This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
All but two teams are in action Tuesday, though we have several games that kick off prior to 7:05 pm ET. That leaves us with nine games on the main slate, though weather is also projected to wreak havoc on the east coast and midwest. That said, we could see the available games whittled down further, with Detroit-New York Mets, Atlanta-Chicago White Sox and Colorado-Chicago Cubs all looking to be potential postponements. Those contests will still be included in our preview, but be sure to confirm they are going forward before lock.
Pitchers
The top of the pitcher pool is strong Tuesday, and Luis Castillo ($9,400) leads the way. He had a subpar outing on Opening Day, but he should be set up well in a home matchup against the Guardians. Looking back to 2023, Castillo had the highest strikeout rate of any pitcher available Tuesday. We can stick in Seattle to highlight Shane Bieber ($8,800), who showcased increased velocity throughout spring training and into his first start of the regular season. Don't pair these pitchers together in a lineup, but each is a good building block at the position.
After having a tough time in the Seoul Series, Yu Darvish ($8,200) bounced back in his first stateside start of the season against the Giants. The Cardinals are a decent offense on paper, but they haven't been particularly formidable in practice. We're talking small samples, but this isn't an offense I feel the need to shy away from in terms of matchup. Darvish is the cutoff for the first tier of pitching from a price perspective.
This is a top-heavy pitching day, but Jose Berrios ($7,700) and Nestor Cortes ($7,300) are both solid mid-tier options. Berrios has the better floor on a start-to-start basis, but he has a tough matchup against the Astros. Cortes settled into his Opening Day start after being roughed up early and managed five strikeouts in five innings. He'll start in pitcher-friendly Chase Field. Including the slight price discount, I'd prefer Cortes.
The punt play of the day is Javier Assad ($6,600). He primarily pitches to contact, which does limit his appeal. However, a home matchup against the Rockies combined with his price puts him onto play.
Top Hitters
Few in the league are better at hitting lefties for power than Christian Walker ($5,000). Homers also happen to be an issue throughout Cortes's career (1.5 HR/9). For those that don't roster Cortes as cheap pitching option, Walker is an elite bat to target.
One of the players arguably better hitting against lefties than Walker is Jorge Soler ($4,600). The Dodgers have been a buzzsaw early this season, but arguably even they can't fix Ryan Yarbrough.
Value Bats
Not much has gone right for Oakland this season and that's likely to continue (more on that soon), but there are a few left-handed bats to consider in Ryan Noda ($3,500) and Seth Brown ($3,500). Noda has served as the team's primary leadoff hitter and is cheap. Even better is that he will draw a matchup against Brayan Bello, who surrendered a .377 wOBA to lefties last season.
We'll shift from one bad team to another, as the White Sox and Reynaldo Lopez will be key players on this slate. Lopez is likely to be very popular after winning a rotation spot out of spring training, only to make his season debut against one of the weakest lineups in the league. However, the chance that he doesn't pitch well is likely greater than the field will expect, so I want some exposure to the White Sox's lineup. Gavin Sheets ($3,600) should start again with Eloy Jimenez (thigh) likely to be sidelined.
Stacks to Consider
Boston Red Sox vs. Oakland (Alex Wood): Rafael Devers ($5,400), Tyler O'Neill ($4,300), Trevor Story ($4,200)
We knew the A's wouldn't be good entering the season, but they have a number of veterans in the rotation. That provided some optimism that they could prevent runs at a respectable clip, but that hasn't come to fruition. Through their first five games, they've allowed at least six runs four times. Until further notice, it's viable to stack against Oakland on a nightly basis. Boston has some issues at the bottom of the order, but the top and middle of its lineup are strong enough to put up runs. Be careful to check the lineup card, as Tuesday's game will be their first game against a lefty starter this season.
Chicago Cubs vs. Colorado (Kyle Freeland): Nico Hoerner ($5,000), Seiya Suzuki ($4,400), Christopher Morel ($4,500)
This game isn't at Coors Field, but Freeland was even worse away from home last season (2.2 K-BB%, .368 wOBA against). We saw that continue in his opening start of the new season, as he got shelled by the Diamondbacks for 10 earned runs while recording only seven outs. The Cubs don't have an elite lineup, but they have enough pop to do damage. They also come at a reasonable price that won't overly compromise the rest of a DK roster.
