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Monday does not have the busiest MLB schedule but there are some competitive matchups and Monkey Knife Fight has contests for all, offering opportunities to play and win!
The best pitching matchup of the night goes late, as the Milwaukee Brewers send Brandon Woodruff to the mound against San Diego and Joe Musgrove.
As for the other quality starters, they get spread out a bit. Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy, Dustin May and Jack Flaherty are interesting starters while Joe Ross and Danny Duffy have been surprisingly effective early in the 2021 season. Are there any advantages to be found going against pitchers who have enjoyed relatively small sample success?
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STAR SHOOTOUT - MAIN GAMES
MORE OR LESS
Kevin Gausman LESS THAN 6.5 STRIKEOUTS
Gausman has been strong through three starts for the Giants, posting a 3.20 ERA and 0.81 WHIP. He also has 18 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings. While the Phillies do strike out more than the average team (26.7% at home this season) it is still a big ask for Gausman to record at least seven strikeouts, something he accomplished in his last start after not doing so in his first two starts of the season, though he had achieved that mark in six of 10 starts last season.
Jack Flaherty LESS THAN 6.5 STRIKEOUTS
The Cardinals ace has not been going particularly deep into games, throwing 15 1/3 innings through three starts, which makes it difficult to get to seven strikeouts. He only reached that threshold once in nine starts last season before none in three starts this season so when that gets paired with the Washington Nationals having a lower-than-average strikeout rate (21.3% at home) this does seem set to steer towards the lower number.
RAPID FIRE
Juan Soto +0.5 MKF fantasy points vs. Randy Arozarena
Even after not recording a hit all weekend, Soto still has better numbers than Arozarena this season and is probably due to snap out of his recent slide. Arozarena and Rays are in Kansas City to face Danny Duffy while Soto takes on Flaherty and the Cardinals.
STAR SHOOTOUT - LATE GAMES
MORE OR LESS
Dylan Bundy LESS THAN 6.5 STRIKEOUTS
The Angels right-hander has been effective early in the season and has 22 strikeouts in 19 innings through his first three starts. In his past nine starts, going back to last season, Bundy has recorded seven or more strikeouts just three times and the Texas Rangers are just a little higher than average with a 26.5% strikeout rate on the road this season.
Danny Duffy MORE THAN 5.5 STRIKEOUTS
Kansas City’s veteran lefty has been dealing early in the season, with a 0.75 ERA through his first couple of starts. He has 11 strikeouts in 12 innings and faces a Tampa Bay team that is right around league average (25.8%) in terms of strikeout rate.
Yandy Diaz LESS THAN 1.5 HITS + WALKS
The Rays third baseman has been rocking a .417 on-base percentage this season and has reached base multiple times in seven of his 14 starts. He has, however, been much better at home than on the road and that is enough of a difference to not like his chances against Duffy and the Royals.
STAR SHOOTOUT - NIGHT GAMES
MORE OR LESS
Joe Musgrove LESS THAN 7.5 STRIKEOUTS
Musgrove racked up 18 strikeouts in his first two starts for San Diego, including 10 in his no-hitter, but he followed that up with four strikeouts in four innings against his former team in Pittsburgh in his last start. He goes against a Milwaukee Brewers squad that has been a hair better than league average (25.5%) in terms of strikeout rate so there is no advantage gained against that opposition.
Corey Seager LESS THAN 3.5 MKF FANTASY POINTS
Through nine road games early in this season, Seager is averaging 3.56 MKF fantasy points per game. He is also really having a hard time with left-handed pitching early in the season, hitting .200 with a .588 OPS against them, so maybe that is enough of an edge for Mariners starter Justus Sheffield to keep Seager under wraps.
Mookie Betts MORE THAN 1.5 HITS + WALKS
Although the Dodgers’ leadoff hitter is 0-for-7 with five walks in his dozen plate appearances against lefties early this season, he does consistently get on base, with a .417 OBP against lefties and .395 on the road. If he gets five plate appearances, reaching base a couple of times should be the most likely outcome.
RAPID FIRE
Mike Trout -0.5 MKF fantasy points vs. Shohei Ohtani
Does Ohtani have any kind of advantage from playing in Japan, where he would have seen Texas Rangers starter Kohei Arihara? He had better because Mike Trout is rocking a 1.276 OPS right now and even if Ohtani is crushing it, too, with a 1.076 OPS, it’s a lot easier to trust Trout’s production because he has been this guy for pretty much his entire career.
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