This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Monday's slate shrunk significantly due to weather, so let's hope to avoid that Tuesday. The day is heavy on quality starting pitching, with six hurlers priced above $9,000. That likely means most rosters will have at least one (maybe two) aces, so finding cheap and productive bats appears to be early focus for Tuesday's action.
Pitchers
Corbin Burnes ($10,500) is the second highest-priced pitcher on the slate, and that lofty price is deserved. He'll draw a home matchup against Pittsburgh, while most of the other top pitchers drawing significantly tougher matchups. Burnes is a cash game building block.
One exception to the tough matchup statement is Joe Musgrove ($8,600), who is both curiously priced and squaring off against a Cincinnati offense that has been miserable to this point by posting a .250 wOBA, 51 wRC+, and 27.9 percent strikeout rate. The cost discrepancy between Musgrove and other ace-quality starters on the slate will make him a heavily-rostered SP1.
Patrick Sandoval ($6,900) and Cole Irvin ($6,300) are viable on rosters built around paying down at the second pitcher slot. Sandoval has had a mixed bag in terms of skills through two starts, with the highlight being a 33 percent strikeout rate and zero home runs. That's balanced out by a troubling 16.7 percent walk rate. Meanwhile, Irvin is strictly a matchup/home park play.
Lastly, Chris Archer ($5,400) is worth considering as a punt option against a Kansas City lineup that severely lacks pop (.259 wOBA).
Top Hitters
Nick Castellanos ($5,900) has historically hit lefties very well, and he'll be in a great position Tuesday against southpaw Kyle Freeland at Coors Field. Freeland surrendered 1.5 HR/9 in 2021, and he has only a career 18 percent strikeouts rate.
J.D. Martinez ($5,600) has been mediocre this season given his consistently high price tag, but he has also excelled with the handedness advantage. Kikuchi has historical struggles with the long ball and is worth targeting until he proves he can consistently keep the ball in the yard.
Ketel Marte ($5,200) was also mentioned in this portion of the article in Monday's column, though he never got the opportunity to take the field due to rainout. Joan Adon will take the hill against him, and Adon has seemingly had no idea where the ball is going once it leaves his hands (seven walks across nine innings) while also struggling with keeping the ball in the yard (three home runs allowed across nine innings).
Value Hitters
For the reasons stated above for Marte, I want to jam Arizona's power bats as cheap ways to fill out my lineup. Seth Beer ($3,400) and Christian Walker ($3,200) both fit that bill. Walker in particular is a strong option as he regularly serves as the team's leadoff hitter.
There are a few mispriced options at second base in Jorge Polanco ($3,600) and Ozzie Albies ($3,600). Albies will square have a tough opposing pitcher in Walker Buehler, so his price at least has some reason behind it. Polanco is just a strange price point that should be taken advantage of.
Rowdy Tellez ($2,900) is going to be a frequent option on this list until his price rises. He is hitting fifth in the Brewers' order, a prime spot to deliver counting stats and also an easy player to build into a team stack. Tellez has also hit the ball well early this year, barreling three balls on 21 events.
Stacks to Consider
Boston Red Sox vs. Yusei Kikuchi: Xander Bogaerts ($5,000), Rafael Devers ($4,800), J.D. Martinez ($5,600)
The Red Sox lineup seemingly hasn't clicked into full gear to this point in the campaign, yet they are still scoring 4.67 runs per game. They are in a good position to put up a lot of runs at home against Kikuchi, and building right through the middle of the order should be a good way to capitalize on the production. This is likely to be a popular option, so look for value and ways to diversify the remainder of your roster.
Minnesota Twins vs. Carlos Hernandez: Carlos Correa ($4,300), Jorge Polanco ($3,600), Max Kepler ($2,900)
Hernandez checks all the major boxes that are desirable for targeting opposing pitchers: he has a career 19.8 percent strikeout rate, 11 percent walk rate and has surrendered 1.03 HR/9. While the final number would preferably be a bit higher, he's among the weaker pitchers on the slate. Minnesota is mid-tier stack, as their two best hitters are easy to roster based on their price. The primary issue is that there isn't much depth to the order. If looking to expand the stack, Gary Sanchez ($2,600) is a cheap catcher and Luis Arraez ($2,500) could be valuable given his spot in the lineup – which has often been cleanup in the early going.
Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Joan Adon: Ketel Marte ($5,200), David Peralta ($3,700), Christian Walker ($3,200)
We've already covered in depth why this is a desirable stack from a matchup perspective. It will also be beneficial in terms of roster build, as it is both cheap and not likely to be popular.
Also Consider: Washington Nationals vs. Tyler Gilbert: Cesar Hernandez ($3,900), Juan Soto ($6,200), Josh Bell ($4,800)
