This article is part of our Yahoo DFS Baseball series.
Tuesday's MLB slate features 16 games beginning at 4:07 PM Eastern time, with all 30 teams in action plus a Royals-Blue Jays doubleheader. Using the pair of middling-priced pitchers found below coupled with a bunch of affordable hitters should allow owners maximum lineup flexibility regardless of contest format.
For those interested, we've started an MLB DFS slack channel for paid RotoWire subscribers. (There is a season-long one as well). To join those channels, e-mail support@rotowire.com.
PITCHER
Nick Pivetta, PHI at ATL ($36): Pivetta appears to be in the early stages of a breakout season, as he's yet to allow a home run while posting a 19:2 K:BB in 16.2 innings through three starts. His price is likely to keep climbing if he can maintain that success, so lock Pivetta in at $36 while you still can. The matchup against a surprisingly effective Braves offense isn't ideal, but much of Atlanta's success can be attributed to early-season luck that's likely to swing back the other way.
J.A. Happ, TOR vs. KC ($43): Happ was the scheduled Tuesday starter even before Monday's game got postponed, and his trend of improving with each start this season has a great chance of continuing here. The veteran southpaw's scored 15.5, 21.9 and 29.9 fantasy points in his three appearances this season while striking out nine batters in each of the past two. Another effective outing shouldn't be hard to muster against a Royals offense that ranks second from the bottom at just 3.00 runs per game.
CATCHER
Gary Sanchez, NYY vs. MIA ($14): Sanchez finally heated up in his last three games before this series with the Marlins, producing two home runs, three doubles and seven RBI over that span. The power-hitting catcher doesn't get as much attention as outfield counterparts Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, but he's nearly as effective against left-handed pitching and comes at a significantly cheaper price. Sanchez owns a .371 career wOBA in that split and a .497 mark this season, so owners that want to save a few bucks or have other outfielders in mind can feel comfortable forgoing Judge and Stanton for Sanchez against unheralded southpaw Jarlin Garcia.
FIRST BASE
Joey Votto, CIN at MIL ($16): Votto hasn't looked quite like himself yet this season, but the 34-year-old's consistent excellence over the past few seasons suggests he'll bounce back before too long. Assuming that's the case, this is currently a great buy-low opportunity on the superstar slugger. Votto's .419 career wOBA against right-handed pitching has him primed to produce much more than $16 worth of value against Junior Guerra, who started this season in the minors after allowing a .350 wOBA to left-handed hitters in 2017.
SECOND BASE
Jonathan Villar, MIL vs. CIN ($8): The switch-hitting Villar has displayed significantly greater proficiency against righties compared to lefties since the start of last season, finishing with a .032 higher wOBA batting from the left side last year and currently sitting at .332 in that split this season compared to .180 otherwise. He's been propelled to the top of the order recently, which is a great spot to be in against subpar Reds righty Sal Romano (4.66 career ERA, .336 wOBA allowed to left-handed batters). Don't be surprised if Villar's able to cross the plate right away considering Romano's allowed four first-inning runs in his past two starts.
THIRD BASE
Matt Duffy, TB vs. TEX ($14): Duffy hasn't found much success against left-handed pitching yet this season, but that's likely to change considering he finished with a .027 higher wOBA in that split last season compared to his results in righty-on-righty situations. Tampa Bay's leadoff man is thus primed to set the table beautifully against ex-Rays southpaw Matt Moore, who is 0-3 with an 8.76 ERA this season after finishing 6-15 with a 5.52 mark a year ago.
SHORTSTOP
Andrelton Simmons, LAA vs. BOS ($14): Simmons is known more for his glove, but he's morphed into an effective hitter over the past two seasons. He's been especially strong against left-handed pitching this year, posting a .521 wOBA through 20 such plate appearances. Expect him to maintain that success against David Price, who gave up four earned runs while lasting only one inning in his last start.
OUTFIELD
George Springer, HOU at SEA ($19): Springer is one of the best in the business against left-handed pitching, as evidenced by his .483 wOBA in that split this season and .399 career mark. Mariners starter Ariel Miranda was just promoted from Triple-A and owns a 5.60 career FIP, so he represents an even easier matchup for Springer than the average lefty.
Kyle Schwarber, CHC vs. STL ($15): Schwarber is a massive power threat against right-handed pitching, having already launched three long balls in that split this season after hitting 27 in such situations a year ago. He'll have a great opportunity to build on those totals against Adam Wainwright, who appears to be a shell of his former self at age 36, having allowed six earned runs and two homers in 10.2 innings along with a 7:4 K:BB through two starts. Just check before game time to make sure this one's not cancelled, as cold and snow have wreaked havoc on the Wrigley Field schedule, including the postponement of Monday's game between these two teams.
Carlos Gonzalez, COL at PIT ($17): Gonzalez's .387 wOBA against right-handed pitching this season is identical to the left-handed slugger's career mark, so look for him to keep the good times rolling against Pirates righty Trevor Williams. Williams has looked dominant on the surface with a 3-0 record and 1.56 ERA, but his underlying stats tell a different story. His xFIP is 4.68 and left-handed batters have actually managed a .399 wOBA against Williams in 33 at-bats.
