This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
Tuesday's main slate includes 12 games, with our traditional 7:05 p.m. EDT first pitch. Only Minnesota doesn't have a listed pitcher, and while weather was a major issue with Monday's limited slate, initial reports look better today. Four arms have five-digit salaries, and all of them seem to have very favorable matchups, likely forcing us to pay up.
Pitching
We can build a case for any of the top four arms on this slate. For modest savings, I'm going to ignore the priciest two and consider Kyle Wright ($10,500) and Tarik Skubal ($10,400). Wright gets Oakland and their league-worst .261 wOBA against righties. He's failed to provide 25 FDP just three times to date, and with his 10.0 K/9, we can feel confident he'll average one per frame against a A's lineup fanning 24.4 percent of the time. Skubal's strikeouts are down, and slightly less than Wright's at 9.3 per nine, but his matchup profiles similarly. Pittsburgh carries a .298 wOBA and 23.3 percent K rate. Skubal's failed to reach 30 FDP just twice all year. There really doesn't appear to be a wrong choice.
Jose Quintana ($8,400) is throwing opposite Skubal, and the matchup more than the talent stands out as targetable. He posted only 18 FDP in a prior matchup against Detroit, but he's also shown 40-plus point potential, and the Tigers lineup has only a .283 wOBA and a 22.3 percent strikeout rate.
The sub-$8k tier has two options that jump out. Keegan Thompson ($7,500) doesn't have innings or strikeout upside, but he seems to come with a safe floor against Baltimore and their .296 wOBA and 92 wRC+ against righties. Boston will throw Garrett Whitlock ($7,000) at the Angels tonight, and while we all know eventually the Halos are going to break out of whatever ails them, until they do, opposing pitchers remain in play. Whitlock fanned nine Angels across five innings previously en route to 36 FDP, and that seems somewhat repeatable given that Los Angeles has a 24.9 percent K rate. With a 3.02 ERA and 3.43 FIP, Whitlock's risk seems to be a lack of innings potential, not the possibility for implosion.
Top Targets
Atlanta's lineup has a ton of targetable options with plus splits against lefties, but A's starter Cole Irvin isn't a pushover. There are 11 players with a salary the same or higher than Ronald Acuna ($4,100), who seemingly is always involved in whatever Atlanta does offensively. He currently sits with a .395 wOBA and 152 wRC+ against lefties, and with a homer in his last game, it's possible his power stroke is coming around.
The St. Louis offense profiles almost identically. They mash lefties throughout the lineup, but Tampa Bay starter Jeffrey Springs isn't a bad pitcher. As such, I'll target the Cardinals' top bat in Paul Goldschmidt ($4,400) and move on. Goldy's .607 BABIP against lefties is clearly not going to hold, but its led to a .613 wOBA, 302 wRC+, .400 ISO and only a 9.7 soft-contact rate.
Boston's lineup figures to be heavily rostered against lefty Reid Detmers, as they have five options with a wOBA of at least .370 against southpaws. Pairing one of Trevor Story ($4,200), Xander Bogaerts ($4,100), Rafael Devers ($4,000) or J.D. Martinez ($3,700) with Enrique Hernandez ($3,000) makes for a nice mini-stack, with Martinez my preference strictly based on cost.
Bargain Bats
Cardinals' starter Dakota Hudson has a 2.96 ERA but a 4.81 xFIP, so he's likely due some regression. Yandy Diaz at $2,900 presents as the safest Ray, but his .367 wOBA and .048 ISO leave plenty to be desired. Isaac Paredes ($2,300) has a .420 wOBA, 188 wRC+, .378 ISO and 37.5 percent hard-hit rate across 41 plate appearances, and while it's a small sample, it's also a very small cost.
Keep an eye on the Brewers' lineup. I'm interested in a small piece here, targeting Phillies starter Ranger Suarez and his .374 wOBA allowed to righties. The problem is the Brewers offense skews heavily left-handed, and the splits for their righties are bad. We're left considering Tyrone Taylor ($2,800), but Victor Caratini ($2,100) could have more power upside if he remains in the starting lineup.
Stacks to Consider
Giants vs. Rockies (German Marquez): Mike Yastrzemski ($3,600), Joc Pederson ($3,500), Brandon Crawford ($3,300)
Marquez is in quite the funk, allowing four or more runs in three straight starts and carrying a 6.71 ERA and 5.10 FIP into Tuesday. He's allowed a .424 wOBA and .970 OPS to lefties on the road, and the Giants have plenty of lefty bats. Pederson is playing at a seemingly unsustainable level, but his .417 wOBA, 172 wRC+ and .339 ISO give us upside. Yastrzemski's .377 wOBA and 145 wRC+ are solid or better, but at this salary, he isn't a must use. You can also get cute/cheaper with Tommy La Stella ($2,800), likely out of the leadoff spot, or Jason Vosler ($2,700) and his .304 ISO if you need some savings. Crawford lands here as a bit of a BvP guy, going 11-for-32 (.344) against Marquez and earning a .931 OPS.
Cubs vs. Orioles (Kyle Bradish): Patrick Wisdom ($3,600), Willson Contreras ($3,600), Christopher Morel ($3,500)
Bradish is getting pummeled by same-handed bats, allowing a .498 wOBA and 1.177 OPS to right-handed hitters. Those numbers swell to .528/1.257 at home, where he's allowed five homers to the 55 batters he's faced. It's rare we want to chase power exclusively, but in this instance it makes sense, which is why Wisdom and his .243 ISO land here despite the fact he could just as easily strike out four times. Morel is the opposite. He's proving to be a nice table-setter for the Cubs, having hit safely in five straight games and 18 of 20. Contreras offers more pop than his current .161 ISO suggests and benefits from hitting behind Morel and his .394 OBP.
