Look for our fantasy baseball starting pitcher rankings, hitter upgrades and downgrades daily to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions and for MLB betting tips. MLB game odds are provided by Caesars Sportsbook, and fantasy advice is geared towards ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.
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Note: This file has been updated with overnight pitching changes and weather-related game postponements, along with the addition of the latest MLB game odds as of the indicated time of publication.
What you need to know for Monday's MLB Games
By Todd Zola
Twenty teams are in action to begin the fantasy week, with all 10 games played under the lights. The slate begins with three contests getting underway just after 7:00 PM ET. Only six of the scheduled starting pitchers are rosters in over half of ESPN leagues as most of the top of the rotation hurlers pitched over the weekend.
The top-ranked streaming option is Emmet Sheehan (12.6% rostered), who will take the hill in Camden Yards in what will be an intriguing series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles as the Orioles enter with a better record than the Dodgers. Sheehan is coming off the first disappointing start of his young career when the Pittsburgh Pirates lit him up on July 4, tallying five runs in 3 2/3 innings. Previously, Sheehan handled the Colorado Rockies in Coors Field, along with the Astros and Giants. It's not a great matchup with an Orioles lineup checking in a bit above average facing right-handers, but the ledger is thin with options.
Adding to the intrigue for this interleague set is Sunday's announcement that Baltimore is calling up top prospect Grayson Rodriguez to oppose Sheehan. This is far too risky a start to deploy Rodriguez, but how he fares could help deciding when to trust the highly regarded rookie. Rodriguez posted a 7.35 ERA and 1.74 WHIP in 10 first half outings before being demoted to Triple-A Norfolk. However, the 23-year-old right-hander then recorded a 1.69 ERA and .99 WHIP with 54 punch outs in 37 1/3 frames to earn another chance.
Next on the streaming list is Griffin Canning (10.7%) with a home matchup against the New York Yankees. Aiding the Los Angeles Angels right-hander is facing a lineup without Aaron Judge and Josh Donaldson. In addition, the Yankees opened the second half in Coors Field, and there's often an adjustment when returning to play at sea level. Five of Cannings's last eight outings heading into the break were quality starts, but he struggled over the final two. Even so, over that span, Canning fanned 46 in 42 innings, while posting a 3.00 ERA and .93 WHIP. Even with some favorable elements, this is another risky start, perhaps better suited for DFS GPP action than taking a chance so early in the fantasy week.
Checking to see who is facing the Oakland Athletics has proven to be beneficial. Monday offers an intriguing streaming candidate with Nick Pivetta (5.3%) returning to the Boston Red Sox rotation. The righty's last three outings have been 62, 67 and 76 pitches, so he may not be able to pitch more than five frames, but that was enough for Pivetta to fan 10 Athletics while recording a win heading into the break.
The Detroit Tigers aren't often highlighted for their hitting prowess, but with a home date against Jordan Lyles, there are a few batters worth considering. Riley Greene (17.9%) returned right before the break and looks primed to pick up where he left off before missing around five weeks with a stress fracture in his left fibula. Kerry Carpenter (1.2%), Matt Vierling (1.2%) and Akil Baddoo (.4%) are also in the mix for what should be a productive evening in Motown.
Starting pitcher rankings for Monday
Bullpen usage watch for Monday
By Todd Zola
Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar pitched both Saturday and Sunday, but neither were in a save situation. He used 25 total pitches, which could signal a day off since Bednar has yet to work on three straight days yet this season. Dauri Moreta has been pitching well lately, so he makes for a compelling hedge for tonight's home date with the Cleveland Guardians.
Carlos Estevez also pitched on Saturday and Sunday without collecting a save. However, he logged a win on Saturday, though he was part of the Los Angeles Angels big bullpen blow-up yesterday. The 20 combined pitches isn't much, but Estevez has not pitched three days in a row this season. The caveat is the Angels bullpen is thin with injuries, and Matt Moore struggled in his return from the IL, so Estevez could be summoned if the Angels hold a lead over the New York Yankees in the opener of a series in Anaheim.
Best Sub-50% Rostered Hitters for Monday
Best and worst hitters from the day are generated by THE BAT X, a projection system created by Derek Carty using advanced methods like those used in MLB front offices, accounting for a variety of factors including player talent, ballparks, bullpens, weather, umpires, defense, catcher pitch-framing, and lots more.
Wilmer Flores (SF, 2B -- 11%) at Brandon Williamson
Riley Greene (DET, CF -- 18%) at Jordan Lyles
Michael Conforto (SF, RF -- 9%) at Williamson
Spencer Torkelson (DET, 1B -- 13%) at Lyles
J.D. Davis (SF, 3B -- 9%) at Williamson
MJ Melendez (KC, C -- 50%) vs. Matt Manning
Kerry Carpenter (DET, LF -- 1%) at Lyles
Zach McKinstry (DET, 3B -- 3%) at Lyles
Seiya Suzuki (CHC, RF -- 45%) vs. MacKenzie Gore
Mike Yastrzemski (SF, RF -- 7%) at Williamson
Worst Over-50% Rostered Hitters for Monday
Ty France (SEA, 1B -- 72%) vs. Sonny Gray
Elly De La Cruz (CIN, SS -- 94%) vs. Logan Webb
Josh Jung (TEX, 3B -- 70%) vs. Shane McClanahan
Teoscar Hernandez (SEA, RF -- 61%) vs. Gray
Ian Happ (CHC, LF -- 52%) vs. Gore
Jonathan India (CIN, 2B -- 89%) vs. Webb
Spencer Steer (CIN, 3B -- 82%) vs. Webb
Josh Lowe (TB, RF -- 53%) at Dane Dunning
Adolis Garcia (TEX, RF -- 98%) vs. McClanahan
Nathaniel Lowe (TEX, 1B -- 88%) vs. McClanahan
THE BAT X's Best Stacks for Today
San Francisco Giants at Brandon Williamson
Tampa Bay Rays at Dane Dunning
Detroit Tigers at Jordan Lyles
Prop of the Day
Logan Webb O/U 18.5 pitching outs (+108/-158)
PROJECTION
THE BAT sees Webb putting up 17.4 pitching outs for this matchup on average, while projecting him to exceed his player prop total 23.8% of the time. THE BAT believes there is positive value on the UNDER with an expected value of $38.49.
Note: Expected Value is a measure of how good a bet is, factoring the probability that it will win versus the odds the book is providing. If you were to wager $1.00 100 times on a bet with an Expected Value of $25, you would win some and you would lose some, but in the end you would expect to come away with $25 in profit on your $100 investment.
FACTORS THAT FAVOR THE OVER
It may be wise to expect weaker performance for the Cincinnati Reds offense going forward, given that THE BAT X believes they are them as the seventh-luckiest offense in Major League Baseball this year.
Logan Webb is an extreme groundball pitcher (57% GB% via THE BAT), which should make him somewhat immune to the dangers of pitching in Great American Ball Park - the No. 1 home run venue among all parks - today.
FACTORS THAT FAVOR THE UNDER
The No. 1 ballpark in MLB for boosting home runs, per THE BAT, is Great American Ball Park.
The eigth-shallowest RF fences among all parks are found in Great American Ball Park.
As far as temperature and humidity go, the fourth-best hitting weather on the schedule is expected for this game.
The wind projects to be blowing out to right field at 20-mph in this match-up, the strongest of the day for batters.