This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
The main slate Tuesday kicks off at 7:05 pm ET and features 11 games. The top half of the pitcher pool is strong, but pricing is relatively efficient. That leaves the options in the bottom half of the price range fairly unappealing. There are some good hitting environments to work with, particularly Kaufmann Stadium, Coors Field, Dodgers Stadium, Truist Park and Yankee Stadium. With that background, let's get into some more detailed analysis.
Pitchers
With a lot of ace-level pitchers to choose from, my priority will be focusing on strikeout upside and matchup. Given that, and the likelihood of most players paying all the way up for pitching, I'd be willing to drop down to Grayson Rodriguez ($9,400) as my SP1. For those willing to pay a premium, Dylan Cease ($10,300) is my preferred option. He has the highest strikeout rate of any pitcher on the slate and the Rangers have just an 87 wRC+ as a team in the last 30 days.
Back to Rodriguez, he's in a very good position for Tuesday's start against the Mariners. Seattle has the highest strikeout rate as a team and the game takes place at Safeco Field – a pitcher-friendly park.
Several pitchers in the middle tier of pricing have a tough matchup, but Brady Singer ($8,200) is the exception. The Rays have improved in their overall results at the plate lately, but they are still striking out at a 24.3 percent clip in the last 30 days – the seventh-highest rate in the league.
Jose Soriano ($7,500) and Simeon Woods Richardson ($7,200) are an interesting duo to consider in similar price ranges. Soriano is coming off the injured list (IL) and has been inconsistent with his results this season, but a matchup against the A's tends to cover up a lot of flaws. He's best fit for large-field contests. Woods Richardson has been steady but unspectacular. In his last five starts, he has at least 12.8 DraftKings points on four occasions but has also topped 15 points only twice.
Hayden Wesneski ($6,300) has gotten some buzz in season-long leagues and has the makings of a decent punt play. The Phillies are without Kyle Schwarber (groin) and Bryce Harper (hamstring), making this an easier matchup than it appears on paper.
Top Hitters
The Dodgers are a very good stacking option, but I slightly prefer some other options. They draw a matchup against Ryne Nelson, who has the lowest strikeout rate among the starters available and also has a 10.4 percent barrel rate against. Shohei Ohtani ($6,700) is the obvious option, but Teoscar Hernandez ($5,400) comes at a more palatable price.
Most of the top bats have favorable matchups. Atlanta is no exception. They draw Hayden Birdsong, who has a limited track record in the majors but struggled in his first start against the Cubs. That makes any of Marcell Ozuna ($6,000), Austin Riley ($5,300) or Matt Olson ($5,200) a reasonable choice.
Value Bats
Jake Meyers ($3,300) has had some extreme swings in production of late, but he's returned to a near-everyday role in a hot Astros lineup. He's also hitting fifth, which should give him plenty of opportunity to drive in runs.
Zack Littell has had a significant home run problem of late, allowing 2.3 HR/9 across the last 30 days. That makes Royals power hitters intriguing. Hunter Renfroe ($3,400) has crept into the middle of the order recently.
Stacks to Consider
Colorado Rockies vs. Milwaukee Brewers (Dallas Keuchel): Charlie Blackmon ($5,000), Brenton Doyle ($4,700), Ezequiel Tovar
On paper, this is one of the most obvious stacks of the year. That doesn't necessarily mean it will pay off, but Keuchel has been a disaster pitching at the big-league level since 2021. To put some specific numbers to it, across 264.1 innings in that span, he has a 6.37 ERA and 1.68 WHIP while giving up 1.4 HR/9. Now, he has to pitch at Coors Field against a Rockies lineup that has come alive at home.
New York Yankees vs. Cincinnati Reds (Graham Ashcraft): Anthony Volpe ($4,500), Juan Soto ($6,100), Aaron Judge ($6,600)
This is another fairly straightforward case. Ashcraft has struggled to generate whiffs with only a 17 percent strikeout rate (second-lowest among starters Tuesday) while also giving up 1.5 HR/9. The case for the Yankees is pretty obvious with a good park for homers and a star-studded top of the order. For those looking to get a little cheaper, Alex Verdugo ($3,700) has served as the cleanup hitter often this season and nearly exclusively since Giancarlo Stanton (hamstring) has been sidelined.
