This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have all 30 teams in action Tuesday, though five games are set to kick off before the main slate begins at 7:05 pm ET. The available pitchers are quite interesting, as there are a range of names from proven quality pitchers, to rising young or unproven names as well as some cheap rebound candidates. From a park factor perspective, there aren't many standout offensive environments to target, but that doesn't mean good stacks and values aren't available.
Pitchers
For those that want to pay up, Dylan Cease ($10,700) and Logan Gilbert ($9,500) are rightfully the highest-priced players at the position. Cease has the more favorable matchup against the Brewers, while Gilbert has an excellent 29.9 K-BB% through three starts and also comes at a significant discount. The drawback is a tough matchup against the Reds, though that's mitigated with a start at home. Overall, I'd take Gilbert.
Jared Jones ($8,500) has given up a pair of homers in each of his last two outings, but he has an excellent 34.7 K% and has surprisingly worked at least 5.2 innings in each of his three starts. The Mets don't strike out much, so perhaps this is the start for Jones to take a step back, but his upside at cost is unparalleled among the pitchers available.
Yusei Kikuchi ($7,800) and Carlos Rodon ($7,600) are the standout mid-tier pitchers. If they didn't square off against each other, rostering both would be a great point-per-dollar play. Kikuchi has comfortably missed more bats between the two, so that's who I'd prefer to roster.
Tommy Henry ($6,700) is the punt option. He's been able to work five innings in each of his last two outings and has at least four strikeouts in all three of his appearances this season. A matchup against the Cubs is mediocre, though Seiya Suzuki (oblique) is out and Henry's handedness should help neutralize Michael Busch and Cody Bellinger.
Top Hitters
Jones has had an electric start to his big-league career, but as was noted above he has been prone to the long ball. Lefties have accounted for three of his four home runs allowed, so give me Brandon Nimmo ($4,400), who also benefits from being the leadoff hitter.
The Cardinals haven't faced a lefty since Lars Nootbaar ($4,300) has returned, but I'd expect him to hit atop the lineup. Across 258 career innings, JP Sears has a 4.66 SIERA and has allowed 1.5 HR/9. Expect the Cardinals to put up some runs.
Value Options
Abraham Toro ($3,100) has done a serviceable job as the A's leadoff hitter and there's no sign of him shifting out of the role. This is more of a floor than ceiling play due to the state of the team offense and the skill of Toro, but it's hard to argue with the combination of price point and role.
Tyler Freeman ($2,800) offers a cheap way to get exposure to one of the better hitting environments of the night. He hasn't had great success early on in the season, but he offers multiple paths to production due to his high contact rate, speed and at least some moderate power.
Stacks to Consider
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Chicago Cubs (Kyle Hendricks): Ketel Marte ($5,400), Corbin Carroll ($5.700), Christian Walker ($5,100)
If there is a whole game stack to consider, this would be the contest I'd look to. Of the pair of pitchers on the mound, though, Hendricks is the more vulnerable. After a surprising 2023 season, he's allowed at least five earned runs in all three of his starts in 2024 and has just an 8:4 K:BB across his first 12.2 innings of the season. The top of the Arizona lineup isn't cheap, but they have a top-ten wOBA for the season. Joc Pederson ($3,900) is a nice substitute for those looking to save some salary.
San Diego Padres vs. Milwaukee Brewers (Wade Miley): Xander Bogaerts ($4,400), Fernando Tatis ($5,500), Jake Cronenworth (calf) ($3,900)
Miley has the chance to make this recommendation look bad, as he has proven the ability to be an effective pitcher despite his lack of strikeouts. In his opening and only outing of the season to this point, he walked two without recording a strikeout. While the end result was him shutting down the Reds, that skillset isn't sustainable to carry forward those results. The Padres have a lot of firepower toward the top of their lineup and rank seventh as a team in both ISO and wOBA.\
Note: Check the Padres' lineup to make sure Cronenworth plays.
Also Consider: Dodgers vs. Nationals (Patrick Corbin)
