This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
We have a loaded main slate on DraftKings consisting of 10 games. The action starts early at 1:10 PM EDT, so be ready to get your lineups in early. Here are some players to consider as your wade your way through the options.
Pitchers
Shane Bieber ($10,600) surprisingly lost his first start of the season against the Tigers, but that was more because of a lack of run support than anything else. He only gave up three runs across six innings while recording a whopping 12 strikeouts. He had a 41.1 percent strikeout rate last season, recording at least 10 strikeouts in eight of his 12 starts. Considering he never recorded fewer than eight strikeouts in a game last season, he should once again thrive in that department Tuesday versus the Royals.
Another ace who is set to take the mound is Aaron Nola ($9,400). He handled a tough Braves' lineup in his first start, allowing two runs and recording six strikeouts across 6.2 innings. Nola often finds himself pitching deep into games. He averaged nearly six innings a start in 2020 and had thrown at least 200 innings in both of the previous two seasons. The Mets' lineup is no pushover, but Nola could still end the night with a valuable stat line.
The Marlins have a lot of intriguing young starting pitchers, one of which is Pablo Lopez ($6,800). He made significant strides last season, posting a 3.61 ERA that was supported by a 3.09 FIP. His strikeout rate jumped to 24.6 percent and he only allowed four home runs across 57.1 innings. He carried over that success into his first start of 2021, registering four strikeouts across five scoreless innings against the Rays. At this reasonable salary, he's someone to at least consider for his matchup against the Cardinals.
Top Targets
The Indians didn't have an overly potent lineup last year and things look even bleaker for them this season after they traded away Francisco Lindor. However, they do still have the talented Jose Ramirez ($5,700), who excelled last season with a 164 wRC+. This could be a prime spot to deploy him in DFS against Royals' starter Jakob Junis ($6,200), who has a 4.76 FIP and a 1.35 WHIP for his career. Also, don't sleep on his teammate Eddie Rosario ($4,600), who enters with a career .201 ISO and a very respectable 19.0 percent strikeout rate.
Brandon Lowe ($4,800) became one of the anchors of the Rays' lineup last season, posting a .285 ISO and .385 wOBA. Despite only playing in a total of 138 games the last two seasons, he's launched 31 home runs. Add in his career .364 wOBA against right-handed pitchers and he could be a tough out for Nathan Eovaldi ($7,700).
Bargain Bats
Alec Bohm's ($3,100) salary seems way too low. He's a talented hitter and he showed good control at the plate in his big-league debut last season, posting a 20.0 percent strikeout rate across 44 games. On the mound for the Mets will be David Peterson ($7,000), who only had a 19.5 percent strikeout rate to go along with an 11.7 percent walk rate last season.
Staying in that same game, Andrew McCutchen ($3,200) might also be someone to consider. He's often thrived against left-handed pitching, posting a career .403 wOBA against them, compared to a .358 wOBA versus righties.
Stacks to Consider
Blue Jays vs. Kyle Gibson ($5,500), Rangers: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. ($5,000), Bo Bichette ($5,300), Cavan Biggio ($4,700)
Things couldn't have gone much worse for Gibson in his first start of the season. He was torched by the Royals, allowing five runs while recording just one out. This comes on the heels of back-to-back seasons with an ERA of at least 4.84 and a WHIP of at least 1.44. Things won't get any easier for him against the Blue Jays, who still have a potent lineup, despite the absence of George Springer (oblique).
Twins vs. Matthew Boyd ($6,900), Tigers: Nelson Cruz ($5,100), Byron Buxton ($3,900), Jorge Polanco ($3,400)
Boyd threw 5.2 scoreless innings in his first start of the season against Cleveland, but his line was hardly exciting. He issued four walks while recording just two strikeouts, so his outing could have been much worse. He's never finished with a FIP below 4.32 and he had a bloated 5.78 FIP last season, making him a pitcher to attack in DFS. On top of that, he's allowed 1.7 HR/9 for his career. That could be a recipe for disaster against Cruz, who has a career .278 ISO versus left-handed pitchers.
White Sox vs. Justin Dunn ($6,700), Mariners: Jose Abreu ($5,700), Yoan Moncada ($4,900), Adam Eaton ($4,000)
Dunn worked his way into the Mariners' starting rotation last year, throwing 45.2 innings over 10 starts. It wasn't pretty, though, with him posting a 4.34 ERA and an even worse 6.54 FIP. He also gave up 10 home runs while producing a 15.7 percent walk rate. That's a deadly combination, especially against the loaded White Sox lineup. Eaton might not possess the power that Abreu and Moncada do, but he normally gets on base at a high rate and he's been batting second against right-handed pitchers, which puts him in a favorable spot to score runs.
