There are a few aces set to take the mound on Tuesday, which could make scoring difficult to come by in those games. However, there are also some bad pitchers who could give up runs in bunches. Let’s dive into some appealing stacks to target for DraftKings’ main slate of action.
Set your DraftKings lineups here: MLB $300K Gyroball [$100K to 1st]
1. St. Louis Cardinals
The Royals have been hit hard by injuries to their starting rotation. They are currently without Danny Duffy (forearm), Jakob Junis (back) and Mike Montgomery (lat), which has forced them to take a chance on Matt Harvey ($5,300). He was terrible across 12 starts for the Angels last year, posting a 7.09 ERA and a 6.35 FIP. He was done in by the long ball, allowing two home runs per nine innings. His first start with the Royals didn’t go well when he allowed three runs and two home runs over three innings against the Reds.
After an outbreak of COVID-19 on the team, the Cardinals are now playing catchup in terms of the schedule. They scored nine runs in the first game of this series with the Royals on Monday and have scored 15 runs over their last two contests combined. One area that they excel in is making contact, which has left them to only average 7.7 strikeouts per game. To put that into perspective, among the teams who have played at least 28 games, the Dodgers have been the best in terms of limiting strikeouts with 7.5 per contest. Harvey could be in trouble here.
Players to Consider
Paul Goldschmidt ($4,700)
Tommy Edman ($4,300)
Paul DeJong ($4,100)
Yadier Molina ($3,600)
Dylan Carlson ($2,700)
2. Chicago White Sox
The White Sox have built a scary lineup that has helped propel them to a 17-12 record. They have averaged five runs a game and their .807 OPS as a team is the second-highest mark in baseball behind only the Yankees (.819 OPS). Their .481 slugging percentage actually leads all of baseball, so to say that they are dangerous would be an understatement.
They will look to keep things rolling against the Pirates and left-hander Steven Brault ($5,900), who shut out the Indians across give innings in his last start. However, the Indians have the third-lowest OPS (.654) in the league, so don’t get overly excited about one good outing. He’s been underwhelming for his career, recording a 4.80 ERA that is supported by a 4.75 FIP. He also doesn’t miss many bats, resulting in a career 18.8 percent strikeout rate. Asking him to build off of his last start against this potent lineup is a tall order.
Players to Consider
Tim Anderson ($5,400)
Jose Abreu ($5,000)
Yoan Moncada ($4,700)
Luis Robert ($4,500)
3. Oakland Athletics
If there’s one thing that the A’s have in their lineup, it’s power. They have launched 43 home runs already, which is the eighth-most in baseball. That’s helped them average 4.9 runs a game despite having to play their home games in a pitcher-friendly environment. If there is a concern with them, it’s that they strike out a ton. Their 301 strikeouts not only leads baseball, but that’s 19 more than the next closest team, which is the Rays with 282 strikeouts.
The good news for the A’s is that they won’t be facing an overwhelming starter Tuesday in Kyle Gibson ($7,000), who has an 18 percent strikeout rate for his career. Gibson also allows way too many base runners, which has left him with a 1.54 WHIP this season and a 1.41 WHIP for his career. Although he did hold the A’s to three runs across six innings the first time they faced off this year, duplicating that level of success might be difficult.
Players to Consider
Matt Chapman ($5,300)
Matt Olson ($5,300)
Marcus Semien ($5,000)
Ramon Laureano ($4,600)
Mark Canha ($4,600)
4. Chicago Cubs
The Cubs are missing a big part of their lineup right now with Kris Bryant (finger) on the IL. He was struggling before the injury, though, hitting just .177 with a .323 slugging percentage. Even with him playing so poorly, their .741 OPS is among the middle-of-the-pack in baseball. They scored nine runs against the Tigers on Monday and could be in store for a productive series considering the Tigers have allowed 5.9 runs per game for the season.
It might be difficult for the Tigers to hold the Cubs down with Spencer Turnbull ($8,700) on the mound. His 3.65 ERA isn’t bad, but he’s been on the edge of disaster more often than not considering he’s issued four walks in three of his five starts. He also hasn’t exactly faced tough lineups since he’s started against the Indians, Pirates and Reds (twice), all three of which rank inside the bottom-10 in the league in OPS.
Players to Consider
Anthony Rizzo ($5,200)
Javier Baez ($4,600)
Kyle Schwarber ($4,100)
Jason Kipnis ($2,900)
5. San Diego Padres
Overtaking the Dodgers in the NL West is probably a long shot for the Padres, but they are squarely in the playoff race with an 18-12 record that has included seven straight victories. Their lineup has been the driving force behind their success, averaging 5.4 runs per contest. They are tied for the second-most home runs (55) in baseball and they have the fourth-highest OPS (.799). What’s even more impressive is that they are doing this with Tommy Pham (hand) out the last seven games.
The Mariners will throw their best starter against the Padres when Marco Gonzales ($6,600) takes the mound for this matchup. His excellent control has helped him generate a 0.88 WHIP across his first five starts, but he’s also been aided by his .232 BABIP allowed. The problem for him in this game is that the Padres’ two best hitters, Fernando Tatis Jr. ($5,600) and Manny Machado ($4,800), crush left-handed pitching.
Players to Consider
Fernando Tatis Jr. ($5,600)
Manny Machado ($4,800)
Will Myers ($3,400)
Ty France ($3,400)
Set your DraftKings lineups here: MLB $300K Gyroball [$100K to 1st]
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