Tuesday night’s 14-game slate may be the most interesting slate so far. There are a few absolute aces on the mound, and a few atrocious pitchers on the mound as well. This allows for some creative options in the middle tier of pitching.
There are also several outfield stars who need to be rostered, even at their high cost. See below for how I determined to structure a lineup with an ace. You can dive into the specifics below, but of course, the Red Sox and Yankees make for the best stacks tonight.
However, don’t be fooled by the Athletics, Orioles, and Mets, as they represent contrarian stacks that will provide great value. You’ll see some of these plays below.
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Pitcher
Pitching is thin tonight, with over a handful of gas cans on the docket. Most of the mid-tier guys are appropriately priced, and you would probably rather pay up for a stud in Corey Kluber or Max Scherzer, and then opt for a guy with high upside pitching in a pitcher’s park. Luckily, there is one of those tonight. Alternatively, there are a few creative solutions available.
Jordan Lyles (SD): $6,500 vs. ATL
Lyles has been in the starting rotation for about a month now, and his most recent start yielded some promise, as he struck out seven Marlins at home. Lyles is the champion of home-and-away splits – he has a 2.01 ERA at home, versus a 6.50 ERA on the road, and fortunately for you, he’s at home tonight. These numbers are supported by a .193 average, .257 SLG, and .222 wOBA. The Braves have a great offense of course, but with Ronald Acuna out, and Ozzie Albies cooling off over the past two weeks (.200 average with just one homer), this matchup does not seem as daunting as it looks on paper.
If you do not trust Lyles, there are a few other options. Ross Stripling ($9,600 @ PIT) has been on an absolute tear, but you probably cannot pair him with Scherzer or Kluber. I would recommend pairing him with Sean Newcomb ($9,200 @ SD), Lyles’ opposition, who just limited the Nationals to two runs over seven innings. Joe Musgrove ($7,500 vs. LAD) is also hot, holding the red-hot Cubs to one run over seven innings in his previous start. Just make sure you do not pair him up with Stripling, since they are facing each other.
If you still want an ace, but don’t want to sacrifice the big bats against a TON of gas cans tonight, the Red Sox swingman Steven Wright can be an under-the-radar play at just $4,100. He is facing the rebuilding (but still old?) Tigers, who are coming off a doubleheader against the Bronx Bombers, in Comerica Park. With a 2.25 ERA and 1.19 WHIP out of the bullpen, Wright is getting a spot start in a juicy matchup. The only downside is that Wright is unlikely to pitch more than five or six innings, but should be in line for a win – the Red Sox are facing a guy making his first start of the season who had a 5.06 ERA in Triple-A.
Catcher
Any Red Sox Catcher @DET: Sandy Leon ($3,100), Blake Swihart ($2,700), Christian Vazquez ($2,600)
Even without superstar/ pro bowler Mookie Betts in the lineup, the vaunted Red Sox offense should still pound Artie Lewicki, the pitcher described in the previous paragraph. With an atrocious 35% groundball rate, look for balls to be flying all over Comerica tonight. If one of these guys can just get on base, they should be able to score some runs.
Other Notables
- Kevin Plawecki (NYM): $2,800 vs. BAL – Facing a gas can in Alex Cobb, slated to hit in the middle of the order
- Buster Posey (SFG): $3,800 vs. ARI – 13-for-46 lifetime against Patrick Corbin, who has stumbled lately
First Base
Tyler Austin (NYY): $3,600 @ TOR
Austin is by no means a guarantee to start. But, in his limited sample size against probable starter Marco Estrada, he 100% should be. In his five at-bats against Mr. Estrada, Austin has three dingers. A 60% HR/AB rate is unsustainable, but this is the type of play that can win you a GPP.
The Yanks showed their confidence in Austin by not optioning him to the minors when Greg Bird was activated, and you should show him that confidence too. If Neil Walker ($3,600) starts over Austin and Bird, he also has a tremendous track record against Estrada. You can even start him at second.
Other Notables
- Jose Martinez (STL): $3,700 vs. MIA – Martinez has been scuffling, but Urena is prone to blow-ups
- Kendrys Morales (TOR): $3,300 vs. NYY – 9-for-24 lifetime against C.C. Sabathia with two homers
Second Base
Joe Panik (SF): $3,200 vs. ARI
Panik recently came off the DL, and naturally, DraftKings hasn’t quite adjusted for him coming off of said DL. Hitting .297/.357/.416, Panik is severely undervalued against a guy who has struggled lately in Patrick Corbin. Since coming off the DL, he is 6-for-11 with four runs scored. If he can get on base, Buster Posey should be able to drive him in, with his penchant for hitting Corbin.
Other Notables
- Jonathan Schoop (BAL): $3,500 @ NYM – Facing a gas can in Jason Vargas, and Schoop has multi-HR power
- Eduardo Nunez (BOS): $3,200 @ DET – Hitting .400 over the past week, this 2B/SS should be able to get on-base against Lewicki
Third Base
Danny Valencia (BAL): $3,100 @ NYM
Valencia just came off the paternity list Friday and was playing well in semi-regular playing time, hitting .287 with five homers over 108 at-bats. While Valencia does not have a history of success in his limited sample size against Jason Vargas, he has a .310 average lifetime against lefties and has double the rate of homers against them. Valencia is likely to be underowned, and makes for a nice stack with Schoop/Manny Machado/Adam Jones, against the 35-year-old with the 8.53 ERA.
Other Notables
- Jose Reyes (NYM): $2,800 vs. BAL – Only endorsing this super cheap option due to Alex Cobb being almost as bad as Vargas
- Anthony Rendon (WAS): $4,000 vs. TB – Pummels Nathan Eovaldi for breakfast (8-for-21 lifetime)
Shortstop
Carlos Correa (HOU): $4,400 vs. SEA
Okay, hear me out. I know that a $4K+ investment is not what you’re looking for in a value play. However, Correa has crushed Paxton in the past, to the tune of 7-for-18 with two doubles. Correa has had a rough last month, but Correa is a superstar in this league, and to get him at anything under $4.5K is a value.
Other Notables
- Brandon Crawford (SFG): $3,500 vs. ARI – Same reasons as above for the other Giants – a nice contrarian stack
- Amed Rosario (NYM) – $3,200 vs. BAL – Hitting .283 with three SBs and three HRs over the past month, facing Cobb
Outfield
If you look up the best hitter splits for tonight, you’ll see all the big boppers at the top: Harper, Judge, Stanton, and Springer, amongst many others. It’s imperative that you find a way to get one of these guys in your lineups, due to their strong track records against the probable starters. Personally, I’m avoiding Aaron Judge, given that he struck out almost a million times in Monday’s doubleheader.
With that said, he’ll probably go off now. After you slide one of these guys in, here are a few other options to look at.
- Adam Jones (BAL): $3,800 @ NYM – Are you tired of me recommending Orioles yet? In a lineup with Manny Machado, anything can happen
- Nelson Cruz (SEA): $4,200 @ HOU – Pummels Dallas Keuchel (11-for-33, six homers)
- Jason Heyward (CHC): $3,200 vs. PHI – I can’t believe I’m writing this, but Heyward has been hitting well lately, and seeing time at the top of the order
My GPP Lineup
P: Scherzer
P: Lyles
C: Starting Red Sox catcher
1B: Tyler Austin
2B: Neil Walker – If he does not play, I’ll insert Eduardo Nunez for the Red Sox stack
3B: Rafael Devers – Slumping, but Red Sox should pile on some runs
SS: Correa
OF: Giancarlo Stanton – Remember what I said about getting one of these power bats in the lineup?
OF: Cruz
OF: Heyward
Be sure to pay close attention to the lineups when they are released and monitor the weather leading up to game time. For reference throughout the season, be sure to bookmark our overview of MLB Park Factors and how to Use Weather to Your Advantage in MLB DFS. Also, check out our GPP and Cash Games Primers to learn more about different daily fantasy game types specific to MLB. Best of luck!
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Carmen Maiorano is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Carmen, check out his archive and follow him @cmaiorano3.
