This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
It's a getaway day, so the main slate begins at 1:10 pm ET and includes 10 games. The biggest pitching names in the league are set to take the mound, and we also have a standout park to target from a hitter's perspective.
Pitchers
Before we dive into individual analysis, there are a few things to note from a macro perspective. The first is the general quality of the pitching pool. This early in the season, rotations tend to be on the same schedule, and most rotations have turned back to their ace. We've seen a slight bump in prices, as two pitchers cross the $10,000 mark.
The top choices are Paul Skenes ($10,300) and Tarik Skubal ($10,000). It's hard to see one choice is superior to the other, but two factors point me to Skubal. The first is his potential to work deeper into the game and the second is his win potential.
There are a number of pitchers to consider in the second tier. Dylan Cease ($9,300) is at the top from a price and projection standpoint. He should have a strong win probability (he matches up against Ben Lively) and has the strikeout upside to match Skenes and Skubal. Freddy Peralta ($8,800) deserves an honorable mention.
There are two options in the $7,000 price range. Perhaps surprisingly, Sonny Gray ($7,800) was the third pitcher on the slate with a strikeout rate of at least 30 percent last season, joining Skenes and Skubal. He also struck out six across his five innings of work on Opening Day and will draw a matchup against the Angels – a lineup that has struggled to hit for much power early on this season. MacKenzie Gore ($7,600) is the other obvious choice based on his performance on Opening Day. The drawback is that he's likely to be very popular and does draw a tough matchup against the Jays.
There are two value options, dipping into the lower end of the price pool. Ryan Pepiot ($7,200) was sharp in his opening start of the season, but the real draw is his matchup against the Pirates. They have a disastrous 53 wRC+ this season and have yet to score more than four runs in any of their six games. Sean Burke ($6,200) is the true punt. His big-league sample is exceptionally small (25 IP), but he has a 25.5 K percentage and 3.67 SIERA. The Twins aren't a particularly daunting matchup.
Top Hitters
Fernando Tatis ($5,300) is fully healthy and is producing as such. There aren't a significant number of vulnerable pitchers to pick on, but Lively is one. Among the pitcher pool, he has the highest homer rate (1.37 HR/9), the third highest SIERA and the third-lowest strikeout rate.
The pitchers won't jump off the page, but I want to attack Sutter Health Park in Sacramento. The Cubs have also performed well, putting Kyle Tucker ($6,200) – even without the handedness advantage – and Seiya Suzuki ($5,000) on the radar.
Value Bats
We'll keep with the same theme as our Cubs selections and flip over to the A's lineup. Tyler Soderstrom ($3,300), JJ Bleday ($3,600) and even Miguel Andujar ($3,500) are all viable options.
Luken Baker ($2,200) has a lot of pop and should be hitting third in the Cardinals' lineup against lefty Yusei Kikuchi.
Stacks to Consider
New York Mets vs. Miami Marlins (Connor Gillispie): Francisco Lindor ($5,500), Juan Soto ($6,300), Pete Alonso ($5,300)
This is a pretty straightforward choice. Gillispie is another pitcher with a minuscule sample in the majors, but he struggled throughout his climb through the minors, which has translated to his time with Cleveland and Miami. Meanwhile, the Mets have a stacked lineup and got on track with their offensive performance Monday against the Marlins.
Washington Nationals vs. Toronto Blue Jays (Easton Lucas): CJ Abrams ($5,000), James Wood ($4,900), Josh Bell ($2,900)
This is a less obvious stack and opens up more value to focus on a secondary stack or pitching. The Nationals are far from a complete lineup, but they do have enough players to take advantage of Lucas. It's a bit of a broken record, but he's inexperienced in the majors. He racked up strikeouts but also struggled with walks, which has translated to the top level in the majors.
