It's a light MLB schedule Monday, but there are still some elite pitchers for your daily fantasy baseball lineups. We strongly recommend going with one of those aces near the top because it gets dicey in the middle of the pitcher rankings without much "safe" value in play.
So, don't hesitate to pay up for Zack Greinke, Max Scherzer, Corey Kluber or Justin Verlander, and we'll help you squeeze in the right value hitters in the right matchups to help fill out the rest of your daily fantasy baseball lineups. Good luck in all your DFS contests, and be sure to check out today's best DFS picks from Fantasy Alarm, too.
MORE: SN Fantasy | Daily hitter splits | DFS Playbook
Fantasy Baseball Pitcher Rankings
| Rank | Pitcher | Team | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zack Greinke | Dodgers | at Giants |
| 2 | Max Scherzer | Nats | vs. Reds |
| 3 | Corey Kluber | Indians | vs. Twins |
| 4 | Justin Verlander | Tigers | at Rangers |
| 5 | J.A. Happ | Pirates | vs. Cardinals |
| 6 | Jake Peavy | Giants | vs. Dodgers |
| 7 | Yordano Ventura | Royals | at Cubs |
| 8 | Lance Lynn | Cardinals | at Pirates |
| 9 | Marco Estrada | Blue Jays | at Orioles |
| 10 | Lance McCullers | Astros | at Mariners |
| 11 | Kyle Hendricks | Cubs | vs. Royals |
| 12 | Eduardo Rodriguez | Red Sox | at Yankees |
| 13 | Colby Lewis | Rangers | vs. Tigers |
| 14 | Phil Hughes | Twins | at Indians |
| 15 | Brandon Finnegan | Reds | at Nationals |
| 16 | Ivan Nova | Yankees | vs. Red Sox |
| 17 | Hector Santiago | Angels | vs. Athletics |
| 18 | Roenis Elias | Mariners | vs. Astros |
| 19 | Felix Doubront | Athletics | at Angels |
| 20 | Chris Tillman | Orioles | at Blue Jays |
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Saves Sleepers
- Angels closer Huston Street has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 groin strain and will miss the rest of the regular season, at least. With setup man Joe Smith also expected to miss this week with an ankle injury, the Angels could turn to Fernando Salas or rookie Trevor Gott in the ninth inning.
- The Nationals have suspended closer Jonathan Papelbon four games for his altercation with Bryce Harper on Sunday, which effectively ends his regular season with the reliever also set to serve a three-game punishment for throwing at Manny Machado. With Papelbon out, Aaron Barrett or Casey Janssen will likely fill in at closer.
- Orioles closer Zach Britton (lat) returned to game action Sunday for the first time since Sept. 20, throwing a scoreless inning in a non-save situation. We suspect Britton will get the Orioles' next save chance, but you can hang onto Darren O'Day just in case.
Check our MLB Closer Depth Chart for potential changes.
Weather Watch
Weather could be a problem Monday. There are at least 50-percent chances of rain in D.C. for Reds-Nationals and in Baltimore for Blue Jays-Orioles. There are also slight chances of rain, though less than 40 percent, in Pittsburgh (Cardinals-Pirates), New York (Red Sox-Yankees) and Cleveland (Twins-Indians). Keep a close eye on the game-time weather reports in those cities before setting your lineups.