DraftKings picks: Werth, Kluber, Kelly
With several aces on the schedule, DraftKings owners may be wise to spend heavily at the pitcher position Monday. Stacking hitters against the few back-end rotation members who are opposing skilled lineups may also be a sound strategy. The following players could lead to winning DraftKings lineups.
Wilson Ramos (Nationals): Productive catchers are sometimes hard for DraftKings participants to find, but Ramos could put together a multi-hit effort Monday, when he brings a career .828 OPS against left-handers (.718 vs. righties) into a matchup with Braves southpaw Eric Stults.
Jayson Werth (Nationals): The outfielder is one of several Washington sluggers who have had great success vs. southpaws, as he has compiled a lifetime .935 OPS in those situations (.800 vs. righties). Werth could be part of a high-scoring offense vs. Stults, who has produced a career 4.13 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP.
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David Ortiz (Red Sox): The first baseman/DH has posted a lifetime .293/.396/.576 slash line against right-handers, and his patient, powerful approach could lead to success against Blue Jays righty Aaron Sanchez. The 22-year-old hurler has surrendered 14 hits and 12 walks across 14 innings this season.
Pablo Sandoval (Red Sox): With a career .305/.359/.491 slash line against righties, Sandoval is another Red Sox slugger who could reach base multiple times against Sanchez. The third baseman could also swat a homer, as Sanchez has allowed three round-trippers across his three 2015 outings.
Dee Gordon (Marlins): With a career .693 OPS vs. right-handers (.596 against lefties), the second baseman could reach base often against Mets righty Dillon Gee, who during his big league tenure has allowed left-handed hitters, such as Gordon, to generate a collective .768 OPS (.686 vs. RHB). And if Gordon, who racked up 64 steals in 2014, finds his way to first, he could get the green light against Mets rookie catcher Kevin Plawecki.
Shin-Soo Choo (Rangers): The outfielder could excel Monday, when he brings his career .298/.401/.500 slash line vs. right-handers into a matchup with 22-year-old Mariners righty Taijuan Walker, who has compiled a 10.66 ERA and a 2.29 WHIP across three uneven 2015 starts.
Prince Fielder (Rangers): With a career .964 OPS against right-handers that exceeds his .799 mark vs. lefties, the first baseman could be in prime position to showcase his power at his hitter-friendly home park against Walker.
J.D. Martinez (Tigers): The outfielder -- who has notched a career .828 OPS vs. left-handers, in comparison to a .740 mark vs. righties -- is one of several Detroit hitters who have had their greatest success against southpaws. DraftKings participants could choose to stack their hitting lineup with Tigers, in hopes that the team scores several runs against Milone and an unimposing Twins bullpen.
Ian Kinsler (Tigers): In addition to Martinez, DraftKings participants could include a combination of first baseman Miguel Cabrera, outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and Kinsler as part of a Tigers stack. The latter has registered a career .304/.374/.506 slash line against lefties.
Adam Lind (Brewers): With a lifetime .861 OPS vs. right-handers (.592 against lefties), the first baseman could thrive at hitter-friendly Great American Ball Park against righty Jason Marquis, who has registered a 7.20 ERA across three 2015 starts after not pitching in the Majors last year.
Corey Kluber (Indians): The right-hander is coming off a rough start at hitter-friendly U.S. Cellular Field, but he allowed two runs in each of his previous three starts. Kluber fanned 269 batters last season, when he won the American League Cy Young Award, and he could be a source of quality innings and whiffs when he returns home on Monday to face the Royals.
David Price (Tigers): Price is coming off a tough outing against the Yankees in which he allowed eight runs in 2 1/3 innings, but he should bounce back quickly when he faces a Twins lineup that ranks last in the American League with a .603 OPS. Detroit's offense could score several runs against Milone, which may allow Price to cruise to victory.
James Shields (Padres): Shields has compiled 29 K's in 25 innings as a member of the Padres, and he allowed one run across seven frames in his first home start at pitcher-friendly Petco Park. The right-hander could rack up several whiffs while holding down an Astros offense that has the most strikeouts in the Majors with 157.
Joe Kelly (Red Sox): Few DraftKings participants will have the resources to employ a pair of aces, which makes Kelly a useful second-starter option. The right-hander has posted an 18:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 17 2/3 innings this season, and he could come away with a win if the Red Sox's hitters can fare well against Sanchez.
All statistics are accurate through the completion of Saturday's games.