This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have an extremely heavy pitching slate, as there is a case to be made to roster the nine most expensive pitchers on the slate. As would be expected, more risk is introduced the lower in price we go, but there are also a lot of values. There are also still plenty of hitters in a good spot, thanks to the 12-game Tuesday slate.
Pitchers
Gerrit Cole ($11,200) stands out as the top pitching option, as he is the only player with over a 30 percent strikeout rate and SIERA under 3.00 on the season. Minnesota has a roughly average offense both for the season and in the last 30 days and that's not enough to shift away from Cole. However, Shane Bieber ($10,600) lags in strikeout rate, but he has a positive matchup against a Royals offense that is average across the last 30 days as measured by wOBA, but is still in the bottom third of the league for the season. We also have to mention Framber Valdez ($10,000) and Kyle Wright ($9,700). Valdez remains about the safest cash game possible, while Wright could be in for a ceiling game thanks to a matchup against the Athletics.
With so many elite options, I'm not particularly interested in paying down slightly (unless it's specific to a build), so we'll drop down a few tiers. Eduardo Rodriguez ($7,400) had a rough outing his last turn through the rotation, but I'd be willing to roll him in tournament contests against an Angels lineup that is very top-heavy. Kyle Bradish ($6,800) is another value option. The Blue Jays are a particularly scary matchup, but Bradish recently went into Houston and put up 31 DK points. Bradish has a strong groundball and strikeout combo that helps him neutralize tough matchups, particularly at such a cheap price.
Mike Mayers ($4,800) is a punt play, primarily on the basis of a matchup against the woeful Tigers lineup. He has posted at least 12.6 DK points in three of his last five starts, which would be enough to provide value given his price point.
Top Hitters
The Brewers didn't get a drastic Coors Field price bump, which makes the majority of their lineup interesting. Hunter Renfroe ($4,500) and Christian Yelich ($4,400) both stand out as the top options to target.
Kyle Farmer ($3,600) doesn't fit neatly into either category, but because of the top-level of pitching available on Tuesday's slate, there's nothing wrong with highlighting a cheaper hitter. He's occupied the third spot in the Reds lineup and faces lefty Wade Miley, who is making his first start since June 10. With the handedness advantage this season, Farmer has maintained a .388 wOBA.
Kris Bubic has served up a pair of homers in each of his last two starts and has given up 1.4 HR/9 for the season. Meanwhile, Amed Rosario ($4,900) has maintained a .357 wOBA and .195 ISO against lefties this season, making him a nice option.
Value Hitters
Franmil Reyes ($2,600) has an .831 OPS and .510 slugging percentage across 25 games since joining the Cubs. That alone makes him underpriced, without noting that Justin Dunn has served up at least one home run in each of his five starts since being activated from the injured list.
Garrett Hampson ($2,200) is a regular in the Rockies' lineup with Yonathan Daza on the injured list. He doesn't hit toward the top of the order and also draws a tough matchup against Brandon Woodruff. However, he's cheap, is playing at Coors Field and can score points with both his bat and legs.
Mike Mayers was brought up as a punt option, but he has allowed 2.6 HR/9 -- primarily out of the bullpen -- this season. Harold Castro ($2,100) is the regular cleanup hitter for the Tigers and has averaged 7 DK points across his last 10 games.
Stacks to Consider
Brewers at Rockies (Chad Kuhl): Christian Yelich ($4,400), Rowdy Tellez ($4,200), Hunter Renfroe ($4,500)
This is a pretty obvious choice given that the game will take place at Coors Field and Kuhl has a 1.6 HR/9, 7.8 K-BB% and a 4.89 SIERA. As was discussed, earlier, the Brewers lineup isn't priced up much, so this isn't a prohibitive combination to roster. On the other hand, it may be quite chalky as a result.
Astros vs. Rangers (Glenn Otto): Jose Altuve ($5,800), Jeremy Pena ($4,400), Yordan Alvarez ($5,900)
Otto has among the worst skills on the slate, highlighted by a 12 BB% and 1.2 HR/9. He's gotten decent results of late, but he also owns the highest SIERA among pitchers in the pool Monday. That makes him a worthy target, and the Astros may not come at a high roster rate due to both price and Otto's okay surface stats. It's specifically worth highlighting Pena, as he's hit second in the order lately and still checks in at a reasonable price.
Guardians at Royals (Kris Bubic): Steven Kwan ($3,200), Amed Rosario ($4,900), Jose Ramirez ($5,900)
Bubic has the fourth-lowest strikeout rate, second-highest walk rate, and seventh-highest HR/9 on the slate, so he checks a lot of boxes to target. The Guardians don't strike out much as a lineup and are an attractive stacking option as a result. Kwan is also a great salary saver while Rosario could be priced a few hundred dollars higher.
