After a light schedule on Monday, Major League Baseball begins the July schedule in earnest on Tuesday night with all 30 teams taking the field. Four games are on the early slate, leaving 11 games to fill up the Tuesday night main slate on DraftKings. The contests on that main slate lock at 7:05 p.m. ET when the Reds visit the Yankees in the first game of the night. The other 10 games on the schedule include three divisional games including the final game of the night between the Dodgers and the DBacks in Los Angeles. The other especially notable game for fantasy baseball purposes is the matchup between the Rockies and the Brewers which takes place in the rarified air of Coors Field, where the teams combined for 27 hits and 15 runs in the series opener on Monday.
With 22 teams available, there are plenty of options to consider as you assemble your fantasy lineups for this Tuesday. There are several big-name stars in great spots, but you will need to manage your salary cap space carefully to afford the big names you want to include. Getting the right cheap value plays is critical to fantasy success, and there are some great options available with low salaries this Tuesday. Let’s take a closer look at my three favorite bargain plays of the day:
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $250K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
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SP Jose Soriano, Los Angeles Angels at Oakland Athletics $7,500
Soriano is expected to return from the 15-day IL after spending the minimum time on the sideline after an abdominal infection forced him to miss a couple of turns in the rotation. Before being sidelined, the 25-year-old righty was putting together a solid season for the Angels, and he seemed to be finding a nice groove. Overall, he is 4-5 with a 3.48 ERA, 3.91 FIP and 7.5 K/9, but he posted a 2.77 ERA and 3.57 FIP over his last six starts with at least five strikeouts in four of those six games. He also pitched at least six innings in each of his last five outings and was very efficient, never reaching 100 pitches. One of his best starts of the season was his last start, which was on the road in Arizona. He pitched into the ninth inning and allowed just two runs on five hits to earn 23.8 DKFP and his fourth win of the season. He may be on a light pitch count limit after his time off, but his efficiency and the fact that it wasn’t an arm issue should allow him to still be a productive fantasy option at this salary. Even though Soriano doesn’t typically have sky-high strikeout potential, he brings a high ceiling in this favorable matchup against the Athletics. The A’s have the second-highest K% in the MLB and the third-lowest team batting average on the season. Oakland also has the second-highest K% and second-lowest team batting average over the last 30 days. Oakland has scored fewer runs this season than any other team on this 11-game slate, averaging just 3.6 runs per contest. The matchup should be a good spot for Soriano in his return, so take advantage of this good opportunity to get one of the Angels’ most reliable starters with an injury markdown and low expected ownership.
OF Willie Calhoun, Los Angeles Angels at Oakland Athletics, $3,000
The Angels lineup has some good value to consider in this AL West matchup, as well. They actually had a quiet six-game winning streak before losing on Sunday and will look to get back on track in this favorable spot by the Bay. Calhoun has been hitting in the heart of the order and the lefty has provided some nice pop during the Halos’ recent surge. He had six hits in his last six games, including three doubles and a home run, while going 6-for-15 (.400) with a .547 wOBA. Calhoun has a .323 wOBA on the season and a solid .281 batting average. To start this series, Calhoun and the Angels will face Mitch Spence ($6,600), who they roughed up for six runs in 5 2⁄3 innings in his last start. Spence has surrendered 18 runs in 30 innings over his last five starts and has allowed lefties to hit .289 against him this season with a .348 wOBA. Calhoun should be a solid source of salary savings and production in this matchup at just $3,000.
1B Ben Rice, New York Yankees vs. Cincinnati Reds, $2,500
Rice is another left-handed hitter who has a great matchup this Tuesday and comes at an even lower salary. He’ll be facing Graham Ashcraft ($6,800) at Yankee Stadium, and Ashcraft has given up 18 runs in 19 innings over his last four starts, including four home runs. You’ll definitely want some exposure to the Yankees’ power-packed lineup since Ashcraft has surrendered 45 homers in his 58 MLB career starts. Rice is a great way to get some Yankees exposure without paying a premium price. The rookie is hitting .273 in his 12 games since being called up with two doubles, six walks and four runs scored. He had 15 DKFP on Sunday for the best fantasy performance of his young career. Rice spent most of this season at Double-A with a brief stint at Triple-A before being called up to fill in for the injured Anthony Rizzo (forearm). In 60 minor league games, he totaled 15 homers while hitting .275 with a .925 OPS. He also stole nine bases in 10 attempts, so there is a little speed potential mixed into his power profile, making him a very strong option with good upside at only $2,500.
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.
