This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
All 30 teams are included in Tuesday's main slate, so we've got plenty to digest and choose from. The top six arms seem to set themselves apart to me, and I draw the line at paying up at Hyun Jin Ryu as I'm simply not a Yusei Kikuchi guy. There's also a whopping 11 pitchers priced under $7k. That either lends itself to value on the bump, or more likely, a plethora of offenses to target cheaply.
Pitching
Zack Wheeler, PHI at WAS ($10,700): This will be the fifth time Wheeler has faced the Nats this season. He's had mixed results, bottoming out at 12 FDP, but the other three starts brought at least 31 FDP with a 44 FDP ceiling. That all came before Washington's selloff last week. Outside of Juan Soto and Josh Bell, this lineup is brutal, making them a nightly target.
Johnny Cueto, SF at ARI ($8,100): Cueto doesn't seem to carry upside, having worked six innings just once in his last five outings, keeping his quality starts, innings and strikeout upside low. The Diamondbacks come in 29th in the league with a .292 wOBA though, adding just a .134 ISO. Their 24.3 percent K-rate is middling. While Cueto may not get to 4x value at this salary, anything less than 3x would be a major disappointment. He's a stable floor cash option as such.
Max Fried, ATL at STL ($7,700): Fried's game logs are anything but consistent, with four starts at 36 FDP or better and three at 27 FDP or fewer across his last seven, but he's consistently throwing at least five innings (nine straight starts) and fanning at least five (seven straight starts). St. Louis doesn't swing and miss at a high rate (22.5 percent) but they carry only a .310 wOBA, 96 wRC+ and .164 ISO. Fried got them for six Ks en route to 46 FDP earlier, so there's upside for GPPs.
Luis Patino, TB vs. SEA ($6,800): If looking to pay down on the bump, you're likely seeking high upside/strikeout potential. Patino is the clear option as such, bring a 10.23 K/9 across eight appearances. He's young and raw, and the Rays will limit his innings, but the matchup presents favorably with the Mariners fanning 25.6 percent of the time while ranking 23rd with a .298 wOBA against righties.
Top Targets
Aaron Judge, NYY vs. BAL ($4,000): We know the drill with Yankee bats versus lefties; Judge for stability and Gary Sanchez ($2,800) for value/power hope. Judge comes in with a .430 wOBA and .273 ISO, and has a juicy matchup against Alexander Wells, who is allowing a .396 wOBA to righties and 2.79 HR/9.
Mookie Betts, LAD vs. HOU ($4,000): It's certainly a less than stellar matchup on paper against Lance McCullers, but Betts is super hot and is priced down thanks to just returning from the IL. He's collected multiple hits in five straight starts and six of seven, launching four homers in that stretch. He's also scored 14 times in those five starts. He looks a bit hurried on this loaded slate.
Ozzie Albies, ATL at STL ($3,600): At this price, Albies doesn't really set up as a top target or a value, but we know he's always in play when facing a lefty and this year he boasts a .402 wOBA, 150 wRC+ and .275 ISO against them. He's also 8-for-12 with a homer, two walks and 1.631 OPS against Jon Lester in his career, and he also hit leadoff the last time Atlanta faced a lefty. Lester is making his first start for the Cardinals, so it seems relevant that he allowed a .443 wOBA and 1.055 OPS to righties outside of Nationals Park prior to being traded.
Value Bats
Akil Baddoo, DET at BOS ($3,200): Sox starter Garrett Richards has allowed at least four runs in consecutive starts, and in six of his last eight. He's been hit harder by same-handed bats, but Baddoo leads the Tigers with a .387 wOBA, adding a promising .272 ISO. He's only had three double-digit fantasy point nights in his last nine, but he has at least provided some form of points in all those outings.
Brian Anderson, MIA vs. NYM ($3,100): Something isn't right with Mets' starter Taijuan Walker, who has allowed 16 runs in his last three starts spanning just 9.1 innings. Maybe that makes him a GPP target with low usage in a matchup against a Marlins lineup that doesn't scare anyone. Or maybe there's opportunity in the Fish. Anderson profiles the safest, carrying a .363 OBA and having scored at least three FDP in 15 straight games, reading double-digits eight times.
Rowdy Tellez, MIL vs. PIT ($2,600): Gambling on cheap power here, as Tellez has a .436 wOBA, .359 ISO and 174 wRC+ against righties since joining the Brewers, fanning only 15.2 percent of the time. Pirates' starter Max Kranick is allowing a .372 wOBA to lefties and has allowed 13 runs and 21 hits in his last 11.0 innings.
Stacks to Consider
Athletics vs. Blake Snell: Matt Olson ($4,200), Starling Marte ($3,900), Mark Canha ($3,100)
The A's just got Snell for seven runs across four innings in San Diego, and he's been notably worse on the road, allowing an 8.02 ERA and 5.49 FIP. While Snell has been far more vulnerable to righties (.380 wOBA allowed vs. .238 to lefties), we can anchor this stack with the power-hitting Olson, who brings a .435 wOBA and .377 ISO to the table in this spot. Snell's struggles against righties lead us towards Marte and Canha atop the A's lineup over other options.
Phillies vs. Patrick Corbin: Rhys Hoskins ($4,100), Jean Segura ($3,100), Alec Bohm ($2,400)
Corbin is a shell of his former self, having allowed at least four runs in three straight starts and four of five, allowing 21 total runs across his last 26.2 innings. He's allowing a .379 wOBA to opposite-handed bats, so we can load up on some Phillies' righties. I don't love Hoskins' salary, but he's surging and leads the Phillies' healthy regulars with a .396 wOBA and .311 ISO against lefties, and the other options allow his price to be absorbed. Segura hits atop the lineup and goes for a .373 wOBA, and Bohm is quietly surging with nine hits in his last five games.
