There are just some slates where the pitching pool is disgusting, and that's what we have here. There's actually not one single pitcher I truly trust on this slate, mainly due to the matchups. Guys like Max Meyer and J.T. Ginn have been impressive, but we can't use them, since Meyer is in Coors and Ginn is facing the Dodgers in Sacramento. With that said, there are two guys in decent spots, so let's start there!
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Pitching
Shane McClanahan, TB at KC ($8,500)
It's taken McClanahan a long time to get back on the mound but he hasn't missed a beat. This lefty has a 3.30 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in his return to action this season. That brings his career averages to a 3.07 ERA and 1.12 WHIP, while he's allowed four runs or fewer in all 15 starts this year. That floor is really intriguing against a team like KC, with the Royals ranked 19th in runs scored and 20th in wOBA. We also saw McClanahan record a quality start against them earlier this year, entering this game as a -140 favorite.
Tatsuya Imai, HOU vs. MIN ($7,300)
This is a lackluster pitching pool, but Imai is an interesting option when examining his recent form. This was one of the best pitchers in Japan over recent years, and he's showing glimpses of that in his rookie season. Imai has amassed a 2.25 ERA, 0.75 WHIP and 15.8 K/9 rate across his last two starts. That strikeout stuff is superb, but it's in line with the stuff we saw in Japan. A matchup with Minnesota isn't easy, but they rank 21st in xwOBA, with Imai entering this matchup as a -135 favorite.
Top Targets
Otto Lopez, MIA (vs. Kyle Freeland) $5,500
Miami is a solid team this season, and Lopez is one of the most underrated hitters in baseball. This guy leads the league with a .333 AVG while amassing a career-best .852 OPS. He's been even better against left-handers, posting a .449 AVG and 1.158 OPS with the platoon advantage in his favor. That looks even better since he has at least 15 DraftKings points in four of his last seven outings while hitting in the heart of the highest-projected lineup on this slate. We'll dive into that more in the stacks section!
Sal Stewart, CIN (vs. Shane Drohan) $4,700
Stewart is amid a breakout campaign in Cincy. This corner infielder homered again on Tuesday and now has a .304 AVG and .858 OPS across his last 13 fixtures. That's actually on par with his career averages, where he's accrued a .802 OPS. What intrigues us here is that he gets a matchup with a left-hander. Stewart has a .389 OBP and .945 OPS against southpaws since his call-up last season. It's not like Drohan is a dreaded matchup either, as he's posted a 1.38 WHIP over the last month.
Bargain Bats
Andrew Vaughn, MIL (vs. Andrew Abbott) $3,700
Vaughn has done nothing but rake since he put on a Brewers uniform. He had a .375 OBP and .869 OPS across his final 64 games after a trade to Milwaukee last season, and has a .424 OBP and .928 OPS so far this year. He's done that in a limited time, but his .533 OBP and 1.268 OPS against lefties are even more laughable. It's hard to believe Vaughn sits below $4K with that much in his favor, especially since he faces a southpaw with a 4.80 xFIP and 1.41 WHIP. We also like Jackson Chourio ($5,600) and William Contreras ($4,700) from the right side against Abbott.
Bryce Eldridge, SF (vs. Zac Gallen) $3,200
Eldridge was one of the top prospects in this organization, posting a .445 OBP and .963 OPS at Triple-A this year. We've seen similar production with San Fran, sporting a .377 OBP and .863 OPS through his first 42 games. Those are absurd averages from such an affordable player, and we didn't even mention that he has a .386 OBP and .886 OPS against righties. He faces the worst one on this slate, and we'll dive into that in the stacks section!
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Stacks to Consider
Miami Marlins at Colorado Rockies (Kyle Freeland): Lopez ($5,500), Xavier Edwards ($5,300), Heriberto Hernandez ($4,500) and Javier Sanoja ($3,800)
Teams always feast whenever they're in Coors Field. It's one thing to hit in the most hitter-friendly park, but facing a team that ranks last in ERA, WHIP, wOBA and xwOBA is the icing on the cake. That's led to the Marlins scoring 24 runs in the first two games of this series, while they're projected to score more than six runs in this game. That's no surprise since Freeland has a 7.50 ERA and 1.61 WHIP this year, and surrendered six runs in his last home start against Miami.
We already talked about Otto, but Edwards is right there with him. Edwards has at least 10 DK points in four straight fixtures while posting a .877 OPS against lefties this year. Hernandez is the projected cleanup hitter, collecting a .888 OPS across his last 25 games. Sanoja is the sneaky option of this stack, scoring at least 23 DK points in three of his last four outings.
San Francisco Giants at Arizona Diamondbacks (Zac Gallen): Casey Schmitt ($4,200), Luis Arraez ($3,900), Jung Hoo Lee ($3,700), Rafael Devers ($3,500) and Eldridge ($3,200)
San Fran is a sneaky stack in this spot. This team is full of undervalued bats, and they face the worst pitcher on this slate. That's Gallen, who's got a 7.65 ERA and 1.68 WHIP across his last 11 starts. That includes a nine-run shelling about a week ago, and he simply doesn't have it right now.
We rarely recommend five guys in a stack, but these San Fran guys are too cheap. Schmitt is the most expensive of the bunch, leading the team with 8.2 DK points per game. Arraez carries an eight-game hitting streak into this matchup while posting an .825 OPS against righties this year. Lee has a .407 AVG and 1.008 OPS since coming off the IL a month ago, while Devers has been one of the best hitters over the last decade.
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