This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We had a light Monday slate but are back to a full set of games Tuesday. The main slate will kick off 7:05 pm EDT and consists of 12 games. There are a few uncertain pitching situations to monitor with both the A's and Tigers yet confirm their starter. For purposes of this article, we'll assume Jacob Lopez and Sawyer Gipson-Long, respectively.
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Pitchers
There are pockets of interesting pitchers to choose from, but it's not a day dominated by elite arms. The top two pitchers in salary, Carlos Rodon ($10,300) and Hunter Greene ($9,500), do stand out however. The duo's skills are comparable, as are their respective matchups against the Guardians and Brewers. Without much to differentiate them, I'd lean toward taking the discount and rostering Greene.
There's another pair of pitchers to consider just below that duo in Cristopher Sanchez ($9,500) and Pablo Lopez (9,300). The matchup (Blue Jays) says Sanchez, but Lopez has been in better form overall lately.
From there, we can dip down into the middle tiers. Spencer Strider ($8,500) has yet to put it all together since returning from the injured list, but he did strike out seven his last time out. A matchup against Arizona is very tough, so I'd be willing to pass on him in favor of Drew Rasmussen ($7,700). Accounting for the salary, his recent form and the matchup against Texas, he's arguably the best pitching play of the day.
Tanner Bibee ($7,300) is capable of spiking a big score every time he takes the mound, and his price is right in a matchup against the Yankees. A decent outing is the most likely outcome, but he's a good gamble.
Yusei Kikuchi ($6,700) hasn't lived up to expectations, but he has a strong floor and Boston has been very strikeout prone the last month (24.1 percent). He is a value/punt option.
Top Hitters
Bowden Francis has good enough strikeout and walk rates to hold his own, but he's struggled mightily with home runs this season (2.44 HR/9). That puts Philadelphia's power hitters on the radar, with Kyle Schwarber ($5,600) at the high end and Nick Castellanos ($4,100) at a lesser cost.
Tomoyuki Sugano has shown signs of putting things together, but he's still vulnerable to home runs and poor outings in general due to his inability to generate strikeouts. The Mariners are definitely a team to consider as a mini-stack, with Cal Raleigh ($5,500) and Julio Rodriguez ($5,100) both options to consider.
Value Bats
Willi Castro ($3,200) has dropped to ninth in Minnesota's order against the most recent lefties they've faced, but Jacob Lopez has the third-highest SIERA and HR/9 of the starters on Tuesday's slate. Confirm Lopez is starting before investing heavily in the Minnesota lineup, but they have a number of cheap regulars, with Harrison Bader ($3,400) being another value power-speed option.
It's dangerous to chase small samples, but Jo Adell ($3,100) is a streaky hitter and has three home runs in his last three games. Brayan Bello has been erratic, so the matchup is volatile, but Adell's ceiling at this salary is enticing.
Stacks to Consider
San Francisco Giants vs. San Diego Padres (Ryan Bergert): Heliot Ramos ($4,500), Jung Hoo Lee ($4,400), Matt Chapman ($4,200)
Bergert has pitched sparingly in the majors, and Tuesday will mark his first career start. That puts the Giants in a good spot to post an impressive offensive game, and the top of their order is definitely priced low enough to open up cap space for at least one elite pitcher. It's also possible to use them as a secondary stack, so rostering them is good from both a matchup and flexibility perspective.
St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas City Royals (Michael Lorenzen): Lars Nootbaar ($4,700), Masyn Winn ($4,100), William Contreras ($3,900)
Lorenzen has been inconsistent this season, and while he's capable of putting up six innings of shutout work, he's allowed four, five and six earned runs in three of his last five starts. The Cardinals don't have a ton of star power but are capable of scraping together runs. That makes them a useful stacking team, rather than trying to isolate one or two players who are most likely to be productive.
