We’ve got a 12-game slate for Tuesday’s MLB action.
Let’s find some studs and values for your MLB DFS lineups on DraftKings. This article was written before lineups were announced.
Make your DraftKings MLB DFS picks here: MLB $175K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
PITCHER
Stud
Sean Burke, Chicago White Sox vs. Cincinnati Reds ($8,500) — There are some studs on this slate up top, but I definitely prefer living in the midrange, as I love both Burke and Ryan Weathers. Since I can only write up one, I’ll take the $200 discount. Burke has been more than solid this season, posting a 3.36 FIP and 20% K-BB% in 128.2 innings. He is coming off a 9.6 FPTS performance, but that was against Boston, the hottest team in the MLB. Prior to that, he put up over 25 FPTS in five straight games with two of those over 30 FPTS. The matchup is an excellent one, as Cincinnati is second in strikeouts and dead last in wRC+.
Value
Mitch Bratt, Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Colorado Rockies ($5,700) — The season-long numbers are gross for Bratt as the FIP is 5.51 while the K-BB% is only 2.5%, primarily due to the 14.8% walk rate. In his last start, though, he went seven innings, walked three, struck out nine and did not allow an earned run on one hit. That was good for 35.4 FPTS. I’m not expecting another 30-burger, but double-digit FPTS seems more than viable, especially since he gets the Rockies outside of Coors Field.
INFIELD
Stud
Corey Seager, Texas Rangers at Los Angeles Angels ($4,300) — It’s been an off year for Seager due to injury, poor play and bad luck. He’s only accrued 250 plate appearances, the strikeout rate is a career-high 26%, the slash is .195/.300/.381 and the BABIP is only .220. He is still crushing the ball, though, as the average exit velocity is 91.2 mph while the barrel rate is 14.5%. Against right-handed pitching, the ISO is .206 and nine of the 11 home runs hit have come off a righty. Now he faces Ryan Johnson, who has a 6.4 FIP and 5.3% K-BB% against lefties.
Value
Kaelen Culpepper, Minnesota Twins vs. Baltimore Orioles ($2,400) — This was written prior to Monday’s games. The 21st overall pick in the 2024 MLB draft made his debut two games ago. He went 1-for-4 with a home run, good for 14 FPTS. The next day, he went 0-for-1 with a walk, strikeout and run scored, good for 8 FPTS. He batted seventh in the order and should continue in the lineup. He’s cheap, has a solid plate approach/discipline and possesses a decent power/speed combo. In the minors, the strikeout rate was in the teens and never reached 20% while the walk rate was in the 9-10% range. Last season, he went 20/25 in 517 plate appearances. In 343 Triple-A plate appearances this year, Culpepper hit 14 home runs with 63 runs, 46 RBI and 17 stolen bases.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Victor Mesa Jr., Tampa Bay Rays at Athletics ($4,100) — In 164 plate appearances, Mesa Jr. has nine home runs, 19 runs, 10 RBI and five stolen bases. The batting average is only .212 but the BABIP is only .222. The average exit velocity is 89.3 mph with a 12.7% barrel rate and 74 mph bat speed, an increase of 1.3 mph from last season. Against right-handed pitching, the wRC+ is 106 with a .254 ISO. Now he faces Mason Barnett, who has a 6.55 FIP and 5.7% K-BB% against lefties. Mesa Jr. went 0-for-5 last game, but put up 14, 13 and 20 FPTS in the three games before that.
Value
Mike Yastrzemski, Atlanta Braves vs New York Mets ($2,800) — The matchup isn’t great as Nolan McLean is tough. He is still human and has a 3.91 FIP while allowing 10 home runs to lefties. Yastrzmeski has a 90.5 mph average exit velocity and all eight home runs have come off a righty. The wRC+ is 97 with a .170 against right-handed pitching. He’s relatively cheap and has some pop/upside.
