This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
There was a pretty heavy Monday schedule, and Tuesday will feature all 30 teams in action. However, we have only 10 games to work with on the main slate due to a number of matchups with a first pitch scheduled before 7:05 pm ET. There are some pretty clear pitching values presented which should open up some spending for bats.
Pitchers
There are five ace-level pitchers available Tuesday in the price range between $9,600 and $8,500. Grayson Rodriguez ($9,600) and Pablo Lopez ($9,300) stand out at the top of that group. Rodriguez has shown slight improvement in his ability to miss bats paired with a solid 3.45 xERA. The Angels are a mediocre matchup, but not good enough to shy away. Pablo Lopez ($9,300) is next. He's seen his strikeout rate drop relative to 2023 early on, but a matchup against the White Sox should cure all. The final player to highlight from the elite tier is Kevin Gausman ($8,500). He looked more to form in his last outing, so this is likely the last chance to take him at this price point in a matchup against the Royals.
Dropping down a tier in price, Luis Severino ($7,800) stands out as a solid option. He's delivered no fewer than 10.7 DK points in four starts this season and has tallied between 18.3 and 20.7 points on three occasions. The downside is that the Giants don't strike out much, so this could be more of a floor than ceiling play.
There are also two potential punt plays worth mentioning. The first is Dane Dunning ($6,600). His skills (9.4 K-BB%) suggest pullback is coming, but he has scored between 15.1 and 20.9 DK points in three of his four outings. Seattle strikes out at a 26.9 percent clip, so Dunning has a chance to pay off nicely. Recommending pitchers at Coors Field isn't a common practice, but we at least have to mention Ryan Feltner ($6,400). He rivals the top tier of arms in terms of K% and SIERA but comes at a 30 percent price discount. The track record of Rockies' pitchers excelling isn't good, and his success could just be because a small sample fluke, but for those building a lot of lineups (or willing to take on a lot of risk) it's worth taking a chance on his discounted price in a matchup against San Diego.
Top Hitters
The Cubs are a team to consider stacking tonight, so I want exposure to their most productive hitters. Michael Busch ($4,500) has already entered that conversation and has shifted up the order in the absence of Seiya Suzuki (oblique) and Ian Happ (hamstring) – the latter of whom could be back Tuesday.
The Twins have been one of the least friendly teams for fantasy purposes to begin the season, but they should get their bats on track against Erick Fedde. He has a significant gap between his ERA (3.10) and xERA (5.24) thanks to a bloated 10.1 percent walk rate while also serving up 2.2HR/9. It's hard to differentiate between Minnesota batters due to their struggles across the board, but Alex Kirilloff ($3,900) is my favorite player to target.
With one relatively cheap batter highlighted, we'll add in another top hitter to consider in Julio Rodriguez ($5,000). He's erased a slow start to the season quickly by tallying multiple extra-base hits in five straight games. As was noted above, there are reasons to doubt Dunning's hot start, so assuming you aren't rostering the Rangers pitcher, Rodriguez is a solid building block.
Value Batters
Ivan Herrera ($3,200) has carved out a regular role in the Cardinals' lineup against lefties, typically hitting fifth in the order. Tommy Henry has a limited sample in the majors, but he has allowed 1.5 HR/9 across 154.1 innings.
Stacks to Consider
Baltimore Orioles vs. Los Angeles Angels (Griffin Canning): Gunnar Henderson ($5,600), Adley Rutschman ($5,100), Ryan O'Hearn ($4,100)
The Orioles have one of the best lineups in the league, featuring elite talent and depth. I've listed the projected top three in the order, but stacking some of the cheaper options through the middle of the lineup is also very viable (Ryan Mountcastle ($4,400), Colton Cowser ($4,300), Cedric Mullins ($4,200)). The matchup is also favorable, as Canning has only an 18.2 percent strikeout rate. That should mean a lot of traffic on the basepaths and potentially a big home run or two.
Colorado Rockies vs. San Diego Padres (Michael King): Charlie Blackmon ($5,000), Ezequiel Tovar ($4,700), Ryan McMahon ($5,200)
We're accustomed to the Rockies having a poor starting rotation, but their lineup struggling is a different factor to consider. They currently rank 23rd in the league in wOBA (16th at home), but Tuesday's matchup lines up for them to put some offense together. King has been up and down through five starts, as he's looked dominant at times but has two separate outings during which he's allowed seven walks and four homers. If he can't find his stuff at Coors, it could be big trouble. This is also a good time to consider the Rockies due to their slow start. That has both lowered their price and likely will mean they won't be popular.
