This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
13 games are included in Tuesday's main slate, and there are ample big-name arms on the hill.
Pitching Breakdown
Gerrit Cole ($12,300) leads four five-figure arms in a clearly plus matchup at Seattle. The Mariners have fanned 25.6 percent of the time against righties this season, and Cole has owned them in three starts, earning wins every time out while striking out 36 in 21.0 innings and surrendering only four runs and 10 hits. Cost is the only reason to fade.
Mike Clevinger ($11,600) and Jack Flaherty ($11,000) follow, and both appear to have plus matchups as well. Clevinger gets a White Sox offense that fans 26.3 percent of the time, and one that he's fanned 21 times over 14.0 innings, allowing just three hits and two runs in the process. Flaherty meanwhile has been brilliant in the second half of the season, earning a 33 FDP floor in 13 starts. He'll face an Arizona offense that has only a .286 wOBA and 73 wRC+ in September, but he doesn't get the benefit of familiarity.
Max Scherzer ($10,600) rounds out the top tier of hurlers and is an interesting GPP pivot. He's coming off his first double-digit strikeout showing of the season's second half, and was dominant in that outing until his final frame where his pitch count rose and fatigue set in. He has dominated the Phillies this year, fanning 19 over 12 innings while allowing 11 hits and two runs. His adversary, Aaron Nola ($8,900), is not a preferred choice however. He's allowed four or more runs in three of his last four starts, and has been hit hard by the Nationals, allowing 12 runs and 17 hits over 15.1 innings.
There's no shortage of 8k options in plus spots for GPPers to target for savings. I'd trust all of Kyle Hendricks ($8,700) at Pittsburgh, Homer Bailey ($8,500) at the Angels, and Noah Syndergaard ($8,200) at Miami on Tuesday, all of them featuring bad and/or injured offenses.
The bottom tier doesn't offer many upside plays. A look at a surging Danny Duffy ($7,900) may work against a Braves lineup that continues to give guys days off after clinching, but the price isn't super low in the grand scheme of things. Mitch Keller ($6,100) is highly combustible, but has struck out seven in consecutive games and faces an injured and defeated Cubs lineup.
Key Chalk/Value
The slate's highest total comes in Arlington, where Boston and Texas have an 11.5 over/under in a pitching matchup of Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Edinson Volquez/Ariel Jurado. Given Rodriguez's form (44+ FDP in six of seven starts), Boston bats figure to do the heavy lifting and serve as popular options to build around. Jurado is allowing a .437 wOBA and 1.059 OPS to righties at home, so we can use Mookie Betts ($4,200), Xander Bogaerts ($3,800) and/or J.D. Martinez ($4,300) with confidence.
Following a 15-inning battle Monday where 21 runs were scored, Baltimore and Toronto have few arms available behind starters Dylan Bundy and Anthony Kay, the latter of whom was used as a primary pitcher his last time out and may not last long enough as a true starter to qualify for a win. Bundy has been solid in three starts against Toronto, but not enough to ignore the likes of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($3,200), who is riding a seven-game hitting streak, or the power upside of Randal Grichuk ($3,000) in GPPs. In the other dugout, Hanser Alberto ($2,900) and Trey Mancini ($3,900) are the preferred options against a lefty.
There's rarely a bad time to target Astros bats, and Tuesday is certainly not one of them, as they'll be facing opener Justin Dunn before getting lefty Tommy Milone. The southpaw long reliever's presence immediately puts Jose Altuve ($4,200) in play, but Alex Bregman ($4,500) and Yordan Alvarez ($4,400) also have terrific splits against left-handed arms.
Some value could be found in bad offenses facing worse or struggling starters. I wouldn't completely ignore the Royals against Julio Teheran, who has allowed nine runs and five homers in his last two starts while lasting just nine innings. Colorado's Jeff Hoffman fits a similar profile here against the Giants. Hoffman has allowed 18 long balls in 13 appearances, only twice making it through a start without surrendering at least one big fly.
Stacks
Indians vs. Hector Santiago (White Sox)
Carlos Santana (1B - $4,000), Jordan Luplow (OF - $2,700). Franmil Reyes (OF - $3,200)
Luplow has been one of my favorite targets all year when facing a lefty as he always comes cheap, and boasts a .459 wOBA, 187 wRC+ and .390 ISO against southpaws. Santana only strikes out 14.0 percent of the time, and has hit lefties well to the tune of a .421 wOBA and 162 wRC+. The third piece is a bit of a gamble, but Reyes' power potential is what wins GPPs, earning him the nod over a more stable but expensive Francisco Lindor ($4,300).
Dodgers vs. Ronald Bolanos (Padres)
Cody Bellinger (OF - $4,600), Corey Seager (2B - $3,800), Will Smith (C - $3,000)
Bolanos is allowing a .426 wOBA and 1.073 OPS to lefties, which gives us plenty to choose from in the Dodgers lineup. Bellinger may be tough to fit in under the salary cap if you're paying up for pitching, but pairing him here with a white-hot Seager looks like the right play. Smith comes cheaper than the likes of Gavin Lux ($3,200) or Joc Pederson ($3,400), and assuming he's behind the plate, he boasts a .392 wOBA and .375 ISO against righties.
Athletics vs. Dillon Peters (Angels)
Marcus Semien (SS - $4,100), Matt Chapman (3B - $3,600), Khris Davis (OF - $2,700)
Peters enters Tuesday with a 5.41 xFIP, allowing righties to post a .387 wOBA and .949 OPS. Semien and his .377 wOBA and 140 wRC+ from atop the A's lineup provides the stability for this stack, while we're targeting power potential behind him. Chapman has a .303 ISO against righties, while Davis sits at .240.
