Slate Breaker: FD MLB DFS (4/1)

Top Pitchers

Play of the Day: Shota Imanaga, Cubs (vs Rockies)

Iamanaga is set to make his major league debut on Monday and I think he immediately finds success. He has a game that will translate to the MLB very well. He built his career off his control and that is the trait that travels the best overseas. He was constantly able to pepper the corners leading to lots of strikeouts and few walks. He had an elite BB9 of 2.4 in the NPB. He looked stellar in his first MLB Spring Trainig with a 25:3 strikeout to walk ratio in just 12.2 IP. He gets a very favorable matchup to open his career playing a weak Rockies offense away from Coors. Expect the rookie Imanaga to look like a seasoned pro.

Charlie Morton, Braves (@ White Sox)

One question has plagued Charlie Morton over the past couple seasons; is this the season that Charlie Morton finally regresses? It is a fair question for a pitcher in his 40s but he is yet to show any serious signs of slowing down. He is coming off a strong 2023 season and spring so I will continue to roll with the ageless wonder until he gives me a reason to move away from him. He will get off to a strong start to the season as he faces a White Sox offense who scored the 2nd fewest runs in the MLB in 2023.

James Paxton, Dodgers (vs Giants)

Can I really trust Paxton? I do not know to be honest. He still has elite stuff but his ability to work deep into games has come into question over recent years. He should still be able to pile up a fair bit of strikeouts the first time through the lineup so he definitely will not leave you completely disappointed but just do not get your expectations up too high. He also plays a Giants offense that has fairly good plate discipline so he will not get many free strikeouts and the retooled offense looks like they have made some serious improvements from previous seasons. Though there is a lot of doubt surrounding Paxton in his season debut, the late slate is starved of starting pitching talent so Paxton makes for a decent, safer option.

Andrew Abbott, Reds (@ Phillies)

Abbott is one of the best up and coming pitchers in the game. He started his career on absolute fire with a 2.38 ERA and a 10.4 K9 before the 2023 ASB; but as the season went on, attrition hit the lefty and he strained his way through the end of 2023. With a full offseason of big league prep and a fresh arm, look for Abbott to return to ace form. The Phillies do present a boom or bust matchup for the young lefty as they do strikeout a bunch but they also have a couple of hitters who also torch left handed pitching. I personally expect great things from Abbott as he gets more acclimated to the MLB, but there is some volatility here.

Top Stacks

Dodgers (vs Giants)

If you can fit Betts, Ohtani and Freeman into your lineups; get them in there. The Dodgers offense is primed for a big day as they take on a minor league caliber arm. Keaton Winn will be the main pitcher for the Giants on Monday and he has never found any kind of real success at the major league level and do not expect that to change against this talented Dodger lineup. Winn has only had one minor league season with an ERA under 4.00 so expect a HUGE day from these sluggers.

Cardinals (@ Padres)

I'm sorry but I have absolutely no confidence in Matt Waldron. He does have solid command as he throws a lot of strikes and does not walk a lot of batters, but he does not have strong stuff with most of his pitches looking fairly flat. Add in that Padres starters only pitched a combined 14.1 IP over the past 3 days so this Padres bullpen is pretty taxed meaning Waldron will likely have to pitch at least 5 innings no matter how much he struggles so Monday could end up being a huge day for this Cardinals offense.

Red Sox (@ Athletics)

This is not a true, unabashed endorsement of the Red Sox offense as I think they could either be great or horrible on Monday. It all boils down to which Joe Boyle we see take the mound. Boyle was a sensation at the end of last season pitching 16 innings over 3 appearances and allowing just 3 ERs. His stuff is truly nasty and if he shows up with his A-game I am avoiding the Red Sox.  There is a different side to Boyle though where he just loses all control and cannot find the strike zone. This version of Boyle showed up during the spring where he walked 15 batters in just 18.1 IP. If this Boyle is the one that takes the mound Monday, the Red Sox could very easily end up being the top scoring offense. There is some risk with this Red Sox offense but the upside is very enticing.

One Offs

Cedric Mullins, Orioles (vs Royals)

With all the hype surrounding the Orioles youth movement, Mullins can sometimes be an afterthought. Do not let him be an afterthought for you though as he is far too talented to not utilize him in fantasy. He crushes right handed pitching with a career OPS just under .800 vs righties and all his success this year has come off righties. He now gets to play a RHP he is very familiar with in Michael Wacha who he faced 19 times while reaching base safely in 9 of those plate appearances with 5 XBHs. Expect a multi hit effort with at least one extra base hit from Mullins on Monday.

Juan Soto, Yankees (@ Diamondbacks)

Ryne Nelson has shown flashes of dominance, but he continues to struggle to find consistency at the major league level. The big issue in Nelson's game is his inability to compete with left handed batters. He's allowed a career OPS over .850 to lefties and as a former division mate of Nelson, Soto has plenty of experience against him. Every hit Soto has off of Nelson has been an extra base hit including 2 homers so I like the new Yankee in this spot. The Yankees do not have any of other consistent lefties making Soto a stand alone play.

Daulton Varsho, Blue Jays (@ Astros)

The Blue Jays are facing a bit of an unknown in Ronel Blanco as he has less than 60 career innings pitched. He has a minor league ERA over 4.00 so he is definitely beatable but I am not willing to throw a full stack at him. The Blue Jays also lack left handed hitting depth so Varsho is the only Blue Jays that stands out with a handed advantage. Varsho has shown the ability to hit for power against RHPs as 93% of his career homers has come against a righty so look for Varsho to take advantage of the young, inexperienced righty and rack up some TBs on Monday.

Dream Team

SP: James Paxton, Dodgers (vs Giants)

C/1B: Freddie Freeman, Dodgers (vs Giants)

2B: Brendan Donovan, Cardinals (@ Padres)

3B: Andy Ibanez, Tigers (@ Mets)

SS: Mookie Betts, Dodgers (vs Giants)

OF: Juan Soto, Yankees (@ Diamondbacks)

OF: Daulton Varsho, Blue Jays (@ Astros)

OF: Victor Scott II, Cardinals (@ Padres)

UTL: Shohei Ohtani, Dodgers (vs Giants)

**DISCLAIMER: Remember, sports and fantasy are supposed to be fun. Please play responsibly.**