We have a 10-game main slate Tuesday, with five games kicking off before 7:05 pm EDT. There's an interesting player pool, featuring a lack of elite pitching but plenty of solid choices.
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Pitchers
Brandon Woodruff ($10,500) is the highest-priced pitcher of the day, and this is certainly buying at his peak. He does own the highest strikeout rate of any pitcher on the slate and has the benefit of facing a very cold Cubs lineup. There are two other pitchers in the elite category based on their combination of skills and matchup in Hunter Greene ($9,000) and Joe Ryan ($9,800). Greene is arguably the best point-per-dollar play among pitchers thanks to his strikeout upside and a matchup against the Angels, one of the most strikeout-prone lineups in the league. Ryan has been relatively boom or bust and has a tough matchup, but he has a lot of upside on a slate of pitchers that generally possess more floor.
In the next tier, we have quintessential tournament and cash game pitchers. Jacob Lopez ($8,200) has worked a combined 14.2 innings with 19 strikeouts in his last two outings, putting up 39.45 and 35.35 DK points. That isn't likely to continue, but he does draw the Twins. Merrill Kelly ($8,500) has very little upside but is about as safe of a bet for 15 DK points as it gets.
Tanner Bibee ($7,500) has been a significant disappointment in season-long leagues, but he's essentially a discount Kelly. He has a relatively narrow band of outcomes, recording between 16.6 and 19.05 DK points in five of his last six starts. The Diamondbacks aren't a team to target, but they also aren't worth going out of our way to avoid.
This isn't a great day to go diving deep into the pitcher pool for value, but Bryce Elder ($6,000) is worth considering. He's been very inconsistent and difficult to predict throughout his career, but he has allowed only nine earned runs across 19.2 innings since returning to the majors, highlighted by two starts of 17.4 and 23.55 DK points. A matchup against the White Sox also helps.
Top Hitters
The Dodgers are an obvious stacking option in Coors Field, but their offense has been pretty poor overall for the last month. Given their inflated salaries, it may also be difficult to roster a full stack. Teoscar Hernandez ($5,400) is still a hitter I want to target in a matchup against Austin Gomber, as Hernandez has maintained a .308 ISO against southpaws this season.
Kyle Hendricks continues to get better results than he should, but he gives up a ton of contact. That always makes him a pitcher to target to at least some degree, and Noelvi Marte ($4,800) is a strong choice from the Reds on Tuesday night.
Value Bats
Eduardo Rodriguez has been boom or bust in recent starts, so he's a good pitcher to get at least some exposure against, even if it's not a full stack. David Fry ($2,900) hasn't hit particularly well this season, but he is Cleveland's regular cleanup hitter against southpaws and checks in at a very reasonable salary.
Shane Baz has fairly strong overall skills, but he's served up 1.85 HR/9 at home this season. He's not one of the top pitchers to target, but Ryan McMahon ($3,000) has been a solid cheap option since joining the Yankees.
Stacks to Consider
San Diego Padres vs. San Francisco Giants (Kai-Wei Teng): Fernando Tatis ($5,500), Manny Machado ($5,100), Ramon Laureano ($4,000)
Teng has made three starts in the majors and has allowed five, zero and six earned runs while also posting a 1.90 WHIP. He's a pretty straightforward pitcher to target, and the Padres have both a deep and strong lineup even without Jackson Merrill (ankle), making them an easy team to stack with options for a wide range of budgets.
Texas Rangers vs. Kansas City Royals (Seth Lugo): Josh Smith ($3,900), Corey Seager ($4,500), Wyatt Langford ($4,000)
Lugo has been his typical steady self for much of the year, but he's allowed 13 earned runs across his last two starts spanning just eight innings. The Rangers have had up-and-down production as a whole this season, but they are priced well and walk into a suddenly favorable matchup.
