This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We're coming off an interesting Monday slate due to the holiday, but we'll settle back into our typical rhythm Tuesday. We have 10 games to work with on the main slate, which kicks off at 7:07 pm ET. There are a couple of aces on the mound, but things fall off quickly. That will be a key decision point for the evening.
Pitchers
The two elite pitchers alluded to in the intro are Chris Sale ($10,800) and Paul Skenes ($9,800). Based on skill, the duo is virtually identical. However, Skenes is likely to continue to be limited in the length of his outings, leaving Sale as the clear top choice. A matchup against the Rockies in Atlanta also helps his cause.
The pitcher pool is full of boom-bust options in tier two. David Peterson ($8,000) would be the choice I settle on. He draws the Red Sox, who have a league-high 28 percent strikeout rate against lefties for the season while maintaining a 98 wRC+. Peterson's price is reaching the point where he's no longer worth targeting, but the matchup sets him up well Tuesday.
Ryne Nelson ($7,200) is the standout point-per-dollar option for the day. He has been excellent for nearly the entire second half (22.2 percent K-BB ratio, 3.28 SIERA) and the Giants have been a particularly subpar lineup in the second half.
There are also a couple of punt options. Aaron Civale ($6,300) has been a boom-bust option but has topped 20 DraftKings points in three of his last five outings. St. Louis hasn't been an imposing lineup, but the downside is that they don't strike out much. Andrew Heaney ($6,000) is an even bigger risk against the Yankees, but he has had recent success and doesn't need a great outing to return value at his price.
Top Hitters
It's difficult to trust the Pirates as a stack, but they do face a very exploitable matchup against Kyle Hendricks after Justin Steele was scratched from the start. Oneil Cruz ($5,100) and Bryan Reynolds ($4,900) have both hit well of late and are the most likely Pittsburgh bats to take advantage of the opportunity.
It's too little too late for both fantasy managers and the Mariners, but Julio Rodriguez ($5,000) is finally hitting his stride by averaging 10.1 DraftKings points across his last 10 games. A matchup against J.T. Ginn doesn't give much reason to believe he'll slow down Tuesday.
Value Bats
Atlanta is clinging to its playoff hopes amidst a ton of injuries to its lineup and has asked a few unheralded veterans to step up as a result. Whit Merrifield ($3,700) is a borderline value but should lead off with lefty Kyle Freeland on the mound for Colorado. Ramon Laureano ($3,200) will bat either fifth or sixth and should get some RBI opportunities at a more true value price point. It may be the product of a small sample, but Freeland has gotten crushed to the tune of a 7.34 ERA in road starts this season.
The Jays have a rotation along their infield, but both Addison Barger ($3,200) and Will Wagner ($3,000) have shown the ability to hit well when given the opportunity. Tyler Phillips is back in the majors for the Phillies and will start Tuesday. Before he was demoted, he had given up 17 earned runs across his last 11 innings. The Jays are also a viable stacking option as a result.
Stacks to Consider
Milwaukee Brewers vs. St. Louis Cardinals (Steven Matz): Jackson Chourio ($4,500), Blake Perkins ($2,900), William Contreras ($5,200)
Even without Christian Yelich in the mix, the Brewers have been among the best-hitting teams in the league since the All-Star break. Their lefty lineup also offers some decent value, most notably Perkins but also Chourio out of the leadoff spot. The matchup is also one to exploit, as Steven Matz will start for the first time since late April. He wasn't that effective, to begin with, and now will have a considerable amount of rust to work through.
New York Mets vs. Boston Red Sox (Kutter Crawford): Francisco Lindor ($5,700), Brandon Nimmo ($4,600), Pete Alonso ($5,100)
Crawford has corrected his performance over his last few starts, but we aren't far removed from the four-appearance stretch during which he gave up at least five earned runs. Even as his surface results have improved, he still hasn't generated swings and misses (16.5 percent strikeout rate in the last 30 days) and the Mets have the power bats to do damage with their contact.
