We’re here. The best stretch of the year to be a sports fan. College football is underway, we’re less than 72 hours from a real NFL game and NBA training camp is just around the corner.
It’s also the final month of the MLB regular season. The dog days are over. It’s now time to see which teams rise to the top. Specific to tonight, that means a 10-game featured slate on DraftKings. Let’s dive in.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Rally Cap [$50K to 1st]
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PITCHER
Stud
Chris Sale, Atlanta Braves vs. Colorado Rockies, $10,800 – Sale is undoubtedly going to be popular on Tuesday. Really, that’s the only reason to consider fading him, because the stats validate his hefty price tag. The left-hander has been masterful throughout 2024 — the first season in a half-decade that he’s been able to throw over 150 innings. Across 25 starts, Sale owns a microscopic 2.07 FIP to go along with a league-high 32.7% strikeout rate. He’ll make easy work of a Rockies team that sports a 27.9% strikeout rate and 78 wRC+ away from Coors Field, which means you can differentiate your lineups elsewhere.
Value
Ryne Nelson, Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants, $7,200 – It seems like everyone on the Diamondbacks has been having an amazing second-half to the season and that certainly includes Nelson. Since the beginning of July, the right-hander is in possession of a 2.77 ERA and a 3.00 FIP. In that same 11-start span, Nelson has also registered a 24.9% strikeout rate and a 0.98 WHIP. Any way you slice it, he’s been one of the major reasons that Arizona now sits comfortably in a playoff slot. Nelson will look to keep the good times going on Tuesday in a matchup with the Giants, who own baseball’s highest strikeout rate over the last two weeks (28.9%).
INFIELD
Stud
William Contreras, Milwaukee Brewers vs. St. Louis Cardinals, $5,200 – As has been the case his whole career, you want to be using Contreras against left-handed pitching. In 471 plate appearances at the MLB level within the split, the backstop is slashing .328/.411/.561 with a .412 wOBA and a 164 wRC+. The lefty he’ll face this evening? Steven Matz ($6,200), who will be making his first start since late April. If Matz’s 6.18 ERA is any indication, the veteran southpaw did not begin 2024 all that well before hitting the IL.
Stud
Oneil Cruz, Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs, $5,100 – A move to the outfielder has been stealing the headlines, but Cruz’s bat has been spectacular in recent weeks. In fact, since the beginning of August, Cruz is slashing .359/.417/.495 with a 151 wRC+. I don’t expect that hot streak to come to an end at the hands of Kyle Hendricks ($6,200). The veteran RHP has struggled all season long, yet he’s been particularly bad against LHBs. Left-handed hitters are batting .322 with a .401 wOBA off Hendricks in 2024.
Value
Spencer Horwitz, Toronto Blue Jays vs. Philadelphia Phillies, $3,900 – The Phillies have re-called Tyler Phillips ($6,700) to start on Tuesday and that could be good news for the Blue Jays. In Phillips’ last three outings in the big leagues, the 26-year-old has allowed 17 earned runs across just 11.0 innings of work. Woof. Meanwhile, Toronto’s young and cheap bats have been providing owners a lot of value in recent weeks. Horwitz might be the best of the bunch — especially in matchups with RHPs. In 239 plate appearances within the split, Horwitz has managed an .850 OPS and a 142 wRC+.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Juan Soto, New York Yankees at Texas Rangers, $6,500 – The Yankees are facing the left-handed Andrew Heaney ($6,000). Therefore, it would be logical to get Aaron Judge ($6,900) into your lineups — a right-handed hitter with a league-high .494 expected wOBA versus LHPs. However, it feels like Soto still isn’t getting enough love for his success in left-on-left matchups this season. Soto’s .467 expected wOBA against southpaws is actually the third-highest qualified mark in baseball. Handedness doesn’t matter with the All-Star. He’s a little cheaper than his teammate and I’d expect him to garner less ownership.
Stud
Jackson Chourio, Milwaukee Brewers vs. St. Louis Cardinals, $4,500 – In my humble opinion, Chourio isn’t getting enough love for NL Rookie of the Year. He’s also not getting enough love on DraftKings, where his salary remains way too low. What does the man have to do to get a little respect? Dating back to June 1, Chourio is slashing .318/.371/.540 with a .911 OPS and a 151 wRC+. It’s a stretch where he’s hit 13 home runs and stolen 13 bases. The 20-year-old does everything. He’s in a great spot on Tuesday against the aforementioned Matz.
Value
Ramon Laureano, Atlanta Braves vs. Colorado Rockies, $3,200 – It’s very odd that Kyle Freeland ($5,500) is a Rockies’ pitcher with significant location reverse-splits, but here we are. The lefty owns a 7.34 ERA on the road this season and opposing hitters have managed a massive .413 wOBA in those outings. Tonight, he’ll be taking the mound in Atlanta. That’s great news for Laureano, who is slashing .409/.458/.750 in his 48 plate appearances versus southpaws as a member of the Braves.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Rally Cap [$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.
