After three games on the early turbo slate, Major League Baseball has a massive 12-game main slate this Tuesday night’s DFS fantasy baseball contests. The contests begin at 7:10 p.m. ET and include 24 teams in the player pool. Of the 12 games, three are divisional showdowns, and six are interleague matchups, including the latest edition of the Subway Series as the Mets host the Yankees.
With so many teams in play on Tuesday, there are plenty of superstars to build around and different ways to consider filling out your lineup card. Since you will need to manage your salary cap space carefully, it’s critical to be aware of the best bargain options as well. Below, I’ve highlighted my top cheap plays on this huge 12-game slate. These players come at very low salaries but still bring very high ceilings.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $250K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
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SP Kyle Hendricks, Chicago Cubs at San Francisco Giants, $5,600
Hendricks is extremely affordable on Tuesday as the second-cheapest probable starting pitcher, but he brings a lot of upside into his second straight start against San Francisco. The 10-year veteran actually lost his spot in the rotation after going 0-4 with a 10.57 ERA in his first seven starts of the year, but since moving to the bullpen he has found a nice rhythm, going 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA and 3.15 FIP in his last six games. He has allowed just one run over 14 1⁄3 innings in his last four games, and he moved back into the starting rotation last Wednesday when he faced this same matchup against the Giants. He held the Giants to just one run on two hits in 5 2⁄3 innings with eight strikeouts on his way to a dominant 29-DKFP performance. Hendricks was also at home at Wrigley Field for that matchup and will be in a more pitcher-friendly environment at Oracle Park by the Bay for this start. The Giants won the first game of this series on Monday to snap a five-game losing skid, but they are still struggling at the plate, averaging 4.0 runs per game with a .214 team batting average and 25.3% K% over their last six games. Hendricks will look to continue their struggles and build on his success from last week as he continues to turn his season around.
1B Rowdy Tellez, Pittsburgh Pirates at Cincinnati Reds, $2,800
Against right-handed starting pitchers, Tellez is usually in the middle third of the Pirates’ batting order, and he has been heating up lately, making him a good value play with power potential this Tuesday. Tellez is hitting only .222 on the season but in his 16 games in June, he is hitting .340 (17-for-50) with five doubles, a home run, 10 RBI and a .387 wOBA. The 29-year-old lefty already has four barrels in June after totaling only three in all of April and May. Tellez and the Pirates face Hunter Greene ($8,600) in the second game of their stop in Cincinnati, and Tellez has gone 4-for-13 (.308) against Greene in their past meetings.
OF Bryce Johnson, San Diego Padres vs. Washington Nationals, $2,000
The Padres made several roster moves on Monday, including placing Fernando Tatis Jr. (quad) on IL and calling up Johnson from Triple-A for his first MLB action of the season. Johnson went 0-for-2 in his season debut before being lifted for pinch hitter David Peralta ($2,500) once the lefty Patrick Corbin had left the game. With another lefty in MacKenzie Gore ($8,800) starting on Tuesday in San Diego, Johnson is likely to be in the lineup to start with again on Tuesday. Johnson signed with the Padres after spending the last two seasons with the Giants. The 28-year-old hit .301 in 61 games for the El Paso Chihuahuas in Triple-A, adding three home runs and 18 stolen bases for a .406 wOBA and 130 wRC+. Johnson brings good potential for a player at the minimum salary and is a good fit if you need to pay all the way down at a roster spot to squeeze in the stars you want elsewhere.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $250K Bat Flip [$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.
