MLB DraftKings & FanDuel DFS Primer: Monday (4/11)

The Monday main slate is seven games on DraftKings and FanDuel. It starts earlier than the standard weeknight main slate, beginning at 6:40 pm ET.

Monday's Starting Pitcher Strategy
Usually, I'll feature four pitchers on a seven-game slate. However, I'm only interested in three pitchers tonight. For instance, at first, I intended on including Luis Patino as a touted pitcher. However, he threw only 38 pitches in his last spring training start. Thus, he'll face a restrictive pitch limit that makes him a poor pick. Relatively speaking, I don't harbor the same concerns for the three pitchers on the table.

Cash Game Recommendations:

Alex Wood (SF) vs. SD
The Padres erupted for 10 runs yesterday, chasing lefty Caleb Smith before he could record an out in the second inning. Nevertheless, San Diego's lineup isn't scary for left-handed pitchers and offers them strikeout potential.

Meanwhile, Wood had an excellent 2021 campaign. According to FanGraphs, in 26 starts totaling 138.2 innings, he had a 3.83 ERA, 3.87 xERA, 3.60 SIERA, 1.18 WHIP, 6.7 BB%, 26.0 K%, 50.8 GB%, and 32.2 CSW%. The veteran lefty did a great job keeping the ball on the ground, avoiding free passes, and striking hitters out. Finally, according to Betting Pros, the Giants are -135 favorites, and the game's total is a non-threatening 8.5 runs. As a result, Wood is the top pitcher on tonight's main slate.

Nick Martinez (SD) at SF
Martinez is the only bargain arm who's worth using. After a few years in Japan in Nippon Professional Baseball, he's back in the US. The righty's production was up and down, culminating in a brilliant 2021 season in which he spun a 1.60 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 6.9 BB%, and 25.0 K%, per Baseball-Reference.

According to Sports Info Solutions, Martinez added velocity while overseas, sitting around 94 mph. They also reported he changed his changeup grip in NPB. Additionally, Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune wrote about Martinez's trek to Japan and the process of reinventing himself.

Understanding Martinez has made changes and had success in a high level of professional baseball are reasons to erase his pre-NPB work from your memory. Still, Martinez is a volatile pick until he demonstrates the changes and newfound success translate to The Show. Nonetheless, Martinez is an intriguing option at his salary, and I expect him to be on a high percentage of rosters as an SP2 on DraftKings, putting a stamp on his case for cash games usage.

GPP Recommendations:

Huascar Ynoa (ATL) vs. WSH
Ynoa had a rock-solid 2021 campaign that's understated by his 4.05 ERA. First, he had better ERA estimators. For instance, he had a 3.40 xFIP and 3.62 SIERA. Though, Ynoa also had a 4.27 ERA which was less flattering.

Second, the young righty struck out an eye-catching 26.9% of the batters he faced with a 30.5 CSW% that supported his excellent punch-out percentage. Third, he didn't nibble despite his youth, walking only 6.7% of the hitter he faced.

Ynoa's total package is intriguing, and his matchup tonight is favorable. Yes, he'll need to navigate Juan Soto, Nelson Cruz, and Josh Bell. However, beyond them, the rest of Washington's lineup is below-average. Therefore, I'm banking on Ynoa avoiding too much damage against the heart of Washington's lineup and making the most of the soft remainder of the lineup.

Top Lineup Stacks

• Home (Oracle Park)
• Value: Medium(DK)/High(FD)
• Risk: High
• Game Type: GPP
• Game Total/Moneyline: 8.5 Runs/SF -135

I noted the volatility associated with Martinez above. Further, I mentioned expecting gamers to hop on Martinez's value salary. As a result, the Giants are a nifty GPP leverage play. San Francisco's lineup is missing integral pieces such as Evan Longoria, LaMonte Wade Jr., and Tommy La Stella. Still, Gabe Kapler and his coaching staff have had remarkable success bringing the best out of veterans and castoffs, and six players on the table above have been at least 10% or better against right-handed pitching since 2019.

• Home (Target Field)
• Value: Low
• Risk: Low
• Game Type: Both
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9.0 Runs/MIN -125

The Twins have a power-packed lineup and oppose a low-strikeout starter. I adore that combination. Further, their implied total is stellar as -125 favorites in a game with a total of 9.0 runs. I strongly suggest getting exposure to this stack in cash games, but I also love their ceiling for GPPs.

• Road (Target Field)
• Value: High
• Risk: Medium
• Game Type: GPP
• Game Total/Moneyline: 9.0 Runs/SEA +105

I nearly categorized this stack as fitting both game types. However, Seattle's lineup has unproven upside instead of established studs. Regardless, Dylan Bundy could make them all look like all-stars tonight. Bundy was putrid last year, and his spring training pitch-by-pitch scouting grades from the spring (courtesy Twitter user @Pitching_Bot) were also terrible.

• Byron Buxton is a man on fire. He has hit three dongs through his first 13 plate appearances, including swatting a pair yesterday. However, I'm not just suggesting chasing a heater. Buxton's been raking when healthy since 2019.
• Vladimir Guerrero Jr. broke out last year, and the encore is off to a fantastic start. Vladito homered yesterday, and he's hitting .455/.500/.727 out of the chute.
• Carlos Correa joined the homer fun with Buxton yesterday, ripping his first as a Twin. But, most importantly, he has a track record of excelling in same-handed matchups, recording a .230 ISO and 125 wRC+ against righties since 2019.

• Luis Arraez is a high-contact, high-batting-average, below-average-power hitter with the platoon advantage. Add in his likely lineup spot as a table-setter, and Arraez is an unsexy but good value pick.
• Julio Rodriguez didn't hit the ground running in his first series in The Show. Regardless, his hitting tools are undeniable, and he showed his ability off at the dish in the spring. So, I'll take advantage of his minimum salary on DraftKings and near-minimum salary on FanDuel in a dreamy matchup.
• I swear, I'm not chasing yesterday's taters. Yes, Gary Sanchez hit a grand slam in Minnesota's offensive onslaught yesterday. Instead, I'm suggesting him as a cheap catcher on DraftKings because of his .246 ISO against right-handed pitchers since 2019.
• While Sanchez is a DraftKings-geared value pick, Brandon Belt is a FanDuel-centric value pick. Frankly, it is comical Belt is only $2,600 on FanDuel with a .372 OBP, .259 ISO, and 139 wRC+ against righties since 2019.

Monday's Hitter Strategy
I'm leaning heavily into the Twins in cash games at both daily fantasy providers. I also love Vladito in cash-game builds and will mix in some Mariners. I'll use the Twins in GPPs too. However, I also love stacking the Mariners in GPPs at DraftKings and FanDuel. Meanwhile, the Giants are a leverage stack in GPPs on DraftKings, and Belt is an excellent pick in all game types on FanDuel.

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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.