This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Tuesday is loaded with exciting series that carry playoff implications. The highlight of the evening figures to be a matchup between the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have been two of the best teams in baseball. It's also set up to be an excellent pitching matchup between Walker Buehler and Lance McCullers Jr. Some of the other noteworthy series include the Oakland Athletics taking on the San Diego Padres and the Atlanta Braves facing off against the St. Louis Cardinals. Let's dig into all of the options on DraftKings and highlight some players to consider for your lineups.
Pitchers
The Twins decided to be sellers at the trade deadline, which included them sending Nelson Cruz to the Rays. Byron Buxton (hand) also remains on the IL, so their lineup isn't nearly as fearsome as it was earlier in the season. That makes Tyler Mahle ($10,000) someone to consider for his matchup against them Tuesday. He's had a strong season, in his own right, with a 3.71 ERA and a 4.01 FIP to go along with a 28.2 percent strikeout rate.
Known for their potent lineup, the Blue Jays have quietly put together a scary starting rotation. Robbie Ray has been fantastic, Alek Manoah has looked every-bit of a top prospect and they added Jose Berrios at the trade deadline. Oh yeah, don't forget about their ace Hyun Jin Ryu ($8,700), who will start against Cleveland. While he doesn't miss a ton of bats, he's remained a reliable fantasy option with a 3.26 ERA and a 3.78 FIP. It should also help his cause that Cleveland, who already had one of the least-productive lineups in the league, traded away Cesar Hernandez at the deadline.
Coming into his last start against the Yankees, Luis Patino ($7,400) had allowed 15 runs (13 earned) across 14 innings in his previous three outings. The bright spot was that he recorded 15 strikeouts during that stretch. He bounced back in a big way, holding the Yankees scoreless while recording eight strikeouts over six innings. Plenty of strikeouts could be coming his way for this start against the Mariners, who have struck out the fifth-most times in baseball.
Top Targets
Starling Marte ($4,400) has made an immediate impact with the A's. While he's still looking for his first extra-base hit with his new team, he's 5-for-16 (.313) with four steals and three runs scored over four games. He could continue to impress against Blake Snell ($8,900), who has a 5.97 FIP and a 2.02 WHIP on the road this season.
The Cubs don't have many potent hitters left in their lineup after stripping down their roster at the trade deadline. However, they have a favorable matchup at Coors Field against Kyle Freeland ($6,200), who has a 5.05 FIP and a 1.48 WHIP. That means it might be the perfect opportunity to target Patrick Wisdom ($4,400), who has thrived with a .315 ISO and a .385 wOBA.
Bargain Bats
Going back to the A's facing Snell, Mark Canha ($3,900) is an appealing option at a cheaper salary. He's lowered his strikeout rate to 19.8 percent on his way to a .362 wOBA. Also, he has a .369 wOBA against left-handed pitchers since the start of the 2018 season.
The Orioles used the long ball to defeat the Yankees on Monday, which included Ryan Mountcastle ($3,200) going deep for his 18th home run of the season. He slugged it off of left-hander Andrew Heaney, improving his ISO to .254 versus southpaws this season. With another lefty in Nestor Cortes ($7,000) set to take the mound, Mountcastle could provide value.
Stacks to Consider
White Sox vs. Kris Bubic ($5,800), Royals: Tim Anderson ($6,000), Jose Abreu ($5,500), Andrew Vaughn ($3,100)
Bubic enters this matchup with a 4.58 ERA that could be much worse considering his 5.51 FIP. His WHIP sits at 1.46, thanks in large part to his 11.2 percent walk rate. He also doesn't miss many bats, posting an 18.7 percent strikeout rate. While Anderson and Abreu are the big names to build a White Sox stack around, don't sleep on Vaughn. He has a 179 wRC+ versus left-handed pitchers.
Yankees vs. Alexander Wells ($5,400), Orioles: Aaron Judge ($4,800), Anthony Rizzo ($4,700), Gleyber Torres ($4,400)
Despite a favorable matchup versus the Tigers in his last start, Wells gave up four runs over five innings. He has a 1.70 WHIP across his first 15.1 innings with the Orioles, which makes starting him against the Yankees a scary proposition. This could be an ideal matchup to deploy Judge for two reasons. First, he has a career 162 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers. Second, he has a career 178 wRC+ at Yankee Stadium.
Braves vs. Jon Lester ($6,600), Cardinals: Ozzie Albies ($4,700), Austin Riley ($4,100), Adam Duvall ($4,000)
With other playoff contenders in the NL loading up on top-tier talent, the Cardinals were relatively quiet at the trade deadline. In fact, their main moves were trading for Lester and J.A. Happ, two struggling left-handed pitchers. They needed pitchers to fill innings, but neither Lester nor Happ may do it well. Lester has mostly been terrible, posting a 5.41 FIP and a 1.59 WHIP. This could be an ideal matchup to roll with Albies, who has a career .399 wOBA versus southpaws. Riley is also red-hot at the plate, hitting 27-for-92 (.351) with eight home runs and six doubles over his las 21 games.
