This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
After a light Monday slate in which most teams received a breather, baseball is back in the full swing of things Tuesday with a loaded slate. Among the more impactful games will be the Blue Jays hosting the Yankees, two teams battling it out for an AL Wild Card spot. The same can be said for the Mainers and A's, who will also face each other. There will be no shortage of top tier pitchers set to take the mound, either, with Walker Buehler, Zack Wheeler and Brandon Woodruff among the scheduled starters. Let's get down to business and highlight some players to consider for your DraftKings lineups.
Pitchers
The top spot in the NL East is also up for grabs when the Braves kick off their series with the Phillies. It will be an excellent pitching matchup with Wheeler ($10,500) starting for the Phillies and Charlie Morton ($9,200) taking the mound for the Braves. The 37-year-old Morton seems to be ageless, posting a 3.53 ERA and a 3.28 FIP across 31 starts this season. With Morton having allowed three or fewer runs in 12 of his last 13 starts, he's among the safer options for this slate.
The Giants have had a surprisingly successful season and their starting rotation has been one of the main reasons why. Logan Webb ($8,900) has provided a steady presence throughout, recording a 3.04 ERA that is supported by a 2.81 FIP. One of the keys to his success has been allowing only nine home runs across 136.1 innings. He has a favorable opportunity to continue to pitch well in a matchup against the Diamondbacks, who have the fifth-lowest OPS in baseball.
If you're playing in a tournament and want to take a chance on a pitcher who probably won't be included in a lot of entries, then Packy Naughton ($5,300) might be worth a shot. Yes, he has a 5.23 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP across six appearances. However, he's had extremely tough matchups against the Dodgers, Padres (twice), Yankees, White Sox and Astros. Better results could be coming for him against the Rangers, who have the worst OPS in baseball.
Top Targets
Juan Soto ($5,900) is playing at Coors Field. Need I say more? He's having yet another excellent season with a 168 wRC+ and his walk rate (22.0 percent) is vastly superior to his strikeout rate (13.6 percent). Good luck to Rockies starter Kyle Freeland ($5,700), who only has a 20.9 percent strikeout rate to go along with his 1.41 WHIP.
Talk about coming back from injury in style. After sitting out two games against the Nationals because of a sore knee, Joey Votto ($5,400) returned to the lineup with two home runs Monday, giving him 35 for the season. He's now only two homers away from tying his career high mark, which he set back in 2010. More positive results could be coming in a matchup against Reynaldo Lopez ($7,300), who has allowed 1.5 HR/9 for his career.
Bargain Bats
A.J. Alexy ($6,300) was hammered in his last two starts, allowing 10 runs over seven innings. He's had plenty of control issues since being called up from Triple-A, walking 15 batters across 18 innings. For those looking to take advantage of this matchup, Jared Walsh ($3,600) could be someone to consider on the Angels. He's established himself as an important part of their lineup, recording a .225 ISO and a .350 wOBA.
Bradley Zimmer ($2,400) had a big day at the plate Monday, hitting 2-for-4 with a home run and a double. Make no mistake about it, his 35.7 percent strikeout rate is a problem. However, at this cheap salary, he could be worth taking a chance on against Brady Singer ($8,300). Singer's 4.02 FIP isn't bad, but his 1.53 WHIP has been an issue.
Stacks to Consider
Red Sox vs. Bruce Zimmermann ($5,200), Orioles: Xander Bogaerts ($5,000), Hunter Renfroe ($4,200), Bobby Dalbec ($3,100)
Zimmerman (ankle) is expected to be activated from the IL to make this start. He hasn't made an appearance in the majors since the middle of June and he wasn't exactly pitching well before the injury considering he had a 1.47 WHIP and allowed 12 home runs over 59.2 innings. Facing the powerful Red Sox lineup could leave him with another ugly stat line. Given Renfroe's .240 ISO and .380 wOBA against left-handed pitchers this season, he's one of the top players to consider for a Red Sox stack.
Rockies vs. Patrick Corbin ($7,600), Nationals: Trevor Story ($4,600), C.J. Cron ($3,600), Brendan Rodgers ($3,900)
When Corbin faced the Rockies 10 day ago, he was lit up for six runs over four innings. What's concerning about that performance is that the game was played in Washington. Now he has to travel to hitter-friendly Coors Field. He's allowed 36 home runs over 165.2 innings, which means the powerful Cron is someone to consider building a Rockies stack around.
Giants vs. Luke Weaver ($7,000), Diamondbacks: Kris Bryant ($5,100), Brandon Crawford ($5,100), Mike Yastrzemski ($4,300)
Weaver exhibited home run issues last season when he allowed 10 of them over 52 innings. He's had similar problems this season, allowing 11 over 61.2 innings. That could be troublesome for him against the Giants, who have hit the second-most home runs in baseball. One of their biggest surprises in that department has been Crawford, who has a career-high 23 home runs to go along with his 141 wRC+.
