This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have a 13-game slate to work with, one of the heaviest we'll see this season. There are a lot of big-name pitchers on the mound, though that's led to a lot of overpriced options, so it may be a day to primarily move down the tiers at the position. A few very high-priced stacks could come into play as a result, and Atlanta and the Dodgers stand out as being in exceptional spots to produce.
Pitchers
There are seven pitchers priced above $9,000, and my favorite of the group is Kevin Gausman ($9,700). He draws a matchup against a depleted White Sox lineup that is currently without Tim Anderson and Eloy Jimenez, and potentially Luis Robert and Yoan Moncada. Lucas Giolito ($10,200) is on the opposing bump, which does make a win somewhat less likely for Gausman.
Cristian Javier ($9,200) has earned his price tag with his recent results, but the primary factor working against him is his inconsistency working deep into games. A matchup against the Athletics eases that concern significantly.
Much of the rest of the elite tier is overpriced, so we'll hump down in price from there. Blake Snell ($8,100) has shown many of both the same skills and flaws early this season as he has for much of his career. He's maintained a 31.6 percent strikeout rate, which allows him to rack up DK points in a short span of innings. He recorded 16 outs in his last turn through the rotation, so if he's efficient he'll be able to work relatively deep into the game -- but that's a significant if. The other caution with Snell is that St. Louis strikes out at the lowest rate of any team in the league.
George Kirby ($6,600) has already gone from overrated to underrated in the span of four major-league outings. At only $6,600, he can turn in a mediocre outing and still reach value. He has a good opportunity to do so in a matchup against Baltimore, which remains one of the worst offenses in the league.
Top Hitters
Any game at Coors Field is a strong target, but that's even more so the case with German Marquez on the mound, as he's allowed 1.4 HR/9 early in the campaign. Jazz Chisholm ($5,100) was back in the lineup and stole a base Monday, so he is presumably healthy and a strong target Tuesday.
Austin Riley's ($4,700) bat has come alive of late. That alone isn't enough to roster him, but Humberto Castellanos has the second-lowest strikeout rate and fourth-highest SIERA among pitchers in the player pool.
Tyler Naquin ($4,800) isn't the typical star player to build around, but he's maintained a 10 percent barrel rate early this season and has an 81st percentile xSLG. Michael Wacha has strong surface-level stats, but has among the lowest strikeout rates on the slate and has a two-run gap between his ERA and SIERA.
Value Hitters
The Tigers have a few hitters in their lineup slowly producing more at the plate. Spencer Torkelson's ($2,500) season-long line (.630 OPS) remains poor, but he has been better of late by slugging .548 across his last 10 games – highlighted by four doubles and a homer.
The Twins are beat up at the moment, which has opened up playing time for Trevor Larnach ($2,600). He's got plenty of pop in his bat and faces Joey Wentz, who has surrendered a lot of home runs at every level that he has pitched throughout his career.
J.D. Davis ($2,600) has been a mainstay in the lineup when they have faced lefties this season. While he hits lower in the order, he is one of the few Mets' players priced below $3,000.
Stacks to Consider
Atlanta vs. Humberto Castellanos: Ronald Acuna ($6,100), Dansby Swanson ($4,600), Marcell Ozuna ($4,400), Austin Riley ($4,700)
Castellanos has been poor from both a surface level and supporting skill standpoint, so this is a fairly straightforward call. Atlanta hasn't clicked from an offensive perspective this season, as they have the highest strikeout rate in the league, with a middle-of-the-road wOBA. That has helped keep most hitter's price points in check, which will make it a little easier to build around the stack while paying up for at least one pitcher slot.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Mitch Keller: Mookie Betts ($6,300), Freddie Freeman ($5,600), Trea Turner ($6,200), Will Smith ($5,300), Edwin Rios ($3,900)
The absence of any Dodgers has been conspicuous to this point, but that has been purposeful. Mitch Keller's primary struggles throughout his career have revolved around not throwing consistent strikes rather than his inability to keep the ball in the yard. That makes it more advantageous to stack and spread opportunity rather than focus on a specific player. The price of the stack is obviously hefty, so Kirby in one of the two SP slots would almost be a requirement when playing the Dodgers. It's also viable to build stacks through all points of the Dodgers' lineup, so shifting to the bottom of the order rather than the top would save significant cap space.
Miami Marlins vs. German Marquez: Jazz Chisholm ($5,100), Garrett Cooper ($3,700), Jorge Soler ($5,600), Joey Wendle ($4,800)
The combination of Coors Field and Marquez is enough to pique stacking interest. Some of the Marlins' hitters have gotten a bump in price due to playing in Colorado, but others haven't. That has lowered the degree of difficulty in playing the stack, but will also make it quite popular.
