Pitching
Shane McClanahan, TB at CWS ($11,300): It's tempting to go the Gerrit Cole route here, but the numbers indicate McClanahan is the better pitcher to target. Cole will be in Arlington facing a Rangers team that has a .349 wOBA against right-handed pitching, the fifth-best mark in baseball. Meanwhile McClanahan will square off against the White Sox, who only have a .294 wOBA against left-handed pitching. Chicago also strikes out 24.5 percent of the time against southpaws, which is eighth worst in the league.
Joey Lucchesi, NYM vs. WAS ($8,300): Lucchesi is the perfect tournament play given he could turn in another outstanding performance (58 fantasy points last start) without breaking your budget. Washington has been good against left-handed pitching this season (.336 wOBA, 15.3 percent strikeout rate), but those numbers are worse on the road (.308 wOBA, 17.8 percent strikeout rate). Lucchesi is an economical option on a main slate with only five contests.
Top Targets
Pete Alonso, NYM vs. WAS ($4,200): Alonso has been a beast this season, averaging 13.44 fantasy points per game. His matchup against Trevor Williams at home is good as Alonso has a home run and a double in eight plate appearances (one walk). The Mets are penciled in for around five runs tonight (-240 favorite in a game with an over/under of eight runs) and Alonso should be in his regular cleanup spot.
Jorge Mateo, BAL at DET ($3,900): Mateo is a play I love given the position scarcity at shortstop and how effective he's been from a speed and power standpoint. A bit of a later bloomer, he's hitting .351 with a 1.049 OPS to start the season. He has a .991 OPS against left-handed hitting and his matchup tonight with Joey Wentz is favorable.
Bargain Bats
Max Kepler MIN vs. KC ($2,700): Zack Greinke isn't the dominant pitcher he used to be and he hasn't gone further than six innings in any game this season. Kepler has been hitting leadoff for Minnesota and has gone 3-for-13 against Greinke in his career with three walks and three RBI.
Nick Maton, DET vs. BAL ($2,400): It's a good matchup for Maton against Kyle Gibson, and it's tough to find a cleanup hitter at this price point. He has a lefty-vs-righty matchup in this game and has picked up 28.7 fantasy points in three games this season. Here's a good option to use if you need to conserve cap space for pricey options elsewhere.
Stacks To Consider
Mets vs. Nationals (Williams): Alonso, Francisco Lindor ($3,800), Brandon Nimmo ($3,400), Starling Marte ($2,800)
Marte could easily be in the Bargain Bats section given his low hit against the salary cap and the upside he has. Lindor has the positional scarcity tag working for him and Nimmo has games of 34.6 and 37.4 fantasy points this season. Again, the Mets are a big favorite and there should be some regression ahead for Williams, who has an unsustainable 1.08 WHIP.
Orioles at Tigers (Wentz): Mateo, Adley Rutschman ($3,600), Ryan Mountcastle ($3,500), Anthony Santander ($2,700)
Santander is another player who could be in the Bargain Bats section given he should be hitting cleanup in a plus matchup against Wentz. I think at least one of these players hits a home run tonight and there's a decent chance there's more than one in this group of four. I also would entertain dual Mets and Orioles stacks in the same lineup.
