This is going to be an interesting slate. We’ve got nine games starting on the diamond past 7:00 p.m. ET tonight and I would be lying if I said the probable pitching matchups were a defining feature. In fact, there’s only three pitchers priced at or above $9K and two of them are Seth Lugo ($9,300) and Kevin Gausman ($9,000). It’s a little underwhelming.
How does that affect your lineups? Let’s dive in and break it all down.
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PITCHER
Stud
Kevin Gausman, Toronto Blue Jays at Los Angeles Angels, $9,000 – People will justifiably gravitate to Michael King ($9,500) with the lack of elite pitching options, but Gausman might be a nice pivot for those looking to spend up on a starter. The veteran’s overall numbers remain uninspiring, yet Gausman’s been better lately, registering at least 18.0 FPTS in four of his last six outings. In general, he’s also performed well pitching away from Rogers Centre in 2024, posting a 2.74 ERA and a 3.72 FIP on the road. Then there’s the matchup. The Angels have struggled with the bats since the All-Star break, sitting 24th in wRC+ (94) and dead-last in ISO (.115).
Value
Kyle Harrison, San Francisco Giants vs. Atlanta Braves, $7,400 – Save for one horrible outing in Cincinnati, Harrison’s been pretty good across the last month, surrendering two earned runs or fewer in four of his last five starts. The key to Harrison’s success in 2024? Location. Not fastball location. His physical location. The left-hander owns a 2.81 FIP and 24.9% strikeout rate when pitching in San Francisco this season. That FIP jumps to an ugly 5.45 on the road. Considering Atlanta ranks second in baseball in strikeout rate since the All-Star break (28.2%), I feel like there’s a decent chance that Harrison thrives on Tuesday evening.
INFIELD
Stud
Corey Seager, Texas Rangers at Boston Red Sox, $5,400 – It’s been a rough go for Kutter Crawford ($8,000). In his last four starts, the Red Sox starter has surrendered 13 home runs. That’s right. 13 long balls in just 18.2 innings of work. That why, for the season as a whole, Crawford is suddenly conceding an inflated 2.15 home runs per nine to opposing LHBs. Seager, one of the game’s best left-handed hitters, has managed seven homers and a .524 ISO so far in August. You can see where this is going.
Stud
Vinnie Pasquantino, Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins, $5,000 – Count Pasquantino among those who have been red-hot since the All-Star break. In 97 plate appearances, the first baseman is slashing .315/.333/.543 with a .228 ISO and a 139 wRC+. On Tuesday, Pasquantino will draw an opposite-hand matchup with Zebby Matthews ($7,700), a rookie making his first MLB start. Advantage to Pasquantino.
Value
Eugenio Suarez, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Colorado Rockies, $3,800 – There was a point not too long ago when it appeared that Suarez was cooked. This was clearly not the case. Dating back to July 1, Suarez is slashing .305/.361/.641 with a .336 ISO and a 170 wRC+. Basically, the 33-year-old starting mashing home runs again. Suarez has always been dangerous against LHPs, sporting a career .830 OPS within the split. Meanwhile, Austin Gomber ($6,500) has given up eight long balls in his last five starts.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Juan Soto, New York Yankees at Chicago White Sox, $6,400 – The Yankees stranded so, so, so many runners in their lopsided loss on Monday night. It sort of just feels like they’re going to explode on Tuesday, doesn’t it? Soto is a great place to start your New York stack. The 25-year-old is having the best offensive campaign of his career, entering the day with a .475 expected wOBA and a 186 wRC+. Jonathan Cannon ($6,700) is also surrendering 1.69 home runs per nine to opposing LHBs. That helps, too.
Stud
Brandon Nimmo, New York Mets vs. Oakland Athletics, $4,800 – Nimmo is in a bit of a slump at the moment, yet the presence of Ross Stripling ($6,000) should help get the veteran outfielder back in rhythm. To be blunt, Stripling just isn’t missing any bats. The RHP enters play on Tuesday ranking in the first percentile of both whiff rate (16.5%) and strikeout rate (12.5%). As such, opposing LHBs have teed-off on Stripling to the tune of a .335 batting average and a .485 slugging percentage. Woof.
Value
Josh Smith, Texas Rangers at Boston Red Sox, $4,000 – I already mentioned how much Crawford has struggled in his past four starts, but let’s really get into it. Since July 21, Crawford has faced 46 LHBs. Those men have combined to slash .357/.413/.976 with eight home runs and a pair of doubles. Smith owns a 122 wRC+ in 2024. He’s cheap, left-handed and will likely be batting third for the Rangers this evening. He’s obviously viable.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Knuckleball [$50K to 1st]
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
