This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
A loaded 14-game slate awaits Tuesday evening, with only Tampa's postponement against Cleveland not on the docket. Jacob deGrom leads a whopping six pitchers with five-figure salaries. Given the volume of options, he's not a must-use for cash, but even when allowing three runs last outing he was worth 58 FDP thanks to 14 Ks. He's facing a Brewers lineup that whiffs 25.5 percent of the time against righties, so I'd fade at your own risk. The Orioles, Nationals and Angels haven't yet made their starting plans public, which makes choosing which pieces of top offenses in the Blue Jays, Red Sox and Padres difficult, but we know we'll want shares come lineup lock.
Pitching
Aaron Nola, PHI at CHC ($10,000): While we have a plethora of expensive arms, most of those options are there more for their current form than they are for name recognition, and most don't profile with slam-dunk matchups. Nola doesn't seem to fit in either of those categories; he's a top name, he's been erratic all year while flashing high ceilings, and the Cubs are free falling, having lost 10 straight and bringing in a meager .299 wOBA, 89 wRC+ and 26.8 percent strikeout rate into the contest. Nola has at least nine Ks in three of his last four outings, suggesting a safe floor with the potential for more.
Luis Castillo, CIN at KC ($8,500): Castillo looks to be rounding into form, earning four straight quality starts and five in his last six outings, and against better offenses like the Padres, Braves and Brewers. He's fanned at least six in five straight to boot, and while the Royals don't strike out a ton (22.3 percent) they don't hit much either, posting just a .302 wOBA, 88 wRC+ and .142 ISO. I like Castillo to work at least six innings with minimal damage allowed, resulting in at least 4x value.
Jon Gray, COL at ARI ($8,300): Gray isn't overly consistent, so he's not recommended for cash lineups, but targeting pitchers against the Diamondbacks is a nightly occurrence in tournaments. They rank 29th with a .290 wOBA against righties, adding a minimal .131 ISO and 80 wRC+ while fanning 24.5 percent of the time. Gray has faced Arizona three times already to date, going for 22, 15 and 42 FDP to highlight the volatility he possesses, but I'm streaming him for season-long purposes tonight, so why not follow suit in a DFS GPP?
Tony Gonsolin, LAD at MIA ($6,200): The mid-tier of this pitching slate offers so many options, I don't think there's a real reason to pay down too far. Gonsolin looks like he's more than capable of 4x or better value despite his likely innings limitations, though. He's fanning a personal best 12.4 per nine innings, giving him upside against a Marlins lineup that whiffs 25.5 percent of the time, and their .135 ISO should keep the damage allowed to a minimum.
Top Targets
Joey Gallo, TEX vs. DET ($4,200): This is a straight power grab, but it seems like a good spot to guess at a homer. Gallo has eight in his last eight games, while Tigers starter Jose Urena has allowed eight long balls in his last four starts, lasting just 13.0 innings in the process.
Aaron Judge, NYY at SEA ($4,000): Judge leads the Yanks with a .421 wOBA against lefties, and his .271 ISO suggests there's potential for a power outburst. Mariners starter Justus Sheffield has a 5.11 ERA at home, backed up by a 5.32 xFIP, so Judge doesn't need to leave the yard in order to produce runs and fantasy points.
Trea Turner, WAS at SD ($3,900): Turner is always a target against a lefty, sporting a .433 wOBA and 174 wRC+ in this spot. Pair that with terrific form, as he's posted 10 hits, four homers and eight runs scored in his last five while scoring in 12 straight games, and there's plenty to like.
Value Bats
Dominic Smith, NYM vs. MIL ($3,200): Brewers' starter Brett Anderson has been a mess on the road, allowing a .392 wOBA and .907 OPS to lefties and a 6.23 ERA and 5.66 FIP overall. Smith hasn't shown great power against same-handed arms (.159 ISO), but his .373 wOBA leads Met regulars.
J.T. Realmuto, PHI at CHC ($3,000): Bryce Harper ($3,800) has the team's best stats against righties and isn't priced up, so he makes plenty of sense too, but Jake Arrieta has had career success getting Harper out. That's not the case against Realmuto, who's gone 6-of-16 (.375) with two homers against the veteran righty. Yes, very small sample size, but mix in a stable .354 wOBA against righties and the fact that Arrieta has allowed seven homers in his last 21.2 innings, and it's easy to see why we want at least a piece of the Phillies lineup.
Dylan Carlson, STL at SF ($2,800): When paired with miserable splits against righties, the Cardinals' lineup is largely overpriced and difficult to justify. We do want a piece of it against Johnny Cueto though, who has allowed two homers in four of his last five outings. Carlson gets the nod here as he has more power potential and hits atop the lineup, but Tommy Edman ($3,200) has a safer floor and is riding a seven-game hit streak. Cueto is allowing a .372 wOBA to lefties compared to a .307 to righties.
Stacks to Consider
Reds vs. Kris Bubic: Nick Castellanos ($4,000), Jonathan India ($3,300), Aristides Aquino ($2,200)
Because of some plus splits against lefties, we can find some value in the Reds lineup to stack around Castellanos, who has a team-high .406 wOBA and 156 wRC+ against lefties. Aquino is a power grab, and this trio isn't hitting in a collective portion of the order for a traditional stack, but his .429 ISO is difficult to ignore here. He went for 15.2 FDP in an identical spot yesterday. India's got a .370 wOBA from the leadoff spot, putting him in a good position to score should he prove healthy. Alejo Lopez ($2,000) makes for terrific value if India is again out.
Orioles vs. Steven Matz: Cedric Mullins ($3,400), Trey Mancini ($3,100), Austin Hays ($2,700)
Likely hitting 1,2,5, this may not be fully traditional either, but there's some great value here. Mullins has a .388 wOBA against lefties, the lowest of this group. Hays actually leads the way with a .425 wOBA, adding a 172 wRC+ and .254 ISO and making him a nice bargain as a stand-alone option. Mancini has been scuffling of late and has been feast or famine, but still boasts a .391 wOBA against lefties. Matz has been up and down, allowing two or fewer runs in three of his last six starts, and four or more in the other three outings.
