This article is part of our DraftKings MLB series.
Tuesday's featured MLB slate begins at 7:05 p.m. EDT and includes 12 games. In a slate with some questions surrounding the limited high-end pitching options, expect most of the focus to be on top sluggers. Below, you'll find recommended pitchers and hitters to target, as well as some value plays and stacking options.
Pitchers
Max Scherzer ($10,800) is a high-risk, high-reward option against the Mets. He lasted just one inning when he faced the Mets on Wednesday before leaving with a hamstring injury, but Washington's ace is capable of carrying a lineup if he puts down a full start against New York's bottom-10 offense. Scherzer sports a gaudy 37.9 percent strikeout rate on the young season after posting a 35.1 percent mark in 2019.
A high-risk, high-reward option on the opposite end of the price spectrum is Detroit's Tyler Alexander ($6,000) against the White Sox. It's unclear how stretched out Alexander will be after previously working in the bullpen, but his nine consecutive strikeouts against the Reds in his last appearance Aug. 2 demonstrate the upside he possesses.
Dylan Bundy ($9,700) is off to a spectacular start for the Angels, with a robust 25:2 K:BB and just five runs allowed on 11 hits over 21.2 innings. Oakland isn't the easiest opponent, but Bundy has already proven capable of handling the A's, as he posted 28.6 fantasy points against them with 6.2 innings on one-run ball in his first start. With Scherzer's injury uncertainty, Bundy's probably the safest pitching option available.
Marco Gonzales ($6,600) has had some trouble with the long ball, but the Mariners lefty has been outstanding otherwise. He has gone after hitters, posting a sparkling 15:2 K:BB in 17.2 innings through three starts. That approach should pay off against a Rangers offense that ranks 29th with 3.40 runs per game.
Ross Stripling ($7,900) has always benefited tremendously from the pitcher-friendly confines of Dodger Stadium; he has a career 3.06 ERA and .289 wOBA allowed at home compared to 3.99 and .309 road marks. The same trend has emerged over a small sample in 2020, as he allowed one run in seven innings in his lone home start compared to seven runs in 11 road innings. While the visiting Padres represent a tough matchup, unlike years past, Stripling should still be worth locking in at home.
Top Targets
Fans or no fans, Coors Field remains a hitter's paradise. The venue ranks second with a 1.71 park factor on the young season and led the league at 1.39 in 2019. It's prohibitively expensive to stack Rockies at home, and Charlie Blackmon ($6,000) should be your man if you have to pick just one. Blackmon leads the league with a 1.217 OPS, and the left-handed slugger will have the platoon advantage against D-Backs righty Zac Gallen.
There's rarely a bad time to lock in Mike Trout ($6,100), and he should certainly be given consideration coming off a four-hit, two-homer performance. He'll be facing A's righty Mike Fiers, who owns a 5.63 ERA and 5.85 xFIP on the season.
Best Values
The Mariners offer a two-pack of enticing value outfielders against Rangers lefty Mike Minor. The 25-year-old Kyle Lewis ($4,000) is slashing .373/.440/.567 and bats third, while the 28-year-old Dylan Moore ($3,900) is slashing .333/.388/.689 while occupying the two-hole.
Jordan Luplow's ($3,000) season got off to a disastrous start as he was hampered by a back injury, but he finally got his first home run (and hit) of the year in his last appearance. He managed a .474 wOBA against left-handed pitching last season, so look for Luplow to build on his last performance against Cubs starter Jon Lester.
Stacks to Consider
Yankees vs. Braves RHP Touki Toussaint: Aaron Judge (OF - $6,300), Gio Urshela (3B - $4,800), Luke Voit (1B - $4,200)
Toussaint has electric stuff, but the 24-year-old righty hasn't shown the consistency necessary to navigate a lineup as tough as New York's, and he has already yielded nine earned runs in 13.1 innings this season. Meanwhile, the Yankees are undefeated in the Bronx. Judge is finally healthy again and has opened the season on a power binge. He's tied for the league lead in both home runs (eight) and RBI (19). Urshela posted a .373 wOBA in righty-on-righty matchups during his breakout 2019 campaign, and he has bumped that up to .415 so far in 2020. Voit is sometimes overlooked given New York's other premier power bats, but he has launched 39 home runs in 170 games with the Yankees while slashing .278/.380/.518 in pinstripes.
Diamondbacks at Rockies LHP Kyle Freeland: Ketel Marte (2B - $5,200), Andy Young (3B - $3,900), Starling Marte (OF - $4,900)
While Freeland's off to a strong start, stacking Arizona's top bats should be a winning strategy at Coors Field and can be done more affordably than stacking Colorado's best hitters. The switch-hitting Ketel Marte is coming off a four-hit performance in the first game of this series, and he's slashing .333/.347/.449 after posting a .329/.389/.592 line in 2019. Make sure Young's in the lineup before locking him in, but the rookie will likely get the nod given his platoon advantage over Freeland. Young's first 11 plate appearances at the major league level have yielded a .375/.545/.875 line, and his .611 slugging percentage in Triple-A last season suggests Young's power is legit. Starling Marte's combination of power and speed makes him an ideal fit for Coors Field's hitter-friendly conditions.
Tigers vs. White Sox LHP Gio Gonzalez: Niko Goodrum (SS - $3,900), Jonathan Schoop (2B - $4,000), JaCoby Jones (OF - $2,900)
Detroit provides a nearly ideal low-cost stacking option against the struggling Gonzalez, who has allowed 11 runs (10 earned) in 11.2 innings on the young season. The switch-hitting Goodrum is riding a hot streak out of the leadoff spot, with two home runs and three doubles among his eight hits over the past four games. Schoop continues to occupy the two-hole, and he posted a .376 wOBA against southpaws last season compared to a meager .305 mark against righties. The affordable Jones has earned an everyday role recently thanks to a surprising .333/.391/.786 line through 46 plate appearances. That hot hitting almost certainly won't last, but the risk is minimal at just $2,900.
