Tuesday brings a busy schedule across baseball with 11 games making up the main MLB slate on DraftKings. There are several struggling pitchers set to take the mound, so let’s discuss five fantasy baseball stacks to consider as you build your DraftKings lineups.
Set your DraftKings lineups here: MLB $200K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
1. Atlanta Braves
The Braves took the first game of this important series Monday with a 5-4 win. They looked to be headed for an even bigger offensive night after scoring all five of their runs in the first two innings, but they had to settle on that amount after being shut down by the Marlins’ bullpen. Still, it was another good showing from an excellent lineup that has a .885 OPS playing in Atlanta.
Things are shaping up nicely for them to have another productive night with Jose Urena ($6,600) scheduled to start for the Marlins. He struggled last year with a 4.74 FIP and a 1.48 WHIP and has carried that over into this season with a 5.79 FIP and a 1.53 WHIP across three starts. He’s shown very little control with a 13.2 percent walk rate, which is a recipe for disaster considering he only has a 15.9 percent strikeout rate for his career.
Players to Consider
Ronald Acuna Jr. ($6,000)
Freddie Freeman ($5,400)
Ozzie Albies ($5,300)
Adam Duvall ($4,800)
Nick Markakis ($3,800)
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
Not much of an argument needs to be made for deploying a Dodgers stack on any given night. They have the second-highest OPS (.810) and have hit the most home runs in baseball. It should also help their cause Tuesday that they will play the A’s in Los Angeles since they have a .856 OPS there compared to a .776 OPS on the road.
Given the unenviable task of trying to slow them down is Frankie Montas ($8,500), who has been unable to build on his improved numbers from 2019. He enters this outing with a 4.72 FIP and has seen his ERA balloon from 2.63 last season to 5.86 this season. One of the main areas of concern for him has been his 10.4 percent walk rate. He’s also having a hard time keeping hitters inside the ballpark, allowing 1.5 HR/9 after limiting hitters to 0.8 HR/9 last year.
Players to Consider
Mookie Betts ($6,100)
Cody Bellinger ($5,600)
Corey Seager ($5,500)
Will Smith ($4,600)
3. Miami Marlins
The Marlins find themselves battling for a playoff spot during the final week of the season. Playing the Braves is a tough task, but it might actually help their cause that this series is on the road. They are 17-11 there this season compared to just 11-15 at home. Part of their success away from home could be that they have a .732 OPS on the road compared to a .689 OPS when playing in Miami.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them continue their improved hitting on the road with Bryse Wilson ($5,500) set to start for the Braves. He’s only made four relief appearances this season and has struggled with a 7.75 FIP and a 2.09 WHIP. Across his six appearances last year, he was equally as bad with a 6.36 FIP and a 1.80 WHIP.
Players to Consider
Starling Marte ($5,700)
Brian Anderson ($4,700)
Miguel Rojas ($4,500)
Corey Dickerson ($3,700)
Garrett Cooper ($3,600)
4. Houston Astros
Given their success in recent seasons, it’s strange to see the Astros so far down the offensive leaderboards in baseball. Their .713 OPS ranks 20th in the league and they have averaged only 4.6 runs a game. Some of that has been because of injuries, but the struggles of Jose Altuve ($4,200) has further complicated matters. A career .312 hitter, his batting average is a shockingly-low .222 heading into Tuesday.
With all of that being said, this could still be a favorable spot to deploy an Astros stack against Ljay Newsome ($6,200). After mostly pitching in the lower levels on the minor leagues, his first taste of the majors has not gone well with him recording a 6.63 FIP and a 1.50 WHIP across four outings. The fact that he has allowed half as many home runs (four) as he has strikeouts (eight) is a major red flag.
Players to Consider
Alex Bregman ($4,800)
George Springer ($4,700)
Carlos Correa ($4,600)
Kyle Tucker ($4,200)
Michael Brantley ($3,800)
5. Arizona Diamondbacks
It’s been a lost season for the Diamondbacks, who find themselves in the basement of the NL West. They have been terrible on the road, posting a 9-21 record there. They haven’t exactly thrived at home, but they have played much better there at 11-13. The big difference is that they have a .642 OPS on the road compared to a .722 OPS at home, which is where they will play this matchup against the Rangers.
Also working in their favor for this game against the Rangers is that Jordan Lyles ($6,500) is scheduled to start. Even after holding the Astros to two runs across seven innings in his last outing, he has a 7.07 ERA and a 5.96 FIP. It’s going to be difficult for him to continue to be successful given that he’s allowed 1.8 HR/9 and only has a 12.9 percent strikeout rate.
Players to Consider
Kole Calhoun ($4,500)
Nick Ahmed ($3,800)
David Peralta ($3,600)
Christian Walker ($3,300)
Set your DraftKings lineups here: MLB $200K Relay Throw [$50K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is mbarner51) 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 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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