I just want to take a moment off the top to congratulate Framber Valdez ($11,000) on his no-hitter last week. The fact it was also a Maddux is insane and truly speaks to how dominant the left-hander was that evening. Even more crazy? The fact that Valdez has registered 47.7 DKFP and -8.4 DKFP in his last two outings, respectively. Baseball is a wild game, man.
Valdez is on tonight’s 11-game slate. Let’s dive in.
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PITCHER
Stud
Max Scherzer, Texas Rangers at Oakland Athletics, $10,800 – It didn’t start particularly well, but Scherzer’s first start with the Rangers got much better as it went along, and the veteran eventually finished with nine strikeouts and 24.4 DKFP across six innings. Scherzer also wound up with a 19.0% swinging strike rate — his second-highest mark of the season. The 39-year-old will look to carry that momentum forward into Tuesday’s outing with the always struggling Athletics. Oakland pairs the league’s second-lowest OPS (.659) and wOBA (.291) against RHPs with its third-highest strikeout rate (25.2%). It’s difficult to imagine a better matchup.
Value
Brady Singer, Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox, $7,400 – While I could also make a case for Grayson Rodriguez ($6,900), Singer appears to be the most intriguing value option on Tuesday’s slate. The RHP, coming off a breakout campaign in 2022, was terrible in the WBC and to begin the regular season, but he looks like he’s once again starting to find his stride. Singer’s racked up at least 22.0 DKFP in each of his past three outings and, going back to June 27, the former first-round pick owns a 3.00 ERA and a 3.00 FIP over 45.0 innings of work. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are slumping, as the team has produced just an 86 wRC+ across the last two weeks.
INFIELD
Stud
Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves at Pittsburgh Pirates, $5,900 – Don’t look now, but Mitch Keller ($8,900) is imploding. The All-Star has a 9.97 ERA across his last four outings, and the clear issue has been Keller’s inability to retire LHBs. To wit, opposing lefties are slashing .387/.443/.839 across that span, as Keller’s surrendered 4.73 long balls per nine within the split. Matt Olson is left-handed. Matt Olson leads the National League with 39 home runs. You can see where this is going.
Stud
Cody Bellinger, Chicago Cubs at New York Mets, $5,300 – I’m not exactly sure what Bellinger did at the All-Star break, but he should bottle it and sell it to the public. In his 102 plate appearances since the Midsummer Classic, Bellinger is slashing .413/.451/.696 with a 207 wRC+. He’s almost singlehandedly carried the Cubs back into a playoff spot. I’d expect that success to continue tonight, as Chicago faces off with Carlos Carrasco ($6,400). Cookie has a 6.62 xERA and is allowing 1.77 home runs per nine. Woof.
Value
Jeimer Candelario, Chicago Cubs at New York Mets, $4,000 – Candelario is a switch-hitter, but he’s clearly been at his best in 2023 when batting from the left-hand side. In 314 plate appearances within the split, Candelario owns a .258 ISO and a 142 wRC+. The infielder has also been producing since being dealt to Chicago at the deadline, hitting .458 with five extra-base hits in his seven games with the Cubs. Not too shabby at all.
Value
Ezequiel Duran, Texas Rangers at Oakland Athletics, $3,200 – Duran hit seventh against the left-handed Ken Waldichuk on Monday, filling in at third base for the injured Josh Jung (thumb). Obviously you can’t replace the type of production, although Duran’s having a pretty nice season of his own — especially when facing southpaws. In 98 plate appearances within the split, Duran is sporting a .397 wOBA and a 157 wRC+. JP Sears ($7,300) would be wise to circle Duran’s name on the lineup card.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers at Arizona Diamondbacks, $6,400 – I’ll admit that Brandon Pfaadt ($6,200) looked better in his last start against the Giants, but the long ball remains a serious issue. The rookie RHP has allowed 14 home runs in just nine MLB appearances, which comes out to a jarring 2.84 home runs per nine innings. Betts has the skill to take advantage of his flaw, and the former MVP is red-hot at the moment. Since the All-Star Game, Betts is slashing .313/.406/.566 with a 163 wRC+.
Stud
Randal Grichuk, Los Angeles Angels vs. San Francisco Giants, $4,200 – He’s no longer assisted by the altitude, but Grichuk’s numbers against LHPs play anywhere. In 85 plate appearances within the split in 2023, the veteran outfielder is hitting .359 with a .282 ISO and a 164 wRC+. Both Scott Alexander ($4,000) and Alex Wood ($5,400) are lefties. Needless to say, this lines up swimmingly for Grichuk.
Value
Tommy Pham, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers, $3,200 – The two times Pham has faced a left-handed pitcher as a member of the Diamondbacks, he’s hit out of the three-spot in the lineup. Why? Because he owns a .265 ISO and a 128 wRC+ when facing a southpaw in 2023. Julio Urias ($9,100) isn’t generally a left-hander to stack against, yet he’s not looked like himself this season — particularly on the road. Urias sports a 7.88 ERA and a 6.30 FIP away from Dodger Stadium. Yikes.
Value
Jake Bauers, New York Yankees at Chicago White Sox, $2,800 – The term “lone bright spot” is too extreme, but Bauers has certainly been one of few positives for the Yankees in 2023. In 182 plate appearances versus right-handed pitching, Bauers has mustered a .281 ISO and a 124 wRC+. He’s been so good within the split, that he’s now Aaron Boone’s primary leadoff guy. Touki Toussaint ($5,700) is nothing special, so Bauers is in a nice spot on Tuesday at a dirt cheap price point.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $300K Relay Throw [$100K to 1st]
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