It is the last Monday in August FA Nation as we approach the final month of the season. We have a number of good names taking the mound tonight, so there are options for you to decide how you want to build your lineups for this slate. Whether you want to pay up or dumpster dive for pitching on Monday let’s take a look at some of the arms that can help you cash your DFS lineups and start the week off right.
Top Tier
Corbin Burnes, MIL – It has been one hell of a season for Burnes, and he is a good choice any time he takes the mound. He did allow four earned runs his last time out, but Burnes allowed just one run in his previous three starts combined. He faced the Giants just 24 days ago and was fantastic by allowing just one earned run over seven innings while striking out five. Despite being one of the higher scoring offenses in the National League, the Giants hit just .244 as a team and have the fifth most strikeouts in all of baseball. Burnes has been even better on the road with a 1.87 ERA and 0.86 WHIP and we know how much of a great pitcher’s park AT&T Park is.
Robbie Ray, TOR – Ray has been on an absolute tear lately. He has allowed just six earned runs in his last five starts and has struck out 25 guys in the last two combined. He will face the Orioles tonight who have scored the fifth fewest runs in all of baseball. In the last two weeks the Orioles have the fifth most strikeouts in baseball against left-handed pitching. Ray has been even better at home as his ERA is half of a run lower and his WHIP for the season is just under 1.00. His dominating season has come from his ability to limit walks as his BB/9 is about two free passes lower than his career number.
Mid-Tier
Germán Márquez, COL – His great year is starting to unravel a bit in his last handful of starts, but Marquez is still set up for success today. He still has 35 strikeouts over his last six starts that spanned 31.2 innings. The Rangers are middle of the road when it comes to team strikeouts, but they are hitting just .229 as a team and have the fewest runs scored in the American League and third fewest in the Majors. When pitching on the road, Marquez has a K/9 of 10.2 for the year. The Texas lineup only has a couple of hitters to be worried about at all and Marquez should cruise.
Chris Flexen, SEA – It is a tough matchup, but Flexen has been great for most of the season. He has allowed just nine runs in his five starts in August with 26 strikeouts in 31 innings. He was rocked by these Astros in July but pitched well against them earlier in the year. He has been far superior at home with an ERA of 2.70 and WHIP of 1.07 as opposed to 4.55 and 1.44 on the road. He has allowed only 14 home runs in 140 innings and given his salary is a good option for your second pitcher on DraftKings.
Value Tier
Luis Patiño, TB – The Rays are starting to stretch out his starts, so he hasn’t pitched since August 21st giving him a nice bit of rest. He has allowed just two earned runs in each of his last two starts, including one against the powerful White Sox. In his last five starts he has 25 strikeouts in 26 innings. Patino has electric stuff, we are just waiting to see if he can harness it consistently. The Red Sox are a tough matchup, but of all of the value options on the slate tonight he likely has the chance to have the biggest upside.
Chris Paddack, SD – There is a bit of a concern that the Padres won’t let him pitch too deep into the game as he is just returning from an oblique injury, but Paddack’s salary is pretty low given his talent and his opponent, especially on DraftKings. His ERA is more than two and a half runs lower on the road this season and his WHIP is .65 lower away from Petco Park, which is surprising considering what a pitcher’s park it is in San Diego. Arizona has scored the fifth fewest runs in the National League and they have the fourth most strikeouts in all of baseball against right-handed pitchers and are hitting just .229 against them.