Ummm, guys? We’re starting to run out of time. Somehow there’s now less than three weeks left in baseball’s regular season, and the Autumn Equinox is two days away. Where did the summer go? It’s a fair question, one I’ll be more than happy to ponder as I sort through tonight’s 11-game featured slate.
Let’s find some studs and values.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $222K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
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PITCHER
Stud
Nestor Cortes, New York Yankees vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, $9,800 - Cortes continues to be the Yankees’ under-the-radar ace in 2022, as the veteran has maintained a sterling 2.63 ERA and 2.74 FIP across his past nine appearances. However, his recent success might be less important than his handedness on Tuesday evening. The Pirates just can’t hit lefties. For the season as a whole, Pittsburgh owns a putrid 81 wRC+ within the split. More noteworthy is the team’s 26.9% strikeout rate against southpaws — the second-highest mark in baseball. Cortes possesses a ton of upside in this matchup.
Value
Austin Voth, Baltimore Orioles vs. Detroit Tigers, $6,700 - Woof. This is not a fun slate for pitching once you get below $8K. That being said, using a right-handed starter against the Tigers has been a pretty successful strategy for most of the season. Detroit enters this contest sitting dead-last in wOBA (.266) and wRC+ (72) within the split. That opens the door for Voth, who doesn’t bring a sizable amount of strikeout upside to the table, yet he has registered a 2.44 ERA across his past 44.1 innings of work. If he can manage to pick up a win in this matchup, 3x value is certainly in the range of possibilities.
INFIELD
Stud
Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals at San Diego Padres, $6,200 - I probably don’t have to explore Goldschmidt’s viability too much. In 606 plate appearances, the veteran is hitting .322 with a .599 slugging percentage and a 184 wRC+. There’s a very good chance that he’s going to win National League MVP. But how about Mike Clevinger ($7,300)? The RHP has struggled lately, particularly with keeping the ball in the park. It’s been RHBs giving Clevinger the most issues in his last eight starts, as righties have combined for a .417 wOBA within that span. Look for Goldschmidt to keep that trend going.
Stud
Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves vs. Washington Nationals, $5,400 - Any time Riley draws a left-handed opponent, you’ve got to find a way to get him in a lineup or two. In his 155 plate appearances within the split in 2022, Riley is batting .338 with a 208 wRC+. The lefty he’s seen most often in his career? Patrick Corbin ($5,500). In fact, in 27 at-bats, Riley’s sporting a .998 OPS off of Washington’s pseudo ace. It makes sense, particularly when you factor in Corbin’s 6.43 xERA this season.
Value
Elvis Andrus, Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians, $3,800 - Andrus has been in another stratosphere in September, seemingly fuelled by his release from an Athletics team that no longer wanted to give him at-bats. Whatever the case, in 80 plate appearances in the month, the 34-year-old is sporting a .351 average and a 181 wRC+. Heck, he’s hit five home runs in that span. Aaron Civale ($8,400) had been pitching well in August, but following another trip to the IL, I’ll give the edge to Andrus and the White Sox.
Value
J.D. Davis, San Francisco Giants at Colorado Rockies, $3,300 - Davis had been underwhelming with the Mets in 2022, yet since his trade to the Giants, he’s rediscovered his ability to crush LHPs. To wit, in his 63 plate appearances within the split dating back to August 1, Davis has managed a .291 ISO and a 167 wRC+. There’s still some swing-and-miss issues, but strikeouts have never been a strength of Kyle Freeland ($6,800). Neither has pitching at Coors Field, where Freeland owns a 5.74 ERA this season.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers, $6,300 - Despite what had been at one point described as a chronic back issue, Trout’s looked exactly like himself since coming off a lengthy IL stint. Heck, he somehow sits third in the AL in home runs (36) even while lacking the necessary number of plate appearances to qualify for the batting title. Trout’s been especially great against southpaws in 2022, with a .340 ISO and a 202 wRC+ within the split. Cole Ragans ($5,200) is left-handed. Ragans also has a 5.99 FIP in his six MLB starts.
Stud
Anthony Santander, Baltimore Orioles vs. Detroit Tigers, $4,800 - The switch-hitting Santander has had a breakout campaign in 2022, yet he’s been at his very best when facing a left-handed opponent. In his 163 plate appearances as a right-handed hitter, Santander possesses a .234 ISO and a 153 wRC+. Those figures jump to a .382 ISO and a 213 wRC+ when said lefty is facing Santander at Camden — the exact scenario Joey Wentz ($5,700) finds himself in tonight. Tread carefully, Joey.
Value
Stone Garrett, Arizona Diamondbacks at Los Angeles Dodgers, $2,500 - Garrett has recently been hitting leadoff for the Diamondbacks against LHPs, which makes him incredibly viable for tonight’s matchup with Tyler Anderson ($8,600). It’s a limited sample, but in 35 plate appearances versus lefties this season, Garrett is slashing .323/.344/.516 with a 138 wRC+. In fact, he’s been just as good against RHPs, which means Garrett likely won’t be pinch-hit for later in the game. That’s a massive boost to his floor.
Value
Sam Haggerty, Seattle Mariners at Oakland Athletics, $2,500 - Haggerty is your standard platoon bat. He hits lefties really well and the Mariners love slotting him into the middle of their lineup when facing a southpaw. How well is really well? In 62 plate appearances within the split in 2022, Haggerty is slashing .400/.459/.745. So pretty well. Considering JP Sears ($6,600) has surrendered 11 earned runs in his past six innings of work, I like Haggerty and Seattle to do some serious damage on Tuesday.
TEAMS TO STACK
Seattle Mariners at Oakland Athletics - A lot of this depends how Seattle’s lineup shakes out — and if Julio Rodriguez ($5,500; back) is healthy enough to play — but the Mariners have several bats in an advantageous position against Sears, even with Eugenio Suarez on the IL. Haggerty hits lefties well. Dylan Moore ($3,000) owns a 150 wRC+ within the split. Cal Raleigh ($4,100), Ty France ($3,900) and Carlos Santana ($2,800) have all been well above average against southpaws in 2022. There’s a good mix of cheap assets here to make stacks affordable and potent.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $222K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and customer (my username is theglt13) 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.
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