This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Barring postponements, all 30 teams will be in action Tuesday. Five games won't be included on the main slate due to a first pitch being scheduled before 7:05 pm ET, but there's still a large pool to work with. After having slim pickings in terms of quality stacks Monday, there are better options available Tuesday. Pitching is likely to be more highly concentrated in roster rate due to some fairly obvious options at both the top and bottom of the price range.
Pitchers
We aren't typically excited to roster pitchers facing the Astros, but Shohei Ohtani ($11,600) isn't the typical pitcher. He has a near 10 percentage point advantage in strikeout rate over any other arm on the slate. Houston has been far less intimidating than in recent seasons, but they still don't strike out much. There's no doubt about Ohtani's talent, but the question will become whether he's worth paying up for given the context of the rest of the slate.
We can also look to the opposite side of this game to Framber Valdez ($10,700). He has a relatively narrow band of outcomes – he's scored between 20 and 25 DK points in four of his seven starts -- making him a safe bet in both cash games and tournaments. Unlike the Astros, there are no qualifications needed for the Angels lineup – they're simply a tough matchup.
There are some other high-end arms available, but we'll jump down a bit in price point to highlight Lucas Giolito ($8,300) in a matchup against the Royals. Kansas City boasts the fourth-lowest wRC+ and an ugly .298 wOBA. They strike out at roughly a league-average rate and Giolito hasn't forced a ton of swing-and-miss early this season. That limits his upside a bit, but his price reflects that.
As has been the case in recent days, I'm willing to bypass the middle of the pitcher market to pay all the way down. Tuesday's options are Clarke Schmidt ($6,000) and Brandon Pfaadt ($4,500). Schmidt has an ugly 5.83 ERA but has a 3.80 SIERA and owns the fifth-best strikeout rate of all available pitchers in the pool. Add in a matchup against the Athletics, and he's likely to be very popular. Meanwhile, Pfaadt had an ugly big-league debut, but he's priced at a ridiculous point given his prospect pedigree and a matchup against the Marlins.
Top Hitters
The Yankees will welcome back Aaron Judge ($6,200) on Tuesday, and he's a fine play. I'll look a bit further down in price to Anthony Rizzo ($4,500). He and the Bronx Bombers will draw a matchup against Drew Rucinski, who has an ugly -4.3 K-BB% while serving up 1.9 HR/9.
We highlighted the White Sox a bit in yesterday's breakdown and they're in a good spot once again Tuesday. They face Jordan Lyles, who has the fifth-lowest strikeout rate and has allowed multiple homers in five of his seven starts this season. Luis Robert ($4,600) is the pick among the Chicago lineup, but there are a number of decent options.
Value Bats
We have another repeat situation in the value section as well. Southpaw Patrick Corbin will take the hill for the Nationals, which means Austin Slater ($2,700) will take over as San Francisco's leadoff hitter. A positive matchup, the leadoff spot and a cheap price combine to make him a great source of salary savings.
Chris Taylor ($3,200) is breaking out of a season-long slump and has generally hit cleanup against lefties of late. He and the Dodgers will take on Eric Lauer, who has a 10.4 percent walk rate and allowed 1.8 HR/9.
Stacks to Consider
Chicago Cubs vs. St. Louis Cardinals (Jack Flaherty): Christopher Morel ($4,000), Dansby Swanson ($4,600), Cody Bellinger ($4,300)
Flaherty has been perhaps the most boom-or-bust pitching option to begin the season. He's been much more of the former of late, allowing at least four earned runs in three of his last four starts. He's also allowed one or fewer runs on two occasions and two on another. When he's gotten into trouble, it's come primarily due to walks (14.3 BB%) and some home runs (1.3 HR/9). The Cubs should have at least a reasonable path to success as they strike out and walk at a league-average rate and have some players with both on-base ability and power. This stack is presuming that Nico Hoerner will remain sidelined with a hamstring injury he suffered Monday.
New York Yankees vs. Oakland Athletics (Drew Rucinski): Anthony Volpe ($4,200), Aaron Judge ($6,200), Anthony Rizzo ($4,500)
The Athletics pitching staff has shown some promise in recent games, most notably with the performances of Mason Miller and JP Sears. That trend isn't likely to continue with Rucinski, who has ugly numbers that have been highlighted earlier in this article as well as a 6.60 SIERA. Judge probably isn't a great standalone option in his first game back from injury, but he can fit into the stack and the remaining top of the order is relatively cheap.
