mere 27 walks. Though Woo won't be in Seattle's pitcher-friendly ballpark Monday, the Twins are below average in terms of runs scored, so this matchup isn't too concerning.
Chad Patrick, MIL vs. PIT ($7,900): Patrick has a 4.40 ERA on the road, but a 2.94 ERA at home. He's a 26-year-old MLB rookie, so the ceiling is low, but in Triple-A last season he had a 2.90 ERA over the course of a full campaign. The matchup is the draw here, though. Pittsburgh still sits last in runs scored, and we're now basically at the halfway point of the season.
Top Targets
In addition to hitting 12 homers and stealing eight bases, Manny Machado ($3,500) has a .368 OBP. He's been getting on base with aplomb, and since 2023, he has a .358 OBP versus southpaws. Mitchell Parker is a lefty, and getting on base against him is pretty easy. He has a 6.50 K/9 rate and 3.47 BB/9 rate.
So, it turns out Alec Burleson ($2,900) is hitting as well as anybody recently. He has an 1.037 OPS over the last three weeks. Burleson has been good hitting against righties the last couple seasons, posting an OPS over .800. Ben Brown has legitimately been unlucky in terms of his 5.57 ERA compared to a 3.43 FIP. That being said, lefties have hit .299 against him, and Brown has allowed a home run in three games in a row.
Bargain Bats
Getting on base but lacking for power is not the ideal profile for a first baseman, but Nolan Schanuel ($2,900) has his particular set of skills at the plate. He's hit .283 this year and has 15 doubles, even if he only has six home runs. However, he's basically the only regular lefty the Angels have. That's relevant, because since Walker Buehler has returned to action after missing the 2023 season, lefties have hit .315 against him.
After returning from injury, Lenyn Sosa ($2,300) has already picked up a few extra-base hits in a handful of games. The 25-year-old second baseman is not a homer hitter, but he has a 29.9 line-drive percentage, and 58.9 percent of his hits have been classified as "medium" power. That'll get a guy some doubles! Eduardo Rodriguez has a 5.53 ERA since joining the Diamondbacks, and this year righties have hit .300 against him.
Stacks to Consider
Red Sox at Angels (Jack Kochanowicz): Abraham Toro ($2,700), Wilyer Abreu ($2,600), Marcelo Mayer ($2,500)
It would appear Kochanowicz is not up to the task of being an MLB pitcher. His 11-start rookie campaign in 2024 wasn't good, but this season has been even worse. The righty has an 1.61 K/BB rate, 1.75 HR/9 rate and 5.58 FIP. This year lefties have hit .305 against him and have hit 13 of the 15 home runs that Kochanowicz has allowed, so I have three southpaws here.
The Red Sox did not add Toro expecting him to take over as first base, but here we are. He's hit .290 and slugged .484, and though he's a switch hitter, he has an .841 OPS versus righties. Abreu has only been back in the lineup for three games but already has multiple multipoint games. He's slugged .498 against righties in his career, but this season he also has an .890 OPS on the road. Mayer, one of the top prospects in baseball, has four homers and three doubles in 24 games. The second baseman truly can't hit southpaws yet at this level, but he's slugged .482 against righties.
Yankees at Reds (Nick Lodolo): Aaron Judge ($4,900), Paul Goldschmidt ($3,100), Anthony Volpe ($3,000)
Lodolo is at home, so it's worth stacking against him. Since 2023 he has a 2.94 ERA and 0.7 HR/9 rate on the road, and in that same time frame he has a 6.32 ERA and 2.0 HR/9 rate at home. Given that Cincinnati's park has a reputation as being good for hitters, there's probably some legitimacy in that. Lodolo is a lefty, so I have three righties in this stack.
Judge is, you know, Judge, but he's also about to face a left-handed pitcher who has allowed two home runs per nine innings over the last three seasons. I definitely want to stack him, and salary is no object. Goldschmidt has been playing less and less, but this is the kind of matchup for which he will be stepping in. Since 2023 he has a .916 OPS against lefties, and this season he has a .966 OPS on the road. Volpe has been sloppy on the base paths, which is why he only has eight stolen bases, but he has nine homers, two triples and 20 doubles. He also has an .832 OPS against lefties.
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