DraftKings MLB: Tuesday Picks

DraftKings MLB: Tuesday Picks

This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.

Tuesday night's slate is dominated by a few high-end pitchers and unfortunately two of them are going against each other. You can either spend everything on two of them or go the cheaper route so you can have some money to spend on hitting.

PITCHING

It should be a little easier to back the big favorites over Max Scherzer ($11,700) and Jacob deGrom ($11,000), who face off against each other. That includes the most expensive pitcher, Mike Clevinger ($12,200), as a massive favorite against the White Sox, who own a 25.2 K% and .298 wOBA in the last month against righties. Jack Flaherty ($10,500) doesn't have the same kind of upside, but he's been consistent, reaching 30 fantasy points in three of his last five and going at least six innings in eight of his last 10. He's also in a desirable spot against the Giants and their .294 OBP against righty arms in the last month.

In terms of odds, Jon Lester ($8,400) and Mike Foltynewicz ($7,500) are next in line, though both are inconsistent. Neither matchup truly stands out because while the Blue Jays have worse numbers of late, they managed eight hits in 4.2 innings against Foltynewicz last week. As for Lester, you're paying a decent price for a guy who rarely surpasses 20 points. The other option in this range is Mitch Keller ($7,200) and while he's shown some upside, he's given up six runs in two of his last three outings. The main thing going for him is that the Marlins have a 25.7 K% and .290 wOBA in the last month against righty hurlers. If you want a touch of upside in GPP, neither Mike Fiers ($9,200) nor Jordan Lyles ($8,200) will be popular choices. Lyles is slightly more intriguing because of what he's done at home with the Brewers, allowing nine hits and two runs to go with 22 strikeouts in 18.1 innings (three starts).

The better method may be to dive into the barrel and see what you can combine with Clevinger or Flaherty. Mike Montgomery ($4,300) makes the most sense and could be a popular cash play at a minimal price. He hit 41.4 fantasy points against the Tigers a month ago and they haven't been much better against anyone else with a 27.4 K% against southpaws since the beginning of August.

KEY VALUES/CHALK

The most popular team to stack will undoubtedly be the Dodgers against Chi Chi Gonzalez. His overall numbers are hampered by Coors Field, but he's still allowing a .364 OBP on the road and .449 OBP to 78 lefties faced. This is a good spot for a third-straight day with a Cody Bellinger (5,400) homer, but there are cheaper ways to build a roster with Matt Beaty ($4,000) and Corey Seager ($4,000) both able to put up big numbers.

Even without the Dodgers, there are a lot of other ways to go for bats. Felix Hernandez has allowed a .390 wOBA on the road and Jaime Barria is worse at .404 with power allowed to both sides of the plate. You can find decent power on the Cubs and Athletics with Marcus Semien ($4,800), Matt Olson ($4,600), Kyle Schwarber ($4,300) and Nicholas Castellanos ($4,300) all at decent rates given the matchup. You can save a little more on Ian Happ ($3,900) and Jurickson Profar ($3,900), the latter having three home runs in his last seven games.

If you want to bet against the Tigers and their mix of arms, Jorge Soler ($4,400) isn't too expensive for someone with a .407 OBP and .365 ISO in his last 120 plate appearances. I'd also make a play on the Blue Jays to see if they can get to Foltynewicz in back-to-back outings. The righty hurler struggles more at home with a 5.28 xFIP and 2.57 HR/9 allowed with a lot of those coming against righty bats. That points to value plays Teoscar Hernandez ($4,000) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($3,900), who own ISOs above .250 in the last month against righty pitchers. On the other side, you can find some value in the Braves lineup in two guys who recently returned to the squad in Brian McCann ($3,300) and Johan Camargo ($3,300).

STACKS

Red Sox vs. Randy Dobnak (Twins)

(OF J.D. Martinez - $5,100), (OF Andrew Benintendi - $4,100), (2B Brock Holt - $3,500)

Dobnak has been fine in his three appearances, but getting his first major-league start at Fenway Park will come with some extra nerves. The Red Sox have the bats to get to him early and this stack doesn't cost an overwhelming amount. Both Martinez and Benintendi have OBPs above .400 against righties in the last month while Holt is at .365 in his last 63 PA. 

Diamondbacks vs. Ronald Bolanos (Padres)

(2B/OF Ketel Marte - $5,400), (1B Christian Walker - $4,500), (OF Abraham Almonte - $3,600)

Bolanos may not be ready, but the Padres are throwing him out there after sporting a 4.23 ERA in 15 Double-A games (13 starts). I'm not crazy about the prices, but Marte is often worth it with a .429 OBP and .242 ISO in his last 112 PA against righty arms. There aren't many others to trust, but Almonte is worth a look if you don't want to back lefties Alex Avila ($3,600) and Jake Lamb ($3,300).

Indians vs. Dylan Cease (White Sox)

(1B Carlos Santana - $4,800), (2B/SS Mike Freeman - $4,000), (1B/OF Jake Bauers - $3,300)

Cease has allowed at least one homer and multiple runs in all 10 of his starts to go with a .417 OBP allowed to lefty bats. That doesn't mesh well with Cleveland's .276 ISO against righty arms in the last month at home. This lefty stack doesn't cost much and Santana leads the way with a .383 OBP in his last 120 PA against righties. If Bauers doesn't go, Greg Allen ($3,500) is also in the mix and Francisco Lindor ($5,600) is the play if you have the money.

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including – but not limited to – games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Adam Zdroik plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: zdroik, DraftKings: rotozdroik, Yahoo: StreakMaster.
RotoWire Community
Join Our Subscriber-Only MLB Chat
Chat with our writers and other RotoWire MLB fans for all the pre-game info and in-game banter.
Join The Discussion
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Adam Zdroik
Adam, a multiple-time finalist for FSWA's Soccer Writer of the Year, is RotoWire's soccer editor. He runs RotoWire's Bracketology and partakes in various NFL content. He previously worked at ESPN and Sporting Kansas City, and he is a former Streak for the Cash winner and Michigan State graduate.
Collette Calls: Does Controlling the Running Game Really Matter?
Collette Calls: Does Controlling the Running Game Really Matter?
Farm Futures: Rookie Pitcher Targets
Farm Futures: Rookie Pitcher Targets
Offseason Deep Dives: Sean Manaea
Offseason Deep Dives: Sean Manaea
RotoWire Roundtable: 2025 Fantasy Baseball Top-300 Rankings
RotoWire Roundtable: 2025 Fantasy Baseball Top-300 Rankings
The Z Files: My New Approach to the Roundtable Rankings
The Z Files: My New Approach to the Roundtable Rankings
Farm Futures: Rookie Outfielder Targets
Farm Futures: Rookie Outfielder Targets