Happy Oneil Cruz day! The Pirates phenom shortstop is getting called up today, and things could not be more exciting in baseball right now after Tigers' top prospect Riley Greene was called up this past weekend. To make things even better, we have an eight-game MLB DFS main slate on Monday, and it's a great one. There are plenty of elite daily fantasy SPs, and plenty of worthwhile teams to stack, including the Red Sox, Blue Jays, and Pirates. It looks like it's a perfect day in terms of weather, but check back with our MLB Weather Center for more details as we approach roster lock.
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Today's MLB DFS Playbook: Lineup picks, tips for Monday
SP Shane McClanahan, Rays (vs. Yankees). Pivoting off Gerrit Cole in tournaments could be fruitful, especially to a guy like McClanahan. He’s a co-favorite for the AL Cy Young thanks, in part to his ability to strike everyone out, including the Yankees, as he has 14 Ks in 12 innings against them this year. He has 20-plus DK points in seven straight starts and has accomplished that feat in 10 of his past 11 starts overall.
SP Josh Winckowski, Red Sox (vs. Tigers). You can make cases to play Winckowski and to stack against him. He looked sharp in his second career start, notching five scoreless innings while striking out three. You love to see the 11 ground balls, too. The Tigers' offense did show some signs of life this weekend but are still 30th in the MLB in OPS vs. RHPs on the year. They also strike out more than most, posting a 24.6-percent K-rate against them.
C Christian Vazquez, Red Sox (vs. Tigers). We’re getting signs of life out of Vazquez again, as he’s hit in four of five games, including a home run on Sunday. Righthanded hitters have had more success against Alex Faedo this year, as well, so keep that in mind when building out your Red Sox stacks.
1B Rowdy Tellez, Brewers (vs. Cardinals). In a limited sample size, Tellez has had success against Miles Mikolas, going 3-for-5 with a home run. The Brewers tagged Mikolas the last time they faced him, too. Tellez has nine HRs and a .350 wOBA vs. RHP on the year. He’s loved hitting at home this year, notching a .315 average with seven HRs and a .438 wOBA.
2B Gleyber Torres, Yankees (@ Rays). I don’t love the Yankees as a stack, but there are some guys I’d one-off in tournaments. Torres is one of those guys. Torres has been fantastic against lefthanded pitching this year, belting eight HRs while posting a .429 wOBA. He’s 6-for-12 with a home run off McClanahan, as well.
3B Ke'Bryan Hayes, Pirates (vs. Cubs). Hayes has had a pretty unlucky month of June, and that could break here against a pitcher getting fairly lucky right now. Righthanded hitters are batting just .214 against Caleb Kilian, but he has a 25-percent BB-rate, .273 BABIP against, and a 6.24 xFIP. The good luck is going to run out for Kilian and start -up for Hayes in this spot. He fits in a Pirates stack quite well.
SS Javier Baez, Tigers (@ Red Sox). Signs of life? Maybe? He’s homered and stolen two bases over the past two games and has a hit in four straight games. Righties have hit Josh Winckowski better than lefties have, albeit in a small sample in the majors. Baez has belted three of his four homers vs. RHP this year. He’s been light years better against southpaws this year, but he works if playing a Tigers stack.
OF Teoscar Hernandez, Blue Jays (@ White Sox). Hernandez has been great lately, homering three times over the past five games while hitting in 11 of his past 12 games overall. Since May 24th, Hernandez has a .330 average and has driven in 17 runs in 22 games. He has 12 XBH over that span, too.
MORE PICKS: SP Corbin Burnes, Brewers (vs. Cardinals); C Willson Contreras, Cubs (@ Pirates); 1B Luke Voit, Padres (vs. Diamondbacks); 2B Trevor Story, Red Sox (vs. Tigers); 3B Matt Chapman, Blue Jays (@ White Sox); SS Oneil Cruz, Pirates (vs. Cubs); OF Mike Trout, Angels (vs. Royals)
For even more picks, plus full analysis and strategy advice, subscribe and check out Fantasy Alarm's full MLB DFS Playbook for Monday's slate.