This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Despite Monday being a holiday, we had a pretty light slate of baseball. Thankfully, we have a Tuesday full of games. As usual, our focus will be on the main slate, which is set to kick off at 7:20 pm ET. Offense may be at a premium, or the very least concentrated, as 40 percent of the starting pitchers have a strikeout rate of at least 25 percent and 13 out of 20 have a SIERA of 4.00 or lower. Positively, there are a lot of good hitting environments, so perhaps batters can get the better of their tough matchups.
Pitching
There are several elite pitchers set to take the mound, but the pool is also deep. Deciding whether to pay up will be a key to this slate, but for those that do, there's not much to differentiate between Zack Wheeler ($11,000), Freddy Peralta ($10,500) and Cole Ragans ($10,200). Peralta has the highest strikeout rate but the trio check in within three percentage points of each other in a range of 30.9 and 27.9 percent. For those looking for comfort, Wheeler is the best bet in a matchup against a San Francisco lineup that has been slightly above average with a low strikeout rate. That likely means a score in the low 20s for Wheeler, making him best suited for cash games. I'd lean Peralta over Ragans because he draws the Cubs, who, perhaps surprisingly, have been below average against right-handed pitching and strike out at a 24.2 percent clip.
The next tier down is also full of good options, particularly the trio of Luis Castillo ($9,200), Max Fried ($8,800) and Kevin Gausman ($8,500). Though Castillo arguably has the best skills of the three, the latter two are more interesting. Fried has looked much more to form of late and Washington has an abysmal .278 wOBA against left-handed pitching this season. Gausman draws the White Sox, and that's about all that needs to be said.
For those willing to stomach the matchup against Texas, Brandon Pfaadt ($7,600) is a nice value. He has an impressive 19 percent K:BB ratio and a 3.50 SIERA. His 4.05 ERA is primarily the product of a 61.4 percent left-on-base rate.
Hunter Brown ($6,500) is the pretty obvious punt option for the day. The Mariners have the highest strikeout rate against right-handed pitching, and Brown has topped 12 DraftKings points in three straight starts. That's not a tremendous track record, but it's passable at his price.
Top Hitters
Griffin Canning has been hard to figure out on a start-to-start basis, but he consistently gives up homers and has only a 16.1 percent strikeout rate. I'll bet on the Yankees doing at least some damage. There are no more obvious names to turn to than Aaron Judge ($6,100) or Juan Soto ($6,100).
Truist Park has been a good park for offense as a whole this season, so I want to take advantage on a day when runs could be at a premium. Ozzie Albies ($5,400) is the new leadoff hitter in the absence of Ronald Acuna (knee), making him a nice option to build through.
Value Bats
Kyle Manzardo ($3,000) has had an underwhelming start to his MLB tenure, but he's too cheap as the sixth hitter in the Guardians' lineup while at Coors Field. Typically, I'd prefer hitters at least in the top half of the lineup, but the potential hitting environment makes him worth considering.
Stacks To Consider
Toronto Blue Jays vs. Chicago White Sox (Mike Clevinger): Davis Schneider ($4,200), Danny Jansen ($4,800), Bo Bichette ($4,300)
Much of the discourse surrounding the Blue Jays has been negative and their 24-29 record certainly justifies that. However, their lineup has the sixth-highest wOBA in the league in the last 14 days. Fantasy players haven't necessarily picked up on that because the production has come from some unexpected sources, but even the likes of Vladimir Guerrero and Bichette have started to heat up. Stacking through any part of this lineup is viable right now, particularly in a matchup against Clevinger, who has a poor 7.7 percent K:BB ratio and has served up 2.3 HR/9 in his four starts this season.
Colorado Rockies vs. Cleveland Guardians (Triston McKenzie): Charlie Blackmon ($4,400), Ryan McMahon ($4,800), Ezequiel Tovar ($4,600)
McKenzie can't keep getting away with even mediocre results with his current skill set, as he has just a 6.3 percent K:BB ratio and is also giving up 1.6 HR/9. He'll be pitching in one of the best offensive environments Tuesday, making it a prime day for his results to catch up to his skills. I listed the top of the Rockies' lineup as the stack, but they have a rotating cast of players at first base, designated hitter and right field. That should create some value, just make sure to check their lineup before lock.
