Tuesday presents us with the possibility of a huge 12-game MLB featured slate on DraftKings, yet the local weather might have a different idea. They’re calling for rain in Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis, so make sure to keep an eye on the news — or a doppler — as we inch closer to lock.
Let’s dive in and find some studs and values.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $250K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
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PITCHER
Stud
Hunter Greene, Cincinnati Reds vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, $8,600 – The Pirates have struggled to do much with the bats over the last two weeks and Greene is part of the reason why. Across the last 14 days, Pittsburgh owns just a 75 wRC+ — the fourth-lowest mark in baseball. Six days ago, Greene went into PNC Park and tossed 6.1 scoreless innings against the Pirates with nine strikeouts. He’d finish with 29.9 DKFP. I’m expecting a similar type of performance this evening. For the season, Greene sports a 3.13 xERA and a 26.6% strikeout rate. In general, he shouldn’t be priced below $9K with his massive upside.
Value
Hunter Brown, Houston Astros vs. Colorado Rockies, $8,000 – I’m sort of cheating with a second mid-tier option, but that’s how good Brown’s been the last month. After some serious struggles to begin 2024, Brown’s registered a 1.45 ERA and a 31.9% strikeout rate over his last five outings. It’s a span of time where the RHP has also held opponents to a modest .249 wOBA. I’d expect the run of success to continue tonight against the Rockies, who possess just a .127 ISO and an 84 wRC+ away from Coors this season. Colorado has also managed a 25.4% strikeout rate within the split — the fourth-highest mark in MLB.
INFIELD
Stud
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers at Chicago White Sox, $6,500 – Ohtani has had quite the power surge so far in June, posting a .383 ISO and a .447 wOBA in his 98 plate appearances this month. That includes hitting a long ball in three of his last four games. It’s no guarantee that Ohtani goes deep again on Tuesday, but the stats suggest there’s a pretty good chance. Chris Flexen ($5,500) has struggled quite a bit with LHBs in 2024, surrendering an eye-popping 2.42 home runs per nine within the split.
Stud
Patrick Bailey, San Francisco Giants vs. Chicago Cubs, $4,200 – Even with Kyle Hendricks ($5,600) having recently pitched well, the veteran RHP still owns a 7.46 ERA across 50.2 innings this season. Hendricks has also been destroyed by left-handed bats, allowing those within the split to hit 2.36 home runs per nine. Enter Bailey. The switch-hitting backstop has been cemented into the three-spot in the Giants’ lineup against righties and it’s not difficult to see why. Bailey has mustered an .840 OPS and a 142 wRC+ as a left-handed bat so far in 2024.
Value
Josh Smith, Texas Rangers at Milwaukee Brewers, $4,000 – Not only does Smith provide positional flexibility, he provides a jolt with his bat. Smith is hitting exactly .300 with a 149 wRC+ this season, which is likely why he now find himself batting out of the three-spot in the Rangers’ lineup. Bryse Wilson ($6,000) should be an ideal matchup for the left-handed infielder. Wilson’s pitched poorly as a starter in 2024 and LHBs have been his biggest problem. In fact, lefties have managed a .396 wOBA off Wilson.
Value
Spencer Horwitz, Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox, $3,900 – There’s not much for Blue Jays fans to be happy about at the moment, but Horwitz is an exception. In his 54 plate appearances at the MLB level in 2024, Horwitz is slashing .364/.481/.545 with a .436 expected wOBA and a 195 wRC+. It’s a small sample, but the 26-year-old is currently tearing the cover off the ball. Tonight, he’ll face Brayan Bello ($7,500). The RHP has had his issues in June, pitching to an inflated 6.23 ERA. For the season as a whole, Bello’s also given up 1.91 home runs per nine to opposing LHBs.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees at New York Mets, $6,400 – The Subway Series is back and I’d be looking for Judge to do some damage against his cross-town rivals. Judge’s numbers dating back to May 1 are a pipe dream. In his last 203 plate appearances, the former MVP is slashing .366/.480/.878 with a 269 wRC+. Basically, Judge’s slugging percentage the past two months is better than 90% of the league’s OPS. Specific to Tuesday’s matchup, Judge leads all qualified AL hitters in expected wOBA versus LHPs (.476). Good luck, David Peterson ($6,300).
Stud
Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox vs. Toronto Blue Jays, $5,400 – Duran is in the midst of a breakout campaign, a campaign where he’s strikes fear into the heart of every RHP he faces. In his 250 plate appearances within the split, Duran is slashing .303/.360/.553 with a 149 wRC+. Duran’s also simply been red-hot in June, registering a 203 wRC+ in the month. That’s all enough to make Duran viable on his own, but let’s not overlook the matchup. Kevin Gausman ($8,100) had had issues with LHBs in 2024, conceding a .367 wOBA within the split. Then there’s the Jays bullpen. That unit comes into Tuesday’s action with an MLB-worst 4.93 FIP.
Value
Wyatt Langford, Texas Rangers at Milwaukee Brewers, $3,600 – Langford isn’t a lefty like the aforementioned Smith, but he is cheap and finally starting to live up to his preseason hype. In June, in 80 plate appearances, the rookie is slashing .307/.350/.507 with a 140 wRC+. Specific to his last seven games, Langford has five extra-base hits and 10 RBI. It appears the 22-year-old is flourishing.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $250K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
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All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
