This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
After a fairly quiet Monday, we're back to a full schedule Tuesday night, which leaves us 12 games on the main slate. Also in contrast to Monday is the quality of pitching available, as there are strong options to consider throughout the different levels of pricing. There are a few key spots for hitters too, highlighted by a Colorado-Milwaukee matchup at Coors Field and a Nationals-Cubs matchup that has the potential to feature plenty of offense in a potentially under-the-radar game.
Pitching
Gerrit Cole ($11,500) has had a strong start to the season, as he's yet to put up fewer than 16.6 DK points in any of his six starts and has also topped 35 DK points on two occasions. That's an elite floor-ceiling combination, and a matchup against Cleveland won't do much to push us off him.
The primary case against Cole is that Zac Gallen ($10,000) is also on the mound and is $1,500 cheaper. Gallen has always been effective at suppressing runs, but this season he's ticked up the amount of swing and misses he's generating by a significant margin. Through six starts, he boasts a 36.2 percent strikeout rate – the highest of any pitcher in the pool Tuesday. He faces a tough test against a Rangers' lineup that has performed among the best teams in the league early on in 2023.
Jumping down in price range a bit, Tyler Wells ($7,300) has emerged as a reliable starter both for the Orioles and fantasy managers. He has reached at least 13.9 DK points in four of his five starts, including two 23-point performances in each of his last two outings. He doesn't have an overpowering strikeout rate (21.9 percent), but he has limited mistakes and baserunners with a 2.9 percent walk rate. Helping his case Tuesday is a matchup against the poor Royals' lineup.
For season-long players, Tanner Bibee ($6,500) was a key FAAB/waiver addition over the weekend. He'll play an interesting role in DFS contests Tuesday. First, he's coming off an excellent debut in which he posted 26.6 DK points, which makes him look ridiculously underpriced. Next, he's squaring off against Cole and the Yankees, meaning most users will be choosing between Cole and Bibee – not rostering both. Finally, New York's lineup is watered down in the absence of Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge (likely), so the lineup isn't nearly as scary as is typically the case.
In most cases, Bibee would be the punt play of the day, but that honor instead goes to Bryce Miller ($4,000). He's making his big-league debut for the Mariners and is a well-regarded prospect (55th ranked in James Anderson's most recent rankings) and draws the hapless A's on Tuesday. Miller has thrown at least five innings of two of his four starts in the minors this season, so he shouldn't be on an extremely prohibitive pitch count.
Top Hitters
Steven Matz had a home run problem throughout his career and that has been no different to start 2023. He's serving up 1.7 HR/9 and also has an ugly 11 percent walk rate. Needless to say, it's been a poor start to the season for him, and there's no one better to take advantage of that than Mike Trout ($6,300).
Ryan Feltner has put together a stretch of strong performances on the mound for the Rockies, but he's still worth targeting at Coors Field. Rowdy Tellez ($4,800) should enjoy the hitting environment.
Value Hitters
CJ Abrams ($2,400) is slowly coming alive at the plate, collecting at least one hit in seven of his last nine starts. Most importantly, he's slugging .516 in that span on the strength of two doubles and two homers, which has helped him to more ceiling DFS performances. He faces Hayden Wesneski on Tuesday, who has allowed 2.00 HR/9 to start the campaign.
Don't look now, but Nick Senzel ($2,700) is breaking out in Cincinnati. He was named the NL Player of the Week on Monday and has averaged 9.8 DK points across his last 10 games. Senzel and the Reds will take on Michael Wacha, who has a 4.55 SIERA while surrendering 1.4 HR/9.
Stacks to Consider
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Colorado Rockies (Ryan Feltner): Christian Yelich ($5,500), Jesse Winker ($3,600), Willy Adames ($5,900)
As noted, Feltner has been effective in two consecutive starts, though both have come on the road. Overall, he's pitched four out of five games away from Coors Field, yet he still has an ugly 12.7 percent walk rate. While he may be able to dance out of danger at different parks, that won't work in his unforgiving home park. Despite lacking a superstar, the Brewers lineup has combined to put together some good offensive performances early on this season. Tellez is a potential addition to the stack, and Winker is a standout value as he should hit second in the order with a righty on the mound.
Los Angeles Angels vs. St. Louis Cardinals (Steven Matz): Zach Neto ($2,700), Mike Trout ($6,300), Shohei Ohtani ($6,500)
Matz has been the perfect pitcher to stack against early this season thanks to his high walk and homer rate, and the top of the Angels lineup should be able to take advantage. Trout and Ohtani are huge investments, but the available pitchers in the pool open up a lot of salary to work with. In addition, Neto has been serving as the team's leadoff hitter in recent games and is still priced as a solid value.
