Monday slates in MLB are often abbreviated, but that doesn't mean there aren't solid options for fantasy players. There's a legitimate ace on the mound and some suspect pitchers to target with bats, so daily fantasy players and those setting lineups for seasonal leagues should still have options to start a new week.
Pitching
Elite
If there's any doubt about Clayton Kershaw heading into 2017, whether it's health or any other factor, Jose Fernandez will be on the short list to be the first pitcher off the board. The innings restraint should be lifted, which will let one of the most dominant skill sets in the game exert its full force. To wit: Fernandez has struck out at least seven in all but three of his 21 starts, including that previous 10. That streak will be put to the test facing the San Francisco Giants in Marlins Park as the visitors fan at a frugal 17 percent clip against right-handers. Something to consider is Johnny Cueto will be opposing Fernandez, which portends to a low-scoring affair in which both pitchers are likely to work deep into the contest.
Solid
As cited, Cueto draws a difficult mound foe with Fernandez, as well as facing an offense that doesn't whiff often. Cueto will likely do his usual great job of minimizing scoring but don't count on a bunch of punch outs while the win will be harder to come by than normal.
Michael Fulmer will look to add to his rookie of the year resume as the Detroit Tigers head to the Pacific Northwest for a set with the Seattle Mariners. Fulmer's strikeout rate has settled into a moderate 7.6 K/9 after threatening double digits earlier. On the other hand, the first-year righty is going deeper into games, which has contributed to nine victories in 11 decisions. Fulmer will be challenged by an offense that's sixth overall in terms of weighted on base average (wOBA) versus righties. The end result is that there are better options for both DFS cash and GPP play and, to be honest, Fulmer doesn't have the strikeout upside to be considered as a contrarian option.
Short slates lend themselves to the variance of tournament play as opposed to the safety of cash plays. The best tournament pitchers are those with upside but yet something of concern to keep ownership tempered. Facing the Toronto Blue Jays checks both those boxes as they're obviously dangerous, especially in the Rogers Centre, plus they have above average swing-and-miss in their game. Jake Odorizzi isn't especially dominant, but the Tampa Bay Rays righty's 8.3 K/9 is sufficient to get the job done. Adding to Odorizzi's case is the fact that the Jays' offense has been quiet lately, sporting a below average wOBA versus right-handers for the past month.
Another example of upside tempered with risk is Cole Hamels toeing the rubber in Coors Field in the opener of an interleague series between the Texas Rangers and Colorado Rockies. With the loss of Trevor Story and the emergence of David Dahl, the Rockies' better players (save Nolan Arenado) are all lefty swingers, which helps Hamels.
For those inclined to continue to grind with cash games, Zach Davies is your man. The 23-year-old rookie is averaging six stanzas a start and though he's not a huge strikeout guy, the Milwaukee Brewers right-hander's 7.2 K/9 is just good enough to be dangerous facing the below-average attack of the Atlanta Braves.
Streamers
Tyler Anderson is in a similar boat as his counterpart, Hamels: The Texas Rangers haven't hit lefties all that well for the past month. There's still plenty of risk, but if you need an early week boost to help secure a head-to-head playoff berth, Anderson is in play.
Sticking with that theme, the Houston Astros should have the advantage over Tyler Duffey and his unsightly 6.21 ERA. On the other hand, Houston has a .285 wOBA against righties over the past month. The Minnesota Twins' offense has been the best in this time frame under these conditions, so Duffey should get support with Collin McHugh on the hill in Target Field. In fact, Duffey is an intriguing DFS GPP play.
Zach Eflin doesn't get many strikeouts, but facing the Los Angeles Dodgers on the road, he'll enjoy a decent park bump against a middling offense. As of this writing, the Dodgers have not announced their starter, so Eflin could be in play for a cheap win.
On paper, a right-hander lines up well facing the Rays. However, when that righty is knuckler R.A. Dickey, throw conventional analysis out the window. The Rays have managed to avoid Steven Wright all season, but they did face Dickey twice early, scoring seven times in 11 innings. However, the cast of characters is significantly different, so it's simply a matter of risk aversion and how much you need to grab an extra start to begin the week.
Avoid
The St. Louis Cardinals aren't scoring at the pace they were earlier in the campaign, but they're still dangerous, especially against a mistake-prone youngster like Cody Reed. It's best to leave Reed and his 7.30 ERA on the bench for the opener of an NL Central set in Busch Stadium between the Cincinnati Reds and the host Redbirds.
Hitting
As suggested above, Reed and his 2.4 HR/9 are a huge risk Monday, which means the Cardinals' batters should have a big day. Lefties have hit Reed well, so don't eliminate Matt Carpenter and Brandon Moss since they lack the platoon advantage. That said, righties Stephen Piscotty, Matt Holliday, Jhonny Peralta and Jedd Gyorko are in a position to benefit the most.
The Baltimore Orioles unloaded on James Shields on Sunday and face a similar hurler in Kendall Graveman, albeit in O.Co Coliseum. Still, on an abbreviated docket, the Orioles are in play. Everyone will be on Manny Machado coming off of a historic day. The tournament play is the scuffling Chris Davis, as he's always capable of going deep multiple times himself. Hyun-Soo Kim and Pedro Alvarez enjoy the platoon edge with Adam Jones, Jonathan Schoop and Steve Pearce in the mix.
Let's give some love to the Twins, owners of the league's top wOBA versus righties for the past month. Collin McHugh isn't a bad hurler, but he does give up his fair share of knocks. Max Kepler, Eddie Rosario and Joe Mauer lead the left-handed contingent with switch hitters Robbie Grossman and Kennys Vargas in a good spot too. If you're stacking Twins, which is a great idea, Brian Dozier is never a bad play.
Most likely to leave the yard: The easy part is naming someone on the Cardinals. The tough part is identifying the guy. Let's go with Piscotty, as he has been slotted in the 2-hole lately, which could afford him an extra plate appearance.
Most likely to swipe a bag: Jonathan Villar will remain in the lineup despite the recent promotion of Orlando Arcia. Villar will also remain among the league leaders in steals, with a great chance to pad his lead against the weak Braves backstops.