This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
After a light schedule of games Monday, all 30 teams will return to the field Tuesday. Unfortunately, nearly half of the games have a first pitch before 7:10 pm ET, meaning the main slate has only eight matchups to work with. It's a pretty strong pitching slate with solid options at every price point. There aren't many standout environments for hitters, so I'll be relying primarily on matchups to build out my lineups.
Pitchers
There's an immediate choice at the top of the pitcher pool between Garrett Crochet ($9,500) and Yusei Kikuchi ($9,300) as they squared off against each other. Crochet has the best skills of any available arm, and he's even recorded four wins early on this season despite pitching for the White Sox. On the other hand, the White Sox are the better matchup and Kikuchi likely has a better chance for a win overall. Both are defensible selections, but I prefer Kikuchi slightly.
We have a similar scenario a tier down in price with Bryan Woo ($8,500) and Clarke Schmidt ($8,300) squaring off. The Mariners are a team to target with pitchers as they lead the league with a 28 percent strikeout rate as a lineup, so I'll take Schmidt.
Gavin Stone ($7,900) is a nice option at the start of the value candidates. He's been remarkably consistent much of the season, scoring between 14.7 and 22.2 DK points in his last four starts. The Diamondbacks don't strike out much but are a subpar lineup against right-handed pitching.
There's plenty of risk associated with Casey Mize ($6,700), but he's underpriced. Across his last six starts, Mize has recorded at least 18.5 DK points three times. The Royals are similar to Arizona in that they don't strike out much, but they also have just a .310 wOBA and 96 wRC+.
Top Hitters
It's not too often that a Rockies' hitter will be highlighted when the team isn't at home, but we such an instance Tuesday. Aaron Brooks is on the mound for the A's. He had a successful start for the team in his first turn through the rotation, but prior to that he hadn't pitched in the majors since 2019 and he's now 34 years old. Ryan McMahon ($4,700) is one of the better Colorado bats available, and he has four extra-base hits (.945 OPS) across his last 10 games.
To the extent that the Angels' lineup has remained afloat, Taylor Ward ($4,700) has been the driving force for success. He should have the chance to reach some of his power Tuesday night in a matchup against Cristian Javier, who has allowed a 54.7 percent flyball rate and 8.0 percent barrel rate.
Value Bats
Griffin Canning has gotten good results of late, but he's giving up a lot of hard contact, including a 10.2 percent barrel rate and a 40.8 percent hard-hit rate. His recent form deters a full stack against him, but looking to some of the Houston bats is still worthwhile. Jake Meyers ($3,200) has quietly been one of the more productive bats with at least 13 DK points in five of his last eight games.
It's unclear exactly how Cal Quantrill has gone on his recent run of success, but I'm willing to bank on his current form turning quickly. The A's are roughly average against right-handed pitching overall this season, and Tyler Soderstrom ($2,900) has had strong quality of contact since being recalled to the majors.
Stacks to Consider
Baltimore Orioles vs. St. Louis Cardinals (Lance Lynn): Gunnar Henderson ($5,900), Jordan Westburg ($4,900), Ryan O'Hearn ($4,300)
Lynn strikes out opposing batters at a relatively high clip (21.3 percent), which is a deterrent to stacking, but the rest of his profile is shaky. He has a walk rate of 9.9 percent and also has given up barrels at a 10.2 percent clip, which has translated to him allowing at least four earned runs in each of his last three starts. Baltimore is a cheaper option to stack than the name value in the lineup may suggest. Westburg was promoted to second in the order and is a value option and O'Hearn has been under-appreciated all season.
Also Consider: Angels vs. Astros (Cristian Javier): Taylor Ward ($4,700), Zach Neto ($3,300), Jo Adell ($3,500)
There aren't many standout stacking options, but Cristian Javier has the potential for a blowup outing every time he takes the mound. The Angels are a cheap stacking option worth considering without too many other positive matchups, as this trio of bats has all performed well. There is high risk for this to flop, but the prices of the key hitters in the lineup make it worth the risk.
