This article is part of our FanDuel MLB series.
A robust 12-game slate awaits Tuesday. The plethora of games yields your typical depth of arms to sort through, though some of the prices seem curious. I jump all over the place when writing, and as this evolved, the $4k+ bats didn't seem to make much sense to pay for with so many palatable options below that tag. So perhaps paying up for arms is the answer. I will also add I encountered FanDuel account issues late Monday while trying to round this article out, so who knows what could have changed.
Pitching
Aaron Nola, PHI vs. WAS ($10,200): It's not preferable to target the most expensive arm against a Juan Soto-led offense, but Nola is coming off a 49 FDP outing against Washington, and the Nats slugger is just 4-of-21 off him in his career. The 49-point outing represents Nola's floor and he's hit it four times in six outings, suggesting he's worth the price in cash and GPPs.
Zach Plesac, CLE at KAN ($9,700): He's making his first start since August 8 but was dominant before demotion for off-field reasons. Facing a Royals' offense that fans a reasonable 24.0 percent of the time and posts only a 90 wRC+ against righties, I'd expect Plesac to be heavily targeted as a pivot from Nola.
Jon Lester, CHC at PIT ($8,300): Given the matchup, Lester is going to be a very popular target for casual players. He was worth 31 FDP in a previous matchup against Pittsburgh, but as woeful as the Pirates offense has been, they surprisingly rank 10th against lefties by posting a (albeit modest) .337 wOBA, and fan only 20.8 percent of the time. Lester presents as a better cash buy-down rather than a GPP upside option.
Sean Manaea, OAK at SEA ($7,400): The price point is a bit high to be honest, but Manaea may be my preferred GPP target. He's allowed only four runs over his last three starts after 15 in his first four. In addition, the Mariners are woeful against lefties, posting a league-low .259 wOBA and 63 wRC+, while fanning 27.5 percent of the time.
Top Targets
Trevor Story, COL vs. SFG ($4,400): Story is in good form, going for 9.2 FDP or more in nine straight prior to Sunday. He's had limited exposure to Tuesday starter Kevin Gausman, who has allowed four homers in his last three outings. That could give Story some additional upside, as he hasn't gone deep in five games. I'm not doing my job if I don't list a bat in Coors Field here, and Story certainly profiles well.
Nelson Cruz, MIN vs CWS ($4,100): Cruz continues to smash lefties, coming in with a .611 wOBA, 297 wRC+, .594 ISO and 50.0 percent hard hit rate. White Sox starter Dallas Keuchel has been brilliant this season, but Cruz brings a 14-of-45 (.311 average) history to the table, having homered five times against him
Value Bats
Marcell Ozuna, ATL at BOS ($3,300): As a team, Atlanta has labored against lefties, so while a stack seems obvious against Red Sox starter Kyle Hart (15 runs across nine innings), it's likely to be too trendy. Ozuna is the exception, as he's raking southpaws to the tune of a .488 wOBA, 210 wRC+, .478 ISO and a 41.2 percent hard hit rate (and 0.0 percent soft hit rate). Austin Riley ($2,500) is well worth considering too given his current form, but a full recommendation can't be made given his paltry wRC+ against lefties.
Tyler Naquin, CLE at KAN ($2,700): Cleveland bats are going to be heavily targeted Tuesday against Matt Harvey, who has allowed seven runs across 5.2 frames. He's been equally generous to bats from both sides of the plate, which puts a lot of secondary options in play, such as Cesar Hernandez, Franmil Reyes, and recently acquired Josh Naylor. Naquin leads the way though with a .413 wOBA, 159 wRC+, .298 ISO and 51.4 percent hard hit rate against righties.
Stacks to Consider
Astros vs. Jordan Lyles: Kyle Tucker ($3,600), George Springer ($3,500), Michael Brantley ($2,900)
The pricing for Astros' bats seems incredibly low here, season-long form be damned. Lyles is getting shelled on a regular basis, having allowed at least three runs in five straight starts and 14 over his last two, spanning only eight innings. He's allowing a .505 wOBA to righties, and a 6.44 xFIP to lefties despite a 66.4 percent left on base rate, so we can target either side of the plate for the 'Stros. Tucker is white hot, going for double-digit points in eight of 10. Brantley brings a .358 wOBA to the table, while Springer hits atop the order, and plays into that inflated wOBA Lyles is allowing to righties.
White Sox vs. Michael Pineda: Jose Abreu ($3,700), Eloy Jimenez ($3,800), Luis Robert ($3,500)
While Abreu's torrid homer pace has cooled some over the last few days, this trio all has plus matchup stats against righties, and Pineda is making his season debut after a lengthy suspension. Roberts' .392 wOBA and 151 wRC+ is the worst of this stack, with Jimenez's .299 ISO ranks third. A quick buzz through game logs shows all are in fine form, and with none checking in north of $4k, there aren't cost concerns.
