This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
A 13-game slate awaits Tuesday evening. Only Tampa Bay hasn't made their pitching plans known, so we've got 25 arms to consider.
Pitching
Two arms sit with five-digit salaries, and just five more in the $9,000 range, so we're not looking at a star-studded cast of pitching Tuesday. Kevin Gausman ($10,200) appears to have the best matchup of the bunch, facing a White Sox side that is injured and boasts a meager .289 wOBA and 89 wRC+ against righties. They fan only 19.8 percent of the time though, and Gausman isn't in terrific form, showing a 31 FDP ceiling across his last four outings while surrendering 12 runs in 17.0 innings.
I'd expect Spencer Strider at $8,700 is a popular option due to his high strikeout upside, and he'll need every bit of it as he's yet to go six innings. The Giants' 22.7 percent K rate doesn't sway me on or off of him. For a lower usage option, I side with Kyle Gibson ($9,000). Yes, he's more expensive, but the matchup with Texas seems better. The Rangers rank 28th with a .288 wOBA and 89 wRC+ and fan at a 23.5 percent mark. Gibson has averaged a stable 28.5 FDP across his last six.
A pair of southpaws are my preferred pay-down targets. Rich Hill ($7,300) gets Detroit's woeful offense that comes in with a 95 wRC+ and .099 ISO while striking out 22.3 percent of the time against lefties. Hill has only lasted six innings once across his last six starts, but is averaging 28.3 FDP in his last three thanks to an uptick in Ks. Reid Detmers ($7,100) has not been good in six starts since his no-hitter, topping 17 FDP just once, but he's worth considering in GPPs against the Royals and their .295 wOBA and 95 wRC+ against left-handers.
Top Targets
The bulk of the slate's bad pitchers happen to face bad offenses, so Tuesday sets up with lots of value options, and few must-use top players. Paul Goldschmidt ($4,200) may be the exception. He's not as consistent as Bryce Harper, but his upside is immense in what appears to be a plus matchup. Chi Chi Gonzalez has already surrendered two homers to righties in just 19 batters faced to date.
Astros starter Jose Urquidy has been hit harder on the road than at home, but I'm certainly not going to fade any Mets because of that. Pete Alonso ($3,900) has a .399 wOBA, 164 wRC+ and .282 ISO against righties to date.
Bargain Bats
Anthony Santander ($3,200) has two hits in four of his last five games, homering three times, he and looks to be in a favorable spot against Erick Fedde, who had allowed at least three runs in four straight starts.
Ramon Laureano ($2,500) may be viable at this low salary. He's logged 41 plate appearances against lefties to date and has turned in a .427 wOBA, 190 wRC+ and .200 ISO.
Oneil Cruz ($2,000) is essentially a free square this evening. If you need convincing, Cubs' starter Matt Swarmer has been pelted on the road, allowing six homers across five innings for an inflated 17.13 FIP.
Stacks to Consider
Red Sox vs. Tigers (Beau Brieske): Rafael Devers ($4,200), Xander Bogaerts ($3,600), J.D. Martinez ($3,500)
Brieske has been hit harder by same-handed bats, but it's challenging to ignore the success Devers has had against righties, boasting a .434 wOBA, 186 wRC+ and .294 ISO. Given Brieske's struggles against righties (.408 wOBA, .965 OPS on the road), we can feel solid about Bogaerts and Martinez, who seem to be coming at a discount Tuesday.
Mariners vs. Athletics (James Kaprielian): Julio Rodriguez ($3,400), J.P. Crawford ($3,300), Jesse Winker ($2,700)
Kaprielian is the target here moreso than Seattle's splits against righties. He's allowed multiple runs in seven straight starts, including five in five innings to the Mariners last time he faced them. He's been hit much harder by lefties, allowing a .417 wOBA and .966 OPS against a .322 wOBA and .741 OPS to righties, but the M's aren't long on lefty bats. As such, we can start building around Crawford and Winker who both hit near the top of the order, hoping Crawford can get on and Winker can show a flash of power. Rodriguez gives us a dynamic top of the order option that can produce in a variety of ways, and who took Kaprielian deep in their earlier meeting.
