The holiday weekend sets us up for a unique schedule this week, which began with a majority of day games Monday. There are two slates with a significant number of games Tuesday, the first of which begins at 6:40 pm ET and includes five games. Our focus will be on the nine-game slate that begins at 7:35 pm ET.
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Pitchers
This isn't a day for high strikeout upside, as no pitcher has a strikeout rate above 26.1 percent. There are still two pitchers I'd consider at the top of the pool in Bryan Woo ($10,500) and Max Fried ($9,800). Both are steady as opposed to having exceptional upside, but they have good matchups against the Rays and Astros, respectively. The latter isn't traditionally considered a favorable matchup for pitchers, but the Astros rank 23rd in wOBA (.300) in the last month. Notably, Woo just failed to complete six innings for the first time this season his last time out.
For those not sold on Woo, it's worth considering Drew Rasmussen ($8,000) – Woo's opponent. After having his workload managed for a brief stretch around the All-Star break, Woo has worked six innings in four straight outings while scoring no fewer than 16 DK points in that span. The Mariners have been around an average lineup in the last month. In a thin pitcher pool, Jacob Latz ($7,700) is at least worth considering. He's gone from a relief to starting role and has posted a 9:2 K:BB across his last two outings (7.2 IP). Latz could work five innings in a tough matchup against the Diamondbacks if things go well. He's not in a great position, but this is a tough night for pitching.
Yu Darvish ($6,700) has been the definition of boom or bust since returning from the injured list. In his last six starts, he's topped 23 DK points on three occasions and scored 10 or fewer DK points in the other three. A matchup against Baltimore is on his side, so he's a punt option worth considering.
Top Hitters
The A's are one of the most power-heavy lineups in the league and they draw a matchup against Miles Mikolas on Tuesday, who has a 1.66 HR/9 this season. Tyler Soderstrom ($4,700) is a good power bat to consider, but most of the A's lineup is in play. They aren't a great team to stack due to their high strikeout rate, but they are still worth considering.
Byron Buxton ($6,000) is on fire, averaging 12.5 DK points per game across his last 10 contests. He and the Twins will face Davis Martin, who has allowed multiple home runs in three of his last five starts.
Value Bats
Joc Pederson ($3,000) is a standout value. He's bumped up to third in the Rangers' order in the absence of Corey Seager (abdomen) and has also averaged 10.8 DK points across his last 10 games.
Darvish is a decent punt, but he's also been volatile, so it's not a bad idea to get some exposure to the Orioles. Jeremiah Jackson ($3,200) and Ryan Mountcastle ($3,330) have hit second and fourth and both have hit the ball well lately and are good value options to consider.
Stacks to Consider
Kansas City Royals vs. Los Angeles Angels (Mitch Farris): Maikel Garcia ($4,600), Bobby Witt ($5,800), Vinnie Pasquantino ($4,300)
Farris is a decent pitching prospect, and he's pitched quite well at Double-A Rocket City this year. However, the Angels continue to push their prospects' timelines, and Farris wasn't projected to make the big leagues until at least the middle of 2026. He could have success in the future, but I'd expect the Royals to take advantage of his inexperience in his debut. It also doesn't hurt that they have the eighth-highest wOBA of all lineups in the last 30 days.
Chicago Cubs vs. Atlanta (Joey Wentz): Nico Hoerner ($3,700), Kyle Tucker ($5,700), Seiya Suzuki ($4,200)
Wentz has had moments of effectiveness but has also been sensitive to matchup. Since the start of August, he's held Miami in check twice while also pitching well against the Guardians. He's also served up six earned runs to the Mets and five earned runs to the Brewers in that span. Wentz will draw a tough matchup at Wrigley Field, so expect some runs from the Cubs.
