This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Tuesday afternoon (4p ET) brings the passing of the non-waiver trade deadline, but keep in mind that teams can reach a deal prior to the deadline that doesn't get reported until an hour or two later. Be sure to double-check your lineups prior to lock to ensure that you're not left with any unpleasant surprises.
Weather might be an issue in Detroit (Reds-Tigers) and Atlanta (Marlins-Braves), as of early Tuesday afternoon.
I'm making a concerted effort to indicate the type of contest I prefer to use players in -- cash (50/50) or tournaments (GPPs) -- which is generally an exercise in estimating ownership rates (or "finding the chalk") and making sure to have enough variation around the highly-coveted top value plays to have a dangerous lineup.
Remember, a strong cash-game play isn't necessarily a "bad" tournament play, but too many "chalky" players can create a limiting factor in big-field tournaments.
Your constructive feedback is appreciated, and always welcomed.
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Pitcher
Preferred Cash Play: Masahiro Tanaka, NYY vs. BAL ($9,400)
Also Consider: Trevor Bauer, CLE at MIN ($11,800)
Tanaka's significantly lower price tag might offer a lot of extra security with bats, without giving up a ton of upside on the mound. The Yankees are a -320 favorite at home, and the Orioles sans Manny Machado (and possibly without other pieces like Jonathan Schoop if the right offer comes in) are an offense that can be picked on with less talented arms than Tanaka. Even with Machado's production baked in, the Orioles have an 80 wRC+ against right-handed pitching in 2018 (tied for the second-lowest split on the board Tuesday) along with a 24.8% K% against righties (second-highest on the board).
Bauer is the most expensive pitcher on the board by $2,000 on Tuesday's slate, and he'll face a Minnesota team that might continue to move key lineup pieces to contending clubs throughout the day after flipping Eduardo Escobar to Arizona a few days ago, and appears to have a deal sending Brian Dozier to the Dodgers in the works. With the second-highest K% on the slate over the past calendar year (28.6%), a reasonable road matchup, and the setup of the alternatives around him, Bauer is an easy piece to utilize in cash games Tuesday if you can find enough cheap bats.
Preferred Tournament Play: Bauer
Also Consider: Tyler Skaggs, LAA at TAM ($9,800), Charlie Morton, HOU at SEA ($9,600), Zack Godley, AZ vs. TEX ($8,100)
After writing up a very deep pitching slate Friday, there's a lot less meat on the bone here, and nearly every pitcher I considered, offered an easy reason for passing with further inspection.
Bauer's elevated price might not be enough to knock down his ownership rate much thanks to the limited alternatives, but I'm expecting him to be much less chalky than Tanaka.
At this point, there's not much left to question about Skaggs' skills, and he's been pitching deep enough into his starts to record the quality start bonus in seven of his last eight starts. While he's one of many higher-priced arms on the road, Skaggs is in a pitcher-friendly environment at Tropicana Field that boosts up strikeouts (110 park index) and drives down run-production (92) overall.
Morton continues to flash the points ceilings necessary to take down a tournament, despite a three-start stretch where he's failed to reach the 40-point mark on FanDuel. One of those recent starts included six innings of one-run ball in Colorado, and going back a little further, he posted 51 and 76-point outings against the Rays and Jays on July 1 and June 26, respectively. The matchup isn't easy, as the Mariners are an above-average offense against righties (106 wRC+) and they don't strike out much (19.4%), but pitchers with near-elite skills are difficult to come by Tuesday, and Morton has posted a 28.3% K% since the start of last season while delivering a 3.29 ERA and 1.18 WHIP during that span (265 innings).
Godley is a pitcher I struggled to believe in as much as the market did following a breakout in 2017. He's been a source of frustration for the season-long owners hoping they were getting a solid SP3, and for DFS players trying to pick their spots with him throughout the season with the installation of the humidor at Chase Field. One of Godley's biggest flaws this season has been a spike in his walk rate from 3.1 BB/9 last season to 4.5 BB/9 in 2018, though it's slightly encouraging that he's held the opposition to one walk in three of his last four starts. More importantly, several of the top arms on the board Tuesday are forced to go on the road, and Godley is at home against a Texas lineup with a slate-high 25.5% K% against right-handed pitching this season.
Low prices on Jack Flaherty ($7,700), Jon Gray ($8,300) and Walker Buehler ($7,400) are intriguing, but with Flaherty and Gray matched up against each other, I'm not building lineups around them. The Dodgers are a -180 favorite with Buehler matching up against Wade Miley, but he's failed to complete six innings in each of his last four turns in the rotation.
Catcher/First Base
Mitch Moreland, BOS vs. PHI ($3,200) -- The Red Sox are the highest projected scoring lineup Tuesday, having an over/under of 10 in their matchup against Jake Arrieta the Phillies. (Boston starter Drew Pomeranz is propping up that total as well). Moreland has been battling knee soreness recently, while his season OPS has dropped nearly 50 points over the last three weeks, but the mid-range price for a power bat in or near the heart of one of the league's elite offenses is a nice option for those looking to avoid paying a premium at the position.
As an alternative, or for the utility spot, Lucas Duda ($2,600) gets a road park boost against James Shields on Tuesday night.
Second Base
Neil Walker, NYY vs. BAL ($2,700) -- Walker has been hitting in recent weeks, after a slump that dragged on throughout the first half of the season. With Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez on the DL, the shuffling pieces in the lineup have enabled Walker to take a regular role filling in at multiple spots. The Orioles are starting rookie right-hander Yefri Ramirez, whose ability to miss bats is actually somewhat interesting, but he's carrying a home-run rate north 1.5 HR/9 to this point, and he's particularly vulnerable having to go on the road to Yankee Stadium.
Third Base
Matt Chapman, OAK vs. TOR ($3,600) -- Jays starter Sam Gaviglio is trending toward having an ERA above 5.00 after a brief run of success upon initially joining the Toronto rotation in the first half. While it's a righty-righty matchup for Chapman, Gaviglio has struggled against same-handed hitters throughout his career, having allowed a .345 wOBA and 1.95 HR/9 to righties since the start of 2016. I'm expecting a pretty low ownership rate on Chapman, which makes him even more appealing on the heels of a 30-game stretch in which he's hit .326/.410/.570, and shifted back into the No. 2 spot in the Oakland lineup.
With a matchup against Bartolo Colon and a Texas bullpen that traded its best reliever away early Tuesday morning, Eduardo Escobar, ARI vs. TEX ($3,500) is also a strong cash-game and tournament option.
Shortstop
Asdrubal Cabrera, PHI at BOS ($3,200) -- The switch-hitting Cabrera draws struggling Red Sox lefty Drew Pomeranz on Tuesday night, which is a great matchup/park combo in the game with the slate's highest over/under total (10). Since the start of last season, Cabrera has posted a strong .331/.367/.453 line against southpaws, making him a frequent consideration in this price range when the right matchup comes along. Pomeranz might be making his final start for the Red Sox, as he's had diminished velocity since returning from a DL stint due to a biceps injury.
If you're not using Danny Duffy as a pitcher in a tournament lineup, Tim Anderson is very affordable at $2,800 with the platoon advantage in a potentially high-scoring game in Chicago.
Outfield
Kyle Tucker, HOU at SEA ($2,200) -- A slow start to his time in the big leagues has kept Tucker near the price floor, but it's easy to forget that prospects don't always hit the ground running like Juan Soto or Ronald Acuna. He's likely stuck at the bottom of the order until he gives manager A.J. Hinch a reason to shake things up, but especially in tournaments, Tucker has the upside to snap out of his funk quickly and become a more prominent piece of the Houston offense in the weeks ahead. Remember, he was carrying a 129 wRC+ at Triple-A before the promotion (the same mark he finished with at Double-A in 2017), the Astros should be willing to give him another week or two to settle in before considering a demotion.
Stephen Piscotty, OAK vs. TOR ($2,700) -- Season-long owners have likely noticed Piscotty's recent tear, which includes a .283/.333/.592 line and nine homers over the past 30 games. The price is still way too low if he's unlocked the swing mechanics and approach that propelled him to his 22-homer breakout in 2016. As noted above in the recommendation of Matt Chapman, Jays starter Sam Gaviglio has struggled against right-handed hitters, which makes me willing to look past the lack of a platoon advantage when considering Piscotty as part of an Oakland stack, or as a one-off play.
Kyle Schwarber, CHC at PIT ($3,100) -- More often than not, I'm interested in using Jameson Taillon when the Pirates are at home, but Tuesday is an exception, and with that, I'm willing to take a shot on Schwarber in tournaments as a big-power bat capable of taking advantage of Taillon's struggles against lefties (.332 wOBA allowed since the start of 2016) -- especially since PNC Park plays neutral for left-handed home runs.
