This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have another full evening of baseball to look forward to, as all 30 teams will take the field. Twenty will be included on the main slate, similar to Monday. The player pool differs fairly significantly from there, however, as there is relative lack of elite pitching available, with varying degrees of matchup difficulty. Coors Field and Fenway Park remain the best parks to target by a fairly wide margin from a hitter's perspecitve.
Pitchers
There are three pitchers over with five-digit price tags and a fourth at $9,500. Of that group, Freddy Peralta ($11,800) and Justin Verlander ($10,700) are my favorite targets. Peralta has the top strikeout rate on the slate at 30.8 percent. He takes on Miami, a lineup with limited pop but also a limited strikeout rate. That will likely lead more to a safe floor performance than a top-end outcome, which admittedly is tough given his price tag. Verlander has been a bit more inconsistent and also has a lower strikeout rate. That's reflected in his price, and he also has the benefit of squaring off against the Athletics.
Dropping down a tier or two, we have a pair of high-risk, high-reward options in Edward Cabrera ($8,100) and Bryan Woo ($7,900). Cabrera hasn't served as a traditional starter but has slowly ramped up his workload. His issues with command mean he could be in for a terrible outing at any point, but on the other hand, his strikeout upside means he could be dominant. A matchup against the Brewers should help him, just don't pair him with Peralta. Woo is a bit safer in the sense that he's at least served as a traditional starter, though his results have been inconsistent. He should be on the better end of things Tuesday, as the Angels have a terrible .289 wOBA and 79 wRC+ across the last 30 days.
Zack Littell ($6,700) is our punt play of the day. He's been a relatively safe bet to reach the mid-teens in DK points since becoming a regular member of the rotation. He could do a bit better in a matchup against the Twins, who remain the most strikeout-prone team in the league.
Top Hitters
The Cubs underwhelmed in Coors Field in game one of the series, but they face another exploitable matchup in Chris Flexen on Tuesday. Ian Happ ($5,100) consistently occupies the third spot in the order and is a value relative to the rest of the top of the lineup at his cost.
The Mets have fallen out of the spotlight due to the trajectory of their season, but the top of their order has quietly been productive of late. Brandon Nimmo ($4,400) remains the primary leadoff hitter and should have plenty of opportunity to reach base and score runs against Ryne Nelson, who has only a 15.2 K%.
Value Bats
The other side of the Mets-Diamondbacks also gives us some options to attack, as Jose Butto is another low-strikeout pitcher. There are a few different ways to go, the best of which is Tommy Pham ($3,600). For those who pay down at pitcher or opt for cheaper stacks/studs to build around, he should be plenty affordable. For those looking for cheaper options, Alek Thomas ($2,600) or Jace Peterson ($3,200) are worth considering.
Make sure he's in the lineup, but Ceddanne Rafaela ($3,400) appears to be Boston's leadoff hitter against lefties. Carlos Rodon hasn't been himself, and as mentioned Fenway Park should help further inflate the offenses in this game.
Stacks to Consider
New York Mets vs. Arizona Diamondbacks (Ryne Nelson): Brandon Nimmo ($4,400), Francisco Lindor ($4,900), Pete Alonso ($5,100)
I like both offenses in this game based on the matchups, but the Mets offer more star power and upside. As was noted, this trio has performed well of late, and there's little reason to believe Nelson will hold them back. The price is okay, not particularly inflated or cheap. Finally, roster rate should be pretty low thanks to the Mets' overall disappointing season.
San Francisco Giants vs. Cleveland Guardians (Cal Quantrill): Mike Yastrzemski ($3,400), Thairo Estrada ($4,300), Wilmer Flores ($4,200)
Quantrill has a history of outperforming his peripherals, so perhaps it's foolish to keep chasing it. However, he joins Butto as the only pitcher with a SIERA above 5.50 on the day, and he has the lowest strikeout rate (13%) of pitchers projected to take the mound. The Giants don't boast stars, but they can piece things together at the top of the order to scrape across runs. The price reflects the chance that the team falls flat, which allows either paying up for top pitching or another stack.
