This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
All player prices are as of Tuesday, July 28
Pitchers
Noah Syndergaard, NYM (Tue. vs. SD), $10,700 – Even if you're playing modest volume on DraftKings, it's hard to go more than a week or two without using a pitcher against the Padres, a team that ranks 28th in strikeout rate (22.6 percent), 24th in wRC+ (87) and 29th in OPS (.663). Syndergaard did give up five walks in his last start, but he still owns a 2.98 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 82:20 K:BB ratio through 78.2 innings, with double-digit strikeouts in three of his first 13 big-league outings. He's actually been much better than Matt Harvey over the last few months, and there's nothing in his peripheral stats that hints at significant regression. Syndergaard has averaged 25.7 DraftKings points in six home starts this season, sparked by his 42:6 K:BB ratio at Citi Field.
Hisashi Iwakuma, SEA (Tue. vs. ARI), $8300 – Iwakuma has gotten back to his old ways over the last three starts, allowing just four runs and posting an 18:4 K:BB ratio over 20.2 innings, despite facing the Tigers and Yankees in his last two games. The Diamondbacks aren't a bad offensive team, but they're nowhere near the Tigers or Bronx Bombers, ranking just 19th in wRC+ (94) and 23rd in strikeout rate (21 percent) against right-handed pitchers. Finally looking like his old self again, Iwakuma should be a nice bargain, especially in his home starts, until his price climbs back toward $10,000.
Patrick Corbin, ARI (Wed. afternoon at SEA) – Corbin has been surprisingly effective in his four starts since returning from Tommy John surgery, sporting a 3.68 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 23:3 K:BB through 22 innings. The sample size is obviously still too small to reach any sweeping conclusions, but Corbin's excellent swing-strike (12.6 percent) and contact (75.9 percent) rates bode well for his chances of maintaining the early success. And it's not like the strong pitching has come out of nowhere, as Corbin posted a 3.41 ERA, 3.43 FIP and 3.48 xFIP over 208.1 innings in 2013. Best of all, he'll likely cost less than $7500, even in a matchup with the strikeout-prone Mariners lineup at pitcher-friendly Safeco Field.
Chris Tillman, BAL (Wed. night vs. ATL) – I've always considered Tillman to be somewhat overrated, but it was still pretty shocking to see the extent of his struggles this season. He finally seems to have figured out his issues, posting a 1.38 ERA, 1.99 FIP, 3.32 xFIP, 7.7 K/9 and 1.7 BB/9 over the last five starts. His price probably won't stay down in the gutter for much longer, but he should still come in south of $7000 for a matchup with the weak Atlanta lineup.
Other options:Jake Odorizzi, TB (Tue. vs. DET), $8600; Jordan Zimmerman, WAS (Tue. at MIA), $7700; Ubaldo Jimenez, BAL (Tue. vs. ATL), $7200; Jon Lester, CHC (Wed. afternoon vs. COL); Chris Archer, TB (Wed. afternoon vs. DET); Garrett Richards, LAA (Wed. night vs. HOU); Bartolo Colon, NYM (Wed. night vs. SD)
Batters
C Russell Martin, TOR (vs. PHI), $4200 – With the Blue Jays facing left-handed Adam Morgan at the SkyDome on Tuesday, it's a safe bet that all of the team's right-handed sluggers will carry ownership percentages well into the double digits. Even so, Martin sticks out as the clear top choice at his position, usable in a stack or on his own. Wednesday brings a similarly friendly matchup, with the Blue Jays facing awful right-hander Jerome Williams. They may even have Troy Tulowitzki available for one or both games.
1B Jose Abreu, CHW (at BOS), $4200 – Abreu gets to take aim at the Green Monster this week, facing left-handed Wade Miley (Tue.) and right-handed Rick Porcello (Wed.). With any luck, Abreu might also get to face a depleted Boston bullpen, as the Red Sox have made it quite clear they'll be sellers before the deadline. Abreu started the series on a strong note, going 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, two runs and an RBI in Monday's 10-8 win.
2B Kolten Wong, STL (vs. CIN), $3700 – Wong finally seems to be past his extended slump, with four hits (including a grand slam) over the last two contests to extend his hitting streak to five games. He'll also draw favorable matchups, as the Cardinals face hittable right-handers Mike Leake (Tue.) and Anthony DeSclafani this week. Wong owns a .291/.356/.484 slash line against righties this season.
3B Kris Bryant, CHC (vs. COL), $4500 – With the red-hot Alex Rodriguez facing a vulnerable lefty in Arlington on Tuesday, the other third basemen should have reasonable ownership percentages, though Bryant also figures to attract quite a bit of attention. There's a good reason for that, of course, with Bryant facing a weak lefty after hitting a walk-off homer Monday night. If you want a more under-the-radar selection, Manny Machado ($4500) figures to have a single-digit ownership percentage Tuesday night. As for Wednesday, all of Bryant, Machado and Rodriguez should again make for strong options.
SS Brandon Crawford, SF (vs. MIL), $3800 – I usually try to target Crawford on the road, but with the shortstop position lacking other reasonably-priced options, he's a solid choice when facing weak right-handers at home. Tuesday brings a matchup with Brewers righty Wily Peralta (oblique), who will be coming off the disabled list to make his first start since May 22. Although he did put together a strong rehab stint, Peralta is best described as mediocre, with an especially poor track record against left-handed batters (lifetime .794 OPS). Wednesday's opponent, Mike Fiers, is a better pitcher, but one who's still pretty vulnerable to the long ball because of his fly ball-heavy profile.
OF Michael Brantley, CLE (vs. KC), $4800 – Brantley couldn't ask for better matchups the next two days, as both Chris Young (Tue.) and Jeremy Guthrie (Wed.) have hideous track records against left-handed batters. Even better, the Indians offer an excellent and affordable stack, with their first four batters (Kipnis-Lindor-Brantley-Murphy) costing an average of just $3,950. 1B/OF Brandon Moss ($3500) may be struggling, but his raw power makes him a strong choice to round out the stack.
OF Adam Jones, BAL (vs. ATL), $4000 – Although he hasn't recorded an RBI since July 19, Jones does seem to be getting back on track, with five hits in his last three games. Tuesday's matchup with Julio Teheran may not seem especially appealing, but Teheran hasn't been his usual self for most of the season, and Jones carries a price tag at the low end of its usual range. Wednesday's matchup is the real gem, as Jones will face rookie left-hander Manny Banuelos, who owns a 16:10 K:BB ratio through the first 21.2 innings of his career.
Other options:C Jonathan Lucroy, MIL (at SF), $3000; 1B Edwin Encarnacion, TOR (vs. PHI), $4100; 2B Jason Kipnis, CLE (vs. KC), $4900; 3B Manny Machado, BAL (vs. ATL), $4500; SS Starlin Castro, CHC (vs. COL), $2900; OF David Murphy, CLE (vs. KC), $2600; OF David Lough/Nolan Reimold, BAL (vs. ATL), $2000/2200
Recommended Lineup Stacks
Tuesday
Astros vs. LAA's C.J. Wilson
Giants vs. MIL's Wily Peralta
Pirates at MIN's Mike Pelfrey
Mariners vs. ARI's Zachary Godley
Orioles vs. ATL's Julio Teheran
Cubs vs. COL's Yohan Flande
Blue Jays vs. PHI's Adam Morgan
Indians vs. KC's Chris Young
Wednesday afternoon
Indians vs. KC's Jeremy Guthrie
Cubs vs. COL's Eddie Butler
Brewers at SF's Jake Peavy
Wednesday night
Orioles vs. ATL's Manny Banuelos
Blue Jays vs. PHI's Jerome Williams
Yankees at TEX's Colby Lewis
Cardinals vs. CIN's Anthony DeSclafani
