The weekend went by too fast, and now you need something to look forward to on this dreaded Monday morning. There is not quite a full slate of Major League Baseball on May 5, but still enough to make building the perfect DFS roster challenging and exciting.
We want to give you a hand by breaking down hitters' numbers in previous matchups against the opposition they'll be facing on Monday. Here are two hitters to add and one to avoid on May 5 if history repeats itself.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot,our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
Add: 1B Pete Alonso, New York Mets
This past offseason, it was an open question whether first baseman Pete Alonso was going to stay in Queens or be forced to sign a contract elsewhere. The slugger eventually decided to return to the New York Mets on a short-term deal, and he has helped guide his team to a very impressive 22-13 start.
The Mets will start a series with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday against righty Ryne Nelson. Alonso only has nine career plate appearances against Nelson, but his results are impossible to ignore: The Polar Bear is 4-for-9 against the Arizona starter with a single and three homers.
Alonso will likely be a little costly on most DFS sites because of his power threat and the fact that there are limited games today, but the upside he has is worth the risk.
Add: SS Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers
Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins is having a down year in his return from elbow surgery, but when he is at his best he's still one of the best pitchers in the game. There are not many hitters in the Majors that have impressive numbers against Alcantara, but Los Angeles Dodgers’ shortstop Mookie Betts is the exception.
In 17 plate appearances against Alcantara, Betts is 7-for-16 with four singles, a double and two homers while also drawing a walk. Betts has struck out against Alcantara four times as well, but it seems that when he puts the ball in play on the Marlins’ right-hander, good things happen.
Much like Alonso, Betts will likely cost a pretty penny on DFS sites today. You will likely have the option to add one or the other unless you decide to build your entire lineup around those two.
Avoid: C Martin Maldonado, San Diego Padres
If you go the route of adding multiple star players with high salaries in your DFS lineup, it will be tempting to add players like Martin Maldonado behind the dish. He is a right-handed hitter facing left-handed pitching, so the matchup would be in his favor, right? Not exactly.
The Padres will face Carlos Rodon and the New York Yankees on Monday, and Rodon may just be Maldonado’s kryptonite. Maldonado is hitless against the Yankees southpaw in 15 plate appearances, with five strikeouts. The only time Maldonado has reached base against Rodon was on a walk.
Maldonado would fit nicely in your budget for your DFS lineup on Monday but that is about the only contribution he could provide if history repeats itself.