Similar to last week, we have an evenly split schedule between the afternoon and evening slates, with six matchups apiece. We'll keep our focus on the latter, which begins at 6:40 pm ET.
Pitchers
Nathan Eovaldi ($10,500) and Bryan Woo ($10,200) are the top two pitchers available, with Eovaldi carrying a few key edges. His strikeout is higher, and the Angels have the second-highest strikeout rate in the league as a team this season.
There's a similar choice of two pitchers in the next tier, with both being boom-bust options in Jose Soriano ($8,000) and Will Warren ($7,800). Soriano allows fewer home runs, while Warren strikes out more batters, however, the matchup is the deciding factor in this instance as Warren draws a matchup against the Rays, who have just a .296 wOBA (third-worst in the league) in the last 30 days.
The final pairing is Jeffrey Springs ($7,200) and Nick Martinez ($6,800). Both have been in relatively good form lately, so we'll again look to matchup. The Dodgers have shockingly been one of the worst lineups in the league for the last month, so I'll side with Martinez.
Top Hitters
Kyle Stowers ($5,600) remains red hot, and now the Marlins get to face Miles Mikolas. Mikolas has allowed 1.5 HR/9 while striking out only 16.1 percent of the batters he's faced – the second-lowest rate of all starters available.
On smaller slates, it's worth considering park factors rather than matchup, so Great American Ballpark puts both the Dodgers and Reds on the radar. Elly De La Cruz ($6,000) is a good option and has multiple paths available to put up DraftKings points.
Value Bats
Zack Littell has struggled with the long ball overall this season, but particularly on the road. However, his problems have been even more stark on the road, where he's allowed 2.25 HR/9. Littell will take on the Yankees on the road Wednesday, while Anthony Volpe ($3,500) has swung a hot bat since the All-Star break.
The game isn't at Coors Field, but the Guardians-Rockies matchup should still feature plenty of runs. Kolby Allard has solid surface stats, but he has just a 23:10 K:BB in 41.1 innings. Hunter Goodman ($4,500) is one of the few rookies who has excelled on the road, so he should be worth rostering.
Stacks to Consider
Cleveland Guardians vs. Colorado Rockies (Kyle Freeland): Steven Kwan ($4,500), Angel Martinez ($3,500), Jose Ramirez ($6,500)
This game isn't at Coors Field and the Freeland has been better on the road than at home. However, he still has a 4.68 ERA and 1.27 WHIP, paired with a 1.40 HR/9. The Guardians aren't known for a particularly strong offense, but they should have the chance to put together one of the better nights on a limited slate. Ramirez is expensive, but there are some good value options to make the budget work.
Seattle Mariners vs. Athletics (Jeffrey Springs): Julio Rodriguez ($5,500), Cal Raleigh ($6,300), Randy Arozarena ($5,300)
This is a good reminder that small slates are tricky because recommendations can contradict each other. That's true in the case of Springs. He has fared well lately, but still has just an 11.2 K-BB percentage paired with a 1.5 HR/9. Meanwhile, the Mariners, surprisingly, have the sixth-best wOBA in the league in the last 30 days. The stack isn't cheap, but that could help keep the roster rate down.
Try our DraftKings MLB Lineup Optimizer to discover more expert recommendations, customize the player pool, set exposure percentage and mass-enter DFS lineups.
