This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Tuesday's main slate starts half an hour earlier than usual at 6:35 pm ET, and includes all 30 teams. Obviously that depth and plethora of options makes differentiating in GPPs paramount, and cash lineups likely need to score a little higher than average to win.
Pitching
Stephen Strasburg ($10,900) leads the way price-wise Tuesday, and it makes a lot of sense to pay up for him. His form isn't great, but he's fanned 20 over 16.2 frames and gets a Giants squad that is traveling across the country and sports a league-worst .225 wOBA and 37 wRC+ against righties, fanning 25.2 percent of the time.
A white-hot Tyler Glasnow ($10,600) follows, and this is too rich for my blood. It's an obviously favorable spot against Baltimore, and Glasnow has allowed only one run over three starts, striking out 21 in 17.0 innings, but the O's don't swing and miss much, striking out at only 21.2 percent. There's plenty to like here, but Glasnow is due some regression.
Other high-priced options that are relying more on recent results than a proven track record include Shane Bieber ($10,000) and Matthew Boyd ($9,700). Bieber is a fade for me against a Mariners side that ranks fourth with a .353 wOBA against righties. Boyd on the other hand merits great consideration. He's fanning batters at an unsustainable 40.3 percent, but gets an inviting opportunity against a Pirates' offense that a woeful .069 ISO and 30.7 percent K rate against southpaws.
The elephant in the room on this slate is Chris Sale ($9,000). His velocity is down, as is his price, and we're unlikely to see him at a number this low again this year barring an extended shutdown. We all know the immense upside that's available here, and while there's been no sign of that surfacing, his form and matchup against the Yankees will have many overlooking Sale. He's 3-3 against New York over the last three seasons, sporting a 1.93 ERA and 75 strikeouts over 56.0 frames. GPPs only, but the name is certainly worth small exposure.
Popular secondary options are likely to include Max Fried ($8,300) and Jose Quintana ($7,900). Fried faces a D-backs side that has a .362 wOBA against lefties, while Quintana's opponent in Miami fans only 12.6 percent of the time against southpaws. They still present well, but maybe the matchup isn't as obvious as the opponent suggests. Other cheaper options that appear more stable than combustible include Aaron Sanchez ($7,800) at Minnesota and Jorge Lopez ($7,200) at the ChiSox.
Key Value/Chalk
Oakland starter Marco Estrada ($6,200) is coming off of a seven-day layoff, but has allowed eight runs and 11 hits over his last 9.1 innings. As such, building a lineup around a piece of the Astros offense makes sense, putting Jose Altuve ($4,600) and George Springer ($4,100) front and center. Alex Bregman ($3,700) and Carlos Correa ($3,800) aren't cost prohibitive either.
The White Sox will send out Reynaldo Lopez ($5,600), who's been a gas can on the mound to date, allowing 18 runs over 13.1 frames. That puts all things Royals on the radar, with a surging Hunter Dozier ($3,600) being a nice pivot from the core of Whit Merrifield ($4,300), Adalberto Mondesi ($4,100) and Alex Gordon ($3,900). The Royals look like a cash stack for me, but this is where diversifying for GPPs will be key. A small piece to this lineup for tournaments is a worthy lower-ownership play.
After going yard three times Thursday, Christian Yelich ($4,800) has seven long balls in five games against the Cardinals this year. He's not going to repeat this, but he couldn't offer a more stable option to build around and is arguably underpriced. Stacking the Brewers offense is a challenge, as they can come at you from all spots in their lineup, so taking Yelich and moving on will work for many. Ryan Braun ($3,200) has homered twice in seven at-bats against Jack Flaherty ($8,400), and works as a low-ownership option if he returns to action from a back issue.
Danny Santana ($2,400) was a popular play Monday night at the minimum price, but now checks in $400 higher. He's locked into a daily role, and figures to hit second against Jaime Barria ($7,000), who gets the nod instead of Matt Harvey, who was listed Monday evening. Harvey was more appealing to target against, and Barria has been tough on lefties, making Joey Gallo ($4,200) less appealing than he was at bedtime Monday. Gallo's willingness to walk (20.6 percent) gives him a more stable floor than in the past, and his .500 ISO against righties shows the upside.
Some bottom-tier options that at worst figure to offer salary relief include Carlos Gonzalez ($2,400), who has started two straight games, and Yasiel Puig ($2,400), who has homered in consecutive games.
Stacks
Tampa Bay Rays vs. Dylan Bundy: Austin Meadows ($4,200), Brandon Lowe ($3,600), Kevin Kiermaier ($3,500). Bundy is struggling, and the Rays' offense is surging, having scored eight or more runs in four of their last five games. Bundy also allowed a .399 wOBA to left-handed bats in 2018, and a .401 wOBA to them thus far in 2019. The Rays' lineup isn't consistent, so this lefty stack will bat throughout the order rather than consecutively, but all have wOBAs north of .400 on the year. If you prefer top-of-the order options, Meadows, Tommy Pham ($3,800) and Yandy Diaz ($3,700) are the plays.
New York Yankees vs. Sale: Aaron Judge ($4,500), DJ LeMahieu ($3,600), Gleyber Torres ($3,700). The Yanks injury-riddled lineup clearly is lacking punch, failing to score more than six runs in six straight. But if you aren't buying Sale in this spot, stacking here looks like a real contrarian option, and isn't unfairly priced. Judge is the anchor, sporting a .256 ISO and .411 wOBA against lefties in the last year-plus. Torres isn't far off with a .366 wOBA, and a nice .299 ISO, while LeMahieu had a .380 wOBA and 124 wRC+. These three were the top of the order Sunday against lefty Carlos Rodon, and figure to slot as such again Tuesday.
Atlanta Braves vs. Robbie Ray: Ozzie Albies ($3,600), Josh Donaldson ($3,800), Freddie Freeman ($4,200): Ray can be dominant, particularly in the strikeout column, fanning 22 over his first 15.1 innings. But the Braves hit lefties very well, having a 40.6 percent hard-hit rate, and only 15.6 soft hit rate. It's resulted in a .381 wOBA, 133 wRC+ and .245 ISO. Albies (.385 wOBA, 141 wRC+) is notably better against southpaws, while Freeman shows no discernible difference regardless of pitching hand. Donaldson has hit safely in seven straight games, with multiple hits in three straight and homers in two straight. Ronald Acuna ($4,500) is certainly in play, as is Johan Camargo ($3,000), who normally starts against lefties.
