If you’re looking to kick back with some DFS fun after your barbeque Thursday, there isn’t much action to speak of with only four games making up the evening slate. There are still a handful of strong starters set to take the mound, so scoring might not be all that easy to come by.
Read MoreMLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/28/18
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
August special! Use Code MCMLB50 at checkout
Tuesday is loaded with elite starting pitching options across the majors including Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, and Aaron Nola. There is a great second tier of options behind them as well. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
STARTING PITCHERS
Clay Buchholz vs. San Francisco Giants
Stadium – AT&T Park
FanDuel = $9,100
DraftKings = $10,000
Buchholz is having an incredible season for the Diamondbacks. He’s allowed more than three runs in only one of his 13 starts this season, resulting in a 2.25 ERA. His FIP is higher at 3.39, but that’s still excellent considering he missed almost all of last season due to injury. His 7.7 K/9 isn’t great, but he has a 1.03 WHIP and has given up only eight home runs across 80 innings. He’s already faced the Giants twice this season, allowing four runs and recording 15 strikeouts over 12 innings. He’s certainly not the flashiest of starting pitching options Tuesday, but he could still provide excellent value.
Brian Johnson vs. Miami Marlins
Stadium – Fenway Park
FanDuel = $5,900
DraftKings = $7,000
With so many great starting pitchers to choose from, it might not be a bad idea to go with a cheap pitcher in tournament play and load up on some of the expensive bats that have favorable matchups. If you want to go that route, Johnson might be your man. He’s made 10 starts for the Red Sox, posting a 3.63 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and an 8.0 K/9. He started against the Marlins earlier this season, holding them to one run and recording five strikeouts in six innings. The Marlins have the fourth-lowest OPS against left-handed pitchers (.655) in baseball, so don’t be surprised if Johson has similar success.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Max Muncy vs. Ariel Jurado, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $4,000
DraftKings = $5,400
The Dodgers are likely going to be a popular stack with Jurado on the mound. He’s been terrible for the Rangers with a 6.40 ERA and a 5.75 FIP across his first six starts. He has a bloated 1.55 WHIP and only struck out 12 batters over 32.1 innings. Muncy has seen his playing time decrease some lately due to the additions of Manny Machado and Brian Dozier, but he still has four home runs in his last eight games. With the DH available in this contest, expect Muncy to be in the lineup.
Danny Jansen vs. Josh Rogers, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $2,600
DraftKings = $3,900
Jansen certainly earned his call-up to the majors, batting .275 with a .390 OBP at Triple-A. He drew 44 walks compared to 49 strikeouts over 360 plate appearances. He’s carried that success over to the Blue Jays, going 10-for-30 with a home run and five doubles in his first nine games. He’s a great cheap option to consider against Rogers, who will be making his first appearance in the majors and doesn’t exactly have an overwhelming arsenal based on his 6.5 K/9 at Triple-A this year.
Others to consider: Matt Carpenter (first base) and Yasmani Grandal (catcher)
SECOND BASE
Whit Merrifield vs. Matthew Boyd, Detroit Tigers
Stadium – Kauffman Stadium
FanDuel = $3,600
DraftKings = $5,100
Merrifield might not get a lot of publicity playing for a bad Royals squad, but he’s a great hitter. He only has 10 home runs, but he’s batting .307 with a .374 OBP and 35 doubles. He’s a terror on the bases as well with 28 steals. He has a career .375 wOBA against lefties, so it’s not surprising that he is also 8-for-19 in his career against Boyd.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. vs. Josh Rogers, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $2,600
DraftKings = $4,200
Gurriel took a seat for the Blue Jays on Monday after starting his first three games since being activated from the DL. He’s one of the bright young players in their organization, so expect him to get plenty of playing time down the stretch. He was one of the hottest hitters in baseball before landing on the DL and is batting .307 overall, leaving him as a someone to consider in tournament play if you don’t want to pay up for Merrifield.
Others to consider: Travis Shaw and Jonathan Villar
THIRD BASE
Justin Turner vs. Ariel Jurado, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $4,100
DraftKings = $5,600
Injuries have hampered Turner’s season, but he’s doing his best to make up for a slow start. He’s been red-hot in August, batting .405 with five homers and 10 doubles. He has outstanding numbers against left-handed pitchers, but he could still be in line for a big night against the struggling Jurado based on his .356 wOBA against righties.
Wil Myers vs. Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $3,100
DraftKings = $4,400
Hernandez is only 33 years old, but he’s a shell of his former self. He was demoted to the bullpen at one point but is back in the starting rotation out of necessity for the Mariners. He’s hasn’t been terrible at home, but he has a staggering 7.46 ERA and a 1.63 WHIP on the road. Myers has almost identical numbers against both righties and lefties throughout his career, so don’t pass over him for your entry just because he doesn’t have the platoon advantage against Hernandez.
Others to consider: Miguel Andujar and Matt Chapman
SHORTSTOP
Manny Machado vs. Ariel Jurado, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $4,300
DraftKings = $5,500
Machado is still adjusting to his new team and moving to a new league, batting .266 overall since joining the Dodgers. He is starting to heat up again, though, batting .286 with five home runs across his last 11 games. He won’t come cheap on either site, but he has significant upside against Jurado in hitter-friendly Globe Life Park in Arlington.
Freddy Galvis vs. Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $3,600
Galvis has never really been a great hitter, batting .245 with a .661 OPS for his career. He’s put up similar numbers overall this year, but he’s been hot in August, batting .264 with a .834 OPS. If you decide to spend big at starting pitcher, Galvis is a cheap player to consider to help balance your budget with Hernandez on the mound.
Others to consider: Gleyber Torres and Trevor Story
OUTFIELD
Mitch Haniger vs. Jacob Nix, San Diego Padres
Stadium – Petco Park
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $4,900
Haniger was limited to 96 games last year due to injury, but he still hit 16 home runs and 25 doubles. He’s been able to stay healthy this season and remains extremely productive, slugging 22 homers and 28 doubles. He’s also batting .281 with a .368 OBP, showing he’s not just selling out for power. Nix has a 1.63 WHIP through three starts with the Padres, so this could be a high-scoring game for Haniger and the Mariners.
Yasiel Puig vs. Ariel Jurado, Texas Rangers
Stadium – Globe Life Park in Arlington
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $4,400
Puig is struggling, batting .171 with just one extra-base hit over his last 10 games. His .433 slugging percentage overall in August would be his lowest mark of any month this season, However, this might be just the matchup that Puig needs to get back on track. With Jurado’s struggles already detailed, it’s also important to note that Puig has had more success against right-handed pitchers (134 wRC+) this year than he has lefties (71 wRC+).
Carlos Gonzalez vs. Noe Ramirez, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Angel Stadium
FanDuel = $2,900
DraftKings = $4,300
Ramirez is expected to start Tuesday after recording a save in Monday’s contest. This will be a bullpen game for the Angels, which is good news for the Rockies since the Angels bullpen has the fifth-highest FIP (4.44) in the majors. Gonzalez enters this game on a five-game hitting streak and is hitting .310 overall in August, making him someone to target at this reasonable price.
Others to consider: J.D. Martinez and Tyler O’Neill
MLB Daily Fantasy Baseball Recommendations for 8/27/18
*Mike Barner — @rotomikebarner*
August special! Use Code MCMLB50 at checkout
There are only seven games across the majors on Monday, leaving you with far fewer options to choose from than normal in DFS. Sign up for our Newsletter and try our Playerlab tool, where you can filter the stats that matter the most and help build a winning entry on FanDuel and DraftKings.
STARTING PITCHERS
Patrick Corbin vs. San Francisco Giants
Stadium – AT&T Park
FanDuel = $11,100
DraftKings = $11,500
Corbin has fooled a lot of hitters this season, producing a 15.0% swinging-strike rate and an 11.0 K/9. His 3.17 ERA would be the best mark of his career, but it could actually be even better considering his 2.37 FIP. He’s only issued 2.2 BB/9 and has allowed 11 home runs across 161.2 innings, which has helped him allow fewer than four runs in 20 of his 26 starts. He’s already made five starts against the Giants this year, posting a 2.20 ERA, 0.83 WHIP, and a 10.2 K/9 across those outings. Expect him to have plenty of upside again Monday.
Jon Lester vs. New York Mets
Stadium – Wrigley Field
FanDuel = $8,200
DraftKings = $8,200
Lester appears to have turned things around after a brief rough patch, allowing one run and recording 11 strikeouts over 11.2 innings in his last two starts. His 3.64 ERA overall is a big improvement from last year, but his 4.74 FIP indicates he hasn’t actually pitched much better. One area of concern has been his lack of strikeouts. His 8.3% swinging-strike rate is his lowest mark since 2008, resulting in just a 7.2 K/9. Even taking all of that into consideration, he’s still a viable option against the Mets in tournament play because they have the third-lowest OPS against left-handed pitchers (.649) in baseball.
CATCHER/FIRST BASE
Kendrys Morales vs. David Hess, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $4,100
DraftKings = $5,000
Morales is on an incredible run right now as he has hit at least one home run in seven straight games. He’s not just hitting for power, though, going 17-for-34 during his current 10-game hitting streak. This is a major mismatch against Hess and his 6.11 FIP.
Justin Smoak vs. David Hess. Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $4,200
Smoak has a career-high 14.0% walk rate this year, but he hasn’t been able to build off of his .270 batting average in 2017, hitting just .249 this season. He likely won’t match the 38 home runs he hit either, but he’s still provided significant power with 19 homers and 32 doubles. He has a .369 wOBA against righties, making him another great option against Hess.
Others to consider: Tyler White (first base) and Danny Jansen (catcher)
SECOND BASE
DJ LeMahieu vs. Odrisamer Despaigne, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Angel Stadium
FanDuel = $3,300
DraftKings = $4,200
This would be a much sweeter matchup if this game was being played in Coors Field, but the Rockies will likely still be a popular stack against Despaigne. Despaigne has mostly pitched in the minors this season and didn’t stand out with a 4.47 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP. His first two starts with the Angels have not gone well, allowing eight runs over eight innings. LeMahieu has largely had a disappointing season, but he’s coming on strong down the stretch by hitting .340 across his last 13 games.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. vs. David Hess, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $2,600
DraftKings = $4,300
Gurriel was on a crazy streak of 11 straight multi-hit games before landing on the DL with an ankle injury. He missed almost a month of action and although he only has one hit in three games since being activated, he did reach base in all three contests. Hess allows plenty of baserunners with his 1.40 WHIP, which could leave Gurriel in line for a productive evening. His price is a little high on DraftKings, but he’s a great target in tournament play on FanDuel.
Others to consider: Jose Altuve and Jonathan Villar
THIRD BASE
Alex Bregman vs. Brett Anderson, Oakland Athletics
Stadium – Minute Maid Park
FanDuel = $4,300
DraftKings = $5,400
Bregman is quietly one of the best hitters in baseball. He already has 24 home runs and 40 doubles to go along with a .283 average, but maybe his most impressive stat is that he has more walks (75) than strikeouts (68). Add in his 163 wRC+ against left-handed pitching and he could be a troublesome out for Anderson.
Eduardo Escobar vs. Chris Stratton, San Francisco Giants
Stadium – AT&T Park
FanDuel = $3,800
DraftKings = $4,200
Stratton was excellent in his last start against the Mets, holding them to two runs across 6.1 innings. However, that was more than likely because of his opponent than anything else. He had allowed 19 runs over 12.2 innings in his previous three starts and has a bloated 1.52 WHIP overall. If you don’t want to pay up for Bregman, Escobar could also provide plenty of value based on his .365 wOBA against righties.
Others to consider: Miguel Andujar and Anthony Rendon
SHORTSTOP
Trevor Story vs. Odrisamer Despaigne, Los Angels Angels
Stadium – Angel Stadium
FanDuel = $3,700
DraftKings = $4,600
Story on the road against a righty is not normally a matchup you want to take advantage of. He has received a significant boost from Coors Field, but that can be said for many of the hitters on the Rockies. He still has excellent power upside with 26 home runs and 36 doubles, so don’t necessarily overlook him against Despaigne.
Aledmys Diaz vs. David Hess, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $3,200
DraftKings = $4,200
Diaz posted a .510 slugging percentage during his rookie season in 2016 but regressed significantly to a .392 slugging percentage last year. No longer with the Cardinals, Diaz has rediscovered his power stroke with the Blue Jays, recording 16 home runs and 18 doubles over 333 at-bats. He enters Monday with at least one hit in seven of his last eight games and is batting .282 in August, overall.
Others to consider: Gleyber Torres and Trea Turner
OUTFIELD
David Peralta vs. Chris Stratton, San Francisco Giants
Stadium – AT&T Park
FanDuel = $4,100
DraftKings = $5,500
Peralta is showing no signs of slowing down, batting .395 with nine home runs in August. He’s already blown by his previous career high with 25 home runs this year while maintaining an excellent .304 average. With his 159 wRC+ against righties, he’s someone to build around in what could be a productive Diamondbacks stack.
Billy McKinney vs. David Hess, Baltimore Orioles
Stadium – Oriole Park at Camden Yards
FanDuel = $2,800
DraftKings = $3,900
McKinney was buried on the Yankees depth chart in their loaded outfield, but he’s getting a chance to play after being traded to the Blue Jays. It’s only been eight games, but he’s taken advantage of his opportunity by going 9-for-23 with three home runs. The former first-round pick may never live up to lofty expectations, but he’s still only 23 years old. He doesn’t cost much on either site and is a great cheap option to plug into any Blue Jays stack against Hess.
David Dahl vs. Odrisamer Despaigne, Los Angeles Angels
Stadium – Angel Stadium
FanDuel = $2,700
DraftKings = $4,800
Dahl has played well in the minor leagues with a .306 batting average and a .508 slugging percentage for his career, but he’s had a hard time earning an everyday role with the Rockies. He was finally recalled at the beginning of August and is starting to pay dividends, hitting .289 with two homers and three doubles over his last nine games. His price on DraftKings is a bit high, but he’s someone to target on FanDuel in tournament play at the very least.
Others to consider: A.J. Pollock and Carlos Gonzalez