It’s Tuesday and there’s a massive 11-game featured slate taking place on the diamond this evening. Are you a fan of elite starting pitching? Because there’s no shortage of aces taking the mound tonight, including AL Cy Young Award favorite Tarik Skubal ($10,500) and Reynaldo Lopez ($9,600), the only man in baseball with 75-plus innings and an ERA under 2.00.
Who should you build your lineups around? Let’s dive in.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $250K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
For up-to-the-minute news, analysis and lineups, download the DK Network app. You also can follow DK Network on Twitter @dknetwork.
PITCHER
Stud
Grayson Rodriguez, Baltimore Orioles at Seattle Mariners, $9,400 – It’s been an odd season for Rodriguez. The former top prospect has been good, pitching to a 3.72 ERA and a 3.63 FIP in his 14 starts, yet he hasn’t made the jump to stardom that some were expecting coming into his sophomore campaign. That won’t completely change tonight, but Rodriguez should turn some heads against the Mariners. Seattle has struggled to produce runs all year long and the biggest reason is the team’s inability to make consistent contact. To wit, over the past two weeks, the Mariners own baseball’s highest strikeout rate (29.3%). Rodriguez already has one double-digit strikeout performance in 2024. He might make it two on Tuesday.
Value
Simeon Woods-Richardson, Minnesota Twins vs. Detroit Tigers, $7,200 – While Woods-Richardson isn’t going to wow anyone with his modest strikeout rate (20.5%) and swinging strike rate (9.1%), he has been quite good for the Twins in 2024, registering a 3.41 ERA and a 3.64 FIP. On Tuesday, he’ll draw a matchup with the lowly Tigers. Detroit has been unable to do much with the bats across the last 14 days, sitting dead-last in MLB within the span in both wOBA (.261) and wRC+ (67). Woods-Richardson has already faced the Tigers this season, allowing a single earned run over six innings. SWR would finish that outing with 23.7 DKFP.
INFIELD
Stud
Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals vs. Tampa Bay Rays, $6,400 – There’s never a bad day to get Witt in a couple lineups. The 24-year-old has been incredible in 2024, entering play on Tuesday with a .312 average, a .406 expected wOBA and 22 stolen bases. He’s the total package. What makes today extra appealing is Witt’s matchup. Zack Littell ($7,400) owns a 4.82 ERA across his last 12 starts and opposing RHBs are slashing .306/.343/.485 off Tampa’s RHP in that same span.
Stud
Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves vs. San Francisco Giants, $5,200 – It’s been a disappointing season for Olson, yet if there’s one place the slugger has looked like himself in 2024, it’s been at Truist Park. To wit, Olson has managed an .844 OPS and a 134 wRC+ when hitting at home, compared to a putrid 87 wRC+ when hitting on the road. Hayden Birdsong ($6,000) has only made three career starts above Double-A. I think I can safely suggest that Olson has the advantage in this particular matchup.
Value
Michael Busch, Chicago Cubs vs. Philadelphia Phillies, $3,900 – You might notice tonight’s tilt between the Cubs and the Phillies has one of the slate’s highest totals on the DraftKings Sportsbook. There’s two reasons for that. First, the wind is blowing out at Wrigley on Tuesday. Second, Michael Mercado ($7,000) is making his first career MLB start. I’d expect Chicago to put up some crooked numbers and for Busch to be in the middle of the action. The rookie owns a 129 wRC+ so far this season.
Value
Brendan Rodgers, Colorado Rockies vs. Milwaukee Brewers, $3,700 – The Baseball Gods can be cruel from time-to-time. Need evidence? Look no further than Dallas Keuchel ($5,000) having to pitch at Coors Field after just making his return to MLB last week. The 36-year-old surrendered a pair of home runs in his four innings of work and I’d expect more of the same tonight. Rodgers is a nice place to start for a Rockies stack, as the former first-round pick is slashing .345/.368/.582 with a 152 wRC+ versus LHPs in 2024.
OUTFIELD
Stud
Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers at Colorado Rockies, $6,300 – It’s difficult to put into words how much Ryan Feltner ($5,500) has floundered while pitching at Coors Field in 2024, so let’s use numbers instead. Specifically against LHBs in Colorado, Feltner has surrendered a .363 average and a .650 slugging percentage. Yikes. That makes every left-handed bat in Milwaukee’s lineup viable, but especially Yelich, who sports a 152 wRC+ and has stolen 19 bases this season.
Stud
Juan Soto, New York Yankees vs. Cincinnati Reds, $6,100 – While it briefly seemed like Soto might be headed for the IL this past weekend, the veteran returned to the Yankees’ lineup on Sunday, going 1-for-3 with a pair of walks. For the season as a whole, Soto is in possession of a 1.005 OPS and a .460 expected wOBA. He’s been everything New York fans could’ve dreamed of. This evening, he’ll square off with Graham Ashcraft ($6,800). The RHP has been underwhelming in 2024, pitching to a 5.45 ERA and conceding 1.97 home runs per nine to opposing LHBs.
Value
Jarred Kelenic, Atlanta Braves vs. San Francisco Giants, $3,900 – Kelenic is simply too cheap. Not only is the outfielder now cemented into the Braves’ leadoff spot against RHPs, but Kelenic has been red-hot at the dish. In June, the 24-year-old slashed .304/.356/.543 with a 151 wRC+. Three days ago, he clubbed a home run off Paul Skenes. I think he can handle the aforementioned Birdsong.
Set your DraftKings fantasy baseball lineups here: MLB $250K Bat Flip [$50K to 1st]
The Crown Is Yours: Sign up for DraftKings and experience the ultimate host for games and betting experiences!
All views expressed are my own. I am an employee of DraftKings and am ineligible to play in public DFS or DKSB contests.
