This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Tuesday brings a bevy of options to choose from with 14 games making up the main slate on DraftKings. There are some exciting series among them, including the Braves hosting the Mets and the Red Sox facing the Blue Jays. Let's dive into the matchups and highlight some players to consider for your lineups.
Pitchers
After a stellar 2020 campaign, Brandon Woodruff ($10,200) has taken his game to yet another level this season with a 1.64 ERA and a 2.29 FIP through eight starts. He has been aided by a .198 BABIP allowed, but it's worth nothing that he's only allowed three home runs across 49.1 innings. He's also been a dominant strikeout force again, posting a 33.2 percent strikeout rate. Expect him to be a popular option against a Royals team that has the ninth-worst OPS in baseball, and rightfully so.
Maybe it wasn't the Rays' pitching philosophy that kept Blake Snell ($8,900) from pitching deep into games. He hasn't logged more than 5.1 innings in any of his eight starts this season and failed to even make it through five innings four times. His control has been a disaster, posting a 15.2 percent walk rate that has led to a 1.54 WHIP. On the bright side, he does have a 31.0 percent strikeout rate. Facing the Rockies in San Diego makes Snell an appealing option, despite his struggles, because the Rockies only have a .593 OPS on the road.
Whether they play at home or on the road, the Pirates can't seem to hit. Their .651 OPS is the second-worst mark in baseball and they've only hit 26 home runs across 40 games. To put how bad that is into perspective, 10 teams have hit double the amount of home runs that the Pirates have. Add a favorable matchup to his cheap salary and John Gant ($6,800) could provide value.
Top Targets
Luckily for the Braves, Ronald Acuna Jr. ($6,300) did not require a stint on the IL because of his ankle injury. He returned to the lineup Monday against the Mets, although he finished 0-for-4 at the plate. Still, he's had a fantastic start to the season with a 167 wRC+. The injury-riddled Mets have yet to name a starter as of early Tuesday morning, but whoever is on the mound, it should be an underwhelming option that Acuna could do damage against.
Sean Manaea ($8,400) was torched by the Red Sox in his last outing, allowing seven runs over two innings. This early in the season, that can do a number on a pitcher's ERA. He's generally pitched well, but he has allowed at least four runs in three of his eight outings. This could be an opportune time to roll with Alex Bregman ($5,700), who has a career .417 wOBA against left-handed pitchers.
Bargain Bats
The good news for the Yankees is that Jameson Taillon ($7,400) has already been able to make seven starts after having not pitched in the majors since 2019. The bad news is that he has allowed eight home runs over 33.1 innings. This might be a good night to take a chance on Nate Lowe ($3,800), who has been one of the Rangers' bets hitters with a .351 wOBA. He's also shown an improved eye at the plate, posting a 13.0 percent walk rate.
Kris Bubic ($4,000) has only pitched out of the bullpen for the Royals this season, but an injury to Danny Duffy (forearm) will force him into the rotation for this matchup against the Brewers. He struggled in that role last season, posting a 1.48 WHIP across 10 starts. The Brewers don't have a ton of dangerous hitters, but this is still a matchup that could favor Avisail Garcia ($3,300). He only has a career .311 wOBA against right-handed pitchers, but that mark sits at .348 versus lefties.
Stacks to Consider
Yankees vs. Mike Foltynewicz ($5,600), Rangers: Aaron Judge ($6,000), DJ LeMahieu ($5,600), Gio Urshela ($4,800)
The Yankees couldn't take advantage of a favorable matchup against Jordan Lyles on Monday, scoring just two runs in a loss. They'll have another chance to exploit a favorable matchup against a struggling pitcher here with Foltynewicz sporting a 4.60 ERA and a 5.50 FIP. He's already allowed 11 home runs across 45 innings, which makes the powerful Judge someone to consider building a Yankees stack around.
Mets vs. Tucker Davidson ($4,000), Braves: Pete Alonso ($5,000), Francisco Lindor ($4,700), Jonathan Villar ($3,300)
The Mets have been decimated by injuries, so they might not stand out as a team to consider stacking. However, this trio can still do some damage. Lindor has started to show signs of life at the plate, hitting two home runs and generating a .372 OBP over the last 10 games. This is also a tough spot for Davidson considering he has only thrown a total of 33 career innings at Triple-A. He made one start for the Braves last season, allowing three hits and a home run, while issuing four walks, over 1.2 innings.
Rays vs. Matt Harvey ($6,600), Orioles: Randy Arozarena ($5,000), Brandon Lowe ($5,100), Austin Meadows ($3,800)
Harvey's issue in recent seasons has been an inability to keep hitters inside the ball park. He's shown improvement in that area so far, allowing three home runs over 39.1 innings. However, his WHIP sits at an underwhelming 1.37 and he's only recorded a 16.6 percent strikeout that. That doesn't exactly make him someone to shy away from stacking against in DFS. Meadows has carried over his struggles in the batting average department from last season, entering this game with a .211 mark. On the bright side, he has hit for more power, sporting a .246 ISO.
