This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
A jam-packed 15-game slate Tuesday offers us openers, exciting prospects and a few studs to choose from on the pitching side. As far as offense goes, DFS players should take the time to sort through as much of the slate as possible, as they should be able to find juicy matchups in many cases.
Pitching Overview
It will be difficult to navigate around Max Scherzer ($63) for his matchup against the Marlins, who have notched the lowest ISO and second-lowest wOBA in the league against right-handed pitching. Meanwhile, Scherzer has logged a 2.62 ERA to go along with a 34 percent strikeout rate in 106.1 frames.
It may surprise some to learn that the Pirates are a bottom-10 team against right-handers according to ISO but I still wouldn't be all that anxious to line up Gerrit Cole ($56) against them Tuesday, as he holds a 1.5 HR/9 rate this year. It is also worth noting that despite the shaky power numbers, the Pirates still hold a .321 wOBA against righties.
Shane Bieber ($52) is another pitcher who gives up too many homers (1.6/9) but unlike the Astros, the Royals hold bottom-10 marks in wOBA and ISO against righties. This makes Bieber a decent option due to the 32 percent strikeout rate he has logged in 16 games (15 starts).
Truly bizarre pricing for Logan Allen ($49), who pitched seven scoreless innings in his debut against the Brewers last week. The 22-year-old notched a 5.15 ERA at Triple-A this year before making the move to the big club and has dealt with walk and home run issues in the past, making him more of a fade than anything else, even against a vulnerable Orioles lineup.
David Price's ($44) 27 percent strikeout rate and 44 percent groundball rate should make him a popular option against the White Sox at this price, as they have logged a .298 wOBA and a 26 percent strikeout rate on the road this year.
Blake Snell ($44) has the strikeout and groundball profile that will always make him a GPP option at the very least, but he will face a tough Twins squad that has notched a .365 wOBA to go along with just a 20 percent strikeout rate against southpaws, making it hard to trust the talented young pitcher in cash games.
There isn't too much in Chris Bassitt's ($40) profile that makes him desirable for DFS purposes but the Cardinals carry the lowest wOBA in baseball over the last calendar month, and Bassitt strikes out enough batters and gets enough grounders to be worthy of consideration in the player pool.
At this point, DFS players are likely used to the fact that Robbie Ray ($38) walks too many batters but his 31 percent strikeout rate makes him a GPP option against almost any team at this price. That includes the Dodgers, who have logged a .340 wOBA against lefty pitching.
Madison Bumgarner ($37) has struggled at various points this season but he limits walks and carries a decent 23 percent strikeout rate. Meanwhile, the Rockies hold the lowest wOBA in the league on the road this year (.283).
It would be impossible to leave this section without saying a few words about Adbert Alzolay ($25). Alzolay announced his presence with authority when he struck out five batters in four innings of relief against the Mets. The Braves are a strong offense against righties but Alzolay will need to be given a look as one of the cheapest pitchers on the board given the 3.09 ERA and 36 percent strikeout rate he notched in Triple-A this year.
Key Values
It may seem odd to anchor your lineup with an expensive catcher but Gary Sanchez ($25) has just been that good. The 26-year-old has logged a .370 ISO and a .405 wOBA against lefties in 46 at-bats this season. This should make him someone to hone in on against Clayton Richard, who has allowed a staggering .613 slugging percentage to right-handed hitters in 19 frames this year.
Jimmy Yacabonis will open for the Orioles on Tuesday but he will give way to Josh Rosen, who has allowed 11 runs in 12 innings with the big club this season after notching an 8.51 ERA in 55 innings at Triple-A. Prospective owners should roll out the red carpet for Hunter Renfroe ($24) who has tallied a .489(!) ISO against southpaws in 45 at-bats.
Trevor Richards has been a solid pitcher on the surface but advanced metrics reveal an xFIP of 5.84 against left-handed hitters in 33.2 innings. This could allow us to get some scarcity on a player like Juan Soto ($24) who has logged a .385 wOBA against righty hurlers in 2019.
Jay Bruce ($23) has been on fire since being traded to the Phillies, logging a .678 slugging percentage over 59 at-bats. It could be open season at Citizens Bank Park against Walker Lockett who owns an 11.42 ERA in 17.1 career innings at the major league level after being pounded by the Cubs for six runs in 2.1 frames last week.
Shin-Soo Choo ($21) is always worth a shot against a righty starter due to the .252 ISO he has tallied against his opposite hand in 214 at-bats. Jordan Zimmermann has seen better days against lefty hitters, having allowed a .534 slugging percentage in 15 innings.
Oscar Mercado ($19) has caught fire since being recalled from the minor leagues, notching a .388 wOBA against right-handed pitching in 76 at-bats. Glenn Sparkman has had his struggles against lefty hitters this year, and advanced metrics tell us things will only get worse, as he holds a 5.95 xFIP against his opposite hand.
Ross Stripling is likely the right choice to move into the starting rotation following the injury to Rich Hill, but the right-hander has struggled on the road this season, as evidenced by the 4.44 ERA he has tallied in 24.1 innings. This makes Eduardo Escobar ($18) an interesting choice for a lower cost play, as he has logged a .203 ISO against right-handed pitching.
Stacks
Padres against Josh Rogers (Orioles)
Hunter Renfroe (OF - $24) Fernando Tatis Jr. (SS - $24) Franmil Reyes (OF - $12)
It should be noted here that Yacobonis and his 4.70 ERA are also exploitable but the bulk of the innings should belong to Rogers, who hasn't come anywhere close to figuring out how to get batters out at this level. The Padres may strike out a bit but we can use all the power they have for a juicy matchup such as this.
Yankees vs. Clayton Richard (Blue Jays)
Gary Sanchez (C - $25) Gio Urshela (3B - $15) Luke Voit (1B - $22)
The Yankees are nothing if not powerful from the right side and there will be plenty of options to work in against Richard. Players should be able to mix in some cheaper options as well due to the extent of Richard's struggles against his opposite hand.
