Even though it is April 1, Major League Baseball’s Tuesday night schedule is no joke. There are 11 games on the main MLB DFS slate, with the first pitch scheduled to take place at 7:05 p.m. ET.
Tuesday’s slate includes the second game of several series that started Monday while the torpedo-toting Yankees are welcoming the Diamondbacks in one of the new series just getting underway on Tuesday. Some of the Opening Day pitchers are back for their second start while other rotations are rolling with their fifth starter. It’s an interesting mashup of pitching options, but there are plenty of value plays that make sense both on the mound and at the plate. In this post, I’ll give you my top three MLB DFS Value Picks for Tuesday’s slate.
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SP Casey Mize, Detroit Tigers at Seattle Mariners, $7,500
The Tigers were swept by the Dodgers to open the regular season, but they got into the win column with their 9-6 victory in Seattle on Monday night. Rookie Jackson Jobe looked strong in his first start of the season, and Mize will look to continue that trend as he gets the ball for the first time in 2025.
Mize was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft but has struggled to find his footing in the majors. He went 2-6 with a 4.49 ERA and 3.95 FIP last season in 22 games, but he showed signs of significant progress this spring. In the Grapefruit League, he posted an impressive 1.89 ERA and 3.05 FIP while picking up 25 strikeouts in 19 innings. He debuted a harder splitter that could develop into the “punchout pitch” that he has lacked.
He may be a late bloomer, but he gets a good spot to flourish in his first start of 2025 against the Mariners. Seattle’s lineup is hitting just .188 in their first five games this season with a 28.4% strikeout rate that already has them in the top five of the MLB. In a pitcher-friendly park against a whiff-heavy lineup, Mize is an excellent value under $8,000.
1B/2B Jonathan Aranda, Tampa Bay Rays vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, $2,800
Aranda was one of my favorite breakout candidates coming into the season, and he’s off to a strong start for the Rays. He brings nice positional flexibility and can fit in as a sub-$3K play at either 1B or 2B depending on the rest of your roster construction.
For the last few years, the 26-year-old lefty has appeared to be on the verge of a breakthrough but has been derailed by injuries and issues with playing time. He didn’t start on Opening Day against a lefty, but has hit cleanup and played 1B in each of their three games since, going 5-for-9 (.556) with four doubles. He has a 75% hard-hit rate and a maximum exit velocity over 100 mph in each of his three games this season.
Aranda’s crushing the ball and should be in a good spot against the Pirates on Tuesday at the Rays’ new home at George Steinbrenner Field. He’ll go against righty Thomas Harrington, who had a 5.59 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP in 9 2/3 innings this spring training. Harrington is a decent long-term prospect, but he’ll be making his MLB debut and has struggled at this level so far. This should be a good spot to play Aranda and the Rays’ other affordable bats.
OF Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Angels, $2,500
Walker was all the rage coming out of spring training in 2024, but he hit just .201 with a .268 wOBA in 51 MLB games last season. He did have better numbers at Triple-A, where he hit .263 with nine home runs and a .335 wOBA in 84 games. Walker is still a few months short of 23 years old, so I’m not even sure if he is a “post hype sleeper” or just a player who may be ready to make an impact after getting another year to grow through the system.
In 2025, Walker had a much worse showing in the Grapefruit League, but he has started the season looking much more comfortable at the MLB level. He has started three of the Cardinals’ four games, going 4-for-9 (.444) with two walks and a hit-by-pitch. He has been thrown out in both his stolen base attempts, but the fact that he’s running does give him good upside.
Walker has a 37.5% hard-hit rate so far this season with a max exit velocity of 116.5 mph, so he definitely has power upside as well. Walker and the Cardinals will face veteran Kyle Hendricks ($7,100) in his Angels debut on Tuesday night in St. Louis.
