Tonight’s main slate is bursting at the seams, featuring 14 games and aces aplenty. One ace stands out as my favorite, and a trio of bargain hurlers joins him. Tonight’s top stacks all avoid the top pitchers taking the ball tonight.
Check out today’s MLB Grand Slam contest at FanDuel 
Tuesday's Starting Pitcher Strategy
I'm locked in on Lucas Giolito. He's my top pitcher in all game types when factoring in salary, upside, and matchup. Ross Stripling's my preferred SP2 on DraftKings, and he's an intriguing option on FanDuel in GPPs. Chris Flexen and Charlie Morton are also viable SP2 options on DraftKings, though I'm less enamored with using either on FanDuel's single-pitcher format.
Tonight’s main slate is bursting at the seams, featuring 14 games and aces aplenty. One ace stands out as my favorite, and a trio of bargain hurlers joins him. Tonight’s top stacks all avoid the top pitchers taking the ball tonight.
Check out today’s MLB Grand Slam contest at FanDuel
Tuesday's Starting Pitcher Strategy
I'm locked in on Lucas Giolito. He's my top pitcher in all game types when factoring in salary, upside, and matchup. Ross Stripling's my preferred SP2 on DraftKings, and he's an intriguing option on FanDuel in GPPs. Chris Flexen and Charlie Morton are also viable SP2 options on DraftKings, though I'm less enamored with using either on FanDuel's single-pitcher format.
Cash Game Recommendations:
Lucas Giolito (CWS) at PIT
Giolito's been dialed in of late. Over the last 30 days, he's spun a 3.09 ERA, 2.88 SIERA, 0.97 WHIP, 4.8 BB%, 33.6 K%, and 33.2 CSW% in five starts lasting 32.0 innings, per FanGraphs. The Pirates are a soft matchup for him to continue his torrid stretch against.
Pittsburgh ranks 27th in wRC+ (84) against right-handed pitchers this year. Toeing the rubber at pitcher-friendly PNC Park and facing the pitcher rather than a designated hitter are pluses as well.
Ross Stripling (TOR) at MIA
If you haven't been paying attention, you might've missed Stripling turning his season around with a seven-inning bulk-reliever appearance. In five appearances (four starts) over the last 30 days, he's recorded a 2.45 ERA, 3.77 SIERA, 0.92 WHIP, 7.0 BB%, 25.4 K%, and 28.2 CSW%.
His recent run is a significantly better quality of pitching than you should be able to get at his modest salaries. The Marlins are a ho-hum matchup. Also, pitching at Marlins Park means being treated to MLB's fourth-lowest park factor for runs (0.895) and lowest park factor for homers (0.753), according to the FantasyPros MLB Park Factors.
GPP Recommendations:
Charlie Morton (ATL) at NYM
Morton's return season to the team that drafted him didn't get off to a great start. However, his full-season numbers are decent, and he's cruising lately. Over the last 30 days, he has a 3.14 ERA, 3.83 SIERA, 1.08 WHIP, 8.3 BB%, 25.0 K%, and 30.2 CSW%.
The game is nearly a pick 'em, and the total is a pitcher-friendly 7.5 runs. Speaking of pitcher-friendly, no ballpark is harder to score runs in than Citi Field (0.841 runs). He has the upside to warrant a look as an SP2 in GPPs on DraftKings.
Chris Flexen (SEA) vs. COL
If you told me Flexen would acquit himself well in his return stateside before the season, I would've questioned your sanity. However, that's what he's done, with a 4.12 ERA and 4.45 SIERA. Although, he's been at his best of late. In his last four starts stretching across 27.0 innings, he's dazzled to the tune of a 2.67 ERA, 3.64 SIERA, 0.85 WHIP, 3.0 BB%, 20.2 K%, and 28.0 CSW%.
The Rockies provide him a mouthwatering matchup tonight. They rank 25h in wRC+ (86) over the last 30 days and last in wRC+ (71) against righties and on the road (58 wRC+). They've also struck out a whopping 27.0% of the time in road plate appearances, bolstering Flexen's upside tonight.
Top Lineup Stacks
The Astros have a tasty implied total, as you can see checking the game total and moneyline above. Oriole Park at Camden Yards provides them hitter-friendly park factors for runs (1.022) and homers (1.171), too. Toss in a soft matchup against Jorge Lopez and his 5.95 ERA and 4.35 SIERA this year, and Houston's my favorite stack.
The A's have their own soft pitching matchup, opposing a bullpen game against the Rangers. They have the ninth-highest bullpen ERA (4.56). The A's are equipped to rough up the Rangers, ranking as a top-10 offense against lefties and righties.
I'm not crazy about full stacking the Giants on DraftKings. They're overpriced there. Conversely, they're underpriced on FanDuel. San Francisco's platooned their way to ranking tied for seventh in wRC+ (107) against southpaws this year.
View the best player prop bets for today's slate with our MLB Prop Bet Cheat Sheet
- Yordan Alvarez reached the seats last night, and unlike last night, he'll have the platoon advantage against tonight's opposing starter. He's roughed up righties for a .348 OBP, .214 ISO, and 140 wRC+ this season.
- Buster Posey's playing like he's in his MVP-year form. Lefties haven't stood a chance against him in 2021, as he's punished them with a .456 OBP, .275 ISO, and 201 wRC+.
- Michael Brantley's only slightly underpriced on FanDuel, but he's a smoking deal on DraftKings. In 133 plate appearances against right-handed pitching this year, he has a .444 OBP, .190 ISO, and 187 wRC+.
- The switch-hitting Abraham Toro is merely cheap exposure to Houston's plus matchup.
- I'm unlikely to use Wilmer Flores on DraftKings, as he's overpriced there. He's a bargain at FanDuel, though. Flores's 99 wRC+ against lefties this year is nothing special. However, his 110 wRC+ against lefties since 2018 is more enticing to roster at a modest $2,500 FanDuel salary.
Tuesday's Hitter Strategy
Pieces of the Astros and Athletics are the apples of my eye tonight. Specifically, Alvarez and Brantley are my focal points of roster building. Though he's not on either the Astros or the A's, the same can be said about Posey. As for the A's, who I choose to roster from their team will be contingent upon the lineup card manager Bob Melvin turns in.
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Josh Shepardson is a featured writer at FantasyPros. For more from Josh, check out his archive and follow him @BChad50.
