This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Tuesday's featured MLB slate begins at 7:10 p.m. EDT and includes 10 games. Paying up for some top pitchers should be worth it here given the robust selection, so finding affordable yet effective hitters will be key to crafting an effective lineup. Below, you'll find recommended pitchers and hitters to target, as well as some value plays and stacking options.
Pitchers
Shane Bieber ($10,800) is the early AL Cy Young favorite, with a 5-0 record, 1.11 ERA and 0.76 WHIP, as well as 65 strikeouts in 40.2 innings. He'll take on a Twins team that's 20-10, but Minnesota ranks just 14th offensively with 4.77 runs per game.
Gerrit Cole ($10,600) hasn't been as good as Bieber, but the Yankees' prized offseason signing has more than held his own with a 4-0 record, 2.75 ERA, 0.89 WHIP and 44 strikeouts in 36 innings. Cole has a lower floor but gaudy strikeout upside against a Braves team that's one of three teams in the league averaging 10 or more strikeouts per game.
Colorado's German Marquez ($8,000) has been excellent outside of Coors Field, with a 1.93 ERA, .237 wOBA against and 18:5 K:BB in 18.2 road innings. He's primed for further road success against Arizona's 24th-ranked offense (4.23 runs per game).
Kyle Gibson ($7,000) offers some sneaky upside at an affordable price. The Rangers righty has seen his strikeout rate plummet from 22.7 percent in 2019 to just 16.5 percent so far in 2020. Gibson should be due for a favorable correction, and a matchup with an Oakland lineup that strikes out 10.03 times per game presents a nice opportunity to pick up some whiffs.
Adam Wainwright ($8,400) won't put up gaudy strikeout numbers, but he has a high floor at home against Kansas City's 29th-ranked offense (3.90 runs per game). The veteran Cardinals righty is 2-0 with a 2.00 EEA and 0.83 WHIP through three starts and has a 12:4 K:BB over 18 innings.
Top Targets
Fernando Tatis Jr. ($5,600) is making an early NL MVP push with a .314/.396/.678 line. The right-handed hitting Padres shortstop has a .524 wOBA at home and will be taking on Mariners lefty Marco Gonzales, whose 4.28 XFIP suggests his 3.34 ERA is due for regression.
Cody Bellinger ($5,700) is finally heating up, with four home runs in his last five games. The Dodgers outfielder will have the platoon advantage against Giants righty Johnny Cueto.
Best Values
The switch-hitting Ian Happ ($4,000) has been significantly better from the left side, as he has a .448 wOBA against righties compared to a .336 mark against lefties. The Cubs outfielder will bat from his preferred side against Tigers righty Spencer Turnbull.
Third baseman Kyle Seager ($3,800) is quietly having a strong season for the lowly Mariners, slashing .291/.377/.515 and batting cleanup. Left-handed hitters have a .349 wOBA against Padres righty Chris Paddack, so Seager's set up for further success here.
Wil Myers ($3,400) is largely being overlooked behind San Diego's more prominent sluggers, but the affordable outfielder has contributed a respectable .271/.352/.573 line. He smacked 28 home runs for the Padres in 2016 and 30 homers in 2017, so Myers is capable of keeping up his current pace.
Stacks to Consider
White Sox vs. Pirates LHP Steven Brault
Jose Abreu (1B - $5,000), Tim Anderson (SS - $5,400), James McCann (C - $4,200)
The White Sox had a seven-game winning streak snapped by the crosstown rival Cubs on Sunday, but Chicago's white-hot bats are ready to get back to raking against the 7-17 Pirates after a day off. Abreu is arguably the league's hottest hitter, with seven home runs in his last five games and five multi-hit efforts in the last six. Anderson has improved on last year's breakout .335/.357/.508 line, slashing .350/.388/.675 this season with a video game-like .833 wOBA against lefties. McCann is a strong choice at the catcher position, as he owns a .505 wOBA against southpaws this season.
Cardinals vs. Royals RHP Matt Harvey
Brad Miller (3B/OF - $4,100), Paul Goldschmidt (1B - $4,700), Kolten Wong (2B - $3,300)
Harvey will get a second turn in the rotation after an underwhelming debut in which he allowed three earned runs, six base runners and two home runs in just three innings, presenting St. Louis' top bats with a nice opportunity to rack up some production. Miller has largely turned into an afterthought since his 30-homer campaign with the Rays in 2016, but he posted a .565 slugging percentage in 79 games last season and is slashing .367/.500/.633 through 40 plate appearances in 2020. Plus, he has the platoon advantage as a left-handed slugger and was recently promoted to second in the batting order. Goldschmidt is on pace for the best season of his terrific career, as the career .293/.393/.525 hitter is slashing .368/.507/.561. The affordable Wong leads off, has the platoon advantage against Harvey and enters this one riding a seven-game hitting streak.
Yankees at Braves RHP Ian Anderson
Aaron Judge (OF - $5,800), Luke Voit (1B - $4,400), Mike Tauchman (OF - $3,600)
Atlanta has moved Touki Toussaint to the bullpen, clearing the way for Anderson to make his major-league debut in a far from ideal matchup. Anderson's robust strikeout totals in the minor leagues suggest he has elite stuff, but he posted a double-digit walk rate, indicating a lack of control. New York's combination of patience and power punishes pitchers who can't hit their spots consistently, and the Yankees are starting to get healthier. Judge will be taken off the 10-day injured list prior to the game, and he was raking prior to going down, with nine home runs in 17 games and a .758 slugging percentage. Speaking of raking, Voit has five home runs in his last four games. The affordable Tauchman should maintain his starting role even with Judge back, as the left-handed slugger brings excellent outfield defense and has a .436 wOBA against righties.
