This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Tuesday should be wild across baseball with 17 games on the schedule. The Guardians and Nationals are scheduled to play a doubleheader after their game was postponed Monday because of inclement weather. The same can be said of the Giants and Mets, who will also play a twin-bill. The slate will be heavy on top-tier pitchers set to take the mound, including Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer and Corbin Burnes. As far as games with a favorable opportunity for a lot of runs to be scored go, one that stands out is the Phillies and Rockies facing off at Coors Field. Let's get down to business and highlight some pitchers and hitters to consider for your entries.
Pitchers
It's going to be difficult to resist adding Burnes ($58) to your lineup, despite his lofty salary. He took advantage of a great matchup against the Orioles in his last outing by recording eight strikeouts over seven scoreless innings. Now he'll be faced with as equally of an appealing matchup when he takes the hill against the Pirates, who don't have many dangerous hitters to speak of besides Bryan Reynolds and Ke'Bryan Hayes.
Joe Musgrove ($50) is coming off of a breakout campaign with the Padres in which he recorded career-bests in ERA (3.18) and WHIP (1.08). His strikeout rate also increased to 27.1 percent, which was more than three percentage points higher than his career mark. He's allowed two runs and recorded 14 strikeouts over 12.2 innings this season, and could thrive again versus a Reds team that has the worst OPS in baseball.
If you're looking to take a chance in tournament play on a pitcher with a cheap salary, then Cole Irvin ($29) could be worth considering. He's not a dominant force based on his career 16.3 percent strikeout rate, and his 1.36 WHIP isn't exactly exciting, either. However, he has a great matchup against the Orioles, who have only scored 22 runs across 10 games.
Top Targets
Nick Castellanos ($26) cashed in on a stellar 2021 season with the Reds by signing a hefty contract with the Phillies this past offseason. He's off to a hot start with his new team, recording a .399 wOBA and a .244 ISO. Up next is a favorable matchup versus Kyle Freeland ($26) at Coors Field. For his career, Castellanos has a .238 ISO and a .376 wOBA versus left-handed pitchers.
Speaking of players who hit left-handed pitchers well, Manny Machado ($20) has a career .362 wOBA against them, compared to his .346 wOBA versus righties. Expect him to be a tough out for Reiver Sanmartin ($27), who has a 1.50 WHIP through two starts and has only logged a total of 19 career innings in the majors.
Bargain Bats
It's been a hard fall from grace for Charlie Blackmon ($12), who was one of the most productive hitters in the league from 2016 through 2019. He only had a .762 OPS last season, although he recorded a .814 OPS at Coors Field. He's 6-for-19 with a home run and a double over his last six games, five of which have come at Coors Field. At this salary, he could be worth taking a chance on for another home game, this one coming against Kyle Gibson ($33).
The Padres' lineup isn't nearly as formidable without Fernando Tatis Jr. (wrist). They tried to bolster is by adding Luke Voit ($10), but the early returns haven't been great with him recording a .273 wOBA. However, he has a career 130 wRC+ against left-handed pitchers, so he could be worth considering for his matchup against Sanmartin.
Stacks to Consider
Red Sox vs. Yusei Kikuchi ($28), Blue Jays: J.D. Martinez ($18), Trevor Story ($15), Bobby Dalbec ($9)
Kikuchi was rudely welcomed to the AL East when the Yankees scored three runs (two earned) against him over 3.1 innings in his debut as a member of the Blue Jays. He allowed one home run in that game, and that's an issue that has plagued him given that he served up 27 home runs over 157 innings last season with the Mariners. Facing a loaded Red Sox lineup likely won't help his cause in that regard.
Brewers vs. JT Brubaker ($27), Pirates: Christian Yelich ($14), Willy Adames ($15), Kolten Wong ($12)
There wasn't much to like about Brubaker last season since he finished with a 5.36 ERA and a 5.16 FIP over 24 starts. His biggest downfall was allowing 2.0 HR/9. He's allowed exactly four runs in both of his first two starts, while failing to last more than 4.1 innings in either outing. Until he shows signs of turning things around, he's going to be a pitcher to attack in DFS, more often than not.
Twins vs. Carlos Hernandez ($30), Royals: Carlos Correa ($12), Jorge Polanco ($16), Luis Arraez ($13)
Hernandez received his first extended stay in the majors last season and recorded a 3.68 ERA over 85.2 innings. There were some red flags, though, including his 11.5 percent strikeout rate. He also had just 74 strikeouts. The Twins are missing a key part of their lineup right now in Byron Buxton (knee), so they might not be on many people's radars to stack in DFS. That could make them an interesting option in tournament play, given this matchup.
