With less than four weeks left in the regular season, pennant races are heating up across Major League Baseball. Tuesday night’s 10-game main slate on DraftKings includes several important matchups, including the Royals and Guardians going head-to-head as they race for the NL Central. That matchup is one of five divisional games on the slate, which also includes a regional rivalry in Los Angeles as the Angels host the Dodgers.
As you get your lineups together from the 20 teams in action, you might find yourself running short on salary cap space. Here are three players who can help with that by bringing very high ceilings at their affordable salaries:
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Rally Cap [$50K to 1st]
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SP Ryne Nelson, Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants, $7,200
Nelson was a mess in his first 13 starts of the season, going 5-6 with a 5.69 ERA and 4.47 FIP, but he has turned things around in a big way since July 1, going 4-0 with a 2.77 ERA and 3.00 FIP in his last 10 outings and allowing two runs or fewer in each of his last four starts. He has also turned up his strikeout rate, jumping from 6.1 K/9 in his first 13 starts to 9.6 K/9 since the All-Star break.
The remarkable turnaround has resulted in him becoming one of the most trusted starters on the Snakes’ staff as they look to surge into the playoffs. Nelson has earned over 21 fantasy points in four of his last six outings, highlighted by a huge 35.4-fantasy point performance against the Phillies.
Nelson hasn’t faced the Giants during his recent run of success but did have a strong outing against them in June. He will be helped by the fact that this start is on the road in pitcher-friendly Oracle Park, and it should be a good matchup for him since the Giants rank in the bottom five in the MLB in runs scored and top five in K% over the last 30 days.
Getting such a high ceiling from a pitcher in good form and a favorable matchup at $7,200 makes Tuesday definitely a night to consider going Full Nelson.
2B Will Wagner, Toronto Blue Jays vs. Philadelphia Phillies, $3,000
I’ve been in on Wagner since the Jays acquired him at the trade deadline from the Astros in the Yusei Kikuchi trade. Wagner tore up Triple-A in both organizations, hitting .307 with a .392 wOBA in 70 games for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys and .400 with a .495 wOBA in seven games with the Buffalo Bison.
Since joining the Jays, he has been a regular against righties. In 17 games, he is hitting .345 with two home runs, six doubles and an impressive .392 wOBA. He has averaged 7.2 fantasy points per game and had a massive 34-point outburst on Saturday in Minnesota. He will likely be in the heart of the lineup against Tyler Phillips ($6,700) and the Phillies in Toronto on Tuesday, and he’s a great option at 2B since his salary is only $3,000.
OF Brewer Hicklen, Milwaukee Brewers vs. St. Louis Cardinals, $2,000
While it may seem fated that this player ended up with this team, it’s actually been quite a journey for the 28-year-old righty who played in the Royals and Phillies farm systems over the past seven seasons. He had a brief cameo in the MLB in 2022 and then signed with Milwaukee as a minor league free agent coming into this year.
In Triple-A this year, Hicklen had a breakout season with the Nashville Sounds, hitting 21 homers and posting a career-high 42 stolen bases in 105 games. His .372 wOBA shows he’s not just a speed merchant but also offers solid power and batting average potential.
Brewer debuted for the Brewers on Sunday after being called up when rosters expanded. It looks like the team will give him a chance to platoon in the outfield, playing him against lefties like Tuesday’s opposing starter Steven Matz ($6,200). Matz has battled injury most of the season and struggled when available, posting a 6.18 ERA and 1.73 WHIP in his six games. Based on his season in the minors, Hicklen has plenty of upside to be a great punt play at the minimum salary this Tuesday.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $200K Rally Cap [$50K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is z.thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
