DraftKings and FanDuel MLB Picks for Monday 4/24/23(Main Slate)

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Pitchers

Spencer Strider FD - P 11200 DK - RP 10900
Opponent - MIA (Edward Cabrera) Park - ATL
FD - 43.94 DK - 24.98

Strider is one of the first pitchers to reach this elite tier of pricing and it's easy to see why. After an impressive rookie season, he has picked right up where he left off with a 2.45 ERA/3.08 xFIP over four starts while allowing just 12 hits across 22 innings pitched. Not only has he provided some safety in terms of going deep and limiting hits, but he has also provided elite upside with a league-leading 41% K rate. He and the Braves are -240 home favourites against a Marlins team that has been below-average overall(.309 wOBA/93 wRC+/23.6% K rate) and against right-handed pitching(.302 wOBA/89 wRC+/24.3% K rate). Strider is worth every penny and our top pitcher in all formats on Monday.

Colin Rea FD - P 7200 DK - RP 7000
Opponent - DET (Matthew Boyd) Park - MIL
FD - 30.6 DK - 16.11

The Brewers are set to give the ball to Rea for a third time this season as he acts as a stop-gap while the team deals with multiple injuries to their rotation. He has looked very solid in his first two starts allowing one earned run and striking out six Padres and looked much better than the numbers showed against Seattle thanks to one bad inning in the middle of the outing. The options are limited for value on this main slate so let's target this strong matchup against the Tigers who are bottom 3 in almost every hitting category including the second-worst K rate(26.1%) in the league.

Catcher/First Base

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. FD 3900 DK 5700
Opponent - CHW (Lance Lynn) Park - CHW
FD - 13.21 DK - 9.94

The Jays' offence has surprisingly only been league-average thus far but is definitely capable of big things with one of the deepest lineups in the league. They are second in implied runs on Monday and at a tougher position for fantasy, I am going to be paying up for Vlad Jr. who appears to be on another quest for the American League MVP(runner-up in 2021). He is coming off a series with the Yankees where he recorded hits in all three games including two home runs and moved his average up to .341 on the season with a very impressive .420 wOBA and 175 wRC+. He and the Jays face Lance Lynn who looked good in his first start of the season but has struggled since giving up 26 hits, 16 earned runs, and five long balls in his last three starts. Fire up Vladdy in all formats.

Also Consider: Jesus Aguilar(OAK) as a value play who is hitting top 3 for the A's and gets a plus matchup against a below-average lefty

Second Base

Matt Duffy FD - 1B 2500 DK - 2B/3B 2800
Opponent - ARI (Tommy Henry) Park - ARI
FD - 7.68 DK - 6.01

To get up to Strider as our core pitcher without having to sacrifice all of our bats we are going to need some value and Matt Duffy provides just that with his sub $3K price tag on both sites. He is an infield utility player for the Royals who is off to a solid start with hits in eight of 11 games where he has started and he has also been terrific against lefties going 8 for 20 with a .487 wOBA and 217 wRC+. The Royals have been off everyone's radar most of the season but are in a good spot Monday against Tommy Henry who will replace MadBum but has struggled to a 6.33 ERA/4.97 xFIP in four AAA starts. At this price, I will have exposure to Duffy in all formats.

Also Consider: Nolan Gorman(STL) who is in some elite company when looking at his wOBA(.448) and wRC+(184) against right-handed pitching to start the season. He has also been red-hot with hits in seven of his last nine games while averaging 9.4 DK/12.7 FD points per game

Shortstop

Bobby Witt Jr. FD - SS 3300 DK - SS 5100
Opponent - ARI (Tommy Henry) Park - ARI
FD - 12.88 DK - 9.97

While the Royals are likely to battle with the A's for the bottom spot in the American League this season they have a very bright future led by young, up-and-coming superstar Bobby Witt Jr. who is now in his second season. While the numbers are very similar to his average-at-best rookie campaign, he is striking out almost 4% less and is starting to heat up with hits in five straight and 10 of his last 11 games including two doubles, two triples, two home runs, and four stolen bases. He checks all the boxes tonight and is in play in all formats, especially on FanDuel where his best PTS/$ value lies.

Also Consider: Gio Urshela(LAA) as a value play who gets a plus matchup and has been much better against lefties(.389 wOBA/151 wRC+)

Third Base

Matt Chapman FD 4300 DK 5200
Opponent - CHW (Lance Lynn) Park - CHW
FD - 9.91 DK - 7.4

Getting a Jays stack paired with Strider is going to be a tough task with pricing restrictions but could also be a lower-owned pivot off the Angels and Brewers who have much more value mixed into their lineup. While I mentioned Vladdy as a potential MVP candidate in 2023, it has been Chapman carrying the offence thus far as he enters the night with an elite .367/.438/.684 slash line with five home runs and 17 RBI. He has been dominant against both sides of the plate and while he has just two hits against Lynn in his career, both were long balls. Chapman is in play in all formats.

Outfield

Hunter Renfroe FD - OF 3700 DK - OF 5100
Opponent - OAK (Ken Waldichuk) Park - LAA
FD - 13.99 DK - 10.52
Esteury Ruiz FD - OF 2800 DK - OF 2900
Opponent - LAA (José Suarez) Park - LAA
FD - 10.29 DK - 7.97

This game pits two struggling lefty pitchers against one another giving us a ton of options in the outfield, especially on the Angels' side where you can't really go wrong with either of them. I am focusing on Renfroe as my top PTS/$ target as he is not only red-hot with hits in 12 of his last 15 games with six home runs, he absolutely destroys lefty pitching to the tune of a ridiculous .618 wOBA and 310 wRC+ so far this season. On the other side of the diamond, we have rookie Esteury Ruiz who is impressing thus far with a .296 average and is getting on base at a .375 clip. That start to the year has lifted him up to the leadoff spot where he should remain against the lefty. At a sub $3K price tag on both sites, I will have exposure in all formats.

Also Consider: Dalton Varsho(TOR) who has hits in three of his last four games and has seen his price continue to drop and faces Lance Lynn who has given up a .471 wOBA to left-handed bats

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