There are only ten ballgames on the final Monday of the MLB regular season. Cincinnati visits the dysfunctional Nationals at 3:05 Eastern, so Max Scherzer $12000 and Bryce Harper $6000 can be used only in All-Day contests.
The 9-game slate at 7:05 is our focus at DraftKings. Scratched from his last start with a calf strain, Zach Greinke $13100 is in a very tough battle for the NL Cy Young award. Since Corey Kluber $11300 threw three complete games in four starts, he’s winless in five outings, averaging less than 6 IP.
What a race for the AL Wild Card! Lance McCullers $9100 and the Astros are a decent bet in Seattle. In another must-win, Hector Santiago $7000 is back home (where his ERA is more than two runs lower) after two more disappointing starts on the road. At first glance, Phil Hughes $6100 is no match for Kluber but he did win their meeting five days ago, suggesting his back pain has diminished.
Plays of the Day
The $90K Moonshot is a $3 buy-in (FREE to new depositors at DK) that pays the top 7,000 finishers from up to 34,500 teams, with multiple entries permitted. First place wins $5,000. Enter by 7:05; lineup changes are allowed until each player’s game begins.
The NL Central is the best division, with three playoff teams. The Pirates reeled off eight in a row before running into Jake Arrieta last night. If they sweep the Cards, they will be tied for first place. In the opener, I like J.A. Happ $7600 over Lance Lynn $8500 in a low-scoring duel.
By comparison, getting out of the divisional basement isn’t great motivation. Justin Verlander $8800 and the Tigers are a slight underdog vs. Colby Lewis $7400 in a game that means much more to the Rangers. Similarly, Ivan Nova $4900 is the logical play over Eduardo Rodriguez $8000; that last outing for Nova in Toronto was impressive.
Hitting-wise, the mighty Blue Jays have hammered Chris Tillman $4700 all year: five starts for a total of only 18 IP with an AVG of .407, 9 HR and a 15.50 ERA. Marco Estrada $6800 can count on run support and Russell Martin $4100 is the clear #1 catcher. Yasmani Grandal $3000 is drawing walks, hinting that a horrendous slump may be over.
I’m actually surprised that Toronto bats aren’t more expensive. Edwin Encarnacion $5000 is deservedly the top 1B and C.J. Cron $3300 is always worth a look at home against lefties.
Jose Altuve $4400 is the best player in baseball, pound for pound. Howie Kendrick $3400 drops sharply in cost just as he’s rounding into form, and 2B/SS Ryan Goins $2700 could be part of a Jays stack.
What more can be said about Josh Donaldson $5400? That walkoff HR yesterday was an exclamation point on his MVP season. David Freese $3800 also went deep on Sunday and faces a journeyman southpaw.
Carlos Correa $4700 feasts on LHP and is the top pick at SS, but if you’re bargain-hunting, Jimmy Rollins $3000 seems inspired by a challenge from rookie Corey Seager $4800 for his starting job.
Jose Bautista $5200, Kevin Pillar $3900 and Ben Revere $3800 comprise the regular OF for the Jays, with Joey Bats a must-start. Mike Trout $5300 and Shin-Soo Choo $4800 would be my other premium picks if not committed to this strategy. If you want to invest in a super-prospect at a rock-bottom salary the day after his first homer in the Show, Byron Buxton $2000 is your man.
| Pos | Premium | Bargain |
| SP1 | Zach Greinke $13100 | J.A. Happ $7600 |
| SP2 | Lance McCullers $9100 | Ivan Nova $4900 |
| C | Russell Martin $4100 | Yasmani Grandal $3000 |
| 1B | Edwin Encarnacion $5000 | C.J. Cron $3300 |
| 2B | Jose Altuve $4400 | Howie Kendrick $3400 |
| 3B | Josh Donaldson $5400 | David Freese $3800 |
| SS | Carlos Correa $4700 | Jimmy Rollins $3000 |
| OF1 | Jose Bautista $5200 | Byron Buxton $2000 |
| OF2 | Mike Trout $5300 | Kevin Pillar $3900 |
| OF3 | Shin-Soo Choo $4800 | Ben Revere $3800 |
The Fantasy Spin features DFS advice every day of the NBA season. Until basketball returns, we’re offering baseball tips on weekdays. Follow Kent Williams @SheridanFantasy for updates.